National Convention Centre Canberra

The National Convention Centre is where Canberra holds its big occasions — national conferences, gala dinners and awards nights, industry expos, graduations and touring concerts. Its centrepiece is the Royal Theatre, a tiered auditorium seating 2,460 that gives a keynote or a performance genuine atmosphere; retract the tiers and the same room becomes a flat floor for a 540-seat banquet or a dinner dance. Next door, the Exhibition Hall takes 120 trade stands or a 1,500-guest dinner under one roof, and the Ballroom is the natural choice for a gala dinner or an awards night, seating 500 or opening out for 650 over cocktails. All of the major rooms are pillar-free and full of natural light, so there are no restricted views and no dark corners in the photos.

Smaller events sit just as comfortably here. Conference breakouts and presentations run in the four theatrettes, while the gallery rooms handle workshops, training days, product launches and networking receptions — their dividing walls open up, so a room can grow through the day as a program moves from sessions to a stand-up reception for 500. At the other end there are boardrooms for a dozen people and an executive room for sixty. Between the rooms, four foyers take registration, coffee breaks and pre-dinner drinks, with the main one holding a thousand guests. Catering is handled in-house, AV and hybrid streaming come through Encore Event Technologies, and there’s parking on site — with Civic, the light rail and a spread of hotels all within walking distance for guests coming from out of town. Enquiries go to the sales team on 02 6276 5200 or nccc.sales@ihg.com.