Host of the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games and Australia’s fastest growing state capital city, Brisbane has been recognised by the influential Time Magazine’s Annual Travel Guide as one of the world’s greatest places to visit in 2023.
Chosen by Time Magazine’s travel editor and industry experts from around the world, Brisbane was recognised for the excitement and buzz of the city and its sense of unstoppable momentum, with its urban precincts, culinary offerings and uniquely Australian atmosphere, described as befitting a world-wide audience.
As one of the world’s greenest cities and Australia’s most biodiverse capital city, Brisbane is playing a vital role in achieving a climate positive Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2032.
With a refreshing al fresco Australian lifestyle, rich in culture and strong in spirit, with a 60,000-year Indigenous story to tell, the smarts of world leading science and technology, and a convention centre consistently voted at the top of world rankings, Brisbane is set to soar!
Brisbane is home to four leading universities and one of the largest medical research institutes in Australia, with a global reputation for science and research excellence, and world changing innovation. Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre (BCEC) itself is located within the City’s knowledge corridor surrounded by hospitals, research centres and universities.
Combined with a A$14 billion pipeline of city-transforming projects, Brisbane’s trajectory is on track and well prepared to join the elite group of international Olympic host cities.
Among the projects are a new parallel runway doubling the capacity of Brisbane airport enabling future levels of traffic similar to that of Singapore and Hong Kong, a city rail network that will make Brisbane more walkable and accessible for delegates and visitors than ever before, and the Queens Wharf integrated resort development, adding 1,000 new hotel rooms to the city’s accommodation offering.
Brisbane is an Asia Pacific hub for world leading science, medicine and technology. The city’s location on Australia’s East Coast provides direct access to the Asia Pacific region, presenting opportunities for larger delegations from the region to key sector conferences in Brisbane.
With its idyllic subtropical climate, the City of Brisbane itself is located in the heart of Australia’s premier tourist region with access to World Heritage listed natural attractions, such as the Great Barrier Reef, and ancient rainforests, offering bucket list experiences for visiting delegates and the increasing numbers of accompanying partners choosing to visit Brisbane.
Visiting delegates can experience Australia’s ancient culture through organised traditional Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander events and story-telling.
Globally connected
A globally connected city, Brisbane is serviced by 23 international carriers offering 300 direct flights to 34 international destinations each week. Brisbane Airport is just a 20-minute drive from the city or you can take the Air Train which delivers delegates right next door to the Convention Centre.
On its way to being one of the most sustainable destinations in the world, Brisbane boasts the highest numbers of Green Star rated buildings in Australia and has shot up the ladder on the Global Destination Sustainability (GDA) movement.
BCEC is EarthCheck Platinum certified, one of a group of worldwide venues operating at the highest environmental standards. BCEC is committed to initiating and delivering better outcomes for the community, clients and the environment and is well placed to support the goal of a 2032 climate positive Olympic and Paralympic Games.
To that end, the Centre has commissioned the Carbon Reduction Institute to provide a carbon calculator which will measure the carbon footprint of events and the Centre’s operations, with the facility to provide uniquely Australian offsets, including funding dedicated to setting up new habitats for Australia’s much-loved Koalas or working in partnership with the Reef Restoration Foundation, both popular options for our international visitors.
BCEC is also a foundation partner of Tangalooma Eco-Marines, a not-for-profit education programme for environmental leaders of the future, with a focus on our local waterways and the marine environment.
Home of the EcoMarines, Tangalooma Island Resort is a popular tourism destination off the coast of Brisbane -–just a 70-minute scenic trip by ferry. It is situated in Moreton Bay, home to six of the world’s seven species of turtles and two resident species of dolphins. If you are fortunate enough to visit during the months of May to October you most likely will witness the annual migration of some 30,000 whales which pass by the island each year. The island has been home to Quandamooka Traditional Owners for 20,000 years.
World’s Best Convention & Exhibition Centre
Located in the city in the South Bank Cultural Precinct, Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre (BCEC) was voted World’s Best Convention Centre by the International Association of Congress Centres and is consistently placed at the top of world rankings.
A unique convention precinct, South Bank is an inner-city oasis with 17 hectares of riverfront parkland, rainforest pockets, swimming lagoons and riverside walks to the nearby cafes and restaurants, popular with locals and visitors.
The Centre’s spectacular location is also home to Brisbane’s major art and cultural attractions, including the Queensland Art Gallery and Gallery of Modern Art, one of Australia’s most visited art galleries. Everything delegates need including wide ranging accommodation options is within walking distance, helping to keep those carbon emissions down.
A new free loop bus allows visitors to check out the precinct’s galleries, museums and performing arts venues and bars and eateries, then hop a ride back to their hotels.
Brisbane is an accessible and walkable city – a city of pedestrian bridges, crisscrossing the river enticing visitors to experience the riverfront dining precincts. Delegates can also take advantage of free ferry services available to explore the city. From the moment they arrive at the airport until they depart, delegates feel they have been embraced and welcomed by Brisbane.
We want delegates to make Brisbane their own, helping to ensure they optimise their destination and conference experience to enjoy the very best Brisbane has to offer. The Brisbane Economic Development Agency (BEDA) has recently developed watering holes (Australian vernacular) or Delegate Networking Hubs working with local cafes, restaurants and bars to set up dedicated venues and spaces for networking in the South Bank Precinct, just a few minutes’ walk from the Convention Centre.
Creating a successful conference is very much about the delegate experience on the ground. Brisbane offers an ever-changing range of free and custom-made support services. The eatSouth Bank programme offers café and restaurant discounts making dining affordable across the precinct for delegates. The Centre also enjoys a partnership with the Queensland Art Gallery and Gallery of Modern Art, enabling delegates to receive a discount on ticketed exhibitions along with the opportunity for personally curated tours.
Home to industry-leading research and acclaimed venue and event facilities, surrounded by nature, Brisbane has everything you need to connect, ignite innovation and build lasting legacies. Fuelled by a once-in-century A$14 billion pipeline of city transforming projects, Brisbane’s hotel offering, accessibility and thriving lifestyle precincts continue to evolve, offering unparalleled delegate experience.
