Centre injects millions into city
FROM BASKETBALL TO SCHOOL GRADUATIONS AND HOSTING WORLD LEADERS, THE CAIRNS CONVENTION CENTRE IS A MAJOR DRIVER OF OUR ECONOMY, WRITES HAYDEN SMITH
A perusal of the Cairns Convention Centre event schedule shows why the multifaceted venue is a pillar of the community and this financial year is tipped to inject $80-85 million into the local economy. The man driving the multi-award winning State Government- owned CBD facility, general manager Ross Steele (above), has shed light on the scrupulous and competitive process that goes into luring lucrative global events to Cairns. “To win an international event is like winning the Olympics,” he said.
WORLD leaders in their field sharing insights with peers, students becoming graduates, and the Cairns Taipans shooting for basketball glory.
A perusal of the Cairns Convention Centre event schedule shows why the multifaceted venue is a pillar of the community and this financial year is tipped to inject $80-85 million into the local economy.
But the man driving the multi-award winning State Government-owned CBD facility has shed light on the scrupulous and competitive process that goes into luring lucrative global events to Cairns.
“To win an international event is like winning the Olympics,” said Cairns Convention Centre general manager Ross Steele.
“Our team would first win the right to host that event in Australia and after that we take on other international destinations.
“But we can compete against any city in the world. We were recently up against Barcelona and Dublin for an event and Cairns got the gong.”
This year Mr Steele, who grew up on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula, marks a decade in the centre’s top job.
After studying business at Deakin University in Warrnambool, he worked overseas for a few years before moving to Queensland, where he landed a job at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre.
He cut his teeth in the events world under the eyes of industry statesman and longstanding BCEC boss Bob O’Keeffe.
In 2000 he started as business manager at Cairns Convention Centre (CCC), which opened in 1996 and, like BCEC, was managed by AEG Ogden.
Mr Steele was appointed director of operations in 2002 before being named general manager in 2007.
He said inaugural CCC boss Geoff Donaghy, now director of convention centres at AEG Ogden, was one of his early mentors in the Far North.
Mr Steele wasn’t long into the top job when the global fi- nancial crisis presented new and unforeseen challenges.
But he said the convention centre fared relatively well during the GFC.
“We mainly go after the association market ... and in their charters, associations have to meet on an annual basis,” Mr Steele said. “We rode out the GFC, because these organisations have to meet, and they’re our target market.
“The predominant reason you build one of these is to drive visitors to this destination, over and above what the leisure market will bring.”
Cairns Convention Centre
ROSS STEELE WAS APPOINTED DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS IN 2002 BEFORE BEING NAMED MANAGING DIRECTOR IN 2007
WE MAINLY GO AFTER THE ASSOCIATION MARKET ... AND IN THEIR CHARTERS, ASSOCIATIONS HAVE TO MEET ON AN ANNUAL BASIS GENERAL MANAGER ROSS STEELE
has “punched above its weight” on the world stage.
It was named World’s Best Congress Centre in 2004 and 2014 by the International Association of Congress Centres.
World class comedians and bands have sold out the venue, which in 2014 also hosted the G20 Finance Ministers summit and Australian Tourism Exchange conference.
But some of the more obscure events can draw thousands of delegates to the 30,000sq m centre and inject millions of dollars into the local economy.
This year’s event schedule includes the International Conference on Photonic, Electronic and Atomic Collisions and annual summit of the International Women in Law Enforcement.
“The very best in their field come to this building,” he said.
“When people come to an event they really want it to have an impact and have a return on their investment ... they want to network and enjoy what this place has to offer.
“We are able to connect the fantastic environment with great facilities.”
Since 1999 the Cairns Taipans have called the venue’s 5300-seat “hall two” their home. The adjoining “great hall”, which can facilitate about 2300 guests, is primarily used for conferences.
Mr Steele said, while the big-ticket international events were the centre’s main economic driver, local events like school formals and Taipans games and university graduations were the bedrock of the venue’s highly important community function.
“The main thing is to make sure we drive economic and social impact into this city.”
Mr Steele, who is also deputy chairman of Tourism Tropical North Queensland, said there were “growth opportunities” at the Convention Centre, which currently employs about 160 staff.
“This is a city that’s growing and we should have aspirations ourselves to grow with the city,” he said.