Tourism Summit
Held in conjunction with the Awards announcement
6 - 8 March 2024
Sunshine Coast, Queensland
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The Art of Attraction Summit is an all-inclusive opportunity to connect with, be introduced to, learn from, and become inspired by leaders at the very forefront of what it takes to attract more mature age visitors, expand seasonal visitation and increase the average length of stay.
Under the 2022 theme of "Unlocking the Law of Attraction", the Summit will explore the opportunities available to communities, towns, caravan parks, experience providers and event organisers catering to mature age overland travellers.
The program will again deliver valuable take-aways for delegates by offering a variety of sessions exploring the latest trends, research and case studies. The format will be morning plenary sessions followed by two streams in the afternoon, allowing delegates to explore specific mature-age traveller issues or gain insights into other opportunities to increase visitation.
The Summit is hosted by Awards Absolute in conjunction with the Grey Nomad Awards and the Australian Street Art Awards.
Previous Program Highlights
The inaugural Art as Attraction Summit provided participants with an opportunity to contribute, learn and collaborate. It included:
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Plenary presentations by speakers who have undertaken unique university-based research
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A panel discussion by leading tourism professionals and operators
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Break-out sessions and quick-dips into topics to increase and extend visitation
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The inaugural Grey Nomad Awards and Australian Street Art Awards celebrations (for those delegates who registered for the full Summit). These two events were combined to keep costs to a minimum.
The Summit provided all participants with an opportunity to contribute, learn and collaborate. Topics included:
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Who Really is Your Visitor?
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Volunteer Tourism: Tourists Who Want To Make A Difference
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Creating Landmarks on a Budget
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From Anonymity to Fame - a Thallon case study
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Art's Place in Tourism Activation
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Making Wise Investments - Protecting your Artwork and Reputation
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Mustering Grey Nomads – a case study
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The Importance of Nostalgia
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Grey Nomads event case study
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Turning Grey Nomads into Ambassadors
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Free and Low Cost Camping - Dynamite and Dilemmas
2022 Sneak Peak
After significant liaison, planning is already underway to transform the 2021 conference into a 2022 bonanza:
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Two full days of information-packed sessions
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A third day of deep dive learning
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Streams for regional and rural public art, plus metropolitan art precincts
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Special over 55s visitation sessions
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An optional half-day "Street Art 101" masterclass for everyone wanting to know how to deliver a mural from concept through funding and regulations to delivery
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Site visits - your choice of street art walking tour or an attraction of special interest to over 55s
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An innovative welcome reception
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The gala presentation of the Australian Street Art Awards and Grey Nomad Awards.
Who attends?
People whose job it is to either increase visitation from, or directly cater to, mature-age travellers. This included:
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Economic Development Managers
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Tourism Managers and Officers
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Attraction Marketing Managers
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Tour Operators
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Caravan Park Owners and Managers
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Station Stay Owners and Managers
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Community and Business Associations
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Festival and Event Organisers looking to attract mature-age attendees.
What they say?
“A fantastic event. I loved that predominantly those who spoke were ‘doers’ - groups or individuals that have real experience and advice to share. The conference offered a fantastic opportunity to pair creatives, creators and communities together in the one place to exchange ideas, share advice and problem solve collective challenges, especially those experienced by rural and remote areas.” - Rhianna Pezzaniti, Senior Project Manager, FORM (Western Australia)
“Everyone from the speakers, organisers, artists, attendees and venue staff were really friendly and helpful, willing to share and support each other - the atmosphere was fantastic and I really enjoyed the range of topics covered.”- Emily Moskwa, Planning & Policy Research Officer, Campbelltown Council (South Australia)
“The speakers were all so knowledgeable but presented in a way that was fun and interesting. Lots of great grass-root, practical ideas that got us all thinking.” – Sandra Lee, Tourism Services Officer, Balonne Shire Visitor Information Centre (Queensland)
“So much valuable information gained.” – Tiffany Thornton, Marketing, Tourism & Economic Development Coordinator, Narrandera Shire Council (New South Wales)