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Brisbane, Australia

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Why Host a Meeting in Brisbane?

Brisbane Skyline

With a perfect climate to complement world-class conference and meeting facilities, it's no wonder that Brisbane rates as the world's 6th best business destination, according to The Economist Magazine. Over the last 20 years, Brisbane has experienced enormous economic, population and cultural growth, and it's impossible to miss the taste of optimism in the air. As the gateway to Australia's most popular tourist attraction, the Great Barrier Reef, Brisbane has excellent transportation links, with the non-curfew international airport just a 20-minute drive from both the central business district and the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre.

As a large component of the impressive South Bank cultural redevelopment, the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition CentreBrisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre
Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre has become the envy of other world cities. Built on three levels, the centre is home to the 4,000- to 8,000-capacity Great Hall, four exhibition rooms totaling almost 20,000 square meters, a wide variety of meeting rooms and a ballroom, as well as fully integrated in-house services. Work is currently underway on an AU$130 million expansion program, due for completion in 2010, that will create five new levels of facilities, as well as two more stand-alone plenary halls. The centre is adjacent to two major hotels and within easy walking distance of 27 more. Its prime location downtown also lends easy walking access to many of the city's cultural hotspots including the Queensland Performing Arts CentreQueensland Performing Arts Centre
Queensland Performing Arts Centre and the multi-faceted Queensland Cultural Centre.

Brisbane City Hall

Want to impress guests with a really special venue? Look no further than Brisbane's 30 unique venues. For a venue seeped in prestige and sumptuousness, why not try the Brisbane City Hall? Set amid a backdrop of sweeping marble staircases, mosaic floors and glittering chandeliers, City Hall will provide an unforgettable function for 20 to 1,500 guests. Alternatively, the XXXX Ale House offers a wonderfully historic venue decorated with copper and wood brewing kettles and catering for events for 80 to 350 people. Or, get outside and enjoy some of that famous Queensland sunshine. South Bank's 13 versatile and dynamic venues include Streets inner city beach and Gondwana Rainforest Sanctuary, which can cater for between 10 and 10,000 guests.

As Queensland's capital, Brisbane is the seat of government and commerce in the region. Brisbane's port, as part of Australia TradeCoast, is Australia's fastest-growing economic development area. Queensland's government has invested major resources in developing technology and science industries in Brisbane and the city is home to the Institute for Molecular Bioscience at the University of Queensland and the Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation at the Queensland University of Technology. The city is the regional home to numerous international and national companies including DHL and Asia Pacific Aerospace.

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Additional Brisbane Information / History?

Sun-drenched days and sultry evenings set the scene for this gorgeous sub-tropical city where the idyllic climate leads to an al fresco, happy-go-lucky lifestyle envied by the rest of Australia. Settled in 1825 as a British penal colony, it's impossible to imagine what the prisoners would think of lively and cosmopolitan Brisbane today. Ever since 1859 when Queensland was proclaimed a separate colony and Brisbane was chosen as its capital, population growth has been steady, with the exception of a spike during World War II when hundreds of thousands of troops arrived in Brisbane to defend Australia. Today this heavenly metropolis is home to 1.86 million people and is Australia's fastest growing city.

Brisbane, known locally as Brissy, is the 3rd largest city in Australia and can be found reclining around two great loops of the Brisbane River in the southeast corner of Queensland. The cultural heart of the city is the breathtaking South Bank redevelopment. Attracting over 11 million visitors a year, South Bank is a cultural smorgasbord, with attractions such as the Queensland Art Gallery, the Performing Arts Complex and the Queensland MuseumQueensland Museum
Queensland Museum. Nestled among these grand buildings are pedestrianized plazas and walkways, stylish restaurants and bars, and, surrounding the area, the luscious green backdrop of South Bank Parklands, which run for over half a mile alongside the river. The Parklands' centerpiece, and its most distinctive attraction, is Streets Beach. Take a break from the heat at this artificial beach with real sand that curves through the park and opens into a lagoon overlooking Brisbane River and the gleaming skyscrapers of the central business district.

Riverside Centre

Downtown Brisbane is a wonderful assortment of the old and new. Majestic historic buildings including the gothic revival cathedral of St. Stephen and Parliament Building blend seamlessly with modern architectural triumphs such as the Riverside Centre. Explore the city and indulge in Queensland's best shopping in the Queen Street Mall and Little Stanley Street before checking out the boho chic suburb of Fortitude Valley. Once in "The Valley," choose from a sumptuous array of restaurants serving award-winning cuisine and wines, such as the super stylish Cru Bar & Cellar, or enjoy a cocktail at one of many venues overlooking the river.

Brisbane's buzzing nightlife captivates visitors, but they should be cautioned against staying up too late, as they won't want to miss out on the numerous daytime attractions found in this gateway to outdoor adventure. Watch the sun rise floating over the city on a hot air balloon, cuddle a Koala at Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary or take a refreshing wilderness walk in
 Mount Coot-tha Botanic GardensMount Coot-tha Botanic Gardens
Mount Coot-tha Botanic Gardens. Whatever visitors to Brisbane choose to do, they will definitely enjoy the city's philosophy on life, which is simply to enjoy it, usually in the sunshine over an icy cold drink.