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About the Gold Coast
Why the Gold Coast?
Passionate about our city, we believe there’s no better place to host business events. Here are just some of the reasons why...
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Golden Support - A passion for realising the unimaginable drives an elite team of business event experts known as the Gold Coast Convention Bureau (GCCB). With an infinite knowledge of the Gold Coast and all it offers, GCCB provides a range of complimentary services to ensure that all of your objectives are exceeded. From hosted city familiarisation visits with event organisers, through to a wealth of co-operative marketing strategies, our team is dedicated to creating a superbly organised, unforgettable event.
Impressive Accommodation - With over 65,000 bed spaces on offer, the Gold Coast has accommodation options to suit every budget and style. International hotels, beachfront resorts, self-contained apartments, motels, hostels, mountain cabins, bed and breakfasts, rainforest hideaways, health retreats and farm-stays; accommodation in our coastal city could easily be one of the most impressive elements of your event.
Proven Experience - The Gold Coast knows how to put on a show. Award winning chefs, wildlife warriors, motivational experts, musicians, dancers, actors, passionate performers and marketing magnates grace the many events held across our city with their expertise and talent. Experience is why the Gold Coast has been listed in the top three Asia Pacific resort destinations for meetings and incentives for more than five consecutive years. It’s also the reason why we are the home of leading Australian and International business events.
Affordability - While we’re Australia’s sixth largest city, on the Gold Coast we don’t suffer from the inflated costs of capital cities. We pride ourselves on offering highly competitive rates for accommodation, dining, venues and attractions.
Sustainable Events - The Gold Coast is synonymous with indulgence, but we’re also focused on sustainability. GCCB works closely with local venues and suppliers to develop environmentally-friendly solutions for business events.
Subtropical Climate - Our name says it all. The ‘Gold Coast’ is a city touched by gold with a mild subtropical climate delivering blue skies almost year round. With more than 300 days of sunshine every year, delegates enjoy wonderfully mild winters, warm autumns and springs and sun-drenched summers. By its very nature, our climate is a source of pure energy and inspiration for delegates.
High Delegate Attendance - The Gold Coast enjoys some of Australia’s most impressive delegate statistics. Delegates visiting the Gold Coast spend an average of 4.5 days in the region, which is more than any other destination in Queensland. There’s no doubt that delegates love coming to the Gold Coast, and it’s where serious business is done.
One-of-a-kind Programs - The Gold Coast is famous for an unrivalled range of entertainment and attractions. With the likes of seven of Australia’s best theme parks, over 40 international standard or championship golf courses, 600 restaurants and cafés and an abundance of natural and cultural wonders, we boast an almost limitless range of possibilities for creating spectacularly unique events.
Business Community - The Gold Coast is synonymous with fun, but we also have a serious side. Our region is home to a thriving business community and influential industry sectors such as health and medical, environmental science, as well as creative industries. The Gold Coast’s diverse business community is where some of the country’s most influential experts call home.
State-of-the-Art Venues - The Gold Coast is home to a diverse range of state-of-the-art conference venues. With purpose-built meeting space around every corner, delegates have the choice of meeting in our world-class Convention Centre, inside our city’s international hotels and resorts or even venturing outside to our spectacular offsite event spaces.
Easy Access - Getting to the Gold Coast couldn’t be easier, with two impressive international airports close by that service all major Australian cities, as well as effortless road access from Queensland’s capital, Brisbane. The Gold Coast Airport is just 30 minutes drive from the centre of Surfers Paradise and the Brisbane Domestic and International Airport is less than one hour’s drive.
10 Ways to Discover the Gold Coast
Relaxation Therapy - For some, the opportunity to truly relax is very rarely a reality. The Gold Coast’s inner city day spas, hinterland therapy centres and rainforest health retreats create sanctuaries of ancient remedies and advanced beauty and relaxation treatments.
Make a Splash - More than 55 kilometres of continuous beaches, an expansive Broadwater and an ocean full of life, make up some of the Gold Coast’s most internationally renowned assets. Experience them by catching your first wave, kayaking to a tropical island, snorkelling or diving over coral reefs or flying across the surface on a jet ski or jet boat adventure.
Up In The Air - The Gold Coast’s stunning diversity of landscapes is most easily visible from the sky, and our city offers a heady array of ways to get up, up and away. A sunrise hot air balloon ride is a serene experience, a flight in a traditional tiger moth plane will give you goose bumps and a visit to SkyPoint in one of the world’s tallest residential towers will delight.
Make Tracks - On two, three or four wheels there are plenty of opportunities to make tracks on the Gold Coast. A classically cool tour on a Harley Davidson or the next generation style Segway? A hinterland trek on a quad bike or a hot lap in a V8 Supercar? The choice is yours.
Eat, Drink and Be Merry - Dining could easily be one of the most memorable ways for you to discover the Gold Coast. Cafés, restaurants and bars line the city’s beaches, streets and dot the hinterland with the flavours of modern Australian cuisine and international feasts. Follow the Gold Coast Food and Wine Trail to uncover the unexpected in local gourmet food and wine.
Theme Park Challenge - Home to the southern hemisphere’s fastest, tallest and longest theme park rides, the Gold Coast makes having an extraordinary experience as simple as choosing which park to play in first. Skyhigh waterslides, superhero inspired rollercoasters and fun for the smallest adventurers. Welcome to Australia’s theme park capital.
Walk the Walk - Amongst the Gold Coast’s 100,000 hectares of forest there are short walks, lookouts and waterfalls that inspire with a raw beauty only found in nature. The Gold Coast Hinterland Great Walk is a three day journey through ancient rainforests while the Tamborine Rainforest Skywalk takes walkers into the rainforest canopy.
Up Close and Furry - Take a morning walk with a Bengal Tiger, get a behind-the-scenes view of a polar bear habitat, cuddle a koala, soar above crocodile wetlands on a flying fox or spot wild platypus in a river. There are just as many ways to get up close and personal with amazing animals as there are native and exotic creatures on the Gold Coast.
Fashion Fix - Take home a fashionable souvenir of your Gold Coast experience. Choose from discount outlets, local and farmers’ markets, expansive malls, unique local boutiques, high-end international brands or even hire a personal stylist to make your shopping experience complete.
Swinging Good Time - The Gold Coast is a golfer’s paradise. There are over 40 international standard or championship golf courses within 40 minutes drive of the city centre. Some of them are the setting for international Pro competitions, dedicated training and skills centres, colonial clubhouses and endless days on the golf course.
Gold Coast Industry
The Gold Coast has a vision of sustainability. Our city’s coveted lifestyle attracts and retains highly-skilled and talented professionals. Our local workforce is also supported by the region’s extensive education facilities.
With growth rates outstripping all the country’s capital cities and a focus on sustainability, the Gold Coast provides significant opportunities for investors and businesses looking to establish, expand or relocate.
Creative Industries - The Gold Coast has more than 1,000 businesses engaged in the city’s creative industries. Industry sectors include:
• Film, Television and Entertainment • Software • Music Composition and Production • Performing Arts • Writing, Publishing and Print Media • Architecture, Visual Arts and Design • Advertising, Graphic Design and Marketing
Creative businesses are attracted to the Gold Coast for its low business costs and highly-skilled workforce. The city is home to numerous academies and training facilities specifically geared to creative industries. Griffith University incorporates the Queensland College of Art and Queensland Conservatorium and is the state’s largest provider of creative arts training.
Education - The Gold Coast is a ‘learning city’. There are more than 400 education and training providers in the region that attract students from more than 100 countries. Facilities include:
• Four universities • Several research centres • Over 150 internationally recognised training organisations
The Gold Coast is also home to a variety of internationally acclaimed research facilities including the Institute of Glycomics, The Australian CRC in Sustainable Tourism and one of only two university teaching hospitals in Australia as well as Australia’s first six-star carbon neutral sustainable building - the Mirvac School of Sustainable Development.
Environment - As Australia’s most biodiverse city, the Gold Coast has a responsibility to work towards innovative solutions for environmental sustainability. As one of the Gold Coast’s fastest growing industry sectors, more than 400 companies operate within the city’s environmental industry, focusing on various disciplines including construction, coastal and marine consulting, urban planning and design, water treatment technology, professional services in the carbon market and emissions trading. The industry is widely supported by the Gold Coast City Council that has more than 40 environmental policies and procedures.
Film - The diverse landscapes and vast studio facilities located on the Gold Coast have made the region a film industry hot spot both in Australia and around the world. With numerous blockbuster movies and television programs already filmed and produced on the Gold Coast, the industry is only growing. Film makers are attracted by a dynamic pool of talent in all areas of filming and production, as well as numerous financial incentives. The Gold Coast is also home to Village Roadshow Studios - a world-class facility and one of the largest studios in the southern hemisphere.
The film industry on the Gold Coast accounts for 76 percent of Queensland’s film production.
Food and Beverage - The Gold Coast food and beverage industry employs over 2,500 full time employees and is recognised as one of the most diverse production regions in Australia. The industry benefits from research and development facilities, numerous industry associations, TAFE capabilities in food processing, food and beverage operations and food safety and a counter-seasonal harvest to the northern hemisphere and southern states of Australia. The city’s food and beverage products include:
• Fresh fruit and vegetables • Seafood and meat • Confectionery • Dairy foods
