11-13 March 2013

prograM

Shoal Bay Resort & Spa, 35-45 Shoal Bay Road, Shoal Bay NSW

Hosted byElite SponsorMajor Partner

C O U N C I L

Welcome to Port StePhenS Welcome to our little piece of paradise – Port Stephens.

After spending a couple of days here with us, I am sure you will see why we, the Port Stephens residents, are proud to call this beautiful location home. This region, with its breathtaking natural beauty, is the perfect setting for a memorable holiday or conference experience – that’s a big tick in terms of tourism.

Port Stephens Council are very excited to be hosting this industry conference and we look forward to networking with our colleagues and collectively contributing to the continued growth of Tourism in NSW.

Enjoy!

Welcome Welcome from the Presidents of the local Government and Shires Associations of NSW

Welcome to Port Stephens for the ninth annual Tourism Conference run by the Local Government and Shires Associations of NSW – officially known as Local Government NSW as of 1 March.

Hosted by Port Stephens Council in partnership with Destination NSW, the theme of the 2013 Tourism Conference is ‘Leadership and Innovation’ in the Local Government tourism industry. Attracting visitors, both Australian and international, is often essential to the economies of regional towns and cities throughout the state and this conference aims to impart essential information and open up a dialogue on new and progressive techniques to help maximise your councils tourism opportunities.

Last year we asked conference participants to provide feedback on how to improve this event – and we have listened. This year, we have two fantastic site visits, an impressive line-up of more than 35 speakers, and great entertainment rounding off the whole experience.

In keeping with the theme of the conference, we have launched a mobile app for all your conference information – lgsa2013tc.mobi. In fact, mobile technologies in the context of Visitor Information Centres will also be addressed on day two of the conference, while the Director, Digital of Destination NSW will ask the question ‘Are you Mobile Ready?’.

We’ve also introduced two new innovative concepts within the conference program. To get people talking and interacting with other conference attendees, the Welcome Reception will start with speed networking at Shoal Bay Beachside Resort. The final day will end with the ‘State your Case’ segment where councils that have submitted their local ‘tourism’ challenges have the potential to win $3000 dollars, as voted on by the audience, to help implement a practical solution.

Making the 2013 Tourism Conference possible are our generous supporters including our Elite Sponsor, CountryLink; Premier Sponsor, Bookeasy; Distinguished Sponsors, The Senior and NSW National Parks and Wildlife; and our other sponsors Aurora Research and Development, Wisdom, Regional Development Australia, crowdcomms, Channelzero, TRC Tourism, Holiday Rental Solutions and Circus Solarus.

We hope you find this conference experience enjoyable and informative, and it helps you and your council make the most of future tourism opportunities.

Cr Ray Donald President Shires Association of NSW

Cr Keith Rhoades AFSM President Local Government Association of NSW

Cr Bruce MacKenzie Port Stephens Mayor

meSSAGe from DeStiNAtioN NSW Welcome to Port Stephens and the 2013 LGSA Tourism Conference. Destination NSW is delighted to be the Major Partner for this Conference.

As many of you will be aware, Destination NSW is charged with the delivery of the NSW Government’s goal to double overnight visitor expenditure to NSW by the year 2020. One of the key platforms for achieving that growth is for Destination NSW to implement the approved Visitor Economy Taskforce (VET) Action Plan.

Local Government has a key role to play in supporting and implementing the recommendations of the VET Action Plan, in particular the delivery of Destination Management Plans. While those plans are being drafted and updated, Destination NSW will continue with our strategic marketing activities for the State including the Regional Flagship Events Program as well as implementing new funding arrangements for product development and destination marketing.

As Australia’s leading tourism State, it is important that both Sydney and key visitor destinations within NSW continue to be profiled. Local Government plays a vital role in that profiling and in developing and supporting the visitor economy.

This year’s LGSA Conference provides an excellent opportunity for all stakeholders to explore the economic, cultural and social benefits of growing the visitor economy in our local communities and across NSW.

I wish all delegates a productive and enjoyable conference.

Conference Partner:

meSSAGe from elite SPoNSor

iNNovAtioN AND eveNt SuStAiNAbility The LGSA and its partners are proactive in offering sustainable initiatives in our events and will employ the following for the LGSA Tourism Conference: satchels will be woven jute bags and reusable, sponsors are encouraged to give out material from their exhibition booths rather than extra inserts in satchels; water coolers are provided, no bottled water will be supplied; all crockery and glassware is reusable, packing of foodstuffs is marginal, local produce will be served where possible, and we encourage attendees to offset their carbon emissions from travel. All conference printing will be doublesided where appropriate and printed on 100% recycled paper. For the first time, we will not print the program but provide is as a downloadable designed pdf document on the website and as part of our conference “App”.

Sponsored by CrowdComms. To download the App, simply type the url lgsa2013tc.mobi into your internet browser.

CountryLink is a proud supporter of communities in regional NSW and committed to providing safe, reliable and affordable travel to the people of NSW. We actively work with regional tourism bodies to identify opportunities to enhance the CountryLink experience through the development of our events and holiday packages - offering a selection of accommodation and touring in key NSW regional destinations, Canberra and Melbourne.

NeW iNitiAtiveS As well as the App, the conference dates were selected to allow for travel time within the working week, let us know if this worked for you? Site inspections prior to the main program, an opportunity to be involved in real life tourism issues and to workshop them, a new Group Rate Booking for up to three delegates, and State Your Case program competition to give new insights to delegates are just some of the fresh ways of enjoying the conference.

Ms Sandra Chipchase CEO Destination NSW

BookeaSyBookeasy is Australia’s leading software solution for the tourism industry, with over 165 visitor centres and 38,000 operators now benefiting from Bookeasy’s proven success formula.

Australian Tourism Organisations and booking centres install Bookeasy to increase revenue, reduce costs, build real-time strategic marketing intelligence and distribute inventory around the world.

Exhibitor:

Premier Sponsor:

Distinguished Sponsor:

Aurora research & Development

Accredited Visitor Information Centres are essential contributors to economic development for every Local Government Area in NSW. Aurora Research, a regionally based Business Development / Market Research Company, manage the Destination NSW supported Accredited Visitor Information Centre Accreditation and Marketing Program for over 175 Visitor Centres throughout NSW.

Exhibitor:

Exhibitor:

State Your Case Sponsor:

App Sponsor:

trc tourism

TRC Tourism is a leading international tourism and recreation consulting business with offices in New Zealand and Australia.

At TRC Tourism we see the bigger picture. We strive to enhance people’s lives and the places they live through sustainable tourism and outdoor recreation. Engaging businesses, governments and communities in the power of nature, adventure and culture is what we do.

Wisdom

WISDOM provides Brand Strategy & Web solutions for councils and tourism bodies. When the combination of our marketing strategy, creative concepts and technological savvy are engaged, WISDOM deliver a dynamic solution that is tailored to your needs. With a passion for exploring ideas, we can bring your brand to life.

channelzero

Channelzero are brand strategists, creatives, digital & social media innovators, designers, programmers, marketers, analysts and project managers. We connect brands across multiple touch points and are trusted to change results for some of the world’s leading brands.

crowdcomms

Specialist in event apps - If you have a crowd of 50 or 5000, one or multiple events and need to engage attendees or track leads, talk to us at crowdcomms. We have a range of technologies including, event apps silent auction systems, and audience response systems. We have implemented technology at thousands of live events globally.

the SeniorThere is no stopping our readers when it comes to domestic travel.

In fact their love of travel is so strong nine out of ten of our 1.48 million monthly readers will take a holiday in Australia this year.

For more information regarding the Senior Newspaper have a chat to Mel Jenkins at our stand.

regional Development Australia Hunter

Established in 2009, Regional Development Australia (RDA) is a partnership between Australian, State, Territory and Local Governments to strengthen regional communities. Regional Development Australia Hunter is part of a national network of 55 RDA regions across Australia.

RDA Hunter is the peak regional development consultative organisation for the Hunter Region. RDA Hunter works with other leading regional organisations and with Local Governments to influence and deliver Federal and State government policies and programs.

Distinguished Sponsor:

Holiday rental Solutions

Holiday Rental Solutions aims to form strategic partnerships with Councils to develop, implement and uphold sustainable local/regional short term holiday rental accommodation management strategies.

We facilitate the development and implementation of council policies that solve local holiday rental challenges.

The Holiday Rental Solutions Quality Assurance Process enables dwellings to implement and verify compliance with council’s policies and the Code of Conduct. This process defines councils required quality management standards, therefore enabling transparent management of non-compliant dwellings.

Holiday Rental Solutions certifies quality accommodation providers that comply with the industry Code of Conduct and Government policy requirements; addressing liability, policy implementation, industry contribution, complaint and insurance challenges; minimising industry impact on community amenity.

Special entertainment:

Exhibitor:

Exhibitor:

circus Solarus

For 25 years Circus Solarus has created outstanding event entertainment, worked with communities on parade and performance projects, transforming the everyday through striking visual imagery, roving comic performances and spectacular parades and festival finales. Recent examples were 150 lanterns made by children for the 10th Anniversary of the Sydney Olympics and a 3 month community residency at Lake Coomaditchie to create an outdoor performance based on a local indigenous legend.

nPWSNational Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) manages, conserves and cares for more than 7 million hectares of land in national parks and reserves, which is almost 9 per cent of NSW. NPWS also aims to increase tourism, participation and visitation so more people can access, enjoy and get involved in their local environment and heritage.

NPWS is one of six functional areas of the Office of Environment and Heritage (OEH). The OEH and the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) support the Premier, the Minister for the Environment and the Minister for Heritage in performing their executive and statutory functions. OEH develops and leads policy, reform and education in sustainability, biodiversity and native vegetation, coastal protection and Aboriginal cultural heritage. The Heritage Branch within OEH works with communities to identify important places and objects and provides guidance in looking after heritage items.

OEH also provides services and other support, including staff in some cases, to the Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust, NSW Environmental Trust, Lord Howe Island Board, Western Sydney Parkland Trust, Parramatta Park Trust, Centennial Park and Moore Park Trust, Historic Houses Trust, Taronga Conservation Society Australia and the EPA.

monday 11 march

12.00pm - 5.00pm Exhibitors set up for Trade Exhibition

2.00pm - 5.00pm Registration opens at Shoal Bay Resort in White Sands Conference Centre

3.00pm - 6.00pm On Site Excursions: Are you a Beginner or a Qualified Success? Challenged? Or the Challenger? Are you starting out or have you already raised the bar? Choose one only:

Excursions will take about 2 hours and include presentations from the stakeholders involved. They will form the basis for a workshop on Wednesday featuring real Port Stephens Council projects to give the council and community valuable feedback.

11-13 March 2013DrAft ProGrAm as of 27 february 2013

Conference MC: Gerry Gannon

Shoal Bay Resort & Spa, 35-45 Shoal Bay Road, Shoal Bay NSW

Site ViSit 1moonshadow v and d’Albora marina

Moonshadow Cruises Pty Ltd started in 1981 as an owner operated business based in Nelson Bay, Port Stephens. A major success in both the domestic and international market, Moonshadow understand the need to promote and market their business. Their current success is attributed to their profile and engagement with various tourism associations, both here and overseas. D’Albora Marinas Nelson Bay is a two and a half hour drive from the Sydney CBD located in the holiday destination of Port Stephens. Owned by Ardent Leisure, this operation is home to leisure sailors and commercial operators. Together, they form a successful destination and export product for tourists to the area.

Ably facilitated by Mr David Brown, Cruise Hunter Coordinator, Newcastle Port Corporation, meet Mrs Janene Rees, Business Development Manager, Moonshadow Cruises and Mr John Bradshaw, Marina Manager, d’Albora Marina. (This will be the focus for a workshop on Wednesday morning to look at successful tourism projects – how to emulate them and what are their challenges. Sponsored by Australian Senior Publications. Venue and afternoon tea sponsored by Moonshadow.

Site ViSit 2 Worimi conservation lands, Stockton bight, Stockton beach

The Worimi Conservation Lands are co-managed by the Aboriginal Tradition Owners, the Worimi people, and NPWS through a Board of Management established under the National Parks and Wildlife Act. The 4200 hectare Worimi Conservation Lands is managed to ensure the protection of the natural and cultural values of the Stockton Bight Landscape, while providing access for the general public and promoting safe and sustainable recreational and commercial use including commercial operators. All stakeholders face issues.

6.00pm - 9.00pm Welcome Reception, Speed Networking and Casual Dinner at Shoal Bay Resort Beachside. Welcome to Country.Welcome from Cr Keith Rhoades AFSM President LGA. Delegate registration will be available at this event.

tuesday 12 march

8.15am Trade exhibition opens

8.50am MC intro - Housekeeping Mr Gerry Gannon

9.00am Welcome to Port Stephens Cr Bruce MacKenzie, Mayor, Port Stephens Council

9.10am President’s Welcome Cr Ray Donald, President, Shires Association of NSW

9.20am Tourism Keynote Address Mr John King OAM, Member, Visitor Economy Taskforce Chairman, ATEC

9.50am Tourism Keynote Address Ms Simonne Shepherd, Acting DirectorPartnership Programs, Destination NSW

10.20am Concept Development: How to bring ideas to reality

Mr Ben Perry, Managing Director, Tom Thumb

10.40am Morning Tea

11.10am Tourism Managers ExchangeWelcome from the Chair

Mr Ken Corbett, Chairman, Tourism Industry Council NSW

11.20am The Future of Regional Tourism Funding post the Governments’ response to the VET

Ms Kathy Balodis, Director, East Coast Holidays

11.35am Risk Management: Consumer Expectations and Visitor Safety

Mr Christopher Warren, Director, International Centre for Responsible Tourism - Australia

11.50am Revenue Generation Mobiles and effective campaigning

Mr Stephen Wells, Executive Director of Marketing, V3

12.05pm Tourism Industry Regional Development Fund Grants Program

Ms Robyn Agnew, Acting General Manager, Programs Branch, Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism

12.20pm New South Wales Aviation Access Panel A facilitated panel including: Mr David Nye, Manager Aviation Business Development, Newcastle AirportMr Andrew Jefferies, General Manager, Tourism Industry Council NSWMs Jessica Hall, Director, Sydney Aviation Capacity Department of Infrastructure and Transport

1.00pm Lunch

Site ViSit 2 continued

The Commercial Operators struggle with infrastructure issues even down to simple things like phone service. Operating from trailers in the lower carpark and competing with other providers often causes frustration. Customers can easily be confused about where to meet and who they have booked with! NPWS control the management, licensing and general patrols of the site to ensure sustainability.

Worimi people understand that the site is unique and needs to be managed properly to ensure its benefit to future generations hence the agreement with NPWS. Port Stephens Council will form the basis for a workshop on Wednesday to discuss current projects and issues giving both council and stakeholders valuable feedback. This is a sensitive issue with all parties being consulted. The general public are attracted to the area because of this natural wonder (the dunes) and 4WD beach access is relatively uncommon so this is a unique experience for tourists.

Ably facilitated by Conference MC Mr Gerry Gannon and Mr Steve Bernasconi, Community & Recreation Services Manager, Port Stephens Council, meet Mr Andrew Smith, CEO, Worimi Lands Council and Sand Dune Adventures, Mr Robert Quirk, Regional Manager Lower North Coast, Hunter Regional Office, and Mr Mark Newling, Director of Sales and Marketing, Port Stephens Coaches and Port Stephens 4WD to explore the issues. This will be the focus for a workshop on Wednesday morning to look at successful tourism projects – how to emulate them and what are their challenges. Sponsored by NSW National Parks and Wildlife Services.

2.00pm Topic stream 1: Sun Room Significant Issues in Events

Facilitated by Mr John Allen AM, Foundation Director, Australian Centre of Event Management, University of Technology Sydney

2.15pm Events and the Visitor Economy – define what your visitor economy consists of and how an event will look after it?

Ms Janelle Gardner, Marketing and Event Co-ordinator, Sail Port Stephens

2.45pm Bidding for new (and business) events, how to attract them, what do they want, how to package it up, becoming an event friendly town.

Ms Hannah Jamieson GM Strategic Marketing, Business Events SydneyMr Mark Stratford, Major Tourism Event Developer, City of Newcastle

3.25pm Afternoon Tea

3.45pm Planning for success - business model for community events, structure, ownership, growth, commercial returns

Ms Kate Baker, Tamworth Country Music Festival

4.15pm Case study: Glen Willow Regional Sports Stadium

Ms Alayna Shackleton, Events Co-ordinator and Ms Julie Robertson, Economic Development Officer, Mid-Western Regional Council

4.45pm Final points and questions Mr John Allen

2.00pm Topic stream 2: Sea Room The Role and Future of VICS

Facilitated by Ms Kim Latham, Visitor Information and Events Co-ordinator, Port Stephens Council

2.10pm Brand Health Tracking Research Update Ms Theresa Mejia, Manager, Visitor Insights and Performance, Destination NSW

2.30pm The Digital Native: What information do visitors want? A short exploration of visitor information servicing in the context of increasing use of mobile technologies incorporating results from Wollongong Visitor Centre & phone line research

Dr Ulrike Gretzel, Associate Professor in Marketing, Institute for Innovation in Business and Social Research, University of Wollongong

3.00pm Case study on different servicing models for VICS; Research and findings for Northern Rivers Visitor Services

Mr Mitch Lowe, Tourism Co-ordinator, Lismore City Council and Mr John Larkin, CEO, Aurora Research

3.30pm Afternoon Tea

3.50pm The role of Visitor Information Centres in distributing tourism product in regional South Australia by TRA and the South Australian Tourism Commission

Ms Robyn Agnew

4.20pm VICs: Insights into the valuable contribution they make to tourism and Communities

Ms Angela McNeill, Industry Innovation Manager, Tourism and Events Queensland

4.50pm Final points and questions Ms Kim Latham

2.00pm Topic stream 3: Star RoomDestination Management Planning

Facilitated by Mr Tom Phillips, Executive Officer, South Coast Regional Tourism Organisation Inc.

2.15pm NSW State Governments perspective on DMPs

Mr Andrew Sargant, Director,Regional Alliances and Events, Destination NSW

2.40pm Panel on DMP Planning and application Ms Jenny Rand, Director, Jenny Rand and Associates Mr Mark Francis, Executive Officer, Murray Regional Tourism BoardJoined by Mr Andrew Sargant and Mr Tom Phillips

3.30pm Afternoon Tea

3.50pm An Inspiring Story of Reinvention Cr Kathryn MacKenzie, Executive Manager, Tourism, City of Greater Bendigo

4.20pm Turning Yourself Inside Out! An experience of Product Reinvigoration

Dr Simon McArthur, Director, Simon McArthur and Associates

4.50pm Final points and questions Mr Tom Phillips

5.00pm Close of business sessions

6.30pm Conference Dinner Moonshadow V at Nelson Bay sponsored by CountryLink

10.30pm Bus Transfers return to Shoal Bay Resort

Wednesday 13 march

8.15am Trade exhibition opens

9.00am Are you Mobile Ready? Ms Diana Kahui, Director, Digital Strategy, Destination NSW

9.30am How to Adopt the Holiday Rental Code of Conduct

Mr Justin Butterworth, Board Member, Holiday Rental Industry Association

10.00am Leadership and Inspiration Mr Lyndon Terracini, Artistic Director, Opera Australia

10.30am Site Visit Workshops including morning tea Facilitator (Mr Gerry Gannon) gives short ten minute overview of the issue.

Site Visit Workshops including morning tea Facilitator (Mr David Brown, Manager Cruise Hunter) gives short ten minute overview of the issue.

12.00 pm Site Visit (reports back to the plenary group and Port Stephens Council on ideas generation to assist and learn from both workshops)

12.30pm Lunch

1.30pm State Your Case

Case Study 1: Keeping Dungog Sweet

Case Study 2: Putting some Horse into the Horse Capital of Australia!

Case Study 3: Post Disaster Tourism

Sponsored by Channelzero, facilitated by Mr Stephen Crowe, Business Director, Channelzero.

A competition to find a great resolution from three industry experts who give their answers to the listed challenges, voted on by the audience, with a single prize of $3000.00 to the pitching council and a great opportunity to learn from the conference.

Not to be missed.

3.00pm - 3.30pm Resolutions and close /drawing of prizes

From 5.00pm Flights out of Newcastle Airport

WWW.lGSA.orG.Au

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