Industry Events

Industry Engagement Workshops

Over the past month, Tourism East has been out across the region facilitating industry workshops in both Cardinia Shire and the Eastern Dandenong Ranges as part of the development of Local Area Action Plans to include Cardinia Shire.

It was encouraging to see strong participation from tourism operators, businesses, community organisations and local stakeholders, all contributing practical ideas and local knowledge about the future of tourism in their communities.

One of the strongest outcomes from these sessions was that the feedback closely aligned with the priorities identified in our Regional Destination Management Plan (DMP). While each area has its own unique opportunities and challenges, there was clear consistency in the issues being raised across the region.

Some of the key themes emerging from the workshops included:

• Improving visitor access and connectivity, including transport, parking, wayfinding and active travel options.
• Investment in tourism infrastructure that enhances the visitor experience while supporting local communities.
• Protecting the natural environment and ensuring tourism growth is sustainable and aligned with community values.
• Growing quality accommodation to encourage longer stays and attract new visitor markets.
• Supporting local businesses through stronger collaboration, product development and coordinated marketing.
• Celebrating local identity, with a desire to showcase the unique character, stories and experiences that make each destination distinctive.

Importantly, participants recognised that many of these priorities cannot be delivered by one organisation alone. Success will depend on continued collaboration between industry, councils, Tourism East, Traditional Owners, State Government and other partners.

The Local Area Action Plans are designed to complement the Regional Destination Management Plan by identifying locally relevant actions that contribute to the broader vision for the Yarra Valley and Dandenong Ranges visitor economy. Seeing such strong alignment between local feedback and the regional strategy gives us confidence that we are focusing our collective efforts on the priorities that matter most.

A sincere thank you to everyone who took the time to attend a workshop, share ideas and contribute to the conversation. Your insights will help shape the final Local Area Action Plans and guide future advocacy, investment and collaboration across our region.

We look forward to sharing the completed plans in the coming months and continuing to work together to strengthen the visitor economy across the region.

Industry Networking Event - 24 June 2026

Thank you for joining us at the Yarra Ranges Regional Museum for our June industry networking event. What a great night!

Thank you to Nikita Coates from Rochford Wines who shared some helpful insights into harnessing mid-week and off-peak opportunities. We hope this generated some ideas for your business.

It was also great to hear from Cr Fiona McAllister from Yarra Ranges Council and Megan Sheehy, who shared news of some exciting events that are coming soon to the Museum. Thank you to both of you.

See you at the next event.

Industry Networking Event - 29 April 2026

What a great night we had at Naught Distilling for our second industry networking event.

Thank you to Phoebe Morley and Michael Appleton from CherryHill Orchards, who shared their ideas on collaborating with other businesses and the lessons they’ve learned along the way, as part of our new Knowledge Sharing Series.

We're looking forward to seeing you at the next event in June. Date and venue TBC.

Industry Networking Event - 12 February 2026

Thank you for attending our Industry Networking Evening at Boat O'Craigo Wines. It was great to see so many of you connecting with new people and forming plans for collaboration. We can't wait to see what new experiences come out of it.

Industry Networking Event - 1 October 2025

Thank you to all our partners and industry colleagues who attended our Industry Networking Evening at Puffing Billy Railway Lakeside Visitor Centre on Wednesday 1 October.

It was a wonderful evening and we were thrilled to see partners from across our region come together as well as welcoming our friends from Cardinia.