Join us at MyState Bank Arena for the next Tips & Tipples industry networking event in the Arena’s Derwent Room. Guests will enjoy refreshments curated by Executive Chef Oli Mellers while hearing from the MyState Bank Arena team about upcoming events and exciting developments at the venue.
Attendees will also have the opportunity to experience SHIVER, featuring a full-size NHL ice rink delivering a world-class skating experience right here in Hobart. Guests can glide across the same professional-grade ice that will soon host the Ice Hockey Classic, where Canada and the USA will go head-to-head in an international showdown.
In keeping with the icy theme, we'll also get a briefing from Lara Colrain, CEO of the Mawson's Huts Foundation, about this year's Australian Antarctic Festival, August 20-23.
Please note the Arena will be cold, so be sure to layer up and stay warm. Skating will take place during the public session from 5:30 – 7:00pm.
DST and MyState Bank Arena will put on the nibbles and we'll run a cash/card bar for drinks purchases.
Please also note that there are regularly photographers at our events, taking photos for use on digital platforms. If you do not want to be photographed, please let us know when you RSVP, or on arrival at the event.
Please also let us know if you have any specific access requirements.
INDUSTRY NEWS AND OPPORTUNITIES
Paint The Town Red
It's not too late to register to be in the running for the impressive swag of prizes for this year's PTTR activation. Businesses can also download and display the official Paint The Town Red 2026 posters to help spread the word and show your support for this year’s event. Perfect for shopfronts, venues, cafés, accommodation providers and community spaces, the posters are an easy way to let locals and visitors know you support the red glow happening across Tasmania this June alongside Dark Mofo.
Our partnership with Aurora Energy this year has meant that we have been able to "spread the red" to include residential redness. Tasmanians can enter their home activation on the DST website to be in the running for a month of free electricity (handy in these chilly winter months!). We're looking for spectacular redness, creativity and community - why not get your neighbours on board too, so we can have whole blocks or streets glowing red!
Southern Tasmanian Touring Map
Don't miss your chance to be featured on the Southern Tasmania Touring Map! We've extended the deadline to give you a few extra days. Become a member of Destination Southern Tasmania by 8 June to be included in the 2026/27 reprint of this popular resource and connect with thousands of visitors across the state.
Congratulations to Andrew Warner on his winning drone image (below) in the Hobart & Beyond Autumn Photography Competition! Andrew's creativity doesn't end with his photography talent; he also happens to be the Head Chef at Clyde Mill Distillery, which put him in the right spot on the right day to capture this pristine autumnal moment 🍁🍂
Tourism Industry Council Tasmania is working on a clear, coordinated Industry Development Strategy for Tasmania’s visitor economy. The project aims to align existing strategies, programs and pathways, and identify opportunities to strengthen capability development across the tourism sector.
They are seeking feedback from Tasmanian tourism businesses and stakeholders to better understand current challenges, opportunities, needs and priorities for future industry support via an online survey.
The survey will take approximately 10-15 minutes to complete and closes at midnight, Sunday 7 June.
Trade Tasmania invites Expressions of Interest from Tasmanian food businesses to participate in the Australian Institute of Technical Chefs (AITC) Tour 2026. From 25–28 October 2026, a curated group of emerging chefs and culinary decision-makers will visit Tasmania as part of a premium program showcasing the state’s food products and the stories behind their origin. This visit presents a unique opportunity for Tasmanian businesses to connect directly with chefs shaping menus across Australia, and to showcase their products, provenance, and sustainability credentials.
Trade Tasmania is seeking EOIs from businesses that currently supply, or are ready to supply, the premium food service market, including those with distinctive provenance and sustainability stories. Farm-to-fork and paddock-to-plate hospitality businesses are also encouraged to consider submitting an EOI or reaching out to Trade Tasmania via email to discuss how they may be involved in the visit
Our beloved Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary is the setting of a new documentary series, The Animal Sanctuary. Founder and owner Greg Irons will share his story and the day-to-day operations of Bonorong in what will be an honest, raw but hopeful 8-episode series to educate and inspire people to take that extra step to care for our precious wildlife. The series will air later this year on Channel Ten and various streaming services. Read the full ABC story HERE. (Image: ABC News)
This review marks an important step forward, and HT and the TICT are seeking direct feedback from industry which will shape their advocacy as the review progresses.
They want to hear your thoughts on:
Challenges experienced in applying for or maintaining signage
Where signage is not working as it should
Gaps in current coverage
Opportunities to improve visibility for businesses across Tasmania.
Please share your thoughts by emailing Anita directly (anita@tha.asn.au)
Share your news with DST
Destination Southern Tasmania is always interested in your industry updates. Completing this form lets us know what’s happening in your business or region. Your news and information may be shared with Tourism Tasmania and throughout the Destination Southern Tasmania social, email and web channels. Priority is given to DST members.
MEET OUR NEW DST MEMBERS
Fleurty's Oyster Farm Tours
Fleurty’s Oyster Tours invites visitors to explore the D’entrecasteaux Channel with their unique hands-on oyster-farming adventure.
Participants board the TunaCorn vessel for a short cruise past coastal scenery and wildlife. Guests wade into clear channel waters to harvest oysters, then learn to shuck and savour freshly gathered oysters paired with local Tasmanian wine or beer.
MEDIA, MARKETING AND NEWS
Hobart & Beyond
We've been busy on the blog front in May, publishing the following articles:
Boxwood is an independent Tasmanian group built around place, design and experience. Across hospitality, accommodation, architecture, property and lifestyle ventures, the focus is on landscapes, makers and character, and in creating spaces that invite people to slow down, connect and experience a quieter kind of luxury.
You may have heard of their accommodation on Mount Nelson and also down on Hunter Street, and last year they also took over the Museum Courtyard Cafe at TMAG.
Their most recent acquisition is the beautiful Islington Hotel in South Hobart; but also keep your ears to the ground for news of an art lounge and piano wine bar opening in Salamanca this month, along with a few more projects in the pipeline. Busy, busy!
Sunday Pop-Up Market Returns!
After last operating in 2019, the Sunday Pop-Up Series will relaunch at Long Beach on Sunday 28 June, running from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm. The daytime market offers an easy add‑on for visitors exploring Sandy Bay and the wider southern region.
Guests can expect local artisan stalls, street food vendors, live music, handmade products and a relaxed, dog-friendly, family‑friendly atmosphere by the beach.
The market’s return is an important boost for small businesses and stallholders, providing another opportunity to trade during the traditionally quieter winter months.
If you follow Tasmania's local media outlets, you will know that DST works very closely with our media advisor Mark Thomas, to get media coverage of product launches, events and tourism industry stories, just like the media launch we did for TasVanLife last week (click on image to read the story →).
Don't forget that DST's financial members can access this media support for free, so please keep sending us your stories and news!
TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT
Cyber Security Blog
DST has published a super-helpful piece on protecting your business from cyber criminals. It's simple, clear and totally approachable, even if you consider yourself a luddite! It also provides four very simple steps to give you and your business an added layer or security. Click on the button to read the article or browse our Industry Resource Kit for other handy tips and intel.
There are still four webinars to go in this six-part series delivered by Business Tasmania and the Tasmanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The webinars are designed to support your business through the global disruptions of 2026 and uncertainties faced by small businesses in Tasmania. Subjects such as Insurance or Taxation are often daunting and overwhelming for small business owners who are juggling all the business balls, but these webinars will help you tackle them with purpose, compliance and understanding, and best of all they are FREE!
Taxation & Insurance – 9 June
Leasing a Premises – 16 June 2026
Managing Emerging (Workers Comp) Risk – 23 June
Setting the Right Price for Your Product or Service – 30 June
One more session to go in Tourism Tasmania's AI webinar series:
SESSION 3: Advanced
Tue, 9 June, 3:00pm
For operators who are already using AI tools regularly and want to do more with them. We'll work through more complex scenarios, look at how to use multiple tools together, and leave plenty of room for the questions.
TICT is running a webinar series in June to help you navigate the complex insurance space. The webinars are themed around different genres of tourism business and their particular nuances (agritourism, accommodation, etc.)
MyState Bank Arena will be transformed into a world-class ice hockey venue as the Canada vs USA Ice Hockey Classic hits town in July.
Over three massive nights, the Ice Hockey Classic sees teams from the USA and Canada clash in an all-out test of national pride, packed with high-level skill and full-contact intensity. This is rivalry on ice between two hockey superpowers, right in our own backyard.
Festival of Voices
3-12 July
This festival is an Off Season favourite and the 2026 program does not disappoint! Events stretch right across the state, featuring well-known names such as Casey Donovan, David Campbell and Lior, alongside puppet shows, workshops, sing-alongs, pop-up choirs and musical mystery tours.
It's a huge program, with events in the most unexpected places, so it's worth checking the website for events that will be bringing visitors to your region.
Weddings, dark energy, psychedelics, krill parties and cold case forensics take over Lutruwita/Tasmania this winter at the 2026 Beaker Street Festival, August 6-17.
Celebrating its 10th anniversary, the 2026 program moves from debates and exposés to immersive First Nations sky stories and dinners, expert-led fermentation workshops, slime mould exhibitions, Antarctic parties, dark-energy concerts and even a real wedding.
This year’s theme, The Second Act, is about reinvention. It’s about taking stock of who we are, what we value, and how we stay connected to each other in a world increasingly designed to pull us apart.
Hosted by Elizabeth and Stephen Harvey from the Astronomical Society of Tasmania, these guided evenings explore the wonders of the galaxy above Tasmania’s highlands. Set against the vast open skies surrounding Great Lake Hotel, the experience combines learning, storytelling and observation in one of Tasmania’s most atmospheric landscapes.
Running on 20 June, 18 July and 22 August 2026, each Dark Sky Exploration session begins at 7:00pm and includes a guided viewing experience, along with a complimentary Willie Smith’s Hot Spiced Cider and R&R Smith Apple Pie supper.
For more events near you, visit our Events page on Hobart & Beyond.
POSITIVE IMPACT IN ACTION
E-Waste Solutions
Prioritising Data Security and Reuse
Resource Work Cooperative is a not for profit worker-owned co-operative that has run the South Hobart Tipshop since 1995. The Co-operative has been operating a free E-Waste program since 2016.
The team processes a variety of items, including computers, phones, tablets, servers, network switches, cables, lead acid batteries and more. They aim to prioritise data security and maximise reuse, with devices for sale through the Tip Shop and online. The remaining items get deconstructed locally, ensuring optimal recovery of precious metals including gold, silver, copper, aluminium, cobalt and more.
They partner with several local councils to provide collection points and process their e-waste. These donation points are:
South Hobart Tipshop
Brighton Waste Transfer Station
Baretta Waste and Recycling Centre (Margate)
Southbridge Waste Transfer Station (Huonville)
If you are a Business or organisation who would like to engage Resource around responsible e-waste recycling, please contact us at recycling@resourcetipshop.com.
A partnership between Design Tasmania,Regional Arts Australia and Tasmanian ceramic artist Kate Bowman has activated Circular Hospitality, an exciting collaboration that will test how waste from the table can be reimagined through design. In the picture (right), Kate is unboxing her delivery of cups and saucers to The Agrarian Kitchen which she has crafted using oyster shells and animal carcass bones collected from the restaurant.
Kate will continue to work on the project over the next 12 months with Agrarian Kitchen as well as Dier Makr and Scholé. Can't wait to see what she comes up with next!
GRANTS & FUNDING
Art Support
$20,000 instant asset write-off
As we draw near the end of the financial year, it's timely to remind you that Australian small businesses with an aggregated turnover of under $10 million are eligible to immediately write-off the cost of artworks displayed in the business under $20,000 using the Instant Asset Write-Off (IAWO). The scheme presents a financially compelling opportunity to invest in art but also supports our creative industries.
Championships, Touring, and Marketing Grant Programs
The 2026–27 funding rounds for the Championships, Touring, and Marketing Grant Programs are now open. Applications will close on 20 May 2027, or earlier if available funding is fully allocated.
These programs are designed to support events and touring activity that strengthen Tasmania’s visitor economy by attracting visitors to the state, encouraging regional dispersal, and increasing engagement with Tasmanian businesses and communities.
Available programs:
Championships Grant Program – supports eligible competitions, championships and sporting events that attract participants and visitors to Tasmania.
Touring Grant Program – supports eligible touring activity that drives regional visitation and overnight stays outside Greater Hobart.
Marketing Grant Program – supports event organisers to enhance and expand marketing activity, increasing intrastate and interstate visitation to established Tasmanian events.
Click on the button for further information, including program guidelines and application links.
Hunting for grants and funding has never been easier, now that Business Tasmania has launched its new website with the Grants and Funding Finder. Click on the button below to explore!
