Resort Appeal of Cairns Lures Large Franchise Convention
The resort appeal of Cairns with its natural reef and rainforest beauty and the bonus of five-star hotels close to the Cairns Convention Centre helped to win the Hungry Jack’s National Convention 2024 for the city. Franchisees, company employees, suppliers and sponsors were among the 950 delegates attending the biennial convention featuring education on productivity and professional development and showcasing new food products, cleaning products, software and restaurant machinery.
Running from 14 to 17 October 2024, the convention for the large franchise group was timed to coincide with the opening of the new Hungry Jack’s on Sheridan Street to profile the brand to the local community. As the only large conference in town, it became a brand takeover with custom-branded LED signage welcoming delegates at Cairns Airport, an ‘Still Fired Up!’ custom-branded shuttle bus highly visible on the Cairns streets, and the delegates walking along the Esplanade each day in their branded shirts.
Event management and production company Dreamweavers Special Events undertook full PCO services, sponsorship management, event management, theming and production and found they could better profile the Hungry Jacks brand in a regional city where the convention is the largest event in town.
“Cairns city is quite small, so all venues are in close proximity to each other with the boardwalk areas making the destination feel tropical and easy to navigate, just like a resort. Delegates were encouraged to walk from their hotels along the Esplanade and around The Pier with fun activities and entertainment for them along the way to the Cairns Convention Centre,” according to Dreamweavers Director of Events Helena Medhurst.
“There were great offsite options for a group this size which made delegates feel like they were able to enjoy more of Cairns instead of everything taking place in the one venue, which often happens in large cities.
The welcome event was held on the waterfront at Hemingway’s Brewery with the Cairns brewer creating a custom-made lager called Thirsty Jack’s to offer delegates. We were delighted that Hungry Jack’s was one of two events that year selected to be held at historic new venue, The Mill, which was used as a secret location for a social event with a rock and roll theme. Each venue placed great value on food and beverages being locally sourced allowing paddock to plate presentation.”
Business Events Cairns & Great Barrier Reef subvention funding helped the organisation to travel to Cairns, with transport costs a challenge as much of the exhibition was a bespoke build and required equipment to be transported from Southeast Queensland and Sydney. The result was outstanding with a bespoke restaurant floor offering tasting for up-and-coming restaurant promotions as well as an operational café which proved to be extremely popular, and a drive-through simulated to train delegates on new products.
Feedback from the event was great from both delegates and suppliers with many extending their stay in Tropical North Queensland to experience the leisure offerings showcasing the Great Barrier Reef and the world’s oldest rainforest. Hungry Jack’s encouraged delegates to do pre and post touring to help with flight capacity before and after the event. This helped to boost the $1.8 million in direct expenditure to a $2.7 million injection into the Cairns regional economy.
Fast Facts
Destination: Cairns | Professional Conference Organiser: Dreamweavers Special Events
Dates: 4 days | Number of Delegates: 950 | Event Type: Convention