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The new facade of the Cairns Convention Centre is inspired by the destination’s natural beauty.
If there’s an Australian destination with the best of both natural and manmade worlds, Cairns would be it. The coastal city is a gateway to the Great Barrier Reef and the oldest rainforest on earth, but it’s also a bustling metropolis, with abundant flight service and modern spaces that make it an attractive destination for visitors coming for both business and pleasure. Recent developments in Cairns, from new hotels to an expanded convention center, only increase this city’s appeal for gatherings of all sizes. Read on for more about what’s new in Cairns.
Cairns’ Expanded, Tech-Savvy Convention Center
When it reopens this year, the Cairns Convention Centre will offer 35,000 square feet of newly expanded space, including a 400-seat, divisible plenary space, a 30-booth exhibition space, and three flexible meeting rooms. In addition, a new third level now offers banquet space for up to 500 people, and an outdoor terrace features views of the Trinity Inlet.
After the recent expansion, the convention center can now comfortably host up to 2,500 attendees — but this isn’t the only noteworthy change. The additional meeting space is complemented by technical upgrades as well. All meeting spaces now feature cameras offering pan, tilt, and zoom control features (perfect for hybrid events), while presenters will find digital lecterns with AV controls and built-in preview monitors make it easier to reference presentation notes. State-of-the-art laser projectors in all meeting spaces also ensure that any visual aids are shown in sharp, high resolution.
Eco-conscious meeting planners will also find that Cairns & Great Barrier Reef’s new Reforest program makes carbon offsetting easy. The tool calculates the high-level carbon footprint of an event, then determines how event organizers can offset this impact by planting trees and participating in revegetation programs in areas like the endangered Mabi rainforest on the Atherton Tablelands.
Visiting groups can offset their event’s carbon footprint through Cairns & Great Barrier Reef’s new Reforest program, including planting trees in endangered areas.
An Ever-growing Hospitality Landscape
Cairns is constantly evolving and growing, giving meeting planners and attendees plenty of reasons to return to this city by the sea. When it comes to accommodations, Cairns recently welcomed three new properties from the Crystalbrook Collection. These five-star hotels offer 877 total guest rooms, versatile event spaces, as well as restaurants and bars.
Meanwhile, Pullman Cairns International has brought a new level of luxury to the city center with its immersive art collection and redesigned event spaces, pool area, and guest rooms. A few steps away, the Pullman Reef Hotel Casino has a new opulent lobby, an expanded fine dining restaurant, and a modern café.
Beyond the deluxe accommodations, attendees can look forward to outdoor dining amid impressive gardens at the new Cairns Esplanade Waterfront Dining Precinct, as well as a new collection of rooftop cocktail bars, distilleries, and micro-breweries perfect for cooling off in style.
