Outside of the capital cities, Gold Coast is the largest destination for events and business culture in Australia. Every year, more than 220,000 delegates from across the nation come to the city to attend events that run across the full gamut of sectors.
Despite often being thought of as a tourism destination – and it certainly remains popular for that as well – Gold Coast has several qualities that can help an event stand out. With event calendars now filled and highly competitive, organisers need to ensure that their event is superior in order to attract the maximum number of delegates. By simply hosting the event at Gold Coast an organisation can take a step towards achieving that.
Gold Coast attracts higher delegate numbers
There is still some hesitation within some parts of community in attending events. This is especially true when travel is involved. However, with a destination like Gold Coast, the desirability of the location helps to ensure that enough people do attend that the event will still have full meeting rooms. It’s also a location that people are familiar with, and therefore less hesitant to consider. Almost half of all Queensland events are held in Gold Coast, making it a location that delegates feel more comfortable towards.
Gold Coast is sought after because it allows delegates to unwind after the event
In addition to being a prestige destination for conferences and events, Gold Coast is also one of Australia’s leading tourism destinations. Because of this, when attending an event at Gold Coast, delegates will often want to bring their family and stay beyond the conclusion of the event, as a short holiday. It is something that many take advantage of, with studies showing that the average delegate stay in Gold Cost is 3.1 days.
People do tend to be most appreciative of the events they attach a holiday to, and this is why many prestige event locations around the world coincide with tourism hotspots. Gold Coast is the fourth largest destination within Australia by tourism numbers, and the largest non-capital destination. With world-class restaurants, an appealing beach culture, plenty of attractions to visit, and a deep entertainment industry, research shows that many delegates have such a memorable experience at the event that they return for a further holiday in the future.
There is a depth and breadth of accommodation options
Because Gold Coast is such a popular tourism location, the infrastructure to support travellers is excellent. From serviced apartments, to budget hotels, five-star experiences and Airbnb options, organisations can tailor the accommodation settings to meet any budget for any delegate demographic.
The business and local community is also used to engaging with business travellers and there are also many possible “add on” services that organisers can arrange with ease. This includes discounted passes on the Translink network, making it easier to set delegates up at a broader range of hotels that are within a short trip to the event venue.
Gold Coast has the true “Goldilocks zone” for weather
Delegates might be indoors for the presentations, but increasingly, organisers want to take things outside for the after-hours experiences, and delegates staying on will look forward to nice weather for their post-event stay.
The subtropical climate of Gold Coast means comfortable year-round weather. In the depths of winter, the temperature sits comfortably between 15°C and 20°C. Meanwhile, in summer, while other parts of Australia experience wildly varying temperatures, Gold Coast maintains ideal beach weather, with temperatures typically sitting between 30°C and 35°C.
For event organisers, Gold Coast’s weather is some of the most consistent and predictable in Australia. This allows organisers to plan an event well ahead of time, and be reasonably confident that the weather isn’t going to disrupt the event.
Every city convenience minus the cost
Gold Coast has all the conveniences of a modern global city. It features excellent transport networks and travel options, services ranging from the highest standard in catering through to the peace of mind of excellent healthcare, the capacity to hold large events at facilities such as the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre, and world-class entertainment options. At the same time, Gold Coast is not a capital city. It has a regional city’s perspective on costs and culture.
Gold Coast bills itself as the “imagination capital of Australia,” and that sets an appropriate message for the events that are held here. With organisers having an unprecedented ability to meld work and play, and provide both comfort and convenience, Gold Coast offers a destination preferred by busy delegates.
Source: Originally published in Associations Forum Magazine