Coolangatta is getting a facelift!

Some of you may feel this is well overdue, and while we would normally have had to wait a little longer, GCCC have bought forward the Centre Improvement Program (CIP) for our business hub – WIN!

Click here for the first update and a bit of a glimpse as to which parts of Cooly are the next cab off the rank for a makeover.

I was lucky enough to see a presentation as a part of the Southern Gold Coast Chamber of Commerce’s information night last week, and I can say that my initial response was very positive. All those comments and complaints about Cooly looking tired and old will certainly be a thing of the past once this project is complete. The GCCC CIP team have put together a great concept for the targeted area and the social and environmental impacts the changes will have on Cooly – in my humble opinion – will be very positive indeed.

Click here to have a look at the first update from GCCC and stay tuned for more info coming soon.

Planning has begun for the next epic installment of Bleach* which returns in February 2013 to the Southern Gold Coast’s shores.

A celebration of coastal culture that showcases the ever-growing explosion of creativity and artistic expression emanating from the Gold Coast, Bleach* aims to yet again deliver an unforgettable cultural experience that will have people around the country talking.

With the theatre production of The Surfer & The Mermaid (commissioned by Bleach* and produced in collaboration with the Arts Centre Gold Coast) appearing for a two week season in Sydney’s Bondi Pavillion, thanks to Tamarama Rocks Surfers Theatre Company, it has not taken long for the Bleach* brand to turn heads and make our southern friends’ ears prick at the mention of the thriving arts scene, rising from the once considered baron landscape of our city.

So with much further ado, we welcome you to pick up the phone and dial 0755 343 500 or click this link to get in touch and discuss how your company/brand would like to be involved in the next installment of the Gold Coast’s arts and cultural extravaganza.

As reported in the Bulletin on Wednesday 27th June “General manager of travel.com.au Renee Welsh said a study of flight booking information for families with children set to depart in the school holiday period had confirmed Coolangatta as the top holiday spot.”

While the data publised in the Bulletin was based solely on flights, no information was stated around accommodation. And considering that Coolangatta airport is the sole inbound entry point for interstate visitors to the Gold Coast, we can safely say that while the survey might have lacked a little detail, Coolangatta certainly gained some very positive attention as a result.

We may be a little biased, though I think most of you will agree that it’s a title we are willing to accept graciously!

Locals know the Southern Gold Coast is simply a slice of heaven on earth, after all, that’s why we choose to live/work/play here isn’t it?!

From the looks of the fabulous photo’s being posted, you guys all had a ball at Cooly Rocks On this year, despite the less than favourable weather! We know we had a great time this year!

While there will be galleries uploaded to the CRO website very shortly, we can direct you to the Facebook page and albums so you can see the fun times had by all in Cooly this year!

So here goes – you can check out the photo’s of Friday right here, Saturday’s shennanigans are here, Sunday’s Highlights here, the Poodle Oodle Parade at this link, the Street Parade here, and some ripper shots of the approx 75,000 – 80,000 nostalgia lovers that rocked the streets of our town here!

If you have not yet joined the 5000+ Facebook fans, clickety click away right here and share your memorable moments and snaps of Cooly Rocks On with the growing online community of rockers and rollers!

A very big congratulations to the festival team, the volunteers, Team Cooly Rocks On businesses, the fabulous fans that turned it on and made it a great celebration and of course all of the sponsors that made the event possible!

We are looking forward to 2013 for another amazing festival!

Swell Sculpture Festival will return for it’s 10th celebration of ‘Getting art out there’.

Over 10 days, visitors can experience the sculptures, enjoy twilight walks, informative artist talks, discover new perspectives at the Public Art Forum, wander through the Swell Smalls Gallery and participate in artist master classes and childrens’ workshops.

If you missed 2011’s festival, you can see some fabulous images of the sculptures here, which will certainly wet your appetite in anticipation for 2012’s showcase of 50 large scale sculptures exhibited outdoors, on the beautiful beach and foreshore of Currumbin Beach.

So book the dates into that diary now! 14th – 23rd September 2012, grab your flights, accommodation and prepare for a cultural experience Southern Gold Coast style!

Key facts

• Australian operators are being offered the chance to promote their tourism business or region using Tourism Australia’s record breaking fan base by listing themselves in a ‘things to do’ section on its Facebook page.
• There are lots of ways operators can now engage with Tourism Australia on social media – through YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook page.

Full story

Tourism Australia is encouraging the Australian tourism industry to positively embrace social media in promoting their business and is offering to help by giving operators access to its global network of three million Facebook fans.

Australian operators are being offered the chance to promote their tourism business or region using Tourism Australia’s record breaking fan base by listing themselves in a ‘things to do’ section on its Facebook page.

Tourism Australia Managing Director Andrew McEvoy said the tab is a powerful marketing tool, allowing the industry to showcase itself to more than three million fans and keen advocates of Australia.

“Operators who haven’t already done so should really embrace digital and social media. People are passionate about travel and love to share their holiday experiences. There is a strong bragability factor about a holiday which plays out very strongly in social media and is a huge opportunity for operators to really tap into,” Mr McEvoy said.

“There are lots of ways operators can now engage with Tourism Australia on social media – through YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and, of course, our Facebook page – where simply joining our ‘Things to do’ tab like over 600 Aussie operators already done – immediately gives three million people globally access to your tourism experience – that’s incredible free advertising,” he said.

Mr McEvoy pointed to recent research by Teletext Holidays, revealing that over 25 per cent of Brits admit to booking a holiday after becoming jealous of their friends’ holiday pictures on Facebook – with Australia ranked as the number one enviable holiday destination.

“We’ve had some great success stories from operators, like Pro Dive on the Great Barrier Reef who have started offering free wi-fi on their cruise vessels so holiday makers can share their amazing Reef experiences with their social media networks – what better way to promote their business, Cairns and the Reef,” he said.

Social media has quickly become deeply integrated in Tourism Australia’s marketing activities, including the latest phase of its There’s nothing like Australia campaign, which has a strong digital focus and was even launched in Australia on the agency’s Facebook page.

The new ad has already received more than eight million downloads, across digital and social media channels, including YouTube and, in China, Tudou, Youku, Banma and Baidu.

“We’re constantly trying to demonstrate to our fans new reasons why there is nothing like Australia on our Facebook page and broader social media platforms, including internationally, like China’s Sina, Weibo and QQ, where every day we’re connecting with over nearly 400,000 consumers in our number one source market, China.

“We’re harnessing the power of social media as we continue to enhance our presence in the digital space, and it’s paying off. We received a fantastic response bringing Asian super star Show Lo to Australia, with his online video series filmed around Australia in March being viewed by over 60 million people in Greater China to date,” Mr McEvoy said.

Tourism Australia’s social media following includes:

• Facebook: SeeAustralia Facebook page is the largest destination page in the world, and the largest Australian fan page on Facebook with more than 3 million fans, including: United States (650,000), Australia (630,000), Germany (170,000), UK (160,000), France (75,000), Canada (60,000) and New Zealand (40,000);
• Twitter: Over 26,000 followers on Tourism Australia’s consumer twitter @seeaustralia; over 3,700 followers on corporate twitter account @tourismaus
• Instagram: 10,000+ followers; over 70,000+ photos submitted with hashtag #seeaustralia
• Pinterest:  1000 followers
• YouTube: 3,200 subscribers and 3.7 million views
• Google+: 23,000+ followers
• Sina Weibo: over 160,000 followers
• QQ MBlog: over 215,000 followers

Are you a member of the Southern Gold Coast Chamber of Commerce?

The Southern Gold Coast Chamber of Commerce relies on the support and involvement of its members to grow, and to continue to provide a strong voice on behalf of the Southern Gold Coast business community.

As a member, you can contact the Chamber regarding matters or concerns affecting your business and/or local community and will be invited to attend regular networking events throughout the year.

Networking events provide the opportunity to connect with likeminded business people and share your knowledge and skills. Networking also provides the opportunity to grow important business contacts.

On the eve of the new financial year, now is the perfect time to become a member of the Southern Gold Coast Chamber of Commerce.

For more information on how you can become more actively involved in issues affecting your local business community, go to www.southerngcchamber.com.au and apply for membership today.