Successful Garden Expo highlights Sunshine Coast’s reputation for staging nature-based events

The impressive attendance at Nambour Showgrounds for the 36th annual Queensland Garden Expo highlights the Sunshine Coast’s reputation for staging successful nature-based events – even during COVID.

The organisers were able to present Australia’s largest gardening speaker program and over 300 exhibitors despite ongoing border disruptions and a three-day lockdown in Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast the week prior.

With thousands having attended the Queensland Garden Expo, organiser Marion Beazley advised that despite the uncertainty caused by local and interstate lockdowns, the event had been a tremendous success for the Sunshine Coast.

Beazley notes “the economic impact of this event is estimated to be between $8 million and $11 million so we were thrilled that the event was able to go ahead, particularly after last year’s cancellation for the first time in its 37-year history.

“While there was much uncertainty in the weeks prior to the event, we are delighted at how well-supported the event was and thank all who participated and attended for their patience and efforts in making the 36th Queensland Garden Expo a great success.”

The events calendar for the Sunshine Coast for 2021 is boasting a diverse range of events including the Horizon arts festival in August, the Caloundra Music Festival in October and an extensive collection of sporting-based events headlined by the Sunshine Coast Marathon in August.

Visit Sunshine Coast Chief Executive, Matt Stoeckel adds “The Sunshine Coast has consistently demonstrated its ability to stage large-scale outdoor events like the ‘Aussies’ surf life-saving championships earlier this year and now the Queensland Garden Expo, and we believe our nature-based environment will attract even more groups and events over the next year.

“We also have the advantage of a massively-upgraded airport runway, which has enhanced our ability to host groups from around the country and across the Tasman.”