MEDIA RELEASE TASMANIA’S GROWING REPUTATION LEADS TO STANDOUT MONTHS AHEAD 30 April 2015 Come September, October and November of this year, Tasmania will experience one of the best ever periods seen by the state’s business events industry. There is no doubt that the current appeal of the ‘Tasmanian brand’ has been instrumental in winning significant conference activity to Tasmania, with 2015-16 looking to be a standout year. Business Events Tasmania (BET) CEO, Stuart Nettlefold said ‘we’re currently seeing real excitement within the Tasmanian business events industry, and it just keeps growing.’ The months of September, October and November will be some of the biggest yet for business events in Hobart and will include the Population Health Congress 2015 (1100 pax), the Australian Primary Principals Association (APPA) Conference 2015 (800 pax), the 2015 Society of Economic Geologists International Conference (1000 pax) and the Clinical Oncology Society of Australia (COSA) 42nd Annual Scientific Meeting 2015 (1100 Pax). This is on top of a number of small to medium sized conferences and incentive groups that will be making the most of what Tasmania has to offer. ‘Awareness of Launceston’s capacity as a business events destination has also increased resulting in good growth in conferencing activity in the last 2 years and continuing into 2015-16. Playing on the city’s strengths has paid off, with Launceston to hold the Bioenergy Conference (Nov 2015, 300 pax), Australian Society for Infectious Diseases Annual Scientific Meeting Conference (Mar 2016, 350 pax) and Australian Institute of Agricultural Science and Technology (AIAST) National Conference (May 2016, 200 pax)’ continued Nettlefold. ‘The increased interested from around the globe and significant surge in visitor numbers to Tasmania has led to a heightened sense of pride. Tasmania has welcomed the challenge and is delivering with a number of significant, new and exciting products on the market over the last few years including Level 5, 39 Murray Street, Hobart TAS 7000 ● GPO Box 237, Hobart TAS 7001 t: +61 3 6231 1366 ● ● e: [email protected] ● w: www.businesseventstasmania.com.au Tasmanian Convention Bureau trading as Business Events Tasmania ● abn: 33 009 589 584 Princes Wharf No.1, Macquarie Wharf No.2 and Brooke Street Pier, all within walking distance of conferencing venues in Hobart, as well as great offsite venues such as Glen Albyn Estate, Frogmore Creek, The Apple Shed and Bangor Wine and Oyster Shed in the south of the state and Cataract on Paterson, Saint John Craft Beer and Josef Chromy Wines in the north.’ Regional Tasmania must not be forgotten with Saffire Freycinet, on Tasmania’s East Coast recently named the World’s Best Boutique Hotel and the Tamar Valley in the state’s north recently awarded the people’s choice Best Food Region by Australian Traveller Magazine. With all of this, it is no wonder that Tasmanian is winning constant acclaim and awards both nationally and internationally, culminating in recently being named in the world’s “Top 10 Regions in the World to Visit in 2015” in Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2015 publication and Tasmania’s dominance in the National Tourism Awards this April, taking out 10 of the 29 award categories including the Old Woolstore Apartment Hotel winning the Business Tourism category. For comment: Stuart Nettlefold CEO Business Events Tasmania +61 437 637 455