As the national capital Canberra is not only the political pulse of Australia, it's also home to some of the most impressive national establishments, cultural attractions, research and academic institutes. When you meet in Canberra you connect with a potent combination of knowledge, culture and influence, guaranteed to create an inspiring event.
Canberra's intellectual assets are striking with four of Australia's top universities based here: Australian National University, University of Canberra, Australian Catholic University and UNSW Canberra, located at the Australian Defence Force Academy. Canberra is home to nationally significant research institutions such as the Australian Academy of Science, Australian Institute of Sport, the National Archives of Australia, National Library of Australia and CSIRO to name just a few.
Canberra is the custodian of Australia's stories and so its cultural DNA is impressive. The city's national attractions and buildings each express different aspects of our national identity through their architecture, collections and exhibitions. The Who's Who of museums and galleries are in Canberra including Australian War Memorial, National Gallery of Australia, National Portrait Gallery, National Museum of Australia, National Film and Sound Archives and the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House. Australia's currency is manufactured at the Royal Australian Mint and Questacon brings science and technology to the community. A thriving artist community exists, whether it be in music (ANU School of Music), theatre (Canberra Theatre, The Street Theatre Canberra) Dance (Canberra Dance Development Centre) or Art (Canberra Glassworks).
Canberra is a purpose-built city, created to facilitate our democracy's most important meeting, the Australian Parliament. When you meet in Canberra, Federal Government, key decision-makers, industry and association leaders as well as trade organisations, and the diplomatic community are nearby, for both national and international delegate support. The world's media, through the parliamentary press gallery, is on your doorstep.
Canberra was named the most liveable city in the world by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD 2014). Not only scoring highly on economic indicators such as housing and income, Canberra achieved top ranking in education levels, the quality of the environment and safety. When you meet in Canberra you can take advantage of this perfect combination of amenities, knowledge and easy lifestyle to deliver a conference with minimum stress and maximum impact for your delegates.
Canberra's unique blend of urban living and public nature parks was planned in 1912 by American architects Walter Burley Griffin and his wife Marion Mahony Griffin, who won an international design competition to create the new capital city. They conceived the idea of central Canberra as a people's park with walks and drives alongside the lake, the place for our Parliament and national cultural buildings, with a series of main avenues connecting to the city's business district. Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2018 ranked Canberra third in its top 10 cities to visit singling out its emerging food and café scene and large collcetion of national treasures “a hidden gem that has been hiding in plain sight.
The legacy of this simple yet elegant plan is that it couldn't be easier to hold your business event here. Major airlines connect direct to Canberra from Australia's main cities'. Direct international flights also connect Singapore and Doha. Canberra's new and award winning airport has one of the country's smoothest transfers with driving time to the city centre taking just 12 minutes. Walter Burley Griffin’s original master plan proposed a tram network and in 2019 Canberra commenced Light Rail connecting the cities north, and Northbourne Avenue hotels to the heart of the city and in close proximity to the National Convention Centre Canberra.
Canberra offers delegates a chance to experience big sky beauty and beautiful Australian bush landscapes in a modern, connected and culturally active city. The city is compact so one can travel easily between precincts and activities without the big city problems of lengthy travel times and congestion.
As the nation's capital, Canberra offers one-of-a-kind venues that tell the Australian story:
Hold your conference in Canberra and leverage the advantages of working with a united community. We know collaboration can be a mighty force and so we work together as a city to create the right setting for producing an event beyond what you would ever expect. Canberra is a small city rich in talent and resources, and there is an ease with which like-minded groups of people can connect with each other and partnerships fostered.
The team at Canberra Convention Bureau have the expertise and connections to facilitate this collaborative approach. We are ready to support your business event and have the support of our partners, from ACT Government, to academia, industry and an experienced community of event services suppliers.
Many of Canberra's influential and internationally respected research organisations, academic and cultural institutions partner with Canberra Convention Bureau. This partnership is conducted under the banner THINK Canberra through the Research and Learning Institutes Group (RALIG).
Our industry members are made up of the leading business event suppliers in the Canberra region, including venues, accommodation, caterers, conference services and transport. They all have one common interest - to help you host the most successful event possible in this great city.
For a full list of Bureau members click here.
Boasting a strong and passionate sporting culture with a legacy of sporting prowess, it's not hard to see why Canberra has one of Australia's most active populations. The city has an extensive network of parks and reserves, with walking trails and cycle ways for exploration and recreation. Lake Burley Griffin is a popular venue for water sports, in particular, sailing, rowing, sailboarding and canoeing, with national competitive events regularly taking place on and around the lake.
The Australian Institute of Sport is based here and is the foundation of our national sports system, providing the nation and the world with exceptional sport science and performance research. The AIS is recognised the world over for its ability to identify, develop and produce world, Olympic and Paralympic champions. National sporting organisations can take advantage of this expertise and the facilities when holding events in Canberra. Many top sporting events have chosen Canberra as their event destination, including the FIH Masters Hockey World Cup held in 2016 and the Under 19 Road Cycling Championships in 2018.
