CHALLENGES + OPPORTUNITIES The following challenges and opportunities have been identified by participants in the online survey and during one-on-one interviews.
CHALLENGES
OPPORTUNITIES
Weather
Environmental Significance
• Risk of running events during the shoulder and off-season due to weather conditions and breaking-even with fewer visitor numbers with limited wet weather alternatives for open-air events.
• Location to Daintree and the Great Barrier Reef – the only place in the world with two heritage listed natural wonders beside each other, reef meets rainforest.
Infrastructure & Event Spaces • Limited wet weather alternative venues to stage medium to large outdoor events. • Cost to hire and risk of bringing infrastructure in due to weather uncertainty. • Limited infrastructure to stage events and large conferences. • Limited unique venues. • Cost to build infrastructure for investors – limited ROI with small population. Location • Cost and distance to get to Port Douglas. • Cost to stage events. • Small residential population. • Competing with Cairns to attract corporate events. Events • Decline in adventure tourism. • COVID restrictions. • Limited events listed on ATDW. Access • Direct air access, Cairns is a 70km drive. • One road to the Daintree makes it difficult to close for events (restricting local resident’s access). • Very susceptible to border restrictions with high reliance on interstate markets.
Port Douglas + Daintree Event Strategy 2025
• Beauty of palm lined avenues, unlike any other region. • Access to the Great Barrier Reef & first nations culture. • Be the national leader in sustainable/eco events. Naturally Occurring Events Development of experiences and packaging of naturally occurring events such as: • Coral spawning. • Tropical fruits, plants and food harvesting times/seasons. • Marlin and turtle season. • Full moon/celestial events. Stunning Locations • Develop events that maximise use of our stunning locations, yet minimise impact e.g., international photographic shoot-out competition, short-film competition. Infrastructure & Event Spaces • Wet weather back-up venue – outdoor undercover venue to reduce risk for event organisers, particularly to encourage staging events during shoulder/ off-seasons and the summer season. Build in consultation with suppliers to ensure infrastructure meets event organiser needs. • Infrastructure development for events needs iconic outlook with a unique indoor/weatherproof venue with character like urban centres have transformed (think Powerhouses, Tanks, Woolsheds). • Unique, distinctly Port Douglas Daintree business/conference centre for up to 1,200 people designed to reflect the natural environment, built to world leading sustainable design and pitching for environmental themed business meetings, conferences and symposiums. • Upgrading facilities for events, e.g., marina for yachting/boating/fishing events, sugar wharf with facilities and air-conditioning for summer. Event Development & New Markets • Strong creative and artistic community. • Attract events with a focus on tropical lifestyle of food and culture. • Iconic music event – encourage people to stay 4-5 days (e.g., contemporary country music event). • Engaging professional event organisers to develop and stage events.
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