Each month Tourism North East runs a range of sessions aimed at helping regional businesses enhance their tourism offering.

Click on the links below to register for the sessions, or to arrange a Small Business One-On-One session, call TNE’s Admin Co-ordinator Julie Bent on 5728 2773.

Here’s what’s coming up around the region this August & September:

Small business one-on-one sessions
One-on-one sessions with TNE industry development team members to discuss the issues and opportunities of most relevance to your individual business.
Rutherglen 31 July
Mansfield 2 August
Mt Hotham 15 August
Wangaratta 21 August
Beechworth 22 August
Mt Buller 29 August
Benalla 4 September
Tallangatta 12 September
Falls Creek 25 September

Cycle Tourism Research & Insights Presentation
What do the different bicycle market segments look like? What are cyclists willing to travel for and spend money on? Who will be most valuable segments to target over time? What do our emerging markets look like? All will be revealed!

The High Country aspires to be the lead cycle tourism destination in Victoria. To realise this goal, TNE is currently working with RDV to develop the North East Victoria Cycling Optimisation (NEVCO) Masterplan – a ten-year vision that encompasses the infrastructure, private sector activation and marketing required across the region’s mountain bike, rail trail and road cycling offering to truly own the category.

Key to this project is understanding who our customers are and what they are looking for from their cycle tourism experience. With this in mind, a large component of the plan has been the commissioning of a significant body of research that looks to identify consumer segments across the three bike disciplines and better understanding their motivators and barriers to travel, and key perceptions and expectations of the High Country cycle tourism offering.

During this free session, the agency who delivered this ground breaking research project will present the findings of this work, providing you with in-depth insights about the bike market. This research is the most comprehensive of its kind in Australia and will guide cycle tourism strategy for years to come. It will also be fundamental in assisting tourism operators in tailoring their businesses to capture this ever growing market, so don’t miss out!

Wangaratta Performing Arts Centre, Wednesday 13 September, 10 am-1 pm

TNE Cycle Tourism Workshop
Following the Cycle Tourism Research & Insights Presentation Research Forum on 13 September, join TNE for a smaller group session. Workshop these findings and discuss how to incorporate these insights into your own business to maximise opportunities in the cycle tourism space. You’ll also gain an insight into what TNE is doing at a regional level under the Ride High Country brand, and how your business can leverage these efforts.

Mt Beauty 21 September, 10 am - 12 pm
Bright 22 September, 10 am - 12 pm
Yackandandah 26 September, 10 am - 12 pm
Mansfield 28 September, 10 am - 12 pm (A Great Victorian Rail Trail product development workshop will follow this session, please see details below)
Wangaratta 4 October, 10 am - 12 pm

TNE Great Victorian Rail Trail business development workshop
If your business* services the trail or you are interested in ways to leverage from this asset this workshop will provide an opportunity to talk through ideas and connect with other like minded operators.
* Murrindindi and Mitchell Shire operators are welcome to attend this workshop given the trail’s route.

Mansfield 28 September, 1 pm - 2 pm

TNE Nature Based Forum
The Nature Based Forum is for all tourism businesses that operate within the nature/outdoor adventure tourism sphere. Participate in a Future Trends workshop and join Parks Victoria for an update on ongoing and up-and-coming projects. Discuss current tourism trends and unify the nature based tourism sector through robust discussion and idea sharing.

Mansfield 9 October, 10 am -12.30 pm
Bright 10 October, 10 am -12.30 pm

High Country Harvest 2018 Think Tank
A lively two hour workshop for anyone interested in being a part of High Country Harvest 2018, the region’s signature food, wine and craft beer event, or running their own event in this space.

Topics/activities will include:

• Post event analysis of HCH 2017 including the visitor and operator surveys
• Key take outs from the 2017 Food and Drink Trends Briefings and a look at some recent research findings
• Discussion of how the 2018 event should, run and the submissions process

Dates:
Bright / Falls Creek/ Mt Beauty - 5 September
Mansfield - 6 September
King Valley Milawa Gourmet Region - 12 September
Rutherglen - 13 September
Beechworth / Yackandandah - 14 September
Towong - 15 September

N.B. in each of the locations, three one-on-one mentoring sessions will be available immediately following. Please call Sarah or Julie to book in 03 5728 2773.

More training and development sessions are announced every few weeks so check the TNE website for the latest updates.