Cairns Convention Centre mass vaccination hub gets underway

The Cairns Convention Centre in Australia has become a mass vaccination hub, as the venue team does its bit to help the business events industry get back on its feet. Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service (CHHHS) will be using the Centre as a Vaccination Hub for at least four weekends to boost the vaccination numbers in the region. As of 15 September, only 34% of Australia’s population is fully vaccinated. In the first weekend, 10-12 September, the Centre welcomed locals to receive their Pfizer vaccination. Dr Mackie, executive director of CHHHS, said that 3,707 people were vaccinated over the first weekend in service. The Cairns Convention Centre is planning on hosting a variety of conferences in the coming years. There is a planned expansion to take place in 2023 and the Centre hopes to strengthen its position as the cornerstone for business events in tropical north Queensland. Janet Hamilton, general manager of the Cairns Convention Centre said: “We are eager to help out in any way we can to support the tourism industry and get Australia to a point where we can safely open our borders and have people visit the region again.” Hamilton added: “We would like to be hosting national and international conferences again as soon as possible. Our team are ready to welcome delegates to the refurbished centre and showcase our new expansion in the following years.”