D E S T I N AT I ON : C A I R N S , A U S T R A L I A
FACELIFT FOR THE FUTURE
There may have been no international events to host lately but Cairns, Australia, is using the time well to prepare for a big comeback next year. Angela Antrobus discovers what’s been happening in this tropical paradise…
manager. She says organisers can be confident of holding events very safely in Cairns. “Delegates can walk in ten minutes or less to the convention centre, hotels and offsite venues so don’t need to use public transport or taxis. Our small population means delegates are not exposed to large numbers of people in crowded spaces and our tropical climate means that events can be held outdoors rather than indoors.” The A$176 million upgrade of Cairns Convention Centre is being delivered in two stages. It shut last April and since then the existing auditorium, arena and meeting rooms have been refurbished. Now work is underway on a 10,500 sqm extension, opening next year.
here to start? Cairns Convention Centre is being expanded
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and refurbished, Cairns Airport has completed a major terminal upgrade, and new hotels and venues continue to open apace. Meanwhile, Business Events Cairns & Great Barrier Reef (BECGR) has realigned its brand to underline the region’s advantages as a meetings destination and how it competes on the world stage with much larger cities. In a post-pandemic world, its modest size will surely be an advantage. “We are working towards welcoming international delegates back in 2022 and have received a number of enquiries,” says Rosie Douglas, BECGR general
Above The redeveloped Cairns Convention Centre
60 APRIL 2021 AMIMAGAZINE.GLOBAL
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