Queensland Premier Peter Beattie has congratulated the Cairns Convention Centre for winning a major international conference that will put the State in the global stem cell research spotlight.

Mr Beattie said Cairns would be the first city outside North America to host the annual conference of the International Society for Stem Cell Research in June 2007 with 2000 delegates expected to attend.

“This is a major win on two fronts. It will put a focus on our Smart State research capabilities among the global stem cell research community and it will boost Queensland as a tourism destination,” Mr Beattie said.

Cairns Convention Centre Managing Director, Geoff Donaghy said this announcement followed several other major international medical and scientific conferences recently confirmed for the Cairns Centre.

They include the World Federation of Sleep Research World Conference in 2007 (2500 delegates); the Paediatric Cardiology Working Group of the Cardiac Society 5^th World Congress in 2009 (2500 delegates); and the 8^th International Mycological Society Conference in 2006 (2000 delegates).

Mr Donaghy said these four conferences alone at the Cairns Convention Centre would contribute about AUD37 million to the regional and State economy. The International Society for Stem Cell Research Conference will bring over AUD8 million in direct spending to Cairns.

“Over and above that is the international media spotlight on Cairns and Far North Queensland that conferences such as the Stem Cell Research Conference will attract.”

Mr Donaghy said the international market expectations of the Cairns Convention Centre were greatly boosted by the winning of the World’s Best Congress Centre Award in 2004.

“That win has certainly given the Cairns Convention Centre enormous recognition on the world stage, particularly in the major convention markets of North America and Europe," Mr Donaghy said.