GOLD COAST’S GOLDEN INFRASTRUCTURE

The Gold Coast has long been Australia’s playground and is constantly reinventing itself for the new generations of visitors – which increasingly include delegates to national and international conferences.

A wide range of sophisticated services meet the needs of conference delegates, many of whom travel the world to conferences and have high expectations of a destination. The Gold Coast tourism authorities have come up with a “Very GC” slogan for the city, turning a negative perception into a positive one.

The Gold Coast welcomes millions of visitors a year, yet manages to retain a Queensland freshness. One notices it as soon as one boards of the coaches which ply between the Gold Coast Airport and the hotel strip at Broadbeach and Surfers Paradise. It’s the open friendliness of the drivers that makes for a positive start.

>> Conference & meeting venues GOLD COAST, QLD

There’s always plenty happening on the Gold Coast. The new Q1 building in Surfers Paradise is deemed to be the tallest residential apartment block in the world and has a viewing deck on the 78th level. It also incorporates a theatrette which shows the development of the Gold Coast as a tourist destination of the decades.

The complex is also home to a renowned new restaurant, said to be one of the very best in regional Australia.
Out at the theme parks, the “next big thing” is the Australian Outback Spectacular which is ideal for a conference group, specially if it comprises international visitors.

Presented under the RM Williams banner, the AOS recreates some of that theatre magic from the opening of the Sydney Olympic Games where the horse riders stormed into the stadium with flags unfurled.

A team of highly skilled young riders, assisted by world-class projection and sound effects cover a wide spectrum of the Australian outback experience. It’s little sentimental at times, the audience of 1,000, all of whom are issued with bush hats on arrival seem to love it. A dinner is served during the show and the entry price (around $80 for groups) also includes wine and beer which is poured freely throughout the show. There are plenty of songs and the audience gets to barrack for their particular station. There are two herds of cattle, sheep, dogs, horses and even a mustering helicopter to build up atmosphere.

There’s more to the Gold Coast than sand, surf, theme parks and golf courses and the past few years have seen the development of a wide variety of venues and activities in the immediate hinterland. This includes world-class spa treatment centres, vineyards, rainforest trails and wellbeing centres.

On Mount Tamborine, there are any amount of galleries featuring the work of Queensland crafts people and artists. You can also enjoy guided tours through the rainforest and completely forget you’re in striking distance of the restless Gold Coast.

There are many other ways to experience the Gold Coast, with helicopter, Harley Davidson rides and balloon flights at first light being but a few. Take you group to lunch or dinner on one of the islands in the Gold Coast waterways, with the high-rises of Surfers as the background picture.

The Gold Coast’s dining scene continues to evolve. Tedder Avenue is still the place to be seen, but areas such as Broadbeach are developing into “eat streets” in their own right. The visitor business is what the Gold Coast is all about. A well planned and delivered national conference or corporate meeting could very well positively influence the views of your clients.