BUSSELTON has been chosen to host a 200 plus delegate national conference in September next year.
The Australian Shop and Office Fitting Industry Association conference is expected to inject more than $280,000 into the region’s economy.
Perth Convention Bureau managing director Owen Cook said the bid had eventually come down to a battle between Busselton and an Eastern States regional centre to host the conference.
“To help sway the various State representatives on the national executive of the association, they were sent a full bottle of wine and an empty bottle with a note in it,” Mr Cook added.
“This ploy obviously help tilt them in Busselton’s favour.”
The Bureau, which is responsible for marketing Western Australia as a convention, exhibition and incentive travel destination, is contributing $1,500 to the association to assist it in promoting the conference.
Mr Cook believes there are great opportunities for the regions to attract this kind of business, particularly a region like the South West which has an excellent inventory of meetings infrastructure as well as a wide range of quality lifestyle and recreational attractions.
