South Australia has won yet another significant international conference – to be held at the state’s best known island!
Kangaroo Island has just been announced as the host of the 2017 International Small Islands Studies Association Conference at the 2014 event held in Penghu, Taiwan.
It is the first time the conference has been held in Australia with Kangaroo Island being named over strong competition from Denmark and the Greek Islands.
Around 200 delegates, many of whom have not been to Australia previously will visit Kangaroo Island for the 3-4 day conference adding $850,000 to the visitor economy and providing 1,400 bed nights for island hotels
The focus of the conference is for Islanders to meet other Islanders and to discuss common matters such as transport, exports, water, environmental preservation and educational opportunities. Members of ISISA are, consultants, community leader islands, scientists: in short, people interested in small islands because they either study them, live there – or both.
The highly awarded and iconic destination’s win was made all the more sweet with Jayne Bates, Mayor of Kangaroo Island and Kristina Roberts, GM of the Kangaroo Island Future’s Authority (KIFA) in attendance in Taiwan having personally presented the island’s bid submission
The Adelaide Convention Bureau supported the Kangaroo Island bid. It was a case of second time lucky after losing the 2014 event to Penghu, Taiwan.
“With a lot of work needing to be done to bring the Conference to KI, Ms Bates said “we hope to attract as many islands and universities from around the world as possible”.
“Importantly, winning the bid for KI will allow our community, other Australian islands and our academics to share and participate with islands from across the world” Mayor Bates said.
“We met many delegates at the conference in Penghu and they are already very excited about coming to Kangaroo Island,” she said.
Kristina Roberts said the interest and support from the conference participants was overwhelming, with many people wishing to discuss Kangaroo Island’s history, environmental assets and wildlife.
The conference would provide a boost for not only the local economy but also the community.
“All levels of the KI community will be involved in the event on Kangaroo Island, from school children, food and wine producers, tourism operators, businesses and services,” Ms Roberts said.
Previous venues for the conference have included the Bahamas, Mauritius, Isle of Skye, Prince Edward Island, Kinmen, Taiwan, Maui, Hawaii and Bornholm in Denmark, and while it has been biannual in the past, it is hoped to become an annual event from now on.
