Cairns & Great Barrier Reef

Surrounding your team with great, leaves your business greater.

DISCOVER OUR DESTINATION

The Natural Place to Meet

Cairns & Great Barrier Reef is a tropical region encouraging genuine connections to nature and each other. Five-star hotels and resorts line the waterfront of Cairns, Palm Cove, Port Douglas, and our tropical islands. Create great moments in the oldest rainforest, choose your own adventure on the largest coral reef and learn from two indigenous cultures.

 

CONNECT GREAT.  LEAVE GREATER.

Incentives to Surprise and Delight

Conferences to Connect and Collaborate

 

Cairns was the ideal location for Arinex’ nationwide team to gather for our company conference and 50th anniversary celebration. The region’s philosophy of ‘See Great, Leave Greater’ perfectly aligned with our commitment to sustainability and we were honoured that our event could contribute to the region’s long-term wellbeing. Our team left truly inspired by this beautiful region and all that it has to offer. – Nicole Walker, Arinex Managing Director

 

 

Latest News

Keep up-to-date with the latest news, articles and media releases from the Business Events Cairns and Great Barrier Reef Industry.

Media Release
7 Aug 2025
Global Aviation Leaders meet in Cairns & Great Barrier Reef

Cairns has become the first non-capital city to host the CAPA Airline Leader Summit Australia Pacific with more than 350 delegates gathering at the Cairns Convention Centre to discuss the future of aviation on July 30 to August 1.

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Media Release
4 Aug 2025
New Funding Announced to Drive Business Events Growth in TNQ

Business Events Cairns & Great Barrier Reef has launched a new funding program to attract and secure business events to the region over the next four years, with the initiative projected to deliver a $54 million direct economic impact.

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Blog post
13 Jun 2025
Connect with yourself, nature and local life

Embrace the unique DNA of Tropical North Queensland, where work-life balance is not just a concept but a way of life. Here, amidst the natural beauty, you can connect with the sea, the land, yourself, others, and ancient culture, offering a wellness experience like no other.

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Blog post
2 Apr 2025
Delegates after dark

Soak up panoramic views and tropical breezes from rooftop cocktail bars or relax in a tucked away wine bar before burning off the day’s energy with live music and late-night dancing. 

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Blog post
28 Mar 2025
Fly in for Business, Stay to Discover

Trade your laptop for the lap pool, spreadsheets for sunglasses and coffee for cocktails and spend a few “bleisure” days in Cairns & Great Barrier Reef!

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Media Release
3 Feb 2025
Tourism industry digs in to restore tree kangaroo habitat

A second hectare of tree kangaroo habitat has been planted today by the tourism industry as part of Tourism Tropical North Queensland’s partnership with Reforest to connect the industry with local carbon removal and ecosystem restoration.

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Media Release
4 Dec 2024
Cairns secures lucrative international business event

Tourism Tropical North Queensland (TTNQ) has beaten destinations around Australia to secure an international business event that will inject $11.68 million into the Cairns regional economy.

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Blog post
1 Nov 2024
Repurpose for purpose – Cairns & Great Barrier Reef leads the way in repurposing venues for events

Between two UNESCO World Heritage sites, the Great Barrier Reef and the Wet Tropics Rainforest, Cairns & Great Barrier Reef offers exceptional off-site venues that are sure to impress delegates during their social events.

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Media Release
21 Oct 2024
New event spaces and offsite venues keep Cairns fresh

New event spaces at the Cairns Convention Centre and an array of innovative offsite venue options kept the host destination fresh for the third Cannes in Cairns held in June 2024.

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Media Release
11 Sep 2024
History and nature define Cairns off-site venues

Repurposed historical venues and stunning natural spaces with a World Heritage backdrop are among the off-site venues in ‘Cairns & Great Barrier Reef’.

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Media Release
5 Mar 2024
Tropical North Queensland resilience attracts business events

The resilience of Tropical North Queensland after record flooding in December has inspired corporations planning incentive events for international destinations this year to move their business to Cairns.

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Blog post
30 Jan 2024
10 reasons to hold your business event in the 10-minute city

If you’re seeking a destination to work, connect, or explore without having to travel the distance, we’ve got you covered here with these ten reasons to hold your business event in the 10-minute city of Cairns!

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Media Release
6 Dec 2023
Content grants to showcase business event offerings

Fifteen business event suppliers of Business Events Cairns & Great Barrier Reef have received grants of up to $5,000 each to produce new content or update their website performance as part of the Create Great Program.

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Media Release
10 Nov 2023
Cairns announced as host city for incentive showcase

Tourism Australia’s signature incentive showcase will return in 2024 with the event, normally held every two years, to be held in Tropical North Queensland, as Australia continues to rebuild a strong pipeline of international business events.

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Blog post
6 Nov 2023
10 Tips for Delivering Sustainable Events in Cairns & GBR

If you are an event organiser planning an event in Cairns & Great Barrier Reef, lighten your footprint with these ten tips for delivering sustainable events in our region.

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Media Release
11 Oct 2023
Delegates keen to return to Cannes in Cairns

The highly successful Cannes in Cairns event for the advertising, marketing and media industry is expected to attract 2000 delegates in 2024 after numbers doubled this year from the 650 who attended the inaugural Cairns event in 2022.

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Media Release
26 Sep 2023
Sustainable events a focus in Cairns & Great Barrier Reef

Connect Great and Leave Greater in Cairns and Great Barrier Reef where two World Heritage Areas are a natural delegate booster for business events.

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Media Release
25 Sep 2023
Travel for good on a Tropical North Queensland expedition

Expeditions exploring the World Heritage-listed reef and rainforest in Tropical North Queensland are giving travellers the opportunity to understand the global importance of these ecosystems and help the organisations caring for their future.

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Media Release
3 Aug 2023
Planners introduced to sustainable Cairns events

Australia’s leading event planners have been gifted a tree to increase the habitat of tree kangaroos on the Atherton Tablelands in Tropical North Queensland as a thank you for attending the Cairns & Great Barrier Reef Business Events Regional Showcase in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne this week.

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Media Release
23 Mar 2023
Cairns showcases a week of business events

A conference for one of Australia’s leading event management companies is kicking off a bumper week of business event activities in Cairns from Monday (March 27) showcasing the destination’s capability to host sustainable meetings, conferences and incentives.

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Blog post
15 Feb 2023
Cairns & Great Barrier Reef – the home of sustainability

Cairns & Great Barrier Reef is in an enviable position. Gateway to two World Heritage-listed icons – the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree Rainforest, and a regional city, local business events professionals and companies that are acutely aware of their responsibility for the ongoing sustainability of not just the Tropical North Queensland environment but those who call it home.

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Media Release
13 Feb 2023
Sustainable events made easier in Cairns & Great Barrier Reef

A carbon offset program for business events and online hubs designed to make sustainable and accessible travel easy to access are among the new initiatives to be revealed by Business Events Cairns & Great Barrier Reef at AIME 2023.

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Media Release
3 Feb 2023
Sustainable Travel Hub launches in Tropical North Queensland

Travellers can easily find interactive conservation projects, immersive cultural experiences and eco-certified operators with the launch of the Tropical North Queensland Sustainable Travel Hub today (February 3).

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Media Release
14 Nov 2022
Australia’s first offshore nursery gives birth

Corals grown in Australia’s first offshore coral nursery at Fitzroy Island off Cairns have spawned for the first time after being planted on the Great Barrier Reef four years ago.

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Blog post
13 May 2022
Nurturing Nature & Delegates

Business events can reduce their environmental impact, ensure events are staged with a greater purpose, and provide a sense of achievement for delegates who attend.

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@tropicalnorthqueensland

One of the rainforest’s locals caught in a trance mid-snack. The Coppery Brushtail possum is native only to the Atherton Tablelands, it’s known for its beautiful copper fur, big curious eyes, and gentle nature. 🌿

📸 @canopytreehouses 

#exploreTNQ #explorecairnsGBR #thisisqueensland #seeaustralia
@queensland @australia 

ID A Coppery Brushtail Possum is pictured up close, mid-snack, with wide eyes and reddish-golden fur.
PSA for seafood fans. Coco’s Kitchen & Bar at @pullmancairnsinternational is quietly dishing up oysters, prawns, crab and a killer dessert spread. Every night. All August. Who’s ready to load up? 

#exploreTNQ #explorecairnsGBR #thisisqueensland #seeaustralia @queensland @australia 

ID This video shows the seafood buffet at Coco’s Kitchen + Bar, including close-ups of prawns, oysters, crab and desserts, plus wide shots of the restaurant’s dining area.
Is this the windiest road in Australia? They say Gillies Highway has 263 corners, but who's counting when every turn comes with a view? Who's keen to take on this road? 

🎥 @_sound_travels_

#exploreTNQ #explorecairnsGBR #thisisqueensland #seeaustralia @queensland @australia @athertontablelands 

ID Footage shows a car driving the winding curves of the Gillies Range.
Nothing says the #AthertonTablelands quite like those iconic rolling green hills. Agree?

#exploreTNQ #explorecairnsGBR #thisisqueensland #seeaustralia @queensland  @australia @athertontablelands 

ID A landscape view of the Atherton Tablelands featuring rolling green hills, open farmland and scattered trees under soft, late-afternoon light.
Do you know this insta-worthy stop on the #GreatBaarrierReefDrive? 🌴 Let’s just say… it’s hard to keep your hands off the camera.

📸 @ripping_in 

ID Aerial footage of a narrow road winding through a symmetrical coconut palm plantation. A car drives along the road, and later two people are seen walking hand-in-hand beneath the palms. 

#exploreTNQ #explorecairnsGBR #thisisqueensland #seeaustralia @queensland  @australia @portdouglasdaintree
Tropical views, the Coral Sea, and a shady patch of paradise just begging for a picnic rug. Who’s been?

📍Rex Smeal Park, Port Douglas

📸 @__racheljane

#exploreTNQ #explorecairnsGBR #thisisqueensland #seeaustrali @queensland @australia @portdouglasdaintree 

ID Aerial view of Rex Smeal Park in Port Douglas. The image shows a curved headland lined with palm trees, surrounded by calm blue ocean and backed by rainforest and distant mountain ranges under a partly cloudy sky.
Not all lakes are created equal. Some, like Lake Eacham, are born from ancient volcanic explosions and filled with nothing but rainwater. Who’s been? 

#exploreTNQ #explorecairnsGBR #thisisqueensland #seeaustralia @australia @queensland @athertontablelands 

ID An aerial view of a large blue lake with fringing rainforest.
Settle in for campsite bliss under tall gums and wide-open skies. This is Blencoe Falls Camp Ground… remote, rugged and worth every bump in the road.

ID A golden-hued camping scene beside a calm river. A rooftop tent is set up on a vintage 4WD under tall gum trees, with two people sitting on a picnic blanket near a campfire ring.

#exploreTNQ #explorecairnsGBR #thisisqueensland #seeaustralia @queensland  @australia

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