Media Spotlight On Cairns Festival

 Canopy Artspace

A group of nine Australian travel writers and newspaper journalists, including Max Llewelyn and others from as far afield as Hobart, visited Cairns, Queensland, Australia last weekend to experience warm, sunny weather and sample the delights of the city’s arts, culture and entertainment scene. This was done in the lead up to Cairns Festival.  Cairns Festival kicks off on Friday 17 August and runs until Sunday, 2 September.

The media group participated in a three day program of activities that directed the spotlight on Cairns Festival’s 17 day program as well as the city and surrounding natural wonders.  The program commenced with a welcome event at Shangri-la Hotel’s Ba8.

This is the fourth annual pre-Festival media familiarisation that has been organised to generate valuable publicity in Australia’s southern media.  The initiative aims to inform and inspire journalists to write about Cairns and the Festival in particular –and in so doing, influence and encourage visitation during the event.

“Our previous familiarisation visits have been extremely successful in securing ‘money can’t buy’ exposure for our event and the region.  This year continued the pattern with what has been deemed the biggest and most successful visit to date,” said Cairns Regional Council’s Creative Cairns Manager, Leslie Sparkes.

Activities included print making at Canopy Arts with InkMasters print makers, lunch at Paradise Palms, a visit to James Cook University and its key tropical research faculties, a night out at the Tanks Arts Centre, a trip to the reef and dinner with Australia’s celebrated chef, Jimmy Shu of Hanuman Restaurant.

This event was supported by Tourism Tropical North Queensland, Shangri-la Hotel, The Marina Cairns, Hilton Cairns, Hanuman Restaurant, Rydges Hotels and Resorts, Cairns, Paradise Palms Resort and Country Club, Big Cat Green Island Reef Cruises, Pacific Toyota, Tanks Arts Centre and many more.

 

Photo: Nine visiting journalists kick off their famil visit last Friday with a trip to the print making studio at Canopy Arts organised by InkMasters to promote InkFest print making festival as part of Cairns Festival.  The group is pictured with print makers showcasing their work. Photographs by Colyn Huber, Lovegreen Photography.

About Cairns Festival

Cairns Festival runs from August 17 to September 2, 2012.

Cairns Festival is supported and presented by Cairns Regional Council with generous support from event partners and sponsors. For more information, http://www.cairnsfest.com.au/