REMEMBER WHEN

GOLD COAST BULLETIN Saturday July 3, 2004

IT was billed as the day Broadbeach came into its own to stake a claim over Surfers Paradise as the hottest spot in town.

Broadbeach was abuzz with colour and excitement as tens of thousands of people crammed into the suburb to celebrate the opening of the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre.

It was expected that more than 100,000 people would converge on Broadbeach that weekend as people got up close and personal with the new centre, which was hosting an exhibition putting the Gold Coast on show.

Pacific Fair, the Oasis shopping centre and Jupiters Casino traders were bracing for larger than usual winter crowds.

The opening of the Gold Coast’s newest landmark coincided with the Tastes of Gold Coast Food and Wine festival, which kicked off with a fireworks display over Kurrawa beach and live entertainment on the restaurant strip in Surf Parade.

Southport Chamber of Commerce president Ian Solomon said Broadbeach was now `streets ahead’ of what Surfers Paradise and Southport had to offer.

“I don’t just think it’s because of the convention centre, either,” he said.

“That is obviously a bonus but there’s a handful of very high quality apartments that have been built right in the business precinct and they have given the suburb fine dining and modern streetscaping.

“The people of Broadbeach also don’t have regular events interrupting their trade as the people of Surfers and Main Beach have.”