The Gold Coast’s explosive growth, and the infrastructure and diversity of attractions that it brings, are seeing the city feature more prominently in the considerations of conference planners. The city’s world class beaches and theme parks have always been a drawcard; now the Gold Coast has the facilities and public transport that conference delegates need.
After growing to be the sixth-largest city in the country – behind Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth – the Gold Coast is seen as a significant business hub and, as such, a place for national businesses and peak bodies to hold meetings. Construction and real estate are emerging industries on the coast, but tourism has always been one of the city’s strong suits.
This year, the city played host to major conferences for the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, the Australian Property Institute and the Finance and Treasury Association, while it also hosted the high-profile Stop Domestic Violence conference. In terms of events, the city hosted the Commonwealth Games and the Masters’ Games.
What’s on the conference calendar in 2019?
A number of high-profile conferences and events have already been booked in for 2019:
- Magic Millions: A carnival of 26 events between January 9 to 15 that attract the country’s racing identities and revolve around the Gold Coast Turf Club
- Project Management Institute national conference: Property professionals will meet between May 27 and 28 at RACV Royal Pines
- Retail Global Gold Coast: The world’s leading conference about cross-border selling, it appeals to retail professionals. It will take place at the Convention Centre on May 29 to 31
- Leading Property Managers’ Association: Running from May 9 to 10, it promises to be one of the biggest real estate industry conferences in Australia
- Australian Biosecurity Symposium: A joint initiative of Animal Health Australia, the Invasive Species Council and the Centre for Invasive Species Solutions, it runs from June 12 to 13 at Crown Plaza, Surfers Paradise
- No More Harm National Conference: A meeting about bullying, harassment and discrimination which will be held between March 25 and 26 at QT Gold Coast
- 2019 Australian Pain Society Annual Scientific Meeting: Scientific speakers offering insights into pain and pain management at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre between April 7 to 10
- Australian and New Zealand Addiction Conference: A two-and-a-half day program at Sea World Resort Conference Centre covering addiction prevention, treatment and recovery
- Deaf Blind International World Conference: The five-day conference at the Surfers Paradise Marriot aims to raise awareness of Deafblindness as a unique disability
Gold Coast conference venues
The Gold Coast has a number of conference venues, although the most well-known is the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre. The $167 million dollar facility sits right on the highway at Broadbeach, a stone’s throw from a light rail station and only half a kilometre from the beach. It has four exhibition halls and rooms capable of hosting meetings of up to 6,000 people. Some of the city’s biggest events are booked there already: the 2019 Gold Coast Food and Wine Expo, Your Local Wedding Guide Gold Coast Expo, the Showcase Australian Dance Championships and the Australian CrossFit Championships.
Other popular venues include the Marriot, Sea World, Crown Plaza and RACV Royal Pines hotels and resorts.
Accommodation for conferences
There is also an array of accommodation options for conferences on the Gold Coast: hotels, resorts, Airbnb and holiday homes. Elite Holiday Homes offer spacious accommodation with generous sized bedrooms and a range of features including pools, entertainment rooms and games rooms that are exclusively shared among the guests staying at each home – not hundreds of people staying in a hotel or resort. The homes offer delegates privacy, space from each other, methods of entertainment to unwind and a Foxtel and Wi-Fi package to stay up-to-date.
The large indoor and outdoor living spaces in each home are ideal for brainstorming sessions or are even suitable for a small conference of your own. Alternatively, if you need a full-sized venue, the homes are congregated in the hubs of the Gold Coast – Surfers Paradise, Main Beach, Broadbeach, Miami and Burleigh. In fact, several Elite Holiday Homes are within walking distance of the Gold Coast Convention Centre, making them the perfect option for a conference in the city. These include Wanderlust on Water, Serenity at Broadbeach and Waterfront Splendour.
Using the network of Elite Holiday Homes in the city, you can easily source unforgettable accommodation for up to 500 people.
My Holiday Concierge: making conferences easy
Been assigned a conference to organise but know nothing about the Gold Coast? My Holiday Concierge can assign your event a dedicated conference coordinator who can not only prepare the logistics and organise venues, but take advantage of My Holiday Concierge’s other services to arrange transfers, hire cars, team building activities and even tours of the Coast’s attractions. The same professional service is extended for any sized conference, from eight to 500 people.
Conference organisers using Elite Holiday Homes for accommodation can access some of the industry’s leading team professionals through My Holiday Concierge. The service also offers a team of chefs who can visit Elite Holiday Homes and prepare any meal from a humble barbecue to a two-course feast for hungry delegates, catering for any dietary requirement.
Want to make your conference a success? Take a look at the Elite Holiday Home portfolio here and find out more about the services My Holiday Concierge offers here. Alternatively, contact us today for more information on +61 7 5592 3881 or info@eliteholidayhomes.com.au.
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