Future Gold Coast: Experience Gold Coast CEO says city can become Australia’s sporting epicentre

The Gold Coast’s tourism boss says the city has the potential to become the “epicentre” of sports in the South Pacific region and reveals how.

The Gold Coast’s tourism boss says the city has the potential to become the “epicentre” of sports in the South Pacific region.

Experience Gold Coast CEO John Warn said the region was on the verge of being a leading city by every metric and that it needed to sell itself around lifestyle in the lead-up to the 2032 Olympic Games.

“The opportunity for the city is being more focused on being the epicentre of sport full stop rather than just the 2032 Olympics,” he said.

“There is so many amazing sports we have and potentially could have more in the future.

Future Gold Coast meeting at Gold Coast Bulletin Boardroom Southport. Picture Glenn Hampson

“At the end of the day we will have two lots of two weeks (of sports in 2032) and yes there will be a big honeymoon after that but the opportunity is there to be an epicentre of sport in Australia and potentially all of Asia and Pacific.”

Mr Warn spoke on Wednesday at the Future Gold Coast Roundtable event hosted by the Gold Coast Bulletin.

Among those who attended the discussion, which focused on the future of sport and infrastructure in the eight years leading up to the 2032 Olympics, were Deputy Mayor Donna Gates, GoldlinQ chairman John Witheriff and Matt Hills from Lewis Land Group.

Representatives of the Gold Coast Suns and Gold Coast Titans, Village Roadshow, Griffith University, AutogenAI and Gold Coast BMW also attended.

Gold Coast Bulletin Assistant Chief of Staff Andrew Potts interviewing Experience Gold Coast CEO John Warn Picture Glenn Hampson

It comes three years after southeast Queensland won the 2032 Olympics. In the years since, controversies around the cost of infrastructure have become political footballs, leading to a decline in support from the public, according to several polls.

7News Gold Coast anchor Steve Titmus, father of Olympic gold medallist Ariarne Titmus, has covered different Games dating back to Sydney 2000 and said the 2032 event was not being sold well to either the local public or the world.

“The big thing which has been missing so far has been the big sell and (the politicians) have been wishy washy and not got out there to say these game are going to be a damn big deal, not just for Australia but the southern hemisphere,” he said.

Gold Coast Bulletin senior reporter Paul Weston interviewing John Witheriff. Picture Glenn Hampson

“We need the best facilities we can get to put on a great show and bring in as many bucks as we can.

“When we get to 2032 and if we do not build good stadiums, everyone who is today whinging that we shouldn’t spend money will be the same people winging and asking why we didn’t spend the money because the facilities are just not good enough.

“Nobody is being brave enough and getting out there to sell the Olympic Games.”

Get tickets now to The Future Gold Coast breakfast to hear from Sydney Olympics 2000 boss Rod McGeoch plus Gold Coast Titans coach Des Hasler and Gold Coast Suns head coach Damien Hardwick. The breakfast is on July 25 at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre.