As a meetings and incentives destination Brisbane is coming into its own on both a domestic and an international level. Several venues across the region have recently won bids to hold global events, such as the World Dance Congress and Global Summit in 2008, and the region’s largest events venue, the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre (BCEC), has been named one of the top three convention centres in the world by the international Apex Award.
Brisbane’s compact CBD layout does it a great service as a prime location for events. Many of the city’s world-class meeting services and facilities are set smack-dab in the centre of town, including the Brisbane Marriot Hotel, the Brisbane City Hall, Chifley on Lennons, Cartlon Crest, Hilton Brisbane, and the Sheraton Brisbane Hotel.
With its easily accessible venues, plus its leisure and recreational activities for pre and post touring, Brisbane Marketing’s director of business development, Paul Lewin says Brisbane has blossomed in regards to its offerings to the meetings and incentives market.
“Brisbane has broken free of the sleepy little country town label and emerged as a cosmopolitan city with a youthful spirit, a warm-heart and a strong and vibrant business and leisure offer,” Mr Lewin says.
“Recognition must be given to the local soft adventure industry which has really taken off thanks to a new breed of entrepreneurs leading the charge and launching products like the Story Bridge Adventure Climb, the Riverlife Adventure Centre and OceanXplorer.”
Mr Lewin says the city has also revealed a new level of sophistication with the revitalisation of funky urban villages, and the creation of new shopping, dining and entertainment hubs.
No longer quiet and contemplative, Brisbane is a fast-growing city filling up with vibrant operators and savvy, new developments. The fact that it’s a stone’s throw from a plethora of tourist attractions, fine wining and dining spots, pristine rainforests, surfing beaches and unique meetings venues makes it a magnetising destination for meetings and incentives.
Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre
Minutes from the heart of the city centre, The Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre’s (BCEC) location is one of its biggest selling points for meetings. It has 21 multi-purpose meeting rooms, including The Great Hall which seats up to 4000 with the capacity to accommodate 8000, and The Plaza Ballroom which caters for 1380 banquet-style. The single level BCEC provides 20,000 square metres of column-free space, its own dedicated taxi rank and a secure undercover car park providing 1600 spaces. For details telephone (07) 3308 3000 or visit www.bcec.com.au.
Royal on the Park
The newly refurbished four-and-a-half-star Royal on the Park in the centre of Brisbane and opposite the Botanic Gardens offers 153 guest rooms, spa and executive suites, swimming pool, spa, gym, cocktail bar and restaurant. The hotel also features a choice of seven air-conditioned meeting rooms that can cater for conferences as small as a boardroom (for eight people), to a 1000-seat theatre. Also offering a large outdoor swimming pool, adjacent alfresco entertainment area and treetop terrace, the hotel provides a number of options for events and meetings. For details telephone (07) 3221 3411 or visit www.royalonthepark.com.au.
Brisbane City Hall
Built during the 1920s, the Brisbane City Hall is a heritage-listed function venue that offers eight versatile rooms suitable for meetings from 20 up to 400 guests. Its location in the city centre adjacent to King George Square makes it ideal for any business event. The main auditorium can seat up to 1544 guests for theatre style presentations, and features a sky dome ceiling, ornate sculpturing, a heritage-listed pipe organ, dress circle balcony, permanent stage and polished floor. A variety of other function rooms can be transformed for events catering from 20 to 380. For details telephone (07) 3403 4233 or visit www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/cityhall.
Carlton Crest Hotel
Celebrating 35 years of operation in 2006, the Carlton Crest Hotel is one of Brisbane’s largest conference hotels. With two levels of accommodation across two towers (four and five-star) the hotel has 228 standard rooms, and 203 deluxe rooms and seven luxury suites with spas, plus it offers a rooftop heated swimming pool, a gymnasium and sauna, and undercover parking. Its conference facilities include two ballrooms and 10 meeting rooms, with a capacity ranging from 10 to 1000 guests. For details telephone (07) 3229 9111 or visit www.carltonhotels.com.au.
Customs House
Located on the river in Brisbane’s CBD, Customs House is one of the city’s heritage icons, featuring unique facilities for a variety of private and corporate functions. The largest of the rooms can cater for 350 cocktail-style or 200 banquet-style. Its restaurant provides dining in heritage surroundings as well as outside dining overlooking the river and the Story Bridge. For details telephone (07) 3365 8999 or visit www.customshouse.com.au.
Riverlife Adventure Centre
If your group wants an adventure on wheels, on rocks, on water or on the land, look no further than the Riverlife Adventure Centre because they’ve got these bases covered. Located in the parkland at the base of Kangaroo Point cliffs on the Brisbane River, the Riverlife Adventure Centre offers ‘no experience necessary’ activities to groups that don’t mind getting active. Abseiling, kayaking, rock climbing, rollerblading, cycling and kick bikes are among the activities available at the centre. It also has facilities to cater for functions of up to 500 guests. For more information telephone (07) 3891 5766 or visit www.riverlife.com.au.
Karting in Paradise
If you travel 30 minutes south of Brisbane you will come across a karting circuit that claims to be the longest in Queensland. Karting in Paradise (formely MSI Racing) in Ormeau has a track that’s 1.3km in length, made up of a long main straight, tight turns and undulating terrain. It can take up to 18 racers at a time, and has either 6.5 or nine horsepower dino karts available. Karting in Paradise has a range of group packages to choose from, and can organise engraving of trophies to specifically suit groups. For more information telephone (07) 3382 6000 or visit www.kartinginparadise.com.au.
Redcliffe Aero Club
For a great view of Brisbane, there’s no going past the opportunity to experience a bird’s eye view of the city from an aircraft. The Redcliffe Aero Club at the Redcliffe Aerodome offers a variety of scenic flights and tours for groups of up to five. Popular joy flights include the ‘Local Yokel’ tour which offers a bird’s eye view of the Redcliffe Peninsula and the Houghton Highway, and the ‘City, Surf and Islands’ package which takes passangers to the CBD, then to the Gold Coast, and back via Stradbroke Island and Moreton Island. Tours can be combined with other experiences, such as whale watching and 4WD tours. For more information telephone (07) 3203 1777 or visit www.redcliffeaeroclub.com.au.
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