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DISTRICT CONFERENCE

Be inspired by the Magic of Rotary, through the stories told by our guest speakers, our showcase of projects, and your opportunity to connect with, and learn from, Rotary and Rotaract members and other conference attendees.
My countdown

DETAILS

28 - 30 MARCH 2025
Southport Sharks Event Centre
Cnr Olsen & Musgrave Avenues, Southport  QLD  4215

PRICING

Conference Entry - Sat & Sun ($140 *)
Welcome Cocktail Party - Fri ($40 *)
Masquerade Gala Dinner - Sat ($90 *)
 
*plus booking & processing fees

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PROGRAM OUTLINE

Below you will find an outline of the conference program.  Times are indicative and sessions may be subject to change.  All events will take place at the Southport Sharks Event Centre unless otherwise noted.
 
A Conference Entry Ticket is required access to the main conference sessions and includes lunch, morning & afternoon teas.  Separate tickets are required for the Cocktail Party & Gala Dinner, all of which can be purchased via the link above.  Participation in the Golf Day is via expression of interest (which can be selected when purchasing tickets) at a cost to be advised.  The Peace Pole Dedication (Fri) and Walks (Sat & Sun) are FREE EVENTS though we do ask for expressions of interest if you wish to participate in the walks.
FRIDAY 28 MARCH
 
6:45am - Governors Cup Golf Day
Parkwood Golf Club
Separate Event
 
TBC - Peace Pole Dedication
Griffith University (Details TBC)
FREE EVENT
 
3:00pm - Conference Registration
 
6:30pm - Welcome Cocktail Party
Separate Ticket Required ($40)
SATURDAY 29 MARCH
 
7:00am - Local Walks
Purple Shirts
(Say No To DV & Australian Rotary Health)
FREE EVENT
 
7:45am - Conference Registration
 
9:00am - Conference Opening Session
 
10:30am - Morning Tea
 
11:00am - Speaker Session 1
 
12:30pm - Lunch
 
1:30pm - Speaker Session 2
 
3:30pm - Afternoon Tea
 
4:00pm - Business Session
 
TBC - Foundation Recognition Drinks
Invitation Only
 
6:30pm - Masquerade Gala Dinner
Separate Ticket Required ($90)
SUNDAY 30 MARCH
 
7:00am - Local Walk
End Polio Now Shirts
FREE EVENT
 
9:00am - Speaker Session 4
 
10:00am - Morning Tea
 
10:30am - Speaker Session 5
 
12:30pm - Lunch
 
1:30pm - Conference Closing Session
 
3:00pm - Conference Close
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SPEAKERS
We have a fabulous range of guest speakers across the Saturday & Sunday sessions.  Details will be updated below as they are finalised.
SPEAKER DETAILS COMING SOON
PETER GASH OAM
Managing Director
Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort & Seair Pacific
 
Lady Elliot is a coral cay island located 80 kms north-east of Bundaberg, on the southern tip of the Great Barrier Reef. In his early twenties, Peter discovered the island and its amazing beauty, both above and below the water. Coincidentally, that's where he and his now
wife, Julie, became close friends and both shared a passion for the natural environment and the fragile eco-system of the island.
 
Peter is a licenced Pilot and has been flying tourists to the Great Barrier Reef for over 30 years. He started out operating regular scenic daytrips by seaplane from the Gold Coast to Lady Musgrave Island on the southern Great Barrier Reef. In the mid 90's, Peter took the floats off the plane and began flying guests to nearby Lady Elliot Island. Lady Elliot Island is the only coral cay island on the Great Barrier Reef with an airstrip. Peter, his family and two business partners took over the lease of the island in 2005 and has been operating the 150-bed eco resort since that time.
 
Peter's main motivation is Education and the Environment. Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort operates on a 'Four E's' Philosophy: To look after our Environment we need to be Efficient, Economically Sustainable and able to Educate Effectively.
 
In recognition of Peter's 30+ years in Queensland's dynamic tourism industry and his passion, dedication, and leadership in sustainable ecotourism, he was awarded the Marie Watson-Blake award for 'Outstanding Contribution by an Individual' at the 30th annual QLD Tourism awards in November 2014. In 2020, Peter was honoured to be awarded an Order of Australia Medal for his service to ecotourism and aviation.
 
Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort has been awarded the Steve Irwin Award for Ecotourism in 2014, 2017, 2019, 2021 & 2022. Due to the previous three wins in this category, Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort is now a Hall of Fame recipient.
 
In 2019, Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort won silver in the Australian Tourism Awards in Ecotourism, and in 2022 the resort was awarded the Banksia Award for Sustainable Tourism, as well as the Finder Green Award for Green Hotel of the Year.
 
Although awards and recognition are wonderful  accolades, Peter’s main personal mission is to "inspire & encourage other people, particularly the younger generation to follow their dreams to make a difference on the planet".
SPEAKER DETAILS COMING SOON
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ACCOMMODATION & LOCAL INFORMATION
ACCOMMODATION
 
The Mantra at Sharks is located right next to the venue but get in quick as there are limited rooms available.  As a special offer for conference attendees, Mantra is pleased to offer a special discount code, SSROT25, for 15% off the flexible daily rate - refer to this flyer for more details.
 
There are also plenty of other accommodation options around the Gold Coast which you can find on popular booking sites such as Booking.com, Wotif and Trivago.
 
GETTING THERE
 
If you are driving, there is plenty of free parking available at Southport Sharks.  The venue is located on the corner of Olsen & Musgrave Avenues and you can find it on the map here.
 
The venue is also accessible via public transport -
 
  • G:Link (Tram) - the nearest Gold Coast Light Rail (G:Link) stop being Gold Coast University Hospital station, located approximately 800m walk away or you can also catch the bus (Route 714 or 719) from the station to the venue - see below  The G:Link comes from Helensvale in the north or Broadbeach in the south. 
     
  • Train - If travelling by train you can swap to the G:Link at Helensvale.
     
  • Bus - there are also two bus stops located right near the venue - either the Olsen Ave at Southport Lawn Cemetery stop (Route 714 & Route 719) or the Musgrave Ave, near Botanical Dr stop (Route 715).
 
Visit the Translink Journey Planner site to plan your journey.
 
GENERAL TOURIST INFORMATION
 
The Gold Coast has a wide range of options for everyone including beaches, sub tropical rainforest, theme parks, outlet shopping, and much more. You can findo out more at the Experience Gold Coast website.