Perth is one of WA’s biggest assets, and with a splendid skyline that’s home to state-of-the-art facilities, venues and products, this cosmopolitan city is ready-made for incentives and events. And lately the destination has been making waves in terms of securing meeting and incentive business to increase its share of the events market.
A number of major associations, corporates and incentive groups have recently chosen to stage their upcoming events and exhibitions in Perth, including the inaugural GO3 electronic entertainment expo which will be held in April this year. This event is expected to inject more than $4.55 million into the WA economy, and will be held over three days at the Perth Convention Exhibition Centre.
One recent development that will certainly bring more overseas interest to Perth is the new flights between Perth and Singapore, to be operated by low-cost Singaporean airline, Tiger Airways. Beginning in late-March, an initial four flights a week will commence operation, with increasing daily services predicted from November this year. Return fares are rumoured to start at as little as $300. If this goes forward, WA will be set to benefit from an increase in visitor numbers from markets outside Singapore, as Tiger Airways expands its flights into other emerging markets such as China.
With these and other developments in mind, Executive Chairman for the Perth Convention Bureau (PCB), Graham Muir says he’s very positive about the city’s position in the market going forward, despite the increasingly competitive global environment where destinations around the world are chasing high-yielding business tourism. He expects this current financial year to be a lucrative one for Perth, judging by the destination’s recent success in attracting meeting and incentive business.
Muir reports that the PCB secured meeting and incentive business worth more than $72 million in the 2005/06 financial year, attracting 138 national and international conventions incentive groups during that same period. These results included two of the largest pieces of international incentive travel business ever secured for WA. Mr Muir said these two groups represented 3350 and 3000 participants and alone were expected to generate delegate spends of $7.62 million and $6.68 million respectively.
“This is a great coup for Western Australia and shows that Perth is now on the radar screens for the larger incentive groups that originate out of Asia and have traditionally gone to Sydney and Queensland,” he says.
Aside from its world-class facilities, WA’s biggest selling points to the conference and incentives market could well be its geography and climate. Known for its brilliant blue skies and white sandy beaches, it’s got everything from dolphins at Monkey Mia, the 350-million-year-old Bungle Bungle range and the towering Karri forests of the southwest.
Perth itself offers a variety of multi-cultural restaurants, great golf courses, shops galore, the beautiful Swan River, a raft of five-star resorts and a huge selection of unique venues to choose from.
Burswood Entertainment Complex
Burswood Entertainment Complex is a facility that specialises in offering choice when it comes to conferences and events. It has a plethora of venues, including seven unique restaurants and bars, 18-hole golf course, boardrooms, ballrooms, garden view meeting facilities and a 2300-seat lyric theatre. Set beside the Swan River and only minutes from the CBD, airports and WA’s tourist attractions, Burswood also features two centrally-located international hotels – the five-star InterContinental Perth Burswood hotel and the Holiday Inn Burswood – with a combined room inventory of 704 guest rooms on-site. Burswood’s host of recreational facilities means it’s great as an incentive destination. Groups can watch a live show, relax by one of the pools, work up an appetite at the gym, hit the dance floor, be pampered at the day spa, explore Burswood Park or squeeze in a round of golf all at the one destination. For events and conferences, there’s a range of state-of-the-art venues to choose from, including the new botanical rooms on the garden level of the convention centre, and the studios on level two which are the latest addition to the complex. For more information, phone (08) 9362 7574 or visit www.business.burswood.com.au.
Rendezvous Observation City Hotel
Located at Scarborough Beach on the Sunset Coast at the edge of the Indian Ocean, Rendezvous Observation City Hotel is just 15 minutes from downtown Perth and around 30 minutes from the airport. It offers 327 refurbished deluxe rooms and six luxurious suites with ocean views and private balconies, with hotel facilities including gym, tennis courts, Vanilla face + body day spa, lagoon-style pool, spa, two restaurants and four bars. The hotel also has two large ballrooms and 12 meeting rooms which accommodate from 10 to 1000 delegates for conferences or events, plus several pre-function areas including the pool deck which holds 150 cocktail-style. For more information, phone (08) 9245 1000 or visit www.rendezvoushotels.com.
The Duxton Hotel Perth
The Duxton Hotel Perth is situated in the heart of the city overlooking the Swan River. It comprises of 306 guest rooms, including two executive club floors, and has a total bed capacity of 424. The hotel also features The Grill restaurant, bar, pool, spa, gym, and business centre. With eight conference and meeting rooms of varying sizes, The Duxton Hotel Perth can cater for an array of events, including breakfast presentations, product launches, seminars, cocktail parties, and awards nights. The ballroom has high ceilings and full-length French doors overlooking the pool area and provides an impressive venue for up to 350 delegates theatre-style. For more information, phone (08) 9261 8056 or visit www.duxton.com.au.
 Joondalup Resort Hotel
Only five minutes from the beaches of the Sunset Coast, and 25 minutes north of Perth City, Joondalup Resort offers 70 guest rooms and suites set among natural bushland. It features two bars and a restaurant with inside and alfresco dining overlooking the lagoon-style pool, plus tennis courts, gym, volleyball green, walking tracks, an award winning 27-hole championship golf course, and the newly opened Sorbet Salon + Day Spa. The resort’s meeting facilities include six function rooms, including a grand ballroom which can seat up to 200 theatre-style. For more information, phone (08) 9400 8888 or visit www.joondalupresort.com.au.
Novotel Vines Resort and Country Club
The Vines Resort and Country Club features 103 guest rooms comprising of resort-style, deluxe spa suites and executive suites, all offering individual balconies or open courtyards overlooking the 36-hole championship golf course or the resort’s vineyard. Located in the historic Swan Valley just 35 minutes from the centre of Perth, the resort offers a swimming pool, spa, four tennis courts, two indoor squash courts, gym, Muscats restaurant and bar, two cafes, and Cabernet restaurant. For conferences and events, The Vines Resort has four meeting rooms of various sizes, with capacity to cater for between two and 300 delegates. For more information, phone (08) 9297 3000 or visit www.vines.com.au.
Perth Convention Exhibition Centre
Situated in the centre of Perth, the Perth Convention Exhibition Centre (PCEC) is within easy walking distance of the city’s major hotels, business, restaurants and retail districts. As a purpose-built, three-level venue, the centre is designed to cater for a full range of meetings and events, offering everything from private board rooms for 10 people, the River View rooms which seat up to 330, through to the 2500-seater tiered auditorium Riverside Theatre. PCEC also has six exhibition pavilions, 23 specialist meeting rooms, and grand ballrooms with views over Perth’s Swan River. The venue is built atop a 1500-bay public carpark with 1200 carparks undercover, and additional parking also available across the road. For more information, phone (08) 9338 0300 or visit www.pcec.com.au.
Perth Mint
Housed in one of Australia’s elegant late-19th century heritage buildings, the Perth Mint is the nation’s oldest operating mint, manufacturing and marketing precious metal coins, medallions and collectables. Not only is the mint a popular tourist attraction, with more than 120,000 visitors a year, it also offers a range of function rooms and spaces for events and conferences. The largest room available is the Edwardian-styled foyer and gold shop which can cater for 150 cocktail-style. For a formal dinner, the Old Melting House which opened in 1899 as the original refinery of the Perth Mint, can cater for up to 60. Other areas include the boardroom and dining room, which seat 10-15 each, and the front gardens and terrace, once used in the 1900s for croquet, which caters for 300 cocktail-style. For more information, phone (08) 9421 7402 or visit www.perthmint.com.au.
Fremantle Prison
The Fremantle Prison is one of WA’s premier heritage sites, centrally located in the heart of the port city of Fremantle. The prison was built by convicts in the 1850s and was closed as a place of incarceration in 1991 after 136 years of continuous use. This unique venue, which was opened to the public in 1992 as a tourist site, offers a range of function options, and can cater for groups of 50 to 450. For larger functions the grounds can be made available and will cater for several thousand guests. Using the prison as a backdrop, why not theme your next event and have guests dress in convict clothing and dine in the main cell block? For more information, phone (08) 9336 9200 or visit www.fremantleprison.com.au.
Waters Edge Winery
Perched on the banks of the Swan River, with its own jetty access, sweeping lawns and rose gardens, Waters Edge Winery offers a classic combination of history, excellent local wines and great food. Established in 1829, this historic site which produced some of WA’s first vintages, not only offers wine tasting in the historic underground cellar and fine cuisine, but also has several unique function areas for conferences and events. Function spaces include the Rose Terrace which is perfect for cocktails or alfresco dining, and the Riverview Room set by the riverside which caters for up to 150 banquet-style or 220 for cocktails. For more information, phone (08) 9277 2989 or visit www.watersedgewinery.com.au.
Merribrook Corporate Outdoors
Based at Merribrook Retreat in Margaret River only three hours drive south west from Perth, Merribrook Corporate Outdoors provides corporate outdoor training programs, team-building, incentives, leadership programs and team games. A new and already popular team-building problem solving option is the The Merribrook Code. Set in the Fremantle area, groups are sent out to complete a series of problem-solving activities inspired on the book The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. Groups visit locations, gain information, complete the tasks and reproduce Leonardo’s work to the best of their ability within the specific time constraints, all while moving easily around the area accessing things such as Q Zar, jet boats, scooters, etc. The Merribrook Code can be tailored to your needs, catering for five to 300 people at a time. For more information, phone (08) 9755 5599 or visit www.merribrook.com.au.
The Old Swan Brewery
Nestled in the heart of the re-developed original Swan Brewery established in 1857, the Old Swan Brewery has its own micro-brewery capable of producing all malt ales and lagers, perfect for a beer tasting session. The brewery consists of a combined mash tun (vessel), steam heated kettle, 600 litre combi-tanks for fermentation and storage plus auxiliary equipment. The Old Swan Brewery is also a dining venue, featuring expansive alfresco areas and waterfront dining with views across the Swan River. The venue can hold sit-down functions for 140, or 300 cocktail-style. For more information, phone (08) 9211 8999 or visit
www.oldswanbrewery.com.au.
Perth Zoo
The award-winning Perth Zoo is home to around 1300 native and exotic animals from over 230 species, as well as world-famous breeding programs for critically endangered species. The zoo runs tours and can organise education programs for groups to trek around the shaded walkways and grassy picnic areas, enjoying the animals and daily activities. See Australia’s unique wildlife and flora in the Walkabout Experience, the sights, sounds and smells of Africa in the African Savannah and delve into the Asian Rainforest to see monkeys, Asian elephants, orang-utans, tigers, otters and red pandas. The zoo can also provide exclusive use of exhibits for events, as well as several function spaces including the Japanese garden. For more information, phone (08)94740444 or visit perthzoo.wa.gov.au.
Kart World
Get groups into the action out on the track at Kart World, an indoor go-karting venue in Belmont. Kart World has been established since 1989, and has five levels of karts that cater for beginners through to serious drivers. Every driver (excluding twin karts) are given an individual printout of the times they achieved on the track, and the venue can organise race days for corporate and function groups. Everything is provided – karts, safety gear and track marshalls. For more information, phone (08) 9479 1200 or visit www.gokartingperth.com.
Oceanic Cruises
If a day of sailing, snorkelling and sea lion spotting is of interest, then look no further than Oceanic Cruises. Based in Perth on a pier on the Swan River, Oceanic Cruises provides sailing experiences for groups of all shapes and sizes. It operates daily return ferry services to the holiday playground of Rottnest Island from Perth and Fremantle, where groups travel in comfort aboard ocean-going catamarans. Groups can also enjoy the sights of the Swan River aboard a wine cruiser, enjoying restaurant-style seating and complimentary wine, tea, coffee, cheese, crackers and muffins. Or there’s always the option of a day cruise to Carnac Island. For more information, phone (08) 9325 1191 or visit
www.oceaniccruises.com.au.
Five conventions that are expected to attract more than 2200 delegates and inject an estimated $3.80 million into the WA economy were secured by the Perth Convention Bureau (PCB) during the final two months of 2006. The conventions are booked to come to WA from 2007 to 2009.
In March this year an estimated 500 medical students are set to invade Mandurah to attend a seven-day conference representing the International Federation of Medical Students Associations General Assemblies. Expected to attract more than 200 delegates from around Australia, the Specialist Breast Care Nurses National Conference has also been secured and will be held in May 2008.
Three 500-delegate conventions have been secured for 2009 – the Australian Council for Educational Research National Conference; the Hire and Rental Association Ltd National Convention and Exhibition; and the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners 52nd Annual Scientific Convention.
Bureau Executive Chairman Graham Muir says that it had been pleasing to secure the conferences after what had been a relatively slow start to 2006/07 financial year.
“Our sales results are tracking well at this stage of the financial year and we are confident of reaching our target of securing convention and corporate meetings and incentive business worth more than $55 million for 2006/07,” Mr Muir says.
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