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Back in the 1850s this colony was one of the wealthiest in the British Commonwealth through gold and wool, but the state’s regions now see the promise of business tourism as a renewable means of exploiting their natural resources.
Victoria’s Major Events Minister, Tim Holding, says the business events industry contributes $1.2 billion annually to the economy and creates approximately 22,000 jobs. His government just chipped in $150,000 towards regional business events, matched by the Federal Government’s $150,000.
About $20,000 went towards Victoria’s regional planners’ guide, which he described as “a really practical tool for growing regional Victoria’s share of the meetings, conference and events market” by showcasing venues, food, wine and experiences.
Leading the way is Business Events Geelong, recently named as Australia’s best Regional Destination Marketing Organisation, with Andrew Hiebl, business events coordinator, saying events held during 2008/09 translated to $58.8 million in visitor expenditure.
Always ready to stake its claim for Victoria’s second major convention and exhibition centre, Hiebl says, “All this was achieved without a dedicated convention and exhibition centre. Imagine the possibilities for Geelong and regional Victoria with a purpose built centre. It is important to note that performance has been maintained during a time of global financial crisis. And at a time when most businesses slash spending on training and development, our department has increased investment in this area.”
Over the past five years the region has seen significant infrastructure investment in Geelong and down the surf coast, but now Geelong is about to get the biggest purpose-built events space in the region – 250 metres out to sea. A $4 million redevelopment of The Pier Geelong will offer 270 degree water views and major event space for up to 800, plus arrivals hall, pre-function space and a conservatory for smaller events.
Pier director Darren Holroyd said: “This is a very exciting venture. Like so many other Geelong people we have hoped for a long time to fully utilise Geelong’s premier location”.
It will get its first big workout hosting events during the UCI Road Cycling World Championships later this year, and the city will also be keen to show it off to CEOs and staff of the nation’s 15 leading convention bureaux at this year’s Association of Australian Convention Bureaux conference in September.
At the opposite end of the state, Mildura has been targeted as a potential casino site, perched on the mighty Murray River at the corners of Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia.
Former Federal Hotels chief, John Haddad oversaw Australia’s first casino at Wrest Point, and now wants Mildura to host his new casino project. The project featuring a 1500 square metre business and convention centre needs government approval, but the city is not letting opportunities pass, having won five recent business events with a combination of pre-AIME PCO visits and an active presence at AIME.
Mildura City Council’s Julie Jewel says a conference for 500 people and another of 150, plus a two day meeting for 20 business professionals, and two corporate incentives trips aboard Murray River houseboats have been confirmed post-AIME.
She said the bookings, worth more than $500,000 for the local economy, had lifted the 2009/10 financial year performance to over $6 million and she expected that to rise to $7 million next year…not bad for a region that in 2007/08 held business events worth only $750,000.
Having just staged a week-long national Lions conference for 1410 delegates, she is looking forward to hosting more than 5000 motorcyclists from the Ulysses group in March 2012. While the city has sufficient beds (over 6000), she said up to 2000 Ulysses members prefer camping - “they like to sleep close to their valuable bikes,” she said.
Central Victoria’s goldfields continue to improve their meetings and events infrastructure. Less than two hours from Melbourne, Bendigo is underway with a $4.4 million “Dai Gum San” (Big Gold Mountain) redevelopment to create a 3800-square metre cultural events space for performances and events in Bendigo’s CBD. It will attract 40,000 visitors each year by 2014, create an estimated 31 jobs and boost the local economy by $2.3 million a year. Funding is: $1.9 million Federal Government, $1.6 million State Government and $900,000 from City of Greater Bendigo.
Meanwhile another goldrush town, Ballarat, 75 minutes from Melbourne, offers meetings options from boutique hotels to historic landmarks, educational institutions or vineyards. Catering for meetings of 10 to conventions for 1000, here modern city facilities meet relaxing regional ambience.
The Ansonia on Lydiard is one of the city’s best kept accommodation secrets. A heritage-listed property operated as a boutique hotel, it is undergoing a soft refurbishment of accommodation and two conference rooms for 12 (boardroom) or up to 30 (theatre). Ansonia offers a $45 per day delegate rate (minimum 10) and guest rooms have free wireless internet.
Delegates, start your engines
Only 90 minutes south east of Melbourne, Phillip Island is not only internationally famous for its international MotoGP, koalas and penguins, it is pushing its credentials as a meetings and events host through a new initiative - Destination Phillip Island.
The program to highlight the region as one of Victoria’s premier destinations for conferencing, special events, meetings and incentives, builds on existing infrastructure, including grand prix track hot laps as an alternative to city-bound events and team-building.
Getting up close to a koala is easier now that Phillip Island Nature Parks has invested $1.2 million in a new Koala Conservation Centre, opened last December. It supports a healthy breeding population of 40 koalas in six hectares of natural habitat with viewing available from two boardwalks. Phillip Island Nature Park also features spectacular ocean view meeting rooms and facilities.
Spice Island Retreat on Churchill Island has spectacular views across Westernport Bay and can be booked exclusively for up to 100 in the evenings seven days a week. It also caters for up to 1000 in marquees, and holds corporate cooking classes for up to 15 guests per hands-on session.
Other Phillip Island meetings options include: Silverwater Resort, a four-and-a-half star conference and holiday resort with 170 apartments and purpose-built conference rooms with inspiring views, natural light, modern technology, flexible layouts and no pillars for 220 (theatre), 140 (classroom), 160 (banquet) or 70 (u-shape); All Seasons Eco Resort with 211 accommodation villas and modern conference facilities for up to 150; Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit’s meeting spaces for more than 600 (theatre) or 300 (banquet) with trade expo space of 2000 square metres.
 With recovery from the disastrous February 2009 bushfires well underway in the Yarra Valley, one venue recently paid homage to another lost in the conflagration. Country Place Retreat, renowned for its food and wine service, hosted its McNamara Duck & Pinot Dinner with honoured guest Mike McNamara of the former Marylands Country House in Marysville.
Mike created the signature “Duck Crawl Dinner”, popular with delegates and leisure guests at Marylands. Country Place’s Sue Sedelies said the signature culinary event, featuring an array of delicious duck dishes, complimented with local pinot noirs was an example of local operators working together.
“Our good friends Michael and Louise McNamara were famous for their hospitality at Marylands County House, lost in the fires at Marysville in February 2009,” Sue said.
Sister property, Flowerdale Estate Retreat has launched a new team-building activity in its kitchen. The estate’s medal-winning chefs are designing cooking programs to meet conference groups’ specific needs, so delegates can learn to unleash their creative side and work together to prepare restaurant style dishes to share.
Meanwhile Victoria’s 10 regions have received State Government funds and their first Federal Government money for regional business events development. The $300,000 allocation will enable destinations to develop more free services that conference and event organisers can tap into, to help boost numbers to their conferences and events being held in regional Victoria. So you can expect to see the following:
Ballarat - a conference pack that will include a destination flyer, pre and post-touring options and a delegate voucher booklet with value added offers at many of the attractions, restaurants and touring activities.
Greater Bendigo - developing a delegate privilege card as an incentive to help organisers boost conference numbers.
Mildura - producing a planner’s guide, a delegate card and upgraded searchable website that will offer pre and post touring itineraries, activity suggestions, and useful links for organisers’ conference marketing campaigns.
Greater Shepparton - producing a promotional DVD for organisers’ marketing campaigns as well as a delegate card as an incentive to boost delegate numbers.
Great Ocean Road - developing a unique interactive destination viral campaign that organisers can incorporate into their own campaigns, enticing delegates to the destination and conference.
Yarra Valley, Dandenong Ranges, Phillip Island, Grampians, Daylesford and Macedon Ranges – upgrading their websites, offering more useful information for organisers’ conference marketing campaigns, including enticing pre and post-touring itineraries, unique activity suggestions, maps and images.
To many in Victoria’s second city, Frank Costa (pictured left) is Geelong. The Geelong Football Club president who has overseen the resurrection of his beloved Cats, says they are the spirit of the city – when they do well the city prospers; when they don’t it gets depressed.
So it is no surprise that he’s one of a select few chosen to spruik the business events credentials of the Geelong Otway region by Business Events Geelong.
A passionate Geelong-ite who took the GFC helm in 1998, he is credited with a remarkable turnaround for the club that in 2007 won its first premiership in 44 years, then last year won another.
Now Business Events Geelong believes this entrepreneur – he turned the family wholesale fruit and vegetable business into a $100 million enterprise – and generous philanthropist awarded the 1997 Order of Australia Medal in 1997, can inspire local, interstate, even international visitors to come and meet in the region.
“It has been a wonderful life for me and my wife Shirley growing up in a large family in Geelong… recent enormous upgrades have made it even more liveable; the new bayfront, improved hotels and facilities, better employment prospects for our youth,” he says, in contrast to 1989-90 when Pyramid Building Society collapsed in the city owing locals millions.
Listening to Frank Costa, the son of Sicilian immigrants, enthuse about his city, is infectious. He speaks quickly, brimming with ideas, barely drawing breath – “we need the convention centre… an upgraded Avalon airport… with a DFO; we complain here when we can’t get a car park right out the front; Melbourne used to call us a sleepy hollow, but no more…we’ll have 500,000 people here by 2040 – that’s great,” but his thoughts quickly return to the game, “the footy club gets the city’s name in the media every single day, so we’ll NEVER change the name from Geelong Football Club”.
Country values is one of Geelong’s secrets, “underneath we’re still just a big country town where people still have the time to talk to each other,” he says. But Frank loves the surrounding region too, the natural wonders of Bellarine Peninsula, the world-class Surf Coast and the inspiring Otway Ranges, urging businesses to get out of the big smoke and breathe the fresh air while they meet… “then stay a few more days”.
His newest project may be his greatest in luring the world to meet in Geelong: turning the GFC home ground, Skilled Stadium, into a colosseum-style arena seating 44,000 as part of Australia’s bid for the FIFA World Cup in 2018 or 2022. Frank says the current venue with its multiple function spaces hosts more than 1200 events a year.
Frank Costa credits part of the recent success of his city – Business Events Geelong was recently named Australia’s best Regional Destination Marketing Organisation – to the Committee For Geelong, whose vision is for: “… an alumni of inspired and well connected visionaries who will be in a position of knowledge to lead us into the future.”
By contrast to the GFC President, Professor David Lowe is a relative newcomer (confesses he doesn’t barrack for Geelong) but he’s passionate about the place in his role as inaugural Director of the Alfred Deakin Research Institute in the university precinct on the Geelong Waterfront. Former PM Deakin was a local identity frequently in the city en route to and from his holiday home at nearby Point Lonsdale.
Professor Lowe believes Geelong can capitalise on the intellectual legacy of Deakin the lawyer, journalist, politician and nation builder, whose Prime Ministerial library is at the institute.
“The University has banked a great deal of goodwill and is an attractor of people and ideas, so we believe it can play a role in hosting events. As a humanities and social sciences institute we have a multi-disciplinary role in research projects and teams. But we also have the potential to facilitate interesting and innovative meetings - business lunches, symposia, public lectures on issues affecting the nation and the region,” he says.
“We’re so close to Melbourne, but we’re a desirable conference destination in a smaller, yet sophisticated city,” the Professor says, noting that while the institute has small meeting spaces, Deakin University itself offers multiple event spaces, including, unsurprisingly, the 1500-person Costa Hall. Clearly these two Ambassadors for Geelong are in sync.
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