26 April, 2016

NT famil ties in with major agri-business conference

A four day famil to Darwin was recently organised by the NT Convention Bureau for a group of senior agri-business executives. It showcased Darwin as a destination for conferences and events for the diverse agri-business sector.

Why Agri-business? Well, the Federal Government’s ‘Developing Northern Australia’ initiative is bringing the northern end of Australia into the spotlight, and no more so than in the Northern Territory. The progressive agri-business sector is amongst a range of NT industries being showcased, with easy accessibility to SE Asia and China markets also contributing to Darwin’s ongoing development as a vibrant business centre.

The six Darwin Destination Site Visit participants, who came from Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, represented diverse agri-business sectors. These included the National Farmers Federation, the Australian Prawn Farmers Association, the Australian Banana Growers Council, the Australian Society of Agronomy and a corporate wholesaler who specialises in the tractor and machinery markets.

The group’s visit to Darwin also coincided with the biennial Northern Australia Food Futures Conference at the Darwin Convention Centre. This conference brings together policy makers, companies, Federal and State government agencies and politicians to discuss the challenges, opportunities and ideas for future northern Australia agricultural development and investment. The visiting agri-business executives attended the official Conference Welcome Reception at Parliament House, and also joined the opening conference session.

The famil participants, several of whom had never previously visited Darwin, indicated they were extremely impressed by the city.

“The famil provided a superb showcase of Darwin from restaurants, attractions, conference venues to accommodation,” said Linda Bennison, Executive Officer of the Australian Society of Agronomy Inc and Soil Science Australia.

“The opportunity to attend and network with the Food Futures Conference was excellent. I stayed on to holiday but ended up spending much of the remaining time meeting with NT folk to gauge interest in hosting a conference. It proved invaluable and reinforced the message that the NT is a great place to hold a conference.”

The itinerary conveyed how Darwin has evolved into a progressive modern city and has become a home for visionary thinking. It also showed how the region sits at the centre of the Federal Government’s agenda to realise the full potential of Australia’s north.

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Famil Northern Territory NT Convention Bureau