Planners see the light in Alice

Photo by Nick Pincott Photography

A group of 18 business event planners ‘saw the light’ when they headed to Alice Springs recently to participate on the annual Alice Stampede mega-familiarisation.

Now in its fifth year, Alice Stampede is a joint initiative of the Alice Springs Convention Centre and the Northern Territory Convention Bureau (NTCB), and includes a wide range of Alice Springs suppliers.

The participating planners from the association, corporate, retail and academic sectors, as well as professional conference and incentive travel management companies, travelled to Alice Springs from throughout the country, highlighting the region’s central location and its ease of access to Australia’s airport network.

The program incorporated stunning off-site dinner locations, business sessions, cultural activities and the chance to be one of the first in Australia to experience the inaugural Parrtjima light show which was staged across the expansive MacDonnell Ranges.

Another exciting event surprise was a ‘pop-up’ picnic dinner held at the Rocky Hill Grape Farm, which is situated on one of Central Australia’s largest mixed agribusiness cattle stations.  Official Mate-of-the-NT Ambassador and television personality, Lisa Wilkinson, provided a special guest appearance at the dinner.  She talked about her close association with the NT, conveying her own heartfelt endorsement of the destination for business events. The evening was topped off by star gazing at nearby eco-tourism attraction, Earth Sanctuary.

Grace Ng from Powell Consultants talked enthusiastically about her ‘Stampede’ experience. “The last few days have been a real eye opener.  So many wonderful things I saw which, in the past, I didn’t think existed or could be possible in your region.”

Other Alice Stampede activities included early morning hot air ballooning, racing down in the ‘river’ in a mini Henley-on-Todd regatta, visiting local markets and iconic Alice Springs attractions such as Simpson’s Gap, the Alice Springs Telegraph Station and the Royal Flying Doctor Service.

For more information about Alice Springs and the NT, visit www.ntconventions.com.au

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