Reef meets racing in hot new look for Cairns Amateurs

More tourists and local support is key to growth as Cairns Amateurs looks to the future with new branding and upgraded carnival events.


Cairns Amateurs is getting a makeover and it looks sensational.

In a bid to keep growing the number of attendees - both locally and further afield - the Amateurs has undergone a dramatic brand overhaul to better capture its broader appeal beyond the track at Cannon Park

The annual event is back bigger and better for 2016 with new features and area upgrades at Cannon Park from 8 to 10 September.

Amateurs CEO Graham Thornton said the new-look Amateurs was the culmination of years of feedback from members and attendees.

"We wanted to encapsulate what Amateurs means and where we fit within our region," he said.

"The Amateurs carnival has always been about bringing people from the country to the city, and bringing visitation to Cairns.

"We are very much a carnival that is about coming to see the whole region and letting your hair down.

"We always want to ensure we grow the local support because without that local flavour the carnival wouldn't be what makes it so special."

As part of its efforts to promote experiences beyond the track, the Amateurs has partnered with tour companies Quicksilver and Ocean Spirit to offer "Racing and Reef" packages.

Mr Thornton believes this is just one way to grow the number of interstate and intrastate visitors from its current level of about 30 percent.

"With our new branding we wanted to showcase how beautiful our backyard really is and give people even more reasons to come to the carnival," he said.

"I thnk we can continue to grow the number of visitors from outside the region and also get more locals coming along.

"We've listened very closely to the feedback from members and attendees, and we build our carnival around that."