Planning your conference

Wild at heart

For many and varied reasons, the Island State is the apple of many delegates’ eyes.

International visitors don’t quite know what to make of Tasmania. Separated from mainland Australia by the often stormy 240 kilometre stretch of water known as Bass Strait, and just a 2,000 kilometre hop to Antarctica, Tasmania packs into its small size a wealth of experience.

Visitors to the state have much to choose from: wandering the Salamanca Markets; touring the Cadbury chocolate factory or the century old homes restored to their former glory as living museums; attempting to outwit wily trout in fast-flowing freshwater streams; searching for whales, penguins or the elusive Tasmanian Devil; trekking through the wilderness; camping in the Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park; or following in the footsteps of the convicts at Port Arthur. The opportunities are almost endless, which makes convening in Tasmania a very special experience.

Air access into Tasmania is easy from east coast cities. There are several daily services into Hobart from Sydney and Melbourne, with direct scheduled departures out of Brisbane and Adelaide as well. Flights between Melbourne and Hobart only take about an hour.

In addition, the Spirit of Tasmania operates a car-ferry service from Sydney to Devonport, and introduced a lower face structure in January. The ship carried more than 66,000 passengers and 30,000 vehicles in its first 12 months of operation.
The Tasmanian Visitor Survey (TVS), conducted by Tourism Tasmania, found a significant growth in convention and conference visitors for the 12 months to September 2004. The TVS research showed the sector is up 22 per cent to 27,500 for the year.

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MEETINGS FAVOURITE

The Tasmanian Convention Bureau (TCB) has won a number of extremely high-profile events for coming years. This year alone, there’s the 8th National Mediation Conference in May, with an expected 300 delegates; the ACROD Conference in July (500 delegates); the Australian Hotels Association (AHA) National Conference in September (500 delegates); the 13th National EcoTourism Conference in October (400 delegates); and National Conference of the Institute of Public Administration of Australia in November (500 delegates).

The colder seasons are certainly no barrier to meeting in Tasmania, especially with a special winter funding package in place from the TCB. National or international associations choosing Tasmania as the venue for a conference between 1st May and 31st August are eligible to apply for the Tasmanian government’s Meet in Tasmania Incentive. Qualifying organisations are entitled to receive $30 per inter-state/international delegate, up to a maximum of $15,000 for any one conference. Conferences held in September are eligible for an incentive of $15 per delegate.

Tasmania’s wineries, only minutes from Hobart and Launceston, offer great function venues for up to 250 people. The clever use of heritage properties add a different catering experience, while attractions like the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery introduce a new level of sophistication.

HISTORIC DRAWCARDS

In 2003/2004, the Launceston region hosted 49 national or international conferences and meetings, which attracted more than 7,700 delegates and was worth an estimated $6.3 million to the local economy. Such organisations as the Australian Fodder Industry, Association of Financial Advisors and Insurance Advisors Association all convened in Launceston during this time.

Aside from the many hotels and conference centres in the city, there are also some special venues available for meetings. The Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery is the largest of its type outside an Australian capital city. It is particularly renowned for its collection of colonial and decorative arts and Tasmanian natural history.

The museum covers two sites, the original building in Royal Park and a newer site at Inveresk that originally served as the Launceston Railway Workshops. A theatre at Royal Park can seat up to 80 people, while a meeting room at Inveresk accommodates up to 120 people, backed up by a 65 seater auditorium.

IN THE COUNTRY

The $4 million refurbishment of the Country Club Resort and Villas, one of the centrepieces of the extensive Federal Hotels & Resorts chain, is attracting a new class of clientele, with the creation of its new 5 star accommodation. The top end Manor Suites have 42 inch plasma TVs and large granite bathrooms with spa baths and five-head showers. The full complement of Country Club accommodation has been refurbished with new beds, TVs, refrigerators, carpets and furnishings, and high-speed Internet access points.

Modelled on the stately homes of America’s South, the Country Club Resort and Villas also offers a fly-fishing lake, trail rides, tennis and squash courts, a gym, indoor pool, undercover golf-driving range, award-winning restaurants, conferencing facilities and a boutique casino.

Delegates who bring their families to enjoy Launceston’s many attractions will find the Country Club Villas – 78 one, two and three bedroom self-contained units – to be of special benefit. Federal’s group director of marketing, Jude Franks, says the upgrade was part of a group-wide plan to cater for a surge in demand for 5 star accommodation throughout Tasmania.
“Over the past two years, we have upgraded the top suites at our Hobart property, Wrest Point; built new spa suites at The Strahan Village on the West Coast; and have now completed this major upgrade to the main Country Club Resort rooms, allowing us to offer top level accommodation right around the island,” explains Franks. Other Federal operations include Freycinet Lodge on the sunny east coast, Gordon River Cruises, and the West Coast Wilderness Railway in Strahan. In October last year, Federal also purchased the 60 room Doherty’s Cradle Mountain Hotel at Cradle Mountain, re-branded as the Cradle Mountain Chateau.

OLD-TIME STYLE

In Hobart, The Old Woolstore Apartment Hotel has a long and illustrious history. Formerly the Robert’s Limited woolstore, built at the turn of the 20th Century, it is now a smart and stylish hotel with 59 hotel style rooms, 72 studio apartments, 80 one bedroom apartments, 25 two bedroom apartments, and six executive spa apartments. For conferences, The Old Woolstore has a range of spaces, including the 218 square metre Merino Room, which can seat 160 people for dinner or 200 for cocktail parties; a 100 seater auditorium; and a Rose Garden perfect for special events.

The Doherty Hadleys Hotel Hobart is another reinvention of an historic building, with 71 guestrooms and suites, as well as six conference and function rooms. The Regency Room can seat 200 people theatre style or 120 for banquets, while a range of smaller rooms and a 12 seater board room top off the meetings facilities.

The Doherty St Helens Resort is reporting increasing interest from the corporate market. Opened in 2003, the $4 million 4½ star property has 60 suites, two restaurants, and a range of resort facilities on a prime waterfront site. There are three purpose-built conference rooms, seating up to 150 people.

In Devonport, the wraps are off the refurbishment and extension to the Edgewater Hotel, which began in June last year. The first stage, completed in December, saw the creation of 13 new terrace units. The second stage, currently underway, will see refurbishment of the reception area and restaurant, as well as the completion of an executive waterfront spa
suite.