Corroboree Kicked off

Well Corroboree kicked off with a bang on the 12/09/07 and the first day was huge.

With the agents arriving to Branxton station at 2.30pm there was heaps of organising to do. Most of the staff with including myself put in 17-20hr days in preparation.

The arrival went well and the media pitch that we sent out about their arrival at Branxton Station got a lot of attention. NBN news where there to broadcast the event as well as 3-5 local and statewide paper. The next day saw a loat of attention in the press.

The Welcome Cocktail party was extravagant and was very well received by the Americans. The hot air balloon and the synchronized swimmers were a big hit!

I was there until 11pm setting the Exhibition centre for the next days marketplace.

Here is the pitch that I wrote for the media....

Tourism Australia’s Corroboree – The Americas 2007 officially kicks off tomorrow, with 165 American agents arriving in the Hunter Valley to sample and see the best that Australia and the Hunter Valley has to offer as a tourist destination.

As 230 people including not only the American travel agents but also sponsors and sellers at the event will be greeted Aussie-style by a welcoming crowd of locals, the Town Crier, and the melodic sounds of the Valentine School Band.

Also as a special feature John Drayton from Drayton Wines will be there with his 1927 T Ford Model Vintage Automobile. Previously owned by his father and one the first to be owned in the Hunter Region, this will add to the Australian Country feel of the arrival at Branxton.

Using Branxton Station as the arrival point for the American agents signifies that they are no longer lost in the big city, but rather a part of the close-knit comfort of a country community.

The three-day Corroboree convention, which is being held at The Crowne Plaza Hunter Valley, is dedicated to educating and training retail agents who are committed to marketing and selling Australia as a vacation destination to American consumers. The event will add $1million to the local economy and will expand the regions market and contribute to its international reach.