19 February 2009

Gold Coast Convention Bureau throws down the gauntlet

MELBOURNE - Australiaââ¬â¢s Gold Coast is stepping up its efforts to attract more association and corporate events into the city.

Gold Coast Tourism CEO Martin Winter said that a reinvigorated Gold Coast Convention Bureau (GCCB) would oversee the new strategic direction.

ââ¬ÅâœWe need to be able to highlight to Australia and the rest of the world exactly what it is that the Gold Coast can offer to the many thousands of delegates that attend these major conferences,ââ¬~ he said.

ââ¬ÅâœBidding for and the securing of major business events on behalf of the destination will form the cornerstone of Gold Coast Convention Bureau activity.ââ¬~

Winter said the aim was to make the Gold Coast ââ¬ÅâœAustraliaââ¬â¢s best-value business event destinationââ¬~.

ââ¬ÅâœSurferââ¬â¢s Paradise may be the glitz of the Gold Coast but right along the strip and into the hinterland there is so much variety.

ââ¬ÅâœWe will be ramping up our marketing activities and aggressively looking to pinch market share from other destinations in Australia. We are throwing down the gauntlet to rival destinations,ââ¬~ Winter added.

For the 2007 / 2008 financial year, hosting business events was collectively worth more than A$504 million to the Gold Coast economy. Growth is anticipated as the cityââ¬â¢s capacity continues to improve and the GCCB moves its bidding powers into overdrive.

The reintroduction of the GCCB is supported by a recent A$40 million extension to the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre (GCCEC).

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