Booming Brisbane

Brisbane’s appeal to conference organisers is many-faceted. It is a stylish, sophisticated, affordable and friendly city, with much to offer delegates.

Queensland’s capital city, Brisbane, is also Australia’s fastest-growing. It’s well laid out, with many of its hotels and attractions within easy walking distance of each other.

South Bank, Brisbane’s designated cultural arts and leisure precinct, is close to many of the city’s major convention venues, and is also a popular weekend haunt, with summer-twilight markets, a landscaped beach and swimming lagoon, garden settings, and a host of restaurants and cafes.

A number of 3 to 5 star hotels are based near South Bank, with the CBD only a five minute walk across the Victoria Bridge.

>> Brisbane City conference venues

>> Brisbane Suburbs conference venues

Brisbane’s proximity to the Gold and Sunshine Coasts – only a 50 minute drive north or south – is its other key advantage. Australia’s major theme parks on the Gold Coast make a popular daytrip for delegates, as do the islands of beautiful Moreton Bay. Getting out on the Brisbane River on the city’s fleet of sleek CityCats is also a must.

In a multimillion-dollar campaign to consolidate its position as Brisbane’s leading 5 star corporate hotel, Sofitel Brisbane (formerly the Sheraton Brisbane) has launched a series of initiatives.

The most significant is the creation of Club Sofitel, a $2 million private domain on the hotel’s 30th floor, which will be an oasis for corporate guests.

The hotel has also created two new room types to cater to corporate guests – Sofitel Concierge Class and Club Sofitel.

The 30 storey Sofitel, located above Brisbane’s Central Station, is a landmark on the Brisbane skyline and its rooms boast some of the city’s best views over Anzac Square, the CBD, Brisbane River and surrounding mountains.

Sofitel Brisbane has 413 rooms, including 65 club rooms and 25 luxury suites. Sofitel’s French influence can be seen in the conference areas, which now carry internationally famous Parisienne place names, such as Montmartre, St Germain, Concorde, Bastille, Madeleine and Trocadero.

The St Germain, Bastille and Concorde areas can be adapted to suit a broad range of needs and can be configured in classroom, theatre or banquet styles, while the Montmartre, Madeleine and Trocadero facilities can be arranged in permanent boardroom or flexible secretariat styles.

The dedicated conference floor is Brisbane’s largest hotel function centre, with a huge naturally lit pre-conference/ registration space, full banquet kitchen and 12 different meetings rooms; while the Ballroom Le Grand is the largest pillarless ballroom in Brisbane.

This flexible space accommodates up to 1,200 delegates theatre style and is perfect for a range of functions, including trade shows, receptions, gala events, fashion parades and product launches.

In other developments, the Hotel Watermark Group has taken over the 95 room Albert Park Hotel in Brisbane, as it begins to build a portfolio of hotel properties in key Australian centres. The hotel, overlooking Brisbane city and Roma Street Parklands, is a newly renovated 4½ star boutique hotel. The group already has the Hotel Watermark in Surfers Paradise.

For conventions wanting something a little different to the city experience, Brisbane’s islands provide a wealth of options, including first class venues at South Stradbroke Island’s Couran Cove Island Resort and Moreton Island’s Tangalooma Wild Dolphin Resort.