MEDIA RELEASE
22 June 2010
Don’t let the Regional Tourism Forum be the one that got away
Registrations are now open for the Qantaslink Cradle Coast Regional Tourism Forum to be held on 27 and 28 July in Burnie. Now in its sixth year, the Forum attracts expert speakers and provides an opportunity for local tourism operators and other industry professionals to share experiences and learn from the industry’s best.
The 2011 Forum theme is Fish Where The Fish Are and uses fishing as an engaging analogy to running a successful tourism business – from understanding visitor preferences and using different tactics to attract different customers, through to sustainable business strategies to encourage repeat visits.
Event organiser and Cradle Coast Authority Regional Tourism Development Manager, Ian Waller, said that the Fish Where The Fish Are theme allowed all of the speakers to have some fun with their topics while sharing serious information with local industry. “This year we have TT Line CEO, Charles Griplas, examining the role of seasonal promotions with his presentation Is it worth fishing in winter?; Cherie Josephson, from Melbourne’s Roy Morgan Research presenting latest findings in travel and leisure research with Where to go fishing and Ben Targett, General Manager of the Old Woolstore, conducting an engaging assessment of tourism business assets with Reviewing your tackle,” Mr Waller said. “There are 12 great presenters from all aspects of our industry; it’s a packed program not to be missed.”
Another special guest speaker is Northern Tasmania’s Director of Kingthing Marketing Consultancy, Rebecca King. Ms King specialises in digital marketing for the tourism industry. Her presentation titled Net or line simplifies the often daunting world of digital promotions and provides tourism operators with 10 simple steps to successful online marketing.
“Tourism product marketing has changed significantly in the last few years to reflect fast‐changing technologies and consumer preferences,” Ms King said. “But there are fundamentally just a few key things to consider when marketing online. I encourage everyone in the tourism industry to attend this exciting Forum so we can share best practices, adapt to change and ensure that our industry is not left behind.”
The Regional Tourism Forum dinner on 28 July will again feature the presentation ceremony for The Advocate Cradle Coast Regional Tourism Awards. Registrations are now open for the entire Forum program or for individual networking sessions such as the dinner and event‐opening cocktail party.
The Forum program and registration form can be downloaded from http://www.cradlecoast.com/tourism_forum.html and enquiries are welcome by calling the Cradle Coast Authority on 6431 6285. End… Cradle Coast tourism works with the tourism and associated industries, Councils, State Government and visitor centres to create a regional tourism sector that delivers economic, social and environmental benefits to the Cradle Coast. Cradle Coast tourism is a unit of the Cradle Coast Authority. Media Contacts: Ian Waller ‐ Ph: 0419 372 400 Regional Tourism Development Manager
Amanda Wilson ‐ Ph: 6431 6285 Communications Manager