Plan Your Conference Week!

What are my options for Conference week?

Over the course of the week there are several events as part of the CPAQ and National Conference along with some casual activities with park operators catching up in their free time.

When you book your ticket for the conference consider which of the following events you would like to attend.

Sunday 7 May 2023

On Sunday evening there are a small number of Queensland park operators that have advised they will be onsite and plan on catching up for dinner.  If you wish to join this group, let a member of the CPAQ team know and we will connect you.

Monday 8 May 2023

CPAQ Conference, proudly brought to you by Bunnings Trade

If you want to make the beginning of the CPAQ Conference program we encourage you to arrive by 11:45am so we can kick off promptly by 11:50am. If you arrive between 11:15am and 11:45am you will have the chance to meet some of our sponsors over a light lunch.

Over the course of the afternoon learn about the current economic environment, the energy landscape, sustainability, risk management, lessons from a successful grant applicant and Year of Accessible Tourism!

Afternoon tea will be held in our trade space where you can speak with our sponsors, suppliers of quality products and services to the caravan parks sector, and earn tickets for the conference raffle.

Our trade space provides a great opportunity to ask the hard questions of industry suppliers who support this important industry event.

Don’t forget to collect your a "Find Someone Who…" game card when you arrive.  Complete all the boxes and pop it in the entry box and you could not only make some great new connections, but you could also win a great prize!

CPAQ Awards Dinner

On Monday evening we will host our  (7:15pm for a 7:45pm start), a chance to celebrate the winners of the 2023 CPAQ Awards over exceptional food, drinks and company.

Tuesday 9 May 2023

The CPAQ Conference will kick off again at 8:30am Tuesday morning with another set of strong topics including a practical breakout program (check out our program for details).

Tuesday’s sessions include Lessons from a Workforce Advisor, your rights and obligations with Assistance Animals, and some great breakout sessions.

Morning tea and lunch will be held in our trade space so you can continue those important conversations you started on Monday, and earn even more raffle tickets.

After lunch we will close out the conference with some inspirational stories, including a future leader and an existing leader, ending with our exciting conference raffle.

There will be several Queensland park operators around on Tuesday evening offering great company for casual dinners in one of the many fantastic restaurants available at RACV Royal Pines Resort.

Future Leaders Forum

The Future Leaders Forum (registration required) will be held from 3pm, followed by networking drinks from 5pm.

A Future Leader is anyone in the industry under the age of 40.  Every full registered delegate to the CPAQ and/or National Conference is entitled to one free ticket to the Future Leaders Forum - you can choose to attend if you are under 40 or you could share this ticket with someone in your team that is under 40!

This forum will include sessions on Managing succession; the future of the caravan industry through future decision makers: an interactive thought bubble; and hacking the psychology of connecting and communicating.

Wednesday 10 May 2023

The National Conference

Start Wednesday with a factory tour of ModnPods, a great supplier of quality modular buildings, perfect for caravan parks (registration required).

Follow this tour with one of the great Masterclasses being held across the morning OR by joining the Caravan Industry Association of Australia Golf Day, sponsored by K-Mac Powerheads & Thetford.

There will be a selection of Masterclasses available as part of the National Conference. These masterclasses are designed to provide attendees with in-depth knowledge on a range of topics related to the caravan industry. These practical Masterclasses include two sessions (repeated) for future leaders short course professional development leadership masterclass (registration required – fee attached); Newbook masterclass; RMS masterclass; and AI and Chatbots masterclass.

With EV & Future Fuels topical at present, join the Summit (registration required) for a discussion on the future of vehicles; infrastructure required to support a future fuels environment; and the policy and innovation drivers that will be required as we transition to a clean energy environment.

Alternatively, sign up for a small group Dessert Masterclass (registration required – limited availability – fee attached) with Adriana Zumbo of Masterchef fame (and Australia’s answer to Willy Wonka)

The National Conference Trade Exhibition will open at midday allowing you to wander this space, speak to the suppliers in attendance, providing you the chance to ‘touch and feel’ their products.

Across the National Conference, take advantage of the one-on-one 25 minute practical sessions with an expert (in advance appointments required) for Free legal advice; Free HR advice; and AI and Chat GPT.

At 4:00pm the first speaker for the National Conference will start, with some interest and engage speakers, including Michael McQueen on ‘The New Now: Preparing for the trends that will dominate a Post-COVID world’.

This conference opening will be followed by the annual Cocktail Party held in the Trade Exhibition from 6:00pm.  Enjoy drinks and canapes will exploring the trade exhibition and reconnecting with friends and acquaintances.

Thursday 11 May 2023

Early riser? Start your day with Goat Yoga. The Karmably goat yoga experience combines traditional yoga with the added fun of goats. The goats are friendly and will happily jump, play and interact with participants, adding a sense of light-heartedness to the yoga session. Registration is required and numbers are limited.

Alternatively, start your day early with a Research Breakfast, expanding on the CPAQ Conference session which will give you a strong overview into the state of the industry.

Then dive into a full day of speakers in the main conference sessions, including topics like ‘The Power of StoryTelling’, ‘The World’s First 3D Printed Eco Holiday Park’, ‘Leadership lessons out of adversity’ and ‘Customer culture: The M.E. factor’.

Thursday will also include a strong breakout program with sessions on revenue management (iDeaS), the economics behind accessible tourism, guest communication and feedback: Data guiding quality, the Jamala journey: utilising your natural assets to generate a high yield customer through experience, uncovering energy costs. Maximizing park efficiency through smart energy and water management, how ESG is driving behaviour in the tourism industry; and a new product by Eco Tourism Australia.

After a full day of conference sessions, you’ll be ready to relax and enjoy the company of your fellow conference delegates with social function from 6:30pm. This casual dinner will have an Australiana theme and will be followed by an Australian rock concert headlined by Shannon Noll!

Friday 12 May 2023

Early riser? Start your day with Goat Yoga. The Karmably goat yoga experience combines traditional yoga with the added fun of goats. The goats are friendly and will happily jump, play and interact with participants, adding a sense of light-heartedness to the yoga session. Registration is required and numbers are limited.

Main conference sessions will once again kick off from 7am with an Economic Breakfast, followed by breakouts and main plenary sessions.

Friday’s program includes data privacy: What happens if (or when) you are attacked, insights from the new leadership cohort and Daniel Flynn – Turning conventional thinking on its head.

The main sessions will again be complemented by a strong breakout program featuring a 2 hour Insurance Summit, a Road to a Million Review, a panel on labour attraction and retention strategies for the modern day caravan park; and case studies on successful Infrastructure projects under the Federal Caravan Park Grant.

Conference sessions will end at 3:30pm and delegates will be invited to head out to the lawn for afternoon tea and drinks, featuring background music from Reigan Derry, former finalist in Australian Idol and X-Factor Australia. This is a great chance to wind down and chat about all the great topics that have been covered over the past five days.

The culmination of the National Conference is always a spectacular Industry Gala Dinner on Friday, giving us all a chance to get dressed up and celebrate everything our industry has to offer.  Featuring a three-course meal, you’ll be treated to live entertainment, and we’ll all toast the Award Winners.

Be in the room for the awarding of the Eric Hayman Award for Excellence, the Gerry Ryan OAM Award for Innovation, the Richard Davis OAM Award for contribution to the National Body, the Future Leaders Award (presented by THL), and the People’s Choice Manufacturer and Caravan Park of the Year Awards.

Arrive from 7:00pm for pre-dinner drinks with the dinner commencing at 7:30pm.

It is time to book your ticket!

While every effort has been made to develop this schedule, however the program may be subject to change without notice

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We look forward to welcoming you to RACV Royal Pines Resort on the Gold Coast in May for the 2023 CPAQ Conference, proudly brought to you by Bunnings Trade!

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