Business, tourism on expanded BREC radar

Bunbury Regional Entertainment Centre staff celebrated moving into their new facilities last week after being overwhelmed by community support for the construction of the new contemporary arts and conference venue.

A grand opening of the facility will be held in July, celebrating the efforts of the community in raising more than $450,000 towards the project, including through the BREC Club, Chefs’ Long Table Lunch and a ‘name a seat’ campaign.

BREC general manager Joel McGuinness said the venue would continue to attract premier entertainment acts to Bunbury as well as opportunities for large-scale conferences and events.

“We have been working with the Perth Convention Centre Bureau to attract business tourism, ” Mr McGuinness said.

“The bookings are already rolling in for business and tourism events, local events and we even have a wedding booked in.”

The three conference rooms can be hired out separately or together as the Wellington Suite, named after the Wellington group of shire councils including Capel, Collie, Dardanup, Donnybrook-Balingup and Harvey.

The councils supported the expansion project through the Royalties for Regions Country Local Government Funding Allocation.

Mr McGuinness said making BREC an inviting social space was a primary design focus for the new facility.

“From my experience entertainment venues need to be social and cultural spaces, ” he said.

“We’re social people, so we want it to be a space where people want to go after a show.”

BREC attracts an annual attendance of more than 55,000 people from throughout the Greater Bunbury region.

The $12.4 million expansion also includes a 242-seat Cube Theatre, meeting rooms, a commercial kitchen and new box office.

“The bookings are already rolling in for business and tourism events, local events and we even have a wedding booked in.”— Joel McGuinness