Murray Now

Industry, key economic development practitioners, chambers of commerce and business groups are among those taking advantage of early bird ticket prices and reserving their tables for the inaugural State of the Region Dinner to be held at Albury Entertainment Centre in February.

Organised by Murray Now, the event will be the first time that the 21 Local Government areas that make up the Murray Region will be showcased in a co-ordinated celebration that will clearly identify the "state of the region."

The dinner will feature Federal and State Ministers, local government representatives and industry leaders from the Murray Region. The night will also include the release of the 2010 Murray Now Regional Profile that is considered the definitive business investment attraction and relocation guide for the entire Murray Region.

Murray Now has commissioned the Western Research Institute, supported by Charles Sturt University, to collate statistical data that defies state boundaries and encompasses areas of industry and employment growth and compares the Murray Region's performance against state and industry averages.

Details of this important economic data are contained in the Murray Now Regional Profile that will be released as part of the State of the Region Dinner. It will be an opportunity for the entire Murray Region to band together and celebrate their achievements and remind politicians and industry leaders of their track record in generating economic growth, investment attraction and planning for the future.

The dinner will include a lighter touch, with popular media personality Jean Kittson acting as Master of Ceremonies and one of the ABC's most experienced current affairs journalists, Tony Jones taking centre stage to host a stimulating Question and Answer session. One panelist who is confirmed for the session is Alexandra Anthony.

Alex Anthony is chair of the Murray Catchment Management Authority Board. The Murray CMA is responsible for involving regional communities in natural resource management issues facing the region and is the primary means for the delivery of funding from the NSW and Commonwealth Governments to help land managers improve and restore the natural resources of the state.

The State of the Region Dinner is generating a buzz of excitement from business leaders in Albury, such as Noel Wood from Quest Apartments, who sees it as an opportunity to showcase the city to its Murray Region neighbours and interstate visitors.

"This dinner is bringing important delegates into our region, and selfishly Albury, and will generate significant publicity, possibly Australia wide," Mr Wood said.

"The dinner will show our capacity to host high profile visitors, reinforce our infrastructure such as our upgraded airport, the variety of quality accommodation and our proactive Albury City Council and Murray Now brand, and is another example of the quality of functions and conferences that our city attracts."

Mr Wood is also supporting the dinner as a key partner.

"We're proud to get behind this inaugural event and support Murray Now in this clever initiative," he said.

"We may be in rural Australia, but we're such a smart place. I've been in business in Tamworth, Wagga, Melbourne and Dandenong, but my experience in this region stands out. This dinner will help showcase the state of our region and assist in putting us on the map even further."

Early bird ticket prices close Dec 31 »»