Business Events Sunshine Coast (BESC) has welcomed a group of top New Zealand and national event planners to the region (from companies such as Siemens, Wet Feet Dry Feet, 212F Ltd, Lime & Soda and Parnell Partners Group).
Taking advantage of the direct Air New Zealand service to the Sunshine Coast, the group was hosted across the region from 20-23 July and experienced signature incentive activities and unique offsite venue offerings to increase future business and incentive group bookings to the region.
The group enjoyed a four-day tour of the region before today attending Convene Queensland, (a business events trade show), being held at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre.
“This visit, organised in conjunction with Convene Group, allowed us to host high level event planners from premium companies,” Visit Sunshine Coast CEO, Simon Latchford said. “The group was able to experience signature incentive activities and unique offsite venue offerings first-hand.
“The Sunshine Coast offers pristine beaches and a lush hinterland that can cater to groups looking to venture beyond New Zealand cities and destinations for business. The beauty of our region is the direct access to Sunshine Coast Airport via carriers Air New Zealand, Qantas, Virgin and Jetstar.
“Business Events is worth over $40 million to the Sunshine Coast region – it is an outstanding location to showcase the unique experiences and venues demanded by high-end groups. The Sunshine Coast has a stellar portfolio of events for visitors and equally, the area of business events is an important part of the mix and we need to continue to develop and grow this segment.
“This has been a golden opportunity to show key event decision makers what we do best,” added Mr Latchford.
During the visit, the group was treated to meals focusing on local produce at Spicers Clovelly Estate and Spirit House, and experiences such as a flight to Fraser Island, breakfast and VIP animal encounters at Australia Zoo.
BESC will attend Convene Queensland today and meet and promote the region to over 200 event planners from around Australia and New Zealand.
Other tourism members to attend the trade show on the BESC stand include Novotel Twin Waters Resort, Aussie World, Australia Zoo, Beach Road Holiday Homes, The Events Centre, The Spirit House Restaurant and Cooking School, The Ginger Factory and Kingfisher Bay Resort.
Business Events Sunshine Coast (BESC) is the convention bureau for the Sunshine Coast. It sits as a dedicated unit within Visit Sunshine Coast, the regional tourism organisation for the Sunshine Coast. BESC is a not-for-profit, membership based organisation and their role is to promote the Sunshine Coast as a viable destination for conferences, meetings and incentive programs.