30 July 2015

Circular Head Mayor Daryl Quilliam said Council will be the naming rights sponsor for the Rotary International Tasmanian Conference to be held in Smithton between 31 March and 2 April 2017.

The Rotary Club of Smithton is the host club for the conference.

“Council agreed to pay $10,000 towards this event as we feel the investment will not only assist the event to be held in our district, but also provide long term positive effects on the promotion of businesses and the community in general,” Mayor Quilliam said.

“The spotlight will well and truly be on Circular Head for the weekend of the conference, but I’m sure this arrangement will ensure many will return to visit again.”

The State Conference generally attracts between 220 and 430 participants who visit the conference areas for a minimum of three days.

“In return for the sponsorship Council is seeking an economic benefit to various sectors including local tourism providers, community organisations, catering, and other supplies,” Mayor Quilliam said.

“This includes increased visitation to the area before and after the conference.”

In addition to this, interested community representatives will also be invited to participate in selected sessions of the conference.

“With Gerard Blizzard, becoming District Governor of Tasmania for 2016-2017 and the conference committee also committing to use local church groups and sporting organisations to provide meals during the event, this is a real opportunity for our community,” Mayor Quilliam said.

The Smithton Christian Fellowship complex has been chosen as the Conference venue.

The last Rotary Conference to be held in Smithton was 2008, when the Late Mr Bernard Charles had been chosen as District Governor. This event is still viewed statewide as the benchmark conference, with country hospitality and an engaging program the outstanding features.

The Recreation Centre will host the Saturday evening event, and local professional caterers will be contracted.

“The committee also intends to use the Stanley Visitor Centre to manage any conference accommodation bookings (which was effective in 2008), providing an opportunity for the Circular Head Tourism Association to benefit from commissions and further promote the area and the intent of extending the number of nights spent in the region,” Mayor Quilliam said.

“They also intend to source as many supplies as possible from the local area – stationery, printed materials, speakers’ gifts, and more.”

The 2017 Rotary Conference will contribute an estimated $136,000-$241,000 directly into the community.