DESTINATION and in 2024 it was named Australia’ s Bleisure Capital. Corporate Traveller’ s global managing director Tom Walley believes“ Cairns is setting the pace for bleisure trips in Australia,” and he notes that corporate travellers now average an impressive eight-day stay – a testament to the city’ s ability to blend business with leisure.
Whether it’ s the ease of access, the quality of experiences or the warm tropical hospitality, Cairns continues to prove it’ s a destination with strong delegate appeal.
Proven success A standout example of the Centre’ s capabilities is the Cairns Crocodiles event, which returned for its fourth consecutive year in May 2025. Widely regarded as the premier conference for media, advertising and marketing professionals, it has grown significantly since its launch in 2022 when it welcomed 600 delegates. This year, more than 2,000 industry leaders arrived from across the Asia-Pacific region. Organised by The Misfits Media Company and supported by principal partner Pinterest, the festival has established itself as a benchmark for creative and impactful conferences.
This year’ s event featured immersive experiences, dynamic activations, a vibrant exhibition space and a lineup of world-class speakers. Olympic champion Ariarne Titmus, tennis legend Ash Barty, and acclaimed actors Richard Roxburgh and Miranda Otto were among the high profile guests who drew packed audiences.
Delegates praised the relaxed yet professional atmosphere, the high quality content and the stunning natural surroundings that framed every moment of the event.
David Hovenden, CEO of The Misfits Media Company, reflected on the Centre’ s evolution and its unmatched hospitality:“ We’ ve watched this fantastic Centre evolve over the years. We were thinking that we can’ t name a better Convention Centre in Australia than this one at the minute. Nothing’ s too big or small, everyone’ s really friendly and helpful.”
Co-founder Dan Uglow echoed the sentiment:“ Cairns was the perfect destination for a return event as the city offered exceptional convention spaces and unique offsite venues, such as the historical oil tanks in lush tropical gardens.”
The Centre’ s versatility has also attracted international, large-scale corporate event Body Fit Training( BFT). In March 2025, BFT hosted its annual conference in Cairns, bringing together more than 400 franchise partners and studio managers from 11 countries. Previously held on the Gold Coast and in Noosa, the fast-growing fitness brand chose Cairns to accommodate its expanding delegate base and offer an environment that seamlessly blended business with lifestyle.
David Aitchson, CEO APAC of BFT, said:“ Cairns was a perfect place for our BFT family to gather, blending the amazing location with the important work of strengthening connections, celebrating achievements and building anticipation for our future growth.”
The success of the BFT conference has already secured its return to the Centre in 2026.
Future growth Helloworld Travel has announced its 2026 Owner Manager Conference( OMC) will be at the Cairns Convention Centre, bringing together hundreds of travel professionals from across Australia and New Zealand.
CEO Andrew Burnes expressed his confidence in the Centre’ s ability to deliver:“ We are delighted to be taking our 2026 OMC to Cairns. As we all know, Queensland is a highly popular travel region for all of Australia, New Zealand and around the world, and we are very pleased to be supporting this region, and tourism in the state. We will put together an amazing program for the OMC and we know our agents will thoroughly enjoy Cairns and all it has to offer.”
The right choice At the heart of this growing momentum is a team dedicated to excellence. Janet Hamilton, General Manager of the Cairns Convention Centre, emphasises its readiness to host events of any scale:“ We’ re proud to welcome a diverse and high profile range of national and international brands. Our team is committed to delivering seamless, memorable experiences for every client and delegate. If you’ re considering Cairns for your next event, connect with our sales team to discover what makes our Centre truly world class.”
Cairns is more than a destination; it’ s a gateway to inspiration. It’ s where ideas are born beside coral reefs, where connections are forged under the canopy of ancient rainforests and where every event becomes a story worth telling.
Whether you’ re planning a leadership retreat or a 2,000-person conference, the Cairns Convention Centre delivers excellence at every scale, set against one of the world’ s most breathtaking backdrops.
Considering your next major event or conference? Discover how the Cairns Convention Centre can bring your vision to life, whatever the size. S
cairnsconvention. com. au |( 07) 4042 4200
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Spring Issue 2025 | Executive PA 23