Australian Franchise Conferences Choose Cairns as Business Events Destination

The 2024 Hungry Jack’s National Convention was among the larger franchise conferences with 950 delegates at the Cairns Convention Centre

Cairns is strengthening its position in Australia’s franchise conference market, with six franchise conferences scheduled to take place in the destination during 2026, bringing a combined 3,450 delegates to Tropical North Queensland.

The programme includes the Body Fit Conference, which is returning to Cairns for a second consecutive year, as a growing number of franchise organisations look to combine their annual business gatherings with the leisure appeal of the region.

According to Tourism Tropical North Queensland (TTNQ) Partnerships and Events General Manager Tara Bennett, the destination’s appeal lies partly in its ability to allow franchise owners to combine professional commitments with a holiday in Tropical North Queensland.

“Since the National Franchise Convention for 360 was held at the Cairns Convention Centre in May 2024, attention has turned to our destination for its ability to deliver a world-class business event in an international destination,” she said.

“Cairns has attracted 13 franchise conferences bringing more than 6000 delegates who injected $27 million into the region. Food outlets, pool shops, pharmacies, builders and gyms are among the diverse franchises to combine business with pleasure at conferences held at the Cairns Convention Centre and CBD hotels.

“The ease of getting to Cairns from any Australian destination, New Zealand and Southeast Asia, and then travelling just 10 minutes from the airport to your city accommodation is attractive to busy franchise owners. Delegates enjoy bringing their families to enjoy a pre- or post-conference getaway in the only place where two World Heritage areas are side by side.

“More than 20 per cent of delegates extend their stay and meeting organisers tell us that the destination’s appeal is a significant factor in their marketing as it generates delegate interest. The mix of conferences choosing Cairns shows the versatility of the destination with events ranging from 75 delegates to 1000 and diverse offsite functions in unique venues including repurposed World War II fuel tanks and a timber mill.”

The figures underline the extent to which franchise conferences have become part of Cairns’ business events pipeline. Since the 2024 National Franchise Convention for 360, the destination has attracted 13 franchise conferences, representing more than 6,000 delegates and an estimated $27 million in regional economic impact.

The range of organisations using Cairns also illustrates the breadth of the franchise sector. Conferences have brought together businesses spanning food outlets, pool shops, pharmacies, builders and gyms, with events hosted at the Cairns Convention Centre and hotels in the central business district.

A destination built around the conference

Accessibility is one of the destination’s practical advantages. Cairns can be reached from destinations across Australia as well as New Zealand and Southeast Asia, while the airport is only around ten minutes from accommodation in the city.

For franchise owners and other delegates with limited time away from their businesses, that combination of air access and short transfers can make a difference. The destination’s leisure offer provides another incentive, with delegates able to extend their business trip into a pre- or post-conference holiday and bring their families with them.

TTNQ says more than 20% of delegates extend their stay, while organisers report that the destination itself can become part of their conference marketing by generating additional interest among prospective attendees.

Cairns’ ability to accommodate different scales and formats is another part of the proposition. Franchise events held in the destination have ranged from around 75 delegates to as many as 1,000, while offsite programmes have made use of venues with a strong sense of place, including repurposed World War II fuel tanks and a timber mill.

The 2026 Carpet Court Australia Conference provides a recent example. The event brought 600 delegates together for a programme combining education, exhibition activity and networking across several Cairns venues, including the Cairns Convention Centre, Crystalbrook Flynn, Hemingway’s Brewery and The Tanks Art Centre.

The conference programme was also deliberately structured to allow delegates time away from formal sessions. Event organiser Rebecca Sullivan from Impact said the decision to build a day off into the middle of the conference generated particularly strong feedback.

“This was one of the most repeated positives in the event’s feedback with delegates heading to the Great Barrier Reef, joining a coach trip for a day out in Port Douglas, or golfing at Yorkey’s Knob,” she said.

The approach demonstrates how the destination can be incorporated into the event programme without necessarily competing with its business objectives. Delegates were given time to absorb the conference content while also experiencing some of the region’s major attractions.

Taking over the city

For brands looking to create a highly visible conference presence, Cairns’ compact urban footprint can offer another advantage.

Bennett points to the 2024 Hungry Jack’s National Convention as an example of how a large franchise brand can extend its identity beyond the conference venue and into the wider destination.

“The 2024 Hungry Jack’s National Convention was among the larger franchise conferences with 950 delegates walking along the Esplanade each day in their brand shirts and heading to offsite events in a ‘Still fired Up!’ custom-branded bus,” she said.

The brand’s presence extended beyond delegates’ movements through the city. A new Hungry Jack’s restaurant opened on Sheridan Street during the period, while custom-branded LED welcome signage was installed at Cairns Airport. At Hemingway’s Brewery, delegates were also offered a custom-made lager named Thirsty Jack’s.

For Cairns, such examples point to a broader proposition: the destination can function not simply as a backdrop for a conference, but as an extension of the event itself.

With six franchise conferences bringing 3,450 delegates in 2026 alone, the sector is becoming a significant component of Cairns’ business events activity. The combination of direct accessibility, compact city logistics, flexible venues and the ability to integrate leisure experiences into the conference journey is helping the destination appeal to an audience for whom attending an annual conference increasingly needs to deliver value beyond the meeting room.
 

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