Read the full article at Mature Traveller

CAPRICORN COAST DIGITAL WORKSHOP

The workshop is scheduled to take place on Monday 27^th February at the Rosslyn Bay Resort from 1 – 5pm. The workshop will be followed by One on One Mentoring sessions that will be conducted with interested operators on the 28^th and 29^th.

The workshop is designed to assist operators with some fundamentals of digital marketing. The workshop will cover:

Module 1 – “Web Basics” will give you an overview of how a consumer navigates your website and how the design and layout of your site makes such a difference to your website’s ‘usability’. Other important elements of this module are Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), the Australian Tourism Data Warehouse (foundation database for tourism products throughout Australia) and measurement tools for your site.

Module 2 – “Be Bookable Online” will help you understand Online Booking Systems so that you can sell your tourism product to the 60% of consumers who book their travel online. There’s a few key steps you’ll need to follow, like getting a merchant facility sorted and thinking about your Yield Management.  You’ll also learn all about how to make your product bookable on many tourism websites using Tourism Exchange Australia (TXA).

YOUR DIGITAL COACH

The Workshop and Mentoring will be conducted by Digital Coach, Susan Maynard. Susan has extensive experience in both the tourism and training environments and has worked in the tourism industry for over 20 years.

To register for the Workshop, One on One Mentoring or both, please contact Nathan White by the 13^th February.

Today’s announcement by Qantaslink to introduce Boeing 717 services to Rockhampton on 15th March has been hailed as great long awaited news by the region’s peak tourism and economic development organisation, Capricorn Enterprise.

Two major airlines service Rockhampton Airport with an annual capacity of up to 750,000 passengers. Virgin Australia currently provides more capacity than Qantaslink, largely attributed to its provision of a jet service and direct flights to Sydney as well as Brisbane. Qantaslink today announced two new 115-seat B717 services in Queensland which will commence into Rockhampton Airport on the 15th March, providing 598 additional seats to Rockhampton, offering over 8,400 seats per week.

Domestic capacity into Rockhampton during February 2012 is 4,683 seats per week with Virgin Australia and 3,825 per week seats with Qantaslink. CEO of Capricorn Enterprise Mary Carroll said “Qantaslink have clearly been watching these figures and has made a very good business decision to keep up with competitive advantage”.

“Considering the amount of corporate travel into the Rockhampton airport, it is absolutely essential that both major airlines provide jet services with business class capacity. This announcement is long overdue considering the competitive advantage Virgin Australia has held over Qantaslink over the past few months in regards to provision of jet services.”

“The business community have been wanting a jet service by Qantaslink for some time and it is refreshing to see their call has been answered.” she said

Rockhampton Airport is the 12th busiest airport in Australia, with capacity ramping up in neighbouring ports of Mackay, Gladstone and Emerald. “It is very important that the Council owned Rockhampton Airport also keeps up with the demands of its customers, as has Mackay airport, and investigates the provision of Business Class lounges for both major airlines” she said.

“I’d like the next announcement by Qantaslink now to be the provision of direct flights from Rockhampton to either Sydney or Melbourne!” she said

For comment contact: Mary Carroll, CEO Capricorn Enterprise 0417 669 286

Capricorn Enterprise’s push to create the foremost event calendar in the region is already setting itself up as one of the most successful what’s-on guides in Queensland.

Figures released this week show the Capricorn Event Calendar has established itself as one of the most comprehensive Regional Tourism Organisation (RTO) calendars in the state.

Mary Carroll, CEO of Capricorn Enterprise said “our focus on promoting events in our destination has resulted in 315 annual events being promoted on-line to the world, second only in Queensland to 466 annual events in the Brisbane region!”

“We are urging event organisers to upload their events free of charge. Event tourism is a huge part of our regional economy and growing” she said.

Found at www.capricornholidays.com.au/events, the calendar is free to submit events to and free to use. Covering the Capricorn Coast, Rockhampton and the Central Highlands, events are searchable by location, event type and even by cost.

The calendar is primarily drawn from events entered into the Australian Tourism Data Warehouse (ATDW), which distributes to over 50 high profile websites nation-wide, including Tourism Queensland and Tourism Australia’s leisure sites, ABC Online, Flight Centre and iPhone application WotsGoingOn.

Entry into ATDW for regional events is done exclusively by Capricorn Enterprise for eligible events. Events not eligible for ATDW entry, such as entries into the brand new Gig Guide, can also be found in the calendar.

The calendar currently contains over 315 listings in ATDW and approximately another 30 events and gigs. Comparably, other Queensland RTO’s ATDW listings are as follows:

• Brisbane: 466
• Capricorn: 315
• Fraser Coast: 146
• Sunshine Coast: 114
• Southern Downs: 73
• Gold Coast: 71
• Toowoomba Golden West: 50
• Outback: 47
• Bundaberg: 40
• Tropical North Queensland: 29
• Townsville: 20
• Gladstone: 16
• Whitsundays: 10
• Mackay: 2

To submit an event to the Capricorn Events Calendar or find out what’s going on in your area, please visit www.capricornholidays.com.au/events.

To help secure the future of our thriving food industry, local businesses are invited to apply for grants of up to $100,000 as part of the State Government’s plan to double the value of Queensland’s food sector by 2020.

The Food Innovation and Productivity Incentive (FIPI) grants are being facilitated by the Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation (DEEDI), and are available to Queensland food businesses, organisations, cooperatives and associations with innovative projects.

DEEDI’s executive regional director for central region Joe Pappalardo said that food companies from across the supply chain were eligible to apply for grants of between $25,000 and $100,000, on a dollar-for-dollar basis.

“Preference will be given to projects that embrace new processes and technologies, increase opportunities for collaboration and embed innovative practices,” Mr Pappalardo said.

“If a project is found to have exceptional merit, funding of more than $100,000 may be considered.

”These grants will help to bolster the profitability of food businesses and industries across Central Queensland.”

The food value chain is one of Queensland’s economic strengths, worth around $18.7 billion and supporting around 267,000 – or 1 in 8 – Queensland jobs.

As the state’s first ever whole-of-chain food policy, Food for a Growing Economy aims to grow the value of the food industry to $40 billion by 2020.

While the scheme is open to all eligible Queensland food businesses, small to medium enterprises are particularly encouraged to apply.

The first FIPI funding round will open on 6 February 2012 and close on 2 April 2012.

For further information on the FIPI grants please contact Peter Long on 4936 0240

More details and instructions here:  http://www.business.qld.gov.au/food/food-innovation-productivity-incentives/index.html

Download Full Media Release

Capricorn Enterprise has launched the Capricorn Region’s first comprehensive online gig guide, with the latest gigs on the Capricorn Coast, Rockhampton and the Central Highlands. Part of the new-look event calendar at www.capricornholidays.com.au/events, this will change the way you plan your weekends in Capricorn.

Updated every Thursday, the gig guide will list the hottest places to go and the best talent on show to keep your weekend pumping. Pubs, clubs, concerts, live, acoustic, DJs and more – if it has a beat, it belongs in this gig guide.

We need your assistance to make it great – gig listings are FREE, so if you are a musician, a venue, a promoter or a friend, get details to events@capricornenterprise.com.au.

Chief Executive Officer of Capricorn Enterprise, Mary Carroll said “The Capricorn Holidays website has seen a 667% increase in traffic during the six months from May to September 2011 compared to the same time in 2012, and visitation continues to grow at an incredible rate.”

“More people are searching for specific events in our region including sporting, music and leisure events which also reflects the increased resources our organisation has focused on marketing and supporting our annual regional events” she said.

The gig guide and new-look events calendar are part of five key recommendations from the Capricorn Business & Events Industry Development Strategy developed by Capricorn Enterprise in 2011.

Capricorn Enterprise Events Executive, Ellie Tonkin said “The Events unit is working hard on a number of projects to deliver a bigger and better events industry for the region. Never before has the region had one place to go to for information on what’s happening in Capricorn.”

“From gigs at your local venue to major signature festivals and events, the Capricorn Holidays website is the centralized online guide for locals and tourists alike to plan your leisure time. We’re looking forward to rolling out other exciting developments in the coming months to help people find out what’s going on.”

List your gig or event for free on www.capricornholidays.com.au/events through the online submission form or by contacting events@capricornenterprise.com.au.

Following these shows in New Zealand, the team will then head off to Adelaide to represent the Capricorn region at the first Caravan & Camping Supershow for 2012, held from 22-26 February. This year the Caravan and Camping show circuit will include Melbourne (6-13 March), Sydney (21-29 April) and Brisbane (6-12 June).

For more information on these consumer shows please contact Krista Brown.

• Feb 15^th – Growing Capabilities, Going Global Forum
• Mar 21^st – Growing Capabilities, Going Global Workshop

Forum presenters will  include

• Steve Beale – Director of MIPEC
• Rod Marriage – General Manager of Phoenix Inc
• Ian McKay – Engineering Services Manager of Golding Contractors
• Neil Canning – Enterprise Connect

Learn first-hand from other small to medium enterprises (SMEs) that have developed global competitiveness, how they achieved this, and the benefits that this has brought to their businesses.

• Hear SME’s successes though innovation in talent, technology and cost competitiveness.
• Gain valuable insights from Gladstone multi-national companies supply chain partners.
• Through case studies, practical workshops with successful globally competitive SMEs and CQ University research applications learn a range of practical strategies your business can implement, utilising Enterprise Connect programs, to enhance profitability and growth.

Cost for participation is $150 + GST per 2 month block

For details on how to book and terms and conditions please click onto and download full Vitamin Me proposal at http://www.tq.com.au/tqcorp_06/fms//tq_corporate/destinations/queensland/partnership%20advertising/FINAL%20-%201112%20Queensland%20WOS%20Vitamin%20Me%20Activity%20Operator%20Proposal%20Oct-Jun.pdf

For bookings, enquiries or more information please contact Tourism Queensland’s Advertising Sales Agent – Stephanie Maguire at  Coroneo and Co P: 07 3252 4860 Email: s.maguire@coroneo.com.au