Suns board throws the ball to Battista
DESTINATION Gold Coast CEO Annaliese Battista has scored a seat on the board of the Gold Coast Suns, setting up a match between sport and tourism to kick goals for the club and the city.
Ms Battista, who started at the city’s key tourism agency in August after moving from Perth, was keen to tackle the huge potential offered by the Suns in terms of bringing domestic visitors in for eventfocused holidays.
“I think there is significant growth potential for sports tourism, AFL tourism specifically,” she said.
“It’s nothing to someone based in Melbourne or Sydney to travel for a game and spend a few days on the Coast while they’re here.
“What better place come in the middle winter?”
Ms Battista said she was also drawn to the Suns’ advocacy of mental health issues, indigenous engagement and women’s sport.
She said the Gold Coast could make better use of its capacity for major events.
“Metricon Stadium is a major event site and I think the capacity and potential for major events on the Gold Coast, and the visitation and tourism that’s related to those is particularly strong too,” Ms Battista said.
“I’d definitely say something like Lady Gaga, or to of something else on a large international scale – a game changer.
“I think there’s potential to hold other types of major events too, not just concerts, with that kind of capacity and with the characteristics and accessibility we have on the Gold Coast to and from the stadium, I just think the potential’s extraordinary.”
Chairman Tony Cochrane said Ms Battista was a welcome addition to the club.
“We are absolutely thrilled to welcome Annaliese to the Board of the Gold Coast Suns,” he said.
“Annaliese’s appointment further strengthens our board which has incredibly strong links locally on the Coast, while our national and international links have grown significantly in recent times with new roles for some of our long-standing directors.”
Ms Battista replaces Olympian Brooke Hanson, who left the board last year, and joins Tourism Australia Chairman Bob East, Southport Sharks president Alan Mackenzie, lawyer Simon Bennett, businessman Martin Rowland, swimmer Sam Riley, businesswoman Leschen Smaller and newly-minted CEO of Virgin Australia Group Paul Scurrah.
“There’s a strong sense of collegiality and teamwork among the board members, it’s really quite a special board to be part of, even though I’ve only been here five minutes I really feel quite honoured,” she said. “The Suns are unique, they have something we’re big on at Destination Gold Coast – embracing our strengths, embracing our authentic offering on the Gold Coast and staying true to that and staying true to our personality of being a bit different, a bit unique, a bit innovative, a bit cheeky and bit quirky and trying new things and really having a strong sense of going after things and not being afraid to have a go.
“I think the entire story of the Gold Coast Suns is about having a go and about really taking something that had very little visibility on the Gold Coast and saying ‘You know what? We’re going to have a right crack at this’.”