Department of Tourism, Sport and Culture
The Northern Territory Government is offering an exciting opportunity for commercial management of the Gardens Event Centre at the George Brown Darwin Botanic Gardens (The Gardens).
The Department of Tourism, Sport and Culture is calling for Expressions of Interest from operators keen to commercially manage the Event Centre, with the option to also take over management of the information centre/retail space in the Visitor Centre and events held in The Gardens' outdoor areas.
Designed by renowned Territory architect Hully Liveris, the Visitor and Event Centre was the first project completed through the NT Government's $103 million Turbocharging Tourism initiative. It is located in the heart of The Gardens at the bottom of Frangipani Hill on Royal Palm Avenue.
The air-conditioned event space can seat up to 120 people. This space is also suitable for workshops and conferences. There is an external deck area that can cater for up to 80 people in a banquet-style setup, and a mini amphitheatre that seats 300.
In 2019, The Gardens hosted 86 events, with more than 430,000 visitors. With the new Visitor and Event Centre now open, these numbers are increasing.
The Gardens is a popular location for weddings, hosting around 50-60 each year. Other events that have taken place at The Gardens include Darwin Festival events, the Italian Festival and Why Not.
Most events are held during the Dry Season, but the addition of the air-conditioned Visitor and Event Centre means events can now take place year-round.
Two onsite briefing and site inspections will take place at 11am on 12 and 26 August.
Proponents are asked to register for a site inspection by email by 5 August for inspection on 12 August, or 19 August for the 26 August inspections.
