Logies 2018: Gold Coast set to clean up thanks to multimillion-dollar windfall

NEVER mind the Gold Logie – the Glitter Strip will be striking gold all weekend.

TV’s night of nights and the annual Gold Coast Marathon are expected to deliver an $80 million windfall for the tourist hot spot this weekend.

In its 40th year, the marathon has been a consistent money-spinner for the Gold Coast, but the successful poaching of tonight’s Logies spectacular from Melbourne has the potential to double the cash injection, with an estimated $40 million worth of direct spending and publicity value set to flow.

The Logies remain one of the year’s highest-rating television events, leaving Queensland tourism leaders rubbing their hands together with glee.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the weekend was a tremendous opportunity to showcase the Gold Coast across the country.

“With the event having drawn more than 1 million viewers each year for the live television broadcast, the spotlight will once again be firmly on the Gold Coast,” she said.

“We want to inspire viewers right around Australia to make a visit to Queensland a must-do.”

A revamped Australian University Games is also being held on the Gold Coast this weekend, with a second round of the renamed UniSport Nationals to return to the Glitter Strip in September.

Last year the event generated more than $13 million for the Queensland economy.

Major events have become a focus for Queensland tourism, with the state’s events calendar estimated to hit a staggering $780 million this year, up from more than $600 million last year.

Queensland Tourism Minister Kate Jones said the magnificent multimillion-dollar weekend again highlighted the exceptional value of signature events to Queensland’s economy.

“Big standout events are crucial for our tourism economy because they drive visitors to Queensland and generate great exposure for our destinations,” she said.

“Thanks to this mega-event weekend, Gold Coast restaurants, hotels, tourism operators and other traders will be abuzz hosting celebrities, competitors and visitors from around the nation and the globe.”

EVERY STEP OF THE WAY, WE’LL BE WATCHING

IT’S set to be a golden night for Queensland as the Sunshine State ups the glitz and glamour stakes for the 60th annual TV Week Logie Awards.

Native Queenslanders Sylvia Jeffreys, Sonia Kruger and Leila McKinnon, who are hosting the Channel 9 pre-show red carpet special, are expecting extra sequins, more skin and a party atmosphere when the Gold Coast hosts the event for the first time tonight.

“The Gold Coast hosts Schoolies every year so they know how to throw a massive party and put on a huge celebration,” Jeffreys said. “It’s going to be a lot of fun and a terrific night with a bit of extra glitz and glamour.”

The popular Brisbane-raised presenter admitted she holds an “obvious bias” when it comes to her home state but said she was thrilled and excited to see the Glitter Strip host television’s night of nights, which has historically been held in Melbourne.

“The Gold Coast was my stomping ground during my childhood and I had a great love for that part of Queensland,” she said.

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