In a boost to the city's tourism and corporate events market, the City of Ballarat has successfully secured the Victorian Tourism Industry Council (VTIC) Visitor Servicing Summit to be held in September 2024.
The summit will draw up to 150 professionals from the visitor servicing sector to Ballarat to learn, engage, network and experience what the city has to offer as a destination.
The delegates are travelling from across Victoria and will spend up to three nights residing in local accommodation in Ballarat, with education sessions, on-site experiences, welcome events and a gala dinner.
'Extend your stay' packages are also being developed to encourage delegates to stay for the weekend and invite their families.
The conference program will focus on what Ballarat has to offer with events being hosted in unique Ballarat venues and locations with an emphasis to showcase our many producers, suppliers and experiences.
It is anticipated that the summit will inject more than $200,000 into the local economy.
City of Ballarat Mayor, Cr Des Hudson said securing the conference was proof of Ballarat's position as an accomplished conference host.
"We are thrilled to be able to host such a magnificent event and look forward to welcoming people from throughout Victoria to our great city," he said.
"The Visitor Servicing Summit will showcase the best of Ballarat and surrounds to the state's tourism professionals. They will get to see our beautiful landscapes, enjoy our fabulous hospitality scene and meet our producers, experience our art and culture and so much more.
Victoria Tourism Industry Council Chair, Felicia Mariani said, VTIC is excited to bring the Victorian Visitor Servicing Summit to Ballarat in 2024.
"The Summit focuses on the significant role visitor servicing plays in driving economic growth and yield for the local area and the whole state through learning and exchange, best practice case studies and exploring the future of visitor servicing," she said.
"The Summit brings together Victoria's visitor servicing champions, who will share their experiences of Ballarat far and wide across the state with their communities and visitors alike."
