THIS TOWN AIN’T BIG ENOUGH FOR ALL OF US
Cramped space stalls Supanova’s Coast growth
SUPERHERO fanatic Nevada Newman will be one of 30,000 people to cram into the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre this weekend for the Supanova Comic Con. While the nine-year-old dreams of becoming Wonder Woman when she grows up, the expo’s founder Daniel Zachariou wants the State Government to expand the Broadbeach centre so he can fit more people. Gold Coast Tourism says it is one of their top priorities.
GOLD Coast Tourism wants the State Government to fasttrack plans to extend the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre to meet demand.
The centre, owned by the State Government and managed by The Star Entertainment Group, opened in 2004 and was last extended in 2008.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk told the Bulletin in November 2017 the Government was investing $1 million in a business case for a third major upgrade to the convention centre.
“The Gold Coast is one of the country’s leading event destinations and this investment will secure that reputation,” she said.
However, the Coast is losing valuable business in the meantime as the venue struggles to meet demand.
The centre will host its first event since the Commonwealth Games this weekend when an expected crowd of 30,000 people attend Supanova Comic Con & Gaming 2018.
Event founder and director Daniel Zachariou said the Coast leg of the fan celebration was on track to sell out again this year thanks to guests such as Dr Who star Peter Capaldi.
While he’d love to boost Supanova’s capacity, Mr Zachariou said the convention centre was not big enough to allow him to grow the event.
“The reality is we’re at maximum capacity at the convention centre and have been for the last four years,” he said.
“We’re nudging to find ways to grow our footprint.”
Convention centre general manager Adrienne Readings said the venue’s popularity was expected to increase following its success hosting netball and basketball events and the international media during the Commonwealth Games.
“To help meet this expected demand, GCCEC has submitted a business case to the State Government for an expansion,” she said.
“The expansion plans and projected costings are currently with the State Government and are still a work in progress. The expansion will not only cater for additional new business but for those conferences that have outgrown GCCEC in terms of available space. Not only are we trying to replace those who have left us with new business, we do want to welcome our regular conferences back to GCCEC in the future.”
Mr Zachariou said he hopes to extend Supanova’s contract with the centre beyond its current 2020 expiry date when he arrives on the Coast this week.
“If they try and make it a bit bigger, that would be fantastic. We had to turn away (exhibitor) business from three months ago. I had to say ‘sorry, we’re full’,” he said.
Gold Coast Tourism director of corporate affairs and strategy Dean Gould said extending the convention centre was a top priority for the city.
“We are very much in favour of it expanding. It’s on Gold Coast Tourism’s Top 10 list of things that need to be done in the city.
“We know it’s a cost issue but we think the returns are there for the State Government. It’s a matter of making it a funding priority.”
A spokesman for the Public Works and Housing Department said a preliminary business case for the proposal to extend the Gold Coast Convention Centre “is currently in development and will be finalised in the coming months”.