Floriade 21 will showcase Canberra's "unexpected delights"

The Australian Capital Tourism hosted a media luncheon on Friday to promote Canberra coinciding with the 21st celebration of the annual Floriade.

The running theme was discovering Canberra’s “unexpected delights” and Canberra’s marketing slogan “see for yourself”.

Australian Capital Tourism General Manager Simonne Shepherd explained that the reason for the “unexpected delights” tag line was because Canberra was always “full of surprises” and not an “obvious commercial destination”. She pointed out that international guests often have a different perception of Canberra to those of domestic travellers, and Canberra’s subtlety is what makes it different.

The Director of marketing for Australian Capital Tourism further pushed the argument that Canberra was a place full of national attractions and memories that could not be obtained anywhere else in Australia, giving special mention to the first boarding passes issued to immigrants coming to Australia.

Guests were tested on their Australian film trivia in line with the Floriade’s ‘Films that shaped our nation’ inspiration. Questions such as ‘how many pigs were used in Babe’ and ‘who played the lead roles in Gallipoli’ were asked, with the winners taking home various prizes including a Lindt chocolate basket, a sponsor for this year’s Floriade 21.

The Floriade 21 will take place this year from September 13 to October 12 at Commonwealth Park, with an onsite cinema showcasing the films from the Australian industry that have shaped the nation. Visitors will see movie relics as well, with a wedding dress that featured in ‘Muriel’s Wedding’, a penguin from ‘Happy Feet’ and even a bus from ‘The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert’.

During the night visitors can take place in the new Floriade NightFest that will have five nights of night markets, food, wine and film screenings from September 24 to September 28.

Shepherd said, “With the entertainment, the markets, local wine tastings, the NightFest Glow Bar, amusement rides and the rare opportunity to immerse yourself in the gardens at night, Floriade NightFest represents great value for money”