10 reasons to choose the Gold Coast for your next conference, meeting or event

The region is visually spectacular and is blessed with an abundance of natural and man-made wonders to rejuvenate and inspire any business traveller.

But the Gold Coast is certainly more than just a tourist hotspot; it is home to many startups, scaleups and thriving corporations.

It is also the ideal location for your next conference, meeting or event.

The numbers are in, the Gold Coast is the place to be when it comes to meetings, conferences and delegations; so why not be where all the action is?

The facts:

• The Gold Coast hosts 44% of all meetings in Queensland;
• The Gold Coast hosts 47% of all delegates in Queensland;
• The Gold Coast has 49% of all delegate days in Queensland;
• The Gold Coast attracts on average 14% more delegates than anywhere else in Queensland (this includes international and national);
• The Gold Coast experienced a 19% increase in association meetings over the past 12 months.

Arguably, the Gold Coast is the best place in Australia for those looking to combine business with pleasure. If you've got children, the ample beaches, thrilling theme parks and entertainment complexes, and the entertaining resorts will keep them occupied while you do business.

And if you're looking for a little R&R at the end of the day the abundant bars, excellent shopping complexes, and world-class restaurants make your post-conference plans hard to choose.

And that's all without mentioning the fantastic conference venues just a short walk from the beach.

Scratch the surface and the Gold Coast reveals a long list of reasons why the region is attracting the attention of key decision-makers in boardrooms across Australia and the world.

Here's the Top 10:

1. The venues:

The Gold Coast boasts more than 25,000 square-metres of conference space across the city.

From cavernous to quirky, the city has a wide array of business event venues.

There are none more impressive than the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre, which can cater for rooms of 10 to 6,000 people and is perfectly located in the heart of Broadbeach.

2. Bleisure:

Come for business and enjoy the leisure.

With glittering beaches as far as the eye can see, excellent bars, and of course thrilling theme parks, there's not much lacking when it comes to R&R on the Gold Coast.

The city has been synonymous with fun for decades and is the reason more than 10 million visitors are attracted each year.

A growing percentage of that number are coming here to do business. It's the ideal mix.

3. Accommodation:

Want luxury? Want value? Close to the beach? Close to the conference venue? Family oriented? More of an adult vibe? Whatever the accommodation requirement, the Gold Coast has it amid its 42,000 bed spaces.

And with the accommodation on the doorstep from conference hubs like the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre, as well as the city's stunning beaches and just minutes from pristine natural reserves, you'll be in paradise every single minute.

4. Family Friendly:

In many ways, the entirety of the Gold Coast is a playground for those young and young-at-heart.

If you're bringing children along for the ride there are infinite ways to have them entertained during the day on the Gold Coast.

The many resorts on the Gold Coast offer plenty of activities and experiences for children to enjoy; from water parks to playgrounds and cinemas many of the best hotels offer a wealth of entertainment for children.

But of course the theme parks are where they'll clearly want to go (who wouldn't!). While many are geared toward adult thrill seekers they're all built with a wide range of ages in mind, so everyone from the youngest in your family, to the youngest at heart, will have a massive day out at any of the big theme parks.

The Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre

5. Safety, security:

From travel, to accommodation, conference venue and leisure activity the Gold Coast oozes 'family destination'.

The city welcomes and embraces its visitors in a safe and secure environment.

The Gold Coast takes care of its visitors, and with top-notch security at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre you'll be able to ensure your event goes off without interruption.

6. Accessibility:

From jetting in, to moving about, the Gold Coast offers business travellers seamless transport options.

The city is serviced by two international airports Gold Coast International Airport (30mins drive to the city centre) and Brisbane International Airport (60mins to the city centre).

Train, light rail, coaches, buses, and luxury transfers can take visitors, yourself or your clients to near or further destinations. The capital of Queensland, Brisbane, is just a short journey north!

The beauty of business destinations such as the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre is that visitors can walk to accommodation, restaurants, the beach and many other top-of-the-list activities.

And with ridesharing platforms like Uber, Shebah, Ola, Jayride, GoCatch, and Blacklane available on the Gold Coast there's plenty of options available 24/7 to get you to where you need to be and who you need to meet.

7. Aspirational destination:

The dream becomes a reality.

The booming incentive travel market targets aspirational destinations rather than a to-do list, placing the Gold Coast directly in the bulls-eye of that target.

The region is overflowing with money-can't-buy experiences for the high-achievers, natural wonders for those looking to go off the beaten track, and plenty of luxury shopping to do at the many world-class malls during downtime.

8. Team-building:

Few other destinations globally can offer the environment and infrastructure to bring the best out of business teams.

Indoors and outdoors, on the water, beach or rainforest the Gold Coast has the activity to bring any group closer together.

From challenging hikes, to thrilling experiences that will push your teams to break through their fears, the Gold Coast can really imbue you and your team with confidence to take on anything they put their minds to.

9. The weather:

With an average of 300 days of sunshine a year the Gold Coast will invariably have a warm welcome for visitors.

There's rarely a day that doesn't encourage some time at the beach, plus the pristine Gold Coast air is certainly refreshing for the average city slicker.

10. The people:

Gold Coasters are renowned for being passionate about where they live and are enthusiastic to share their city with visitors.

The city boasts a talented, experienced network that ensures business travellers are given the best opportunity to achieve a successful outcome.

Plus, with some of Australia's top universities nestled right in the city, there's a wealth of talent to draw upon to really give your business that fresh-faced edge.

So what are you waiting for? Make the choice and pick the Gold Coast for your next business event; you'd be mad not to. For more information click here.

This article was written in partnership with the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre.

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