Secrets of success

At Coffs Harbour, all the ingredients for the perfect regional conference can be found in one place.

For generations of Australians, Coffs Harbour has always been associated with the Big Banana, the giant fruit that graces the roadway just north of the city. These days, there’s a growing recognition that the Big Meeting might be more appropriate with the level of conference business growing far beyond that of other regional centres.

Coffs Harbour’s resort appeal and balmy climate have much to do with it, as does the large number of excellent resorts and conference centres. Certainly another factor is its proximity to Sydney, 550 kilometres to the south, and Brisbane, 430 kilometres to the north. Some 30 kilometres of coastline, including numerous sparkling, uncrowded beaches, a marine national park offshore and a spectacular hinterland with charming inland towns and villages further pushes business in its favour.

While road access is a definite plus, air services emanating from Coffs Harbour Airport, the largest regional facility in New South Wales, include such carriers as Qantas, Sunshine Express and Virgin Blue. There are also daily rail services with Countrylink to Sydney and Brisbane.

>> Conference & meeting venues in Coffs Harbour

Wealth of choice
The region is extremely family-friendly and for this reason conferences in Coffs Harbour always have a high proportion of accompanying spouses and children. Whether it’s exploring the sleepy towns of Dorrigo and Bellingen, such thrills as whitewater rafting, deep-sea fishing or simply kicking back at one of the many beaches are popular activities. There are a couple of small family-operated wineries to tempt the tastebuds especially around Nana Glen, better known as home to Hollywood star Russell Crowe.

Such high profile events as the ARC Centre for Functional Nanomaterials Annual Conference and the National Native Title Conference have drawn high delegate praise in recent times. The reasons are clear; Coffs Harbour has such an abundant range of facilities and services – in fact everything a conference organiser could wish for and more in a beautiful region.