That’s the message Tourism and Major Events Minister Adam Marshall was pushing at the launch of a $6 million state-wide strategy, which aims to drive more business events and conferences to regional NSW.

Speaking from Tamworth on Friday, Mr Marshall said the conferencing industry is worth about $145 million a year to regional NSW, but the new strategy would “open the flood gates”.

“I know if we brought more of these regional conferences out here, they would be hugely successful, because they always have been,” Mr Marshall said.

“Once we get the conference business and the economic spend here in the first place, it’s a gateway to getting them to come back again and again.

“It’s exposing them to what a place like Tamworth has, so you increase your opportunity to get them back for a holiday, or something like the Country Music Festival.”

Dubbo Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Matt Wright said Dubbo would be well placed to capitalise on the proposal.

“We met with the Tourism Minister a couple of months ago when he was in Dubbo. He is a regional bloke with strong regional roots and he was lobbying for the government to look at regional locations for a range of opportunities so it is nice to see this announcement,” he said.

“The city has great facilities, not just the zoo but also the Cultural Centre, CSU, the RSL and the tiered theatre.

“We also have great accommodation availability and of course our aviation is second to none in regional NSW. There is nowhere else you can fly from five points, Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Canberra and Newcastle, and be in the city within an hour.”

Mr Wright said the cost of conferencing in Dubbo was also going to be very competitive compared to the major cities and would provide a culture change.

“It could mean more exposure for Dubbo and that can only be a good thing,” he said.

Mr Marshall said he was committed to topping up the grant money if the demand was high.

“If we have more than half a million dollars worth of grant applications in six months, that’s a good thing,” he said.

“Knowing country NSW, there are a lot of facilities that have a lot of potential, they just need a bit more polish put on them.

“If we need extra resources for that, then I’m committed to getting them.”