Business tourism figures for the sunshine state released earlier this year by Queensland Treasury reports there has been a 67 per cent increase in MICE delegate nights and that the Whitsundays was the number one area in Queensland for business tourism growth.
Tourism Whitsundays marketing director, Michelle Armour, said this was an exciting and well deserved outcome resulting from the many years of intensive promotion and investment by Tourism Whitsundays members in business tourism in the Whitsundays region.
For the national and ever-growing international market, the Whitsundays is fast becoming a “must do” conference and incentive destination with corporate leaders. According to Ms Armour, much of the conference business for the region is due in part to individuals visiting the Whitsundays for personal holidays, experiencing its unique beauty first hand, and then deciding to revisit the destination with their companies.
“Fortunately, the area has avoided the normal impact of mass tourism usually associated with popular leisure tourist destinations and this is a large part of the Whitsundays appeal to the MICE sector,” she said.
With its tropical climate, easy access, and variety of activities, the Whitsundays is one of Australia’s most enticing destinations for business and leisure.
The region boasts 74 islands and two internationally renowned natural icons – Heart Reef and Whitehaven Beach. With world-class resort and conference facilities catering for groups of 10 to 1000 delegates, the opportunities are endless to create a unique and memorable experience for any business event.
To find out more about meetings, incentives and very special events in the Whitsundays telephone (07) 4948 5908 or visit www.tourismwhitsundays.com.au.
ABOVE: Snorkelling - Hardy Reef, Great Barrier Reef, Queensland.
Courtesy of Tourism Queensland.
One of the best things about meetings and incentives in the Whitsundays is that there is so much to do when it comes to activities for groups. Getting out on the water and experiencing some of the natural beauty that has made the Whitsundays and the Great Barrier Reef world famous is a must.
Fantasea Adventure Cruising is the largest day cruise operator in the Whitsundays, and most definitely one of the most popular with conference groups. With a fleet of nine vessels they offer almost unlimited flexibility.
Groups can start the day the “Whitsunday way” with a breakfast cruise or end their day after a hectic schedule of meetings with a sunset cruise or a dinner cruise.
Fantasea can take groups to Whitehaven Beach, often voted one of the top 10 beaches in the world, for a half day experience, or out to the heart of the reef at Reefworld located at Hardy Reef, for a day or half day of snorkelling and swimming on the beautiful Great Barrier Reef.
Fantasea Adventure Cruising has a unique niche in the Whitsunday marketplace with the company’s spectacular cruise ship the MV Ammari. The MV Fantasea Ammari, a 60 metre cruise ship with 32 cabins offers corporate and incentive passengers day or overnight cruises around the Great Barrier Reef and a selection of the spectacular Whitsunday islands. Perfect as a venue for private corporate functions and incentive trips, the MV Fantasea Ammari contains a conference/lounge bar area, three decks with a variety of indoor and outdoor meeting venues and a range of interesting on and off-board activities.
The MV Fantasea Ammari caters for up to 64 passengers in 32 cabins overnight or a day survey for up to 170 guests.
The cruise ship’s facilities include three cabin decks, restaurant, sun-deck lounges, bars, fitness area, library, salon and beauty spa and swimming pool. The spacious 32 triple, double and twin luxury cabins are fully carpeted with en-suite facilities, wardrobe, safety box, satellite TV and fridge. Many of the onboard exercise, sport and relaxation activities are included in the price as are some shore-based activities including unlimited use of snorkelling equipment and kayaks.
The MV Fantasea Ammari departs from Hamilton Island, Daydream Island Resort & Spa and Shute Harbour. Guests receive direct transfers to and from Hamilton Island airport to the ship while guests from other Fantasea-serviced hotel resorts receive transfers aboard their high-speed catamarans.
For further information or assistance in organising your next Whitsunday conference sole charter or activity email paula@fantasea.com.au or visit www.fantasea.com.au.
Another water-based operator in the stunning Whitsundays is Cruise Whitsundays. Cruise Whitsundays offers day cruising, resort transfer services, and can tailor-make activities for convention and incentive travel reward groups.
The company has gained a reputation for surpassing customer expectations. In 2004 Cruise Whitsundays was appointed Hayman’s official Great Barrier Reef operator. As such, Cruise Whitsundays has handled numerous blue chip corporate and cruise liner movements in addition to carrying more than 70,000 clients on their scheduled departures.
Cruise Whitsundays’ fleet is modern and well appointed and is part of the COTS program which closely monitors reef bleeching. All chemicals used are environmentally sensitive.
The company’s key day cruise products include the Great Barrier Reef Adventure cruise which features a trip to the pristine Knuckle Reef Lagoon. Guests cruise board on the state-of-the-art 37 metre wavepiercer Seaflight, ensuring the most comfortable journey to the outer reef. The pontoon in this location can comfortably accommodate up to 330 guests.
Another option is the Camira Day Sailing Adventure which includes visits to Whitehaven Beach, the Whitsunday Islands, and inner reef sites on board one of the world’s fastest commercial sailing catamarans. The Camira can accommodate up to 80 people.
Cruise Whitsundays also offers island escape trips to Daydream, Long Island Resort and South Molle.
While snorkelling and exploring the Great Barrier Reef on a large vessel is a hit with many groups, others may prefer a little more adrenalin-charged action. Hamilton Island-based Sunsail has been giving corporate meeting and incentive groups experiences on the water for many years, and has the capacity to get up to 500 participants on the water at the same time.
The Whitsundays have long been renowned as a sailing mecca in Australia, and Sunsail is most definitely one of the best in providing memorable experiences in this destination. From the grand prix Sydney 38s right through to the largest maxi charter yachts in Australia, Sunsail can tailor each regatta to provide delegates with a day they will remember forever.
With the support of Hamilton Island’s professional conventions team, Sunsail can create a spectacular regatta with delicious catering, beach games, transfer vessels, race facilitators and even post-regatta celebrations complete with trophies.
Sunsail can cater for whole-day sailing experiences or sailing for just a few hours, and offer relaxed cruising, super competitive events, or a combination of both.
Sunsail has an extensive range of flexible corporate sailing regatta options aboard its fleet of Beneteau, Jeanneau and Gibsea yachts to suit all groups sizes, timeframes and budgets. They can even go all out and create a maxi challenge corporate regatta where participants will be onboard some of the largest and most powerful yachts ever built - pitting their skills against co-workers with the stunning Whitsundays as the magnificent backdrop. These “maxi challenges” are said to be the ultimate way to build teamwork and leadership.
For details visit www.sunsail.com.au.
Thankfully, the Whitsundays region is blessed with quality resorts and venues that not only come in a variety of shapes, sizes and configurations, but which usually exceed client expectations. mice.net highlights some of the latest and greatest venues over the following pages, as well as revisits some of those that are highly experienced in the business events sector.
Hamilton Island continues to be one of the strongest performers in the business tourism sector, attracting a record number of conference groups to the destination in 2007-8. Indeed, Hamilton Island management says they have experienced a 54 per cent growth in business tourism over the past four years. This is due in part to the island continuing to redefine and reinvigorate its offerings. Next year will see the opening of a championship golf course that will add a new dimension to the already popular destination. Following soon after will be the opening of the Hamilton Island Yacht Club which will provide guests with an indoor/outdoor restaurant and bar jutting over the marina; a members’-only level complete with private restaurant, bar and reading room; a wellness facility with state-of-the-art gymnasium, indoor lap pool and saunas; a cellar dining room and three conference venues to add to the already existing 10 venues on Hamilton Island. In August this year the four-star Reef View Hotel, the main conference choice for many groups, will complete a major refurbishment where all 382 rooms will be transformed and updated. The five-star Beach Club is set to follow when it closes for work in July 2008 for a few weeks. For further details visit www.hamiltonisland.com.au.
qualia is the name already synonymous with luxury on Hamilton Island after just a short time of being opened. Located on the secluded northern tip of the island, it has already played host to a number of sole use incentive groups from the pharmaceutical, motor and financial industries, with the feedback overwhelmingly positive. It has also picked up some international recognition being voted ‘”est Queensland Experience 2008” by 80 premier Aussie specialists, travel, and wholesale agents at a Tourism Queensland event held in the United States in April. qualia features 60 elegant, private one-bedroom pavilions accessible only to the resort’s guests. Each pavilion has been carefully designed by Australian architect Chris Beckingham to blend into the natural environment, giving the resort an unusual sense of space and harmony. The “Windward” pavilions include their own plunge-pools and are over four times the size of an average hotel room. The “Leeward” pavilions will also delight guests with their sense of space and meticulous design features.Guests can enjoy facilities outside their pavilions including Spa Qualia, a beautiful six-room spa with four single treatment rooms and two couples rooms complete with Roman baths. Visit www.qualiaresort.com.au for further details.
Hayman is synonymous world-wide with luxury, privacy, solitude and fine dining. The island, accessed by luxury launch or sea plane, offers resort living in 212 beautifully appointed rooms, suites, penthouses and a villa, situated in Retreat, Pool, Lagoon and Beach Wings, all featuring private terraces or balconies. The Retreat Wing, comprising Retreat Rooms, are set back from the beach in tropical gardens. The Pool Wing overlooks the famous Hayman pool and tropical gardens. The Lagoon Wing overlooks the tranquil lagoon, tropical gardens and lagoon pool while the Beach Wing comprises Beach Front rooms and a private Beach Villa fronting the beautiful Hayman Beach and looking out to the Coral Sea and neighbouring islands. Award-winning Hayman provides the ultimate setting for world-class meetings, incentives, specialist events and individual reward programs. Hayman can comfortably accommodate small meetings of 10 up to large groups of 500 in a variety of settings around the island. Visit www.hayman.com.au for further details.
Club Med Lindeman Island has recently announced a new conference with kids program offering events tailored for delegates and their families. Set among 690 hectares of World Heritage national park, Club Med Lindeman Island offers a unique and easily accessible location. Attendees and partners can explore the beauty of the area with tailored excursions including a visit to the isolated Whitehaven Beach, a day exploring the Great Barrier Reef, or an action-packed quad bike bush tour followed by lunch and shopping at Airlie Beach. Children will be expertly looked after by qualified minders while they enjoy specially designed activities and learn new tricks at the renowned circus and trapeze school. There is something for everyone at the resort ensuring that children and partners have the time of their lives while delegates benefit from a smoothly run event with comfortable up-to-date facilitates.
Club Med has recently released a new business brochure. For more information or for a copy of the brochure contact Club Med Business on 1800 686 289, email australiagroupsales@clubmed.com or visit www.clubmed.com.au/business />
Blue Horizon Resort Apartments is Airlie Beachs’ newest four-and-a-half-star boutique property. The resort features a purpose-built conference room perfect for small to medium groups looking for a professional conferencing facility in a stylish and comfortable resort setting. The conference room has state-of-the-art audio-visual features with a waterfall backdrop and a plethora of natural light. Onsite catering provides a flexible and versatile range of choices with options for gourmet pool-side café dining. The resort also has numerous breakout areas for small group team-building sessions or evening sunset cocktail and canapé events. To relax after a hard day of work Blue Horizon Resort has an option of one, two and three bedroom apartments as well as opulent penthouse suites. All apartments offer views over the Coral Sea and surrounding islands. With fantastic facilities in a relaxing and beautiful tropical setting Blue Horizon Resort provides a perfect setting to revive, refresh and drive business results. Visit www.bluehorizonresort.com.au for further details.
Voyages Brampton Island offers small conference or incentive groups a fun escape with the largest meeting room catering for 50 guests. This island lends itself well to a great range of team-building activities, from jet ski and catamaran safaris to snorkelling trips, beer appreciation nights, and sunset dinner cruises. Guests have access to the nine-hole golf course, tennis courts, archery field, two swimming pools, badminton courts, while those after a natural experience can take one of many walks around the island. After a long day of fun in the sun, there are even more choices when it comes to dinner. While three course a la carte options are available, Brampton also offers mouth watering seafood and BBQ group dining available at a number of locations. For further details telephone +61 2 8296 8000, email conferences@voyages.com.au or visit www.voyages.com.au/conferences />
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