TASMANIA CEO SETS COURSE

WITH a new ceo, major hotel developments and 35% more conferences secured for Launceston next year compared with this year, Tasmania is experiencing a high.

“My focus is to create a strategic vision for the organisation and the industry for Tasmanians; it’s about positioning Tasmania as a preferred destination for businesses and working with the membership to understand the emerging market and opportunities,” said recently appointed ceo of Business Events Tasmania Marnie Craig.

“Tasmania is a very attractive destination and our conferencing capabilities are strong, so it’s about educating the market about what our capacities are,” she told BEN.

These offerings will be expanded once three more hotels open in Hobart over the next 18 months, starting with the 128-room Marriott International, followed by the 278-room Crowne Plaza and 196-room Hyatt Centric Hotel.

“We are aiming for positive growth, but most importantly we are aiming to achieve more conferences & business events across our member segments and dispersing throughout Tasmania,” Craig said.

In the last financial year, Tasmania hosted 120 conferences and added $86 million to the local economy.

The growth in the region has also resulted in a 17% increase in business event visitors, according to the latest Tasmanian Visitor Survey for the year ending Mar 2018.

Another win was the recent announcement of direct flights between Hobart and Perth, starting in Sep.

Pictured is Launceston’s newly opened Peppers Silo, which features conference space for 500 people.