SPG Hotels has appointed respected business events and hospitality professional Gary Pearce as Portfolio Business Development Manager.
Pearce will lead business development and client engagement, while driving strategic sales initiatives across owning group, Shakespeare Property Group’s (SPG) growing portfolio which includes Novotel Sunshine Coast Resort & Sunshine Coast Convention Centre, Pullman Cairns International, Novotel Cairns Oasis Resort, Hotel Woolstore 1888 Sydney and Peppers Marysville.
A highly regarded industry professional with more than 20 years’ experience across hotels, tourism and business events, Pearce brings extensive expertise in strategic sales, business development, account management and stakeholder engagement. Throughout his career he has built a strong network of relationships across the corporate, association, incentive and conference sectors, working closely with event planners, professional conference organisers, corporate clients and industry partners throughout Australia and internationally.
Most recently, Pearce spent more than a decade with the Brisbane Economic Development Agency’s Business Events team, helping attract conferences, incentive programs and major events to Brisbane.
Michael Daviss, Portfolio General Manager, Shakespeare Property Group, said “We are delighted to welcome Gary to the team. Few people in the industry bring the depth of experience, industry relationships and commercial expertise that Gary has developed throughout his career. His background makes him ideally placed to support the continued success of our portfolio.”
Pearce said he was excited to join the company with the hotels located in Queensland, New South Wales and Regional Victoria. “I’m excited to be joining the organisation, providing clients with a variety of conference locations and unique delegate experiences for their consideration.”
The appointment comes at a particularly exciting time for Novotel Sunshine Coast Resort, which is currently undertaking in excess of a $20 million transformation across its accommodation offering. Scheduled for completion in February 2027, the project will see 178 guestrooms refreshed, including 110 One-Bedroom Suites and 68 Resort Rooms, with contemporary interiors inspired by the resort’s relaxed coastal setting and celebrating the unique offering that has made the resort one of Queensland’s most recognisable destination properties.
The latest investment builds on a significant program of upgrades delivered since Shakespeare Property Group acquired the resort in 2018, including the refurbishment of the lobby in 2019, the complete upgrade of 176 Superior Rooms, the renovation and addition of new Overwater Bungalows in 2021, and the refurbishment of the resort pool and gymnasium in 2022.
