This year's Outdoor Victoria Conference has been and gone. Hailed an “Overwhelming Success” by the Australian Camps Association and a thorough success by all involved, this new and challenging format is certainly to be seen again.

This conference was based upon developing the understanding that the outdoor community is diverse yet linked by many commonalities. Outdoor activities provide benefits as crucial as physical and social health and wellbeing and education about the natural and cultural environments.

The objectives for the event were to:
Provide a forum for industry education
Increase networking opportunities
Address organisation specific developments
Offer exposure to the latest ideas and information
and developments in the outdoor recreation
and tourism industry.

Nearly 120 delegates took up the invitation to attend the Outdoor Victoria Conference on 11th to 12th November 2005 at the Geelong Conference Centre (GEELONG VIC).

The diversity within the outdoor industry can be easily understood by reviewing the range of presentations hosted by:

The Outdoor Recreation Centre Inc.
The Australian Camps Association
The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme
Tourism Alliance Victoria
Worksafe

The conference theme 'Common Ground' was perfectly demonstrated in the topics and issues presented in our four plenary sessions. The feedback we received on these sessions was very positive with the audience gaining information in areas such as:
Explaining the value of outdoor recreation in an increasingly indoor
culture presented by Mary-Faeth Chenery
A vital update from the key partners of outdoor recreation including
Sport and Recreation Victoria, The Dept of Sustainability and the
Environment, Parks Victoria and Tourism Victoria facilitated by David
Strickland of the Department of Victorian Communities
The long journey that has brought the outdoor recreation industry to this
stage. Touching upon the various stages of development of our industry
from the early 1990’s. The initiatives that have brought us closer and
some that threatened to push us apart, Presented by Kathy Kingsford
A fantastic and challenging Outdoor Recreation Legal Update expertly
presented (so that it could be understood) by Michael Coldham of
Anderson Rice Lawyers.

Download Presentation & Handouts
Copies of the conference keynote, plenary and session presentations can be downloaded by clicking HERE

OVC 05 Dinner

In addition to the conference, all delegates were invited to dine at “The Beach House Restaurant” located on Eastern Beach Reserve. Numbers at the dinner were limited by the venue to 60 (which sold out very quickly indeed).

Conference dinners are typically introduced as a networking opportunity or to facilitate an awards ceremony. No awards were handed out this year and while the opportunity to network was certainly there, the main objective for this meal was good food and fantastic entertainment.

Received extremely well by all involved, Mr. Adam Spencer promised us “a real gift in imparting difficult scientific concepts in a way that is easy to understand and really funny.” Every attendee parted the evening with a better understanding of the importance, relevance and urgency of Global Warming; but I challenge each of them to explain just how Adam imparted such serious information without letting us stop laughing.

Thanks Adam, we encourage everyone to become better informed on these issues and we recommend you speak to each and every outdoor community in Australia.

More information

The Outdoor Recreation Centre Inc. plans to conduct the Outdoor Victoria conference as a Biannual event. The purpose of this is to enable our membership to engage their membership under the joint banner of Outdoor Victoria, decreasing the costs involved in conducting the conference, increasing the exposure for event sponsors, trade displays and for each contributing organisation.

Within the conference, each contributing member will conduct their own conference, covering their own topics and primarily to their own membership. Contact info@orc.org.au if you or your organisation would like to be involved (in any way) at the Outdoor Victoria Conference in 2007.

A big 'Thank-You' to our contributors...

Major sponsors

Thanks to our major sponsors Phillips Insurance Brokers, the exhibitors, the keynote speakers, facilitators and the attendees for this year’s overwhelming success!

For all your insurance needs please contact Mark Van der Haar from Phillips Insurance Brokers on 1800 819 394

E: markv@phillipsfs.com.au | W: www.phillipsfs.com.au

Phillips Financial Services Pty Ltd
ABN 91 007 075 934 | Australian Financial Services Licences No. 234457

Thank you to our other sponsors and contributors

The following organisations also contributed to the success of the OVC 05 event:

TRADE DISPLAYS -
Australian First Aid Pty Ltd
Mees Bus Lines
Vertical Innovations
Victorian Workcover Authority
Comcater CCE
Comoran Pty Ltd
Etc,

CONTRIBUTORS TO OUR DELEGATE PACKS -
Anaconda
Auscamps
AON Risk Services Australia Ltd
ATSI
Bass International Consulting
Four Wheel Drive Hire Service
Harlan Coach Tours
Highplains Catering
People Outdoors
Ray's Outdoors
Rogerson Kenny
Sleepmaker
Snowgum
Sunbelt Advantage
VERVE knowledge and skills
Wilderness Medicine Institute of NOLS

Your Feedback

Please contact us with any thoughts or questions you may have regarding this event. We appreciate your comments to help us prepare for 'Outdoor Victoria 2007'.