| ACA update 7 Sep 17: ACA Conference kicks off

WITH Jill Abel, CEO, Australian Cruise Association – Our 21st annual conference kicked off last night on the Sunshine Coast with festivities at host hotel, Mantra Mooloolaba Beach.

Leanne Coddington, ceo of Tourism & Events Qld, set the tone for the next two days as she talked about the exciting growth of the cruise industry in Qld. Sunshine Coast Deputy Mayor, Tim Dwyer, echoed this enthusiasm as he talked about the region as one of the emerging destinations for cruising on the eastern seaboard.

Their inspirational words set the tone for the next two days of conference which is aptly themed “Together Towards Tomorrow” as our speakers explore where the industry is positioned now and what we are doing to plan for the future.

Visit Sunshine Coast sponsored our welcome event which was catered by Peter Wolfe from Cedar Creek Farm Bush Foods. Peter treated guests to a range of wonderful canapes using local native ingredients and talked about his passion for the local area which he now calls home.

The Gala Dinner will continue to showcase the wonderful regional offerings when we all enjoy dinner at the Spirit House, sponsored by Abercrombie&Kent.

The regional theme will continue at our closing breakfast on Fri morning when we welcome Anna Marsden, md of the Great Barrier Reef Research Foundation who will help us understand how we as an industry can help to support the Reef’s long-term future.