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X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Destination Sydney Surrounds South 
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DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20260311T100000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20260311T140000
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SUMMARY:Beyond the Ramp: Practical Accessibility for Every Visitor - Nowra
DESCRIPTION:Inclusive tourism is no longer a “nice to have”\, it’s a growth opportunity\, a service standard\, and an expectation from today’s travellers. \n\nMore than 70 million trips in Australia each year are taken by travellers with accessible needs and their companions\, around 1 in 5 trips nationwide. In 2024 alone\, these travellers contributed $29.2 billion in tourism spend\, making accessibility one of the most significant and growing opportunities for tourism and hospitality businesses. \nBeyond the Ramp: Practical Accessibility for Every Visitor is a hands-on\, interactive workshop designed to help tourism and hospitality businesses understand accessibility in a broader\, more practical way. Rather than focusing on compliance or specialised infrastructure\, this workshop explores how small\, thoughtful changes across the visitor journey can significantly improve comfort\, ease\, and usability for a wide range of visitors\, while also strengthening your business. \nGrounded in Universal Design principles\, the session demonstrates how accessible practice benefits everyone: older travellers\, families with prams\, people with temporary injuries\, neurodiverse visitors\, and those navigating situational limitations… not just people with permanent disability. \nThis workshop goes well beyond what happens when a visitor arrives at your business. We’ll explore how people with access needs find\, assess\, choose and experience tourism products\, and what that means for your marketing\, online presence\, storytelling\, service delivery and staff confidence. \nDesigned specifically for real-world tourism and hospitality environments\, the session is practical\, engaging and supportive. Through examples\, group activities\, guided reflection\, and local case studies\, participants will leave with a clear understanding of accessibility as good customer experience and smart business practice\, along with a personalised action plan they can start implementing immediately. \nWhat Participants will learn \nParticipants will gain practical insight into: \n\nHow accessibility extends far beyond disability and supports a wide range of visitor needs\nThe core principles of Universal Design and how they apply in everyday business settings\nWhere common barriers occur across the full visitor journey- from online discovery and booking through to arrival\, movement\, facilities\, and staff interactions\nPractical\, low-cost improvements that can be implemented immediately\nHow to communicate accessibility information clearly\, honestly\, and confidently across websites\, listings\, imagery\, and language\nHow to identify opportunities within their own business to create more welcoming\, user-friendly experiences\nHow small changes can significantly improve customer satisfaction\, repeat visitation\, and word-of-mouth\nWhy accessibility is not just inclusion…it’s good business\n\nWhat we’ll cover: \nUnderstanding different types of disability and access needs; the full customer journey from discovery and booking through to arrival and experience; what inclusive travellers look for in your website\, listings\, imagery and language; how to position and market your business with confidence and clarity; real-life case studies and practical examples; role play and group discussion; and practical exercises to help you refine your story and identify improvements. This is a practical\, interactive workshop\, not a lecture. \nWhat Participants will recieve \n\nPre-workshop self-assessment\nAccessibility “Quick Wins” checklist\nVisitor journey mapping template\nPersonalised action plan tailored to their business\n\nWhat’s different about this workshop? \nThis workshop is strongly focused on real-world application rather than theory and is designed specifically for tourism and hospitality businesses. It combines practical customer journey\, marketing and storytelling exercises with honest conversations about what businesses can and can’t offer\, and how to communicate this clearly and confidently to visitors. Delivered in a supportive\, peer-based environment\, the session recognises that businesses are at different stages of their accessibility journey. Participants will leave with clarity on small\, achievable changes they can implement immediately\, as well as a clear understanding of longer-term opportunities to work towards over time. \nPre-workshop commitment (important) \nTo get the most out of the session\, all participants are required to complete pre-workshop material. This includes short pre-reading content and a simple self-assessment to understand where you currently sit on your inclusion journey. These materials will be emailed to you ahead of the workshop with clear instructions and completion is required prior to attending the workshop. \nPost-workshop follow-up \nAll participants will be invited to a facilitated online follow-up session that will run for 90 minutes in early May\, bringing the group back together to share progress and challenges\, ask follow-up questions\, and continue learning and accountability. Details will be provided after workshop registration and attendance. \nWho should attend? \nThis workshop is ideal for accommodation providers\, visitor experiences and attractions\, food and beverage businesses and cellar doors\, tour operators\, event and venue managers\, and destination and tourism staff. You don’t need to be “accessibility ready”\, but you do need to be open to change. \nPresented by Melissa James from Inclusive Tourism\, bringing extensive experience in accessible tourism with practical insight\, real examples and an engaging facilitation style focused on action and outcomes. \nWorkshop locations & dates: \nThis workshop will be delivered in three locations: Illawarra\, Shoalhaven and the Southern Highlands . Duration is four (4) hours. \n\nTuesday 10th March | Shellharbour | 1.00pm – 5.00pm | Registration link\nWednesday 11th March | Nowra | 10.00am – 2.00pm | Registration Link\nThursday 12th March | Bowral | 9.00am – 1.00pm | Registration Link\n\nWorkshop registrations will close on Thursday 5 March at 6.00pm to allow sufficient time for all participants to receive and complete the required pre-work prior to the workshop. \nIn addition to the DSSS pre-work\, participants are encouraged to access the Destination NSW Accessibility and Inclusion resources as optional\, self-paced learning. These materials sit outside the workshop program but are highly complementary and can be worked through at your own pace\, before or after the workshop\, and revisited as needed. Recommended Destination NSW resources include The Welcome Framework (Austrade)\, Quick tips for creating accessible and inclusive experiences and On-demand webinar series\, covering: \n\nDisability inclusion in the visitor economy\nInclusive customer service\nCreating accessible digital content\nInclusive marketing and communications\n\nThese resources provide broader context and ongoing professional development\, while the in-person workshop remains focused on practical application\, discussion\, local case studies and hands-on exercises tailored to your business. \nImage credit: Shellharbour City Council
URL:https://dnsss.com.au/event/beyond-the-ramp-practical-accessibility-for-every-visitor-nowra/
LOCATION:Shoalhaven Entertainment Centre\, 42 Bridge Road\, Nowra\, NSW\, 2541
CATEGORIES:Industry Event
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DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20260311T130000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20260311T140000
DTSTAMP:20260410T194603
CREATED:20260123T091010Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260123T091518Z
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SUMMARY:Business Events Market Insights & Trade Activity
DESCRIPTION:The Business Events sector continues to be a critical driver of high-yield visitation across the DSSS region. In this March edition of the DSSS Visitor Economy Insights Webinar Series\, we turn the spotlight on recent national and international trade activity and what it means for our destinations and operators. \nThis session will unpack key insights\, trends and opportunities emerging from AIME 2026 (Asia Pacific Incentives and Meetings Event)\, the region’s largest and longest-running business events trade exhibition\, as well as learnings from PCOA2025\, where Australian destinations and suppliers connected with professional conference organisers in New Zealand. \nHosted by DSSS\, with guest speakers from Destination NSW\, Destination Southern Highlands\, Destination Wollongong and operators who actively represented their businesses at these events\, this webinar will provide a first-hand view of how our region is being positioned\, what buyers are seeking\, what are the current trends and where future demand is heading. \nThis session is designed to help accommodation providers\, venues\, experience operators and destination stakeholders better understand the business events pipeline\, identify realistic opportunities and align their product and marketing to future demand.
URL:https://dnsss.com.au/event/business-events-market-insights-trade-activity/
LOCATION:Online
CATEGORIES:Industry Event
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