The complex, which has become the heart of the city’s business events economy, opened 20 years ago this week and the milestone date coincides with renewed calls to urgently super-size it.

It has long reached capacity and with no upgrade on the horizon, the complex’s managers have been forced to turn away big-ticket events because it lacks the available space.

The state government last year said it had no plans to expand the Broadbeach complex until at least 2043.

Mayor Tom Tate said that delay was unacceptable and the city was leaving money on the table by not investing in an upgrade.

“It is a no-brainer that the Convention Centre upgrade needs to be brought well forward from the Government’s current time frame,” he said

“Business events are a huge economic generator, not only for venues, but for our accommodation providers, retail, cafes and restaurants and other attractions.

“Delegates also have a higher daily spend than leisure tourists.”

Mr Tate, who has long pushed for more business and events, said the upgrade was needed “now”.

“At the moment we are missing out on our fair share, as the Convention Centre is regularly booked out, and we miss out on other large conventions and events due to capacity issues,” he said.

“Our city has seen enormous growth over the last 20 years but the Convention Centre hasn’t kept pace with the growth.

“We are a victim of our own success, so this investment is needed now.”

In 2019, Star Entertainment Group, which manages the state government-owned complex, offered to spend up to $100m to expand the complex in exchange for a controversial proposed global tourism hub and second casino being killed off, and a casino monopoly for decades.

That global tourism hub project was terminated in 2020, as was any talk of a centre upgrade.

Experience Gold Coast CEO John Warn said the venue was a cornerstone of the Gold Coast’s visitor economy, consistently hosting large-scale events, from concerts to sports matches and business conventions.

“We know 50 per cent of all Queensland conferences are hosted here in our convention facilities,” he said.

“The Gold Coast is Australia’s leading regional business events destination offering world-class facilities, convenient access, a portfolio of iconic experiences and the optimum climate. “The convention centre is the city’s largest business events venue but it’s no secret its current size is restricting event growth and loss of new business.

“We are working hard to drive the city’s business events pipeline over the next decade - and to bolster this, we need a world-class convention centre to match.”

A spokeswoman from Star said its relationship with the state government over the centre had been “successful” and one they hoped to continue.

“It would be inappropriate for The Star to indicate how the government should deal with that asset,” she said.

“The Star Gold Coast has a growing portfolio of events spaces including the 2300-person capacity exhibition and gala event space, poolside (events space) Isoletto Privé with indoor and outdoor areas for up to 450 guests and the recently opened luxurious sky-high Level 18 events space.

“Broadening and investing in new events spaces will help draw the business and convention market to our region further boosting our local economy and driving visitation during traditionally off-peak periods.”

Claims the convention centre’s capacity was acceptable to meet demand have long been rubbished, with One World Entertainment gig promoter boss Andrew McManus last year claiming the city was annually missing out on $1.3bn in economic benefit without upgraded facilities.

“Having 10,00 (seats) is the minimum of what we need from a concert point of view and there is no doubt in my mind that, as the Gold Coast grows over the next few years, that we could manage to do concerts of that size both here and in Brisbane because both regions can easily manage that,” he said at the time.

“I would comfortably say there are 40 concert events a year the Gold Coast is missing out on, using the Derwent University formula which works out every dollar spent, that’s around $1.3bn.

“This is exactly what we need because the appetite is ferocious and we have the perfect weather for events.”

Others, including events kingpin Harvey Lister have pitched plans to redevelop the complex as a 12-seat stadium and convention precinct only to be met with silence from political leaders of all stripes.

ANALYSIS - THE STORY OF OUR CONVENTION CENTRE

The Gold Coast needs more convention space.

Itt’s something our tourism leaders have been saying for decades.

The Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre, built in 2004, has long struggled with its demand far in excess of its capacity.

But the issue itself goes back much earlier.

The 1980s and 1990s saw a dramatic tourism boom which in-turn created a significant events industry as conferences organisers flocked to book the city’s limited facilities. By the late 1990s it was clear something needed to happen.

The Gold Coast had been set to get a convention centre built at Coomera as part of its plans to host Expo 2002.

But after the bid for the event fell apart the city was left looking for a new option.

Mayor Gary Baildon was highly critical of the lack of conference infrastructure the city had despite being the nation’s second-largest conference destination.

The state government announced in early 1999 that tenders would go out for private sector bidders to put forward proposals for a complex.

It was expected at the time to cost $60-100m, with the ­successful consortium named in mid-1999 before a 2001 opening.

In March 1999 the four finalists of more than 100 expressions of interest were named – Gold Coast 2001 Consortium, Jupiters, Leslie Corporation and Sundale Pty Ltd.

● The Gold Coast 2001 consortium proposed a centre at Surfers Paradise. The group includes the Macquarie Bank, Dreamworld operator Omni Leisure, Delaware North (Australia) and architects Woods Bagot/Skidmore Owings ­Merrill.

■ Jupiters Ltd proposed a centre near its casino at Broadbeach.

■ Gold Coast International Convention and Exhibition Centre Pty Ltd, including Leslie Corporation, Concrete Constructions, Spotless Services, Spectacor Management Group and Cox Rayner Architects. The company’s plan was built around a 42ha site at Mermaid Waters.

■ Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre Pty Ltd, which wanted a centre to be part of a redevelopment of Southport’s Sundale Shopping Centre. The company included Sundale Pty Ltd, Baulderstone Hornibrook, Ogden International Facilities Corporation and KPMG.

By July 1999 the Government eliminated all but Jupiters and Gold Coast International Convention and Exhibition Centre Pty Ltd, which were the two finalists.

The following month Jupiters upped its bid, vowing to extend its Broadbeach casino and hotel complex by 7000sq m if its bid was successful.

This was further bolstered by the Property Council of Australia throwing its weight behind Jupiters. It was finally announced as the winner of the bid at the tail end of November 1999, securing a deal with the state government.

Jupiters won the bid after promising a dazzling $150 million reinvention of the casino complex.

The Queensland Government confirmed it would fund the $145 million development of the new centre, while Jupiters would use additional debt to pay for the remodelling of its then-14-year-old Broadbeach complex.

Jupiters entered into a long-term management agreement and would receive a fee for operating the state government-owned centre based on operating surpluses, with a deferral of such fee if any operating losses were incurred.

An opening was scheduled for early 2002.

But the project hit snags – Jupiters slashed $66 million from the project in mid-2000 and announced a scaled-down project, on the back of shareholder concerns about overspending on the concept, while it took a significant period of time to get approval from the Gold Coast City Council.

The convention centre finally opened to the public with a gala event in mid-2004 with UB40 the headline act.

Through the previous 20 years, it has hosted countless events including the 2018 Commonwealth Games, the annual Supanova Pop Culture Expo, police officer Damian Leedings’ funeral, Sexpo and was the home ground of the Gold Coast Blaze NBL team.

Plenty of concerts have also been held, including Blondie’s Debbie Harry and Talking Heads’ David Byrne.

It was five years ago, in 2019, when Star Entertainment Group offered to spend up to a $100m to extend the centre in exchange for the state government knocking back a second casino on the Coast.

The government killed off that project in 2020 and talk of a convention centre upgrade stalled during the pandemic.

By 2022, Mayor Tom Tate told the Bulletin he was tired of waiting while the Gold Coast’s events industry begins to boom again.

He proposed the HOTA project with a 50/50 funding split between Gold Coast City Council and the state.

“We have got space at Home of the Arts (HOTA) and we have redesigned it so we can have a convention facility, so I’m looking forward to doing a joint funding of $100m from the state, $100m from us,” he said.

“That’s $200m of convention space right in the heart of Surfers Paradise.”