Innovative ways to attract tourists to Australia will be discussed when the Victoria Tourism Industry Council and Tony Charters and Associates hold their annual National Tourism & Events Excellence Conference on 22 and 23 July 2013 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. The program will showcase Australia's leadership in Tourism and Events, as well as offer an important opportunity for the travel industry to share knowledge, form business relationships and discuss industry issues.

A dominant theme throughout the event will be the flow on effect of blockbuster films in driving tourism. Just as The Great Gatsby makes one want to visit the heady, jazz-age of 1920's New York, film can be used as a powerful motivational and image-making tool to amplify the allure of cities around the world. Three speakers will address how they have successfully marketed film locations as attractive tourist destinations.

Catherine Bates, General Manager of Brand and International PR at Tourism New Zealand will present 'Leveraging The Hobbit Trilogy for New Zealand: a place where fantasy is reality'. She will discuss how New Zealand's depiction as the fantasy world of Middle-earth in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey was used to successfully show potential tourists that the film's locations were real places waiting to be explored.

Shaken, not stirred by a tough economic downturn, Scottish tourism was bolstered through the most recent Bond film, Skyfall, which featured nail-biting driving sequences set against the atmospheric scenery of the Scottish Highlands. Caroline Packman, Homecoming Director of Visit Scotland will discuss how these images were used in their worldwide campaign, 'Homecoming Scotland', to inspire tourists to travel to the country. It delivered a string of benefits, including recognition as the World's Best Place to Visit in 2013 by CNN Travel.

Another speaker, Carmen Pavlovic, Director and Chief Executive Officer of Global Creatures will present her strategy to generate tourism to Melbourne with 'Making a World Class Production: King Kong a case study'. Promised to be one of the major theatrical events in Australia's 2013 calendar, it's predicted to become a major tourist attraction as visitors travel from all over the Asia Pacific to experience it live on stage.

To be held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Monday 22nd and Tuesday 23rd July, the National Tourism and Events Excellence Conference will bring together industry experts, business owners, destination managers and visitor service providers to promote the continuous development of a profitable, sustainable, innovative and professional tourism and events industry. Attendees will be able to listen to leading experts, discuss industry issues and contribute to maintaining Australia's leadership role within the sector.

Registration costs $1,100 per person for a two day pass, $750 per person for a one day pass (available on either day) and $250 for the special operators workshops; a great, time and cost effective option for small businesses.

For more information or to register for the National Tourism and Events Excellence Conference phone 07 3012 9575, email secretariat@teeconference.com  or visit www.teeconference.com .

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