Cairns & Great Barrier Reef
Surrounding your team with great, leaves your business greater.
DISCOVER OUR DESTINATIONThe 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
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Latest News
Keep up-to-date with the latest news, articles and media releases from the Business Events Cairns and Great Barrier Reef Industry.
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.
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.
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.
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’.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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).
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.
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.
Beer that helps the Great Barrier Reef
Cairns & Great Barrier Reef is the natural place to meet… and eat and drink! Ask anyone who’s visited, and they’ll tell you discovering our reef and rainforest is thirsty work.
Introduce your delegates to the world’s oldest rainforest
Skyrail Rainforest Cableway is an experience through Australia’s most famous rainforest, the Wet Tropics, whose ancestry predates dinosaurs and is home to 15 of the 26 families of ancient flowering plants in the world, just to name a few accolades.
Minimise the impact of where your delegates lay their head
As Crystalbrook Collection expands across Australia, their three Cairns-based properties lead the way on their mantra “travel with a lighter footprint”.
Delegates contribute to reef health
As a natural delegate booster, it’s hard to go past the world’s most extraordinary reef; the World Heritage-listed Great Barrier Reef.
Whatever the weather, Cairns is the natural place to meet
Cairns & Great Barrier Reef is a full sensory experience for delegates. Our seasons deliver warm days all year. Regular rainfall over summer and autumn keeps the landscape a rich green; the rainforest is at its most lush and waterfalls are full and spectacular for pre and post-touring adventures.
@tropicalnorthqueensland
UPDATE We are loving all the excitement this post has generated — turns out, everyone wants to sip cocktails in an underwater tiki-themed reef bar. 🐠🍹 While it was just a cheeky April Fools’ joke, the idea clearly struck a chord. Who knows… maybe one day the ‘Coral Club’ will make a splash 😉. Until then, keep dreaming tropical and thanks for playing along.
JUST ANNOUNCED Green Island’s Historic Underwater Observatory to be reborn… as a reef bar 🍹🐠. In a bold fusion of heritage and hospitality, Green Island’s original underwater observatory is set to be reimagined as the world’s first underwater tiki bar — built on the very same historic footprint beneath the jetty.
Originally opened in 1954, the 10-metre chamber was built from a WWII diving vessel with 22 portholes. Though it closed in 2012 and was removed in 2019, its legacy will live on with the aptly named ‘Coral Club’. Opening in 2026, this one-of-a-kind reef bar will offer…
🌊 Panoramic glass views of the Great Barrier Reef’s marine life
🍍 Signature cocktails served in coconuts and pineapples
🥂 Original 1954 portholes restored and featured in the new design
🛥️ Transfers from Cairns Marina via @greatadventurescruises - just $49 return, includes a welcome drink + 11pm return options
🏝️ Or make a night of it and stay at the luxurious @greenislandgbr just steps away.
👇 Tag your reef-loving crew and grab your best tropical shirt because…the #CoralClub is coming.
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#exploreTNQ #explorecairnsGBR #thisisqueensland #seeaustralia @queensland @australia
ID A collage of images showing Green Island and its historic underwater observatory. Includes an aerial view of the island, vintage photos of visitors on the jetty, and an artists impression of the new bar. The observatory is pictured on stilts over the water with an Australian flag above. The text announces plans to reopen it in 2026 as an underwater tiki bar.
Mar 31
Golden hour strolls along #EllisBeach just hit a bit different, wouldn`t you agree?
📸: @josh_burkinshaw
#exploreTNQ #explorecairnsGBR #thisisqueensland #seeaustralia @queensland @australia
ID A person walks alone along Ellis Beach at sunrise, with golden light on the sand, calm waves and palm trees lining the shore. A green mountain rises in the background.
Mar 31
Chasing waterfalls or planning a swim in one of Tropical North Queensland’s freshwater spots? It’s worth taking a moment to brush up on how to do it safely. Senior Raft Guide at @cairnsadventuregroup Paul Porteous, shares some simple tips to help visitors stay safe while making the most of the incredible freshwater experiences that can be found here. More here 👉 🔗 in bio ☝️.
#exploreTNQ #explorecairnsGBR #thisisqueensland #seeaustralia
@queensland @australia @portdouglasdaintree @athertontablelands @visitmareebashire @cassowarycoastaustralia @cooktowntnq
ID A freshwater safety video set in Tropical North Queensland. It features warning signs, rainforest streams, waterfalls, and people swimming in natural pools. Paul Porteous, Senior Raft Guide at Cairns Adventure Group, shares safety tips on camera. The video shows calm swimming spots, drone views of waterfalls and canyoning scenes to highlight safe ways to enjoy the region’s freshwater locations.
Mar 28
Which do you chase - summit views that stretch beyond the horizon or winding rainforest trails that lead to this? Or both? #DaintreeRainforest
📸 @wunez
#exploreTNQ #explorecairnsGBR #thisisqueensland #seeaustralia @queensland @australia @portdouglasdaintree
ID A rainforest scene in Tropical North Queensland, featuring a moss-covered fallen tree arching over a gently flowing stream. Ferns and dense greenery surround the waterway, creating a rich, layered jungle landscape. In another image, golden light touches the peaks of distant mountains, offering a sweeping summit view above the rainforest canopy.
Mar 26
From mountain bike festivals to parties under the tropical palms, @tropicalnorthqueensland is bringing an unmissable lineup of events this season. Check out the full What’s On guide 🔗 in bio ☝️🌴
@savannah.sounds @pdcarnivale @crankworxcairns @pbraustralia @ccc_cairns @cairnsindigenousartfair @ironman.cairns @cooktown.discovery.festival @discoveryparksandresorts
#exploreTNQ #explorecairnsGBR #thisisqueensland #seeaustralia @queensland @australia
ID This image carousel features a series of images showcasing upcoming events in Tropical North Queensland, from cultural celebrations and adrenaline-fueled action to live music and beachside festivals.
Mar 24
💙 Australia’s bluest waters? You will find them right here in @tropicalnorthqueensland. Would you swim here? #BedarraIsland?
🎥 @_markfitz
#exploreTNQ #explorecairnsGBR #thisisqueensland #seeaustralia @queensland @australia
ID The video opens with text that reads “Places in Australia with the bluest water”, over an aerial drone shot of a secluded beach. The scene features clear turquoise coloured water, smooth boulders and palm trees lining the white sand.
Mar 23
On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate #RexSmealPark? Drop your score below. 👇 We would give it a 10… obviously...🌴
📸 IG/kel.and.dyl
#exploreTNQ #explorecairnsGBR #thisisqueensland #seeaustralia @queensland @australia @portdouglasdaintree #portdouglasdaintree
ID A park with lush green grass stretches toward the waterfront, framed by tall, evenly spaced palm trees. In the background, a calm body of water reflects the sky, with distant mountains and a tree-covered shoreline.
Mar 22
No snorkel? No worries! A glass-bottom boat tour lets you see the #GreatBarrierReef without getting wet. Who’s up for an underwater adventure but above water 😉?
🎥 @sunloverreefcruises
#exploreTNQ #explorecairnsGBR #thisisqueensland #seeaustralia @queensland @australia
ID The video opens with on-screen text that reads “Have you ever been on a glass-bottom boat tour?”. The footage then shows a glass-bottom boat floating over the Great Barrier Reef, with coral formations below. The perspective shifts between above-water shots of the boat and views through the glass panels, where tropical fish and marine life can be seen swimming beneath.
Mar 20
