Adelaide Convention Centre

Located in the heart of the city and sitting on the banks of the picturesque River Torrens, the Adelaide Convention Centre has a global reputation for impeccable service which has put Adelaide on the map as one of the world’s best cities for conferences and exhibitions. The centre has a plenary hall which seats 3,500 and is divisible into 5 separate halls. There are more than 10,000 square metres of pillarless floor space which divides into 6 soundproofed halls and can accommodate over 550 exhibition booths. With 14 meeting rooms and an a la carte restaurant, the Centre offers the complete conference solution.

The multi-award winning Adelaide Convention Centre enjoys a global reputation for excellence and is consistently ranked among the world’s top convention centres. Their reputation is second to none and is founded on superior product, world-class facilities, and constant maintenance of already exceptional standards.

Furthermore, the Adelaide Convention Centre’s staff are dedicated and meticulous in planning to ensure every event held at the Centre reaches your high expectations. The Adelaide Convention Centre’s very high rate of repeat business is proof that their clients’ expectations have been met or exceeded. This exceptional level of satisfaction is reflected in the fact that the Centre hosted in excess of 600 events, attended by more than 300,000 people and attracting 28,000 visitors to South Australia during 2009-10.

Adelaide

If Adelaide were a dining table, it would be overflowing with the riches and magnificent offerings from the southern state of South Australia.

Cutting a fine swathe down the centre of town is Rundle Mall. Lined with over 800 cool and enticing shops, it’s a favourite destination in its own right for locals and visitors alike. And with over 700 restaurants, bars and cafes to choose from, no wonder Adelaide is known for relaxing, taking in the finer things of life and living at a pace where you can savour every minute and just simply enjoy it.

Beautiful and bold sandstone buildings stand proud on the edges of the generous boulevards and streets and framework Adelaide’s natural beauty. At street level there’s a subtle urban vibe that hums a harmonious tune with the unique cultural heritage upon which Adelaide was founded and still proudly enjoys.

A city of precincts, Adelaide is a place to explore. A walking tour of North Terrace, Adelaide’s cultural boulevard, reveals the city’s deep heritage. Tandanya – the National Aboriginal Cultural Institute and the Aboriginal Cultures Gallery in the South Australian Museum bring Australia’s often unseen heritage to the fore. Walk on through the splendour of the Adelaide Botanic Garden before you end up with a glass in your hand at the National Wine Centre.

It’s not uncommon to hold a wine glass in Adelaide - the city is arguably the epicentre of Australia’s world-class wine industry. With McLaren Vale, Coonawarra, the Barossa and Clare Valleys all within a couple of hours of the city, the region proudly produces and delivers some of Australia’s best and universally acclaimed vintages to the world.

Walls of posters in East Rundle Street will tell you at a glance what’s on in town. A glance at the never-ending but always changing array of sporting events, gigs, bands, festivals, operas and carnivals quickly tells you that this is a city that’s alive and kicking.

Like most major Australian cities, Adelaide is prepared to share its love of the beach. Glenelg, just a short drive or bus ride from town, is a place to get your feet wet and splash about in the sea. Further away from town the abundant sunshine calls you to get into top gear and cruise the coast where endless beaches and deep blue waters ribbon the shores of Gulf St Vincent.

But Adelaide has so many different precincts you may not even want to get out of town, and that’s understandable. Gouger Street and the dining hotspots of North Adelaide are a must on the list.

Whatever you find in Adelaide, you know it will be the best.

For further information on Adelaide and South Australia please visit the South Australia Tourism website

Australia

When he first came to Australia from a gloomy English winter, writer and comedian Stephen Fry commented: “It was like someone just turned on the colour”

He was right of course; Australia is one of the most colourful countries in the world in so many ways. From the sub-tropical north, to the temperate south, the entire country is bathed in a warm sunshine that brings out its natural blues, reds and greens. It’s like holidaying in the brushstrokes of an impressionist’s painting.

Australia is a big country, similar in size to mainland USA and much bigger than all the countries of Western Europe. And it’s big on attractions too.

A trip to Australia isn’t complete without experiencing its iconic and beautiful sites. There’s good reason why Queensland’s Great Barrier Reef is considered one of the natural wonders of the modern world – it’s just so beautiful. The northern tropical warmth brings out the surfer, diver, swimmer and yachtie to the blue, blue water – every day of the year.

In Sydney, the impossibly stunning harbour has visitors constantly mesmerised. The city on its shores pulsates, as every international city should, but the atmosphere is relaxed and the sights are breathtaking. If you can’t find fun in Sydney, you won’t find it anywhere.

The largest blanket of bright red dust imaginable, which covers most of the continent’s centre is weighed down and held in place by the magnificent Ayers Rock – an ancient and sacred aboriginal site smack in the centre of the country known as Uluru. The centrepiece of Australia’s Outback, the Rock, steeped in a unique spirit of the nation’s aboriginal cultural heritage is a must-see inclusion on anyone’s bucket list.

A little further south, in the hills of South Australia’s temperate climes, wine is the only word. The famed and incredibly beautiful Barossa and Clare Valleys, Coonawarra, and McLaren Vale wine districts are a magnet to the sophisticated palate of any wine-lover. And Adelaide, with its more provincial architecture and style cuts a nice cloth on the nation’s food and wine table too.

The contrast between Western Australia’s capital – Perth, with its modern architecture and love affair with beaches and outdoors lifestyle, and the charm of our Apple Isle – Tasmania, is as strong as you could imagine. Tasmania is a microcosmic version of the rest of the country and a postcard sized snapshot of the prettiest parts of Europe. Mountains, lakes, valleys, more wine districts and beautiful cities fill the island and welcome tourists with open arms.

And then there’s Melbourne of course. Classy, sophisticated, Australia’s second largest city is the country’s centre for sports, culture, theatre, food and wine, and fashion. Melbourne is the nation’s capital of so many different pursuits, knowing where to start exploring is your greatest challenge.

Let yourself be surprised by Australia – it’s a land of contrasts and paradoxes. It’s beautiful yet rugged, sophisticated yet relaxed, stylish yet unpretentious, diverse yet united.

And Australians? – They’re the most welcoming people in the world. They love their life, they love their country, and they love sharing it.