Australia
Australia open for business
You can in
Canberra
AUSTRALIA IS UNITED AND RESILIENT SAYS
EXECUTIVE GENERAL MANAGER EVENTS AT
TOURISM AUSTRALIA, PENNY LION
t the time of writing,
parts of regional
Australia are
experiencing significant
bush fires. Like many of you, I’ve seen
images of our beautiful country that
are distressing but I’ve also heard
stories of great heroism.
What has been most heart-warming
during this time is the outpouring of
support in Australia and
internationally for those in affected
areas.
From donation centres being
overwhelmed with goods to thousands
of firefighters – many of whom are
volunteers - working tirelessly on fire
fronts, Australians have united to face
the fires together.
And, while bush fires continue to
impact parts of Australia, many areas
are unaffected and most business
events operators are open and ready to
welcome visitors.
With business events a significant
driver of Australia’s economy, one of
the ways you can support our
communities is to continue to bring
your events to Australia – there are
plenty of destinations ready now while
those affected by bush fires will benefit
hugely from visitation when the time is
right.
Our Head of Distribution
Development and Partnerships, Kelly
Maynard, is on hand to help guide you
as you select the destination best suited
to your event objectives. For a personal
introduction to our industry or the
latest information on Australia’s
continuing influx of new hotels, venue
precincts and business events
experiences, contact Kelly today at
[email protected]
As the stories in this Australia-
focused edition demonstrate, as we
support those
impacted by a
difficult summer,
innovation and
progress continues
for our industry.
Canberra, Australia’s capital, has many
national treasures, such as the Australian
War Memorial, the National Gallery of
Australia, and Australian Parliament
House. It holds numerous government
conferences and the city has 9,000 rooms
available, including at the five-star
Midnight Hotel, an Autograph Collection
Hotel by Marriott International, The
Sebel Canberra Civic, and Mercure
Belconnen.
The first stage of light rail was
launched in 2019 and runs from north
Canberra to the city centre, with a regular
service past Exhibition Park in Canberra
(EPIC).
Kambri cultural precinct at the
Australian National University opened in
2019 and The National Science and
Technology Centre, Questacon, located in
the parliamentary triangle, has eight
themed galleries where you can freefall
six metres down a vertical slide,
experience a simulated earthquake, watch
live science demonstrations or gaze at a
7m replica moon.
Out of conference hours, delegates can
also examine coin production at the Royal
Australian Mint or take a winery tour
around one of the 30 boutique wineries
within 30 minutes’ drive.
National Convention Centre Canberra
is able to host up to 2,000 delegates and
has a ballroom with 650sqm of pillar-free
space.
Right: The
Canberra
Balloon
Spectacular
– a real
capital
success
ISSUE 104
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CONFERENCE & MEETINGS WORLD
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31