Dreamtime 2023 |
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and cheese tasting at The Lane Vineyard .
Having been well fed and watered , we visited Cleland Wildlife Park where it was our turn to feed others : kangaroos , emus , and also stroke the koalas . You have to be quick though as they are only awake four hours a day !
Back in the evening to stay in the Oval Hotel , part of a complex with 25 multi-purpose event spaces . The complex can host up to 1,000 delegates for conferences , and 780 for a seated dinner .
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Sustainable commitment For the first time , the Dreamtime event was certified carbon neutral by Climate Active . This meant Tourism Australia reduced emissions where possible and compensated for the remainder by investing in carbon offset projects to fully balance all emissions .
Carbon offset programmes which Tourism Australia has invested in include :
Regenerating over 75,000ha of native shrubland and forest via the Tallering Station Human Induced Regeneration Project . Over time the project will provide much needed habitat for endangered native species in the region as well as aiding restoration of some of the most at-risk landscapes in Australia .
The programme culminated with a remarkable finale dinner at Penfolds Magill Estate , where the drives underground tunnels and cellars provide unique private dining space for groups . Cellar 20 can accommodate 140 guests on one long table .
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Back to business Following the country pre-tours and the incentives experiences in Adelaide and the surrounding hills and vineyards , the full Dreamtime contingent , including over 90 international buyers and media , came together in South Australia ’ s capital to do business at the ACC .
Tourism Australia managing director , Phillipa Harrison gave an official welcome .
“ In 2019 the business events sector was a major contributor to the Australian visitor economy attracting more than one million visitors to our country who spent A $ 4.5bn and Dreamtime will play a key
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Above : Uluru at sunrise
Photo : Tourism NT / Emilie Ristevski
Left : The Dreamtime 2023 massive lines up at the ACC
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role in helping us get back to those levels ,” she said .
Tourism Australia ’ s executive general manager of commercial and business events Australia , Robin Mack said Dreamtime provided the perfect platform to demonstrate Australia ’ s event delivery capabilities .
“ Even with the disruption to global travel after the event , Dreamtime 2019 delivered solid results for Australia , generating 36 business leads in three months , worth $ 97m ,” Mack noted .
Business Events Adelaide CEO , Damien Kitto , said Adelaide had all the infrastructure and high-quality venues expected of a modern city but had retained its boutique charm . “ We are so fortunate to be able to easily show our visitors world-class unique experiences in the Barossa Valley , McLaren Vale and Adelaide Hills , all within an hour of the city ,” he said .
It was also announced that Dreamtime would be renamed ‘ Australia Next ’ as of 2024 and will return in Cairns , Tropical North Queensland .
Australia Next will also have a 2025 edition before resuming two-year programming in 2027 . n
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