It looks like 24-hour shopping and partying may be on the cards for 11 days on the Gold Coast during next year's Commonwealth Games.
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The Gold Coast will attract an extra 650,000 visitors during April's Commonwealth Games.
Commonwealth Games Minister Kate Jones has given the green light to talks over extra trading hours with Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate and Gold Coast Tourism boss Paul Donovan when Cr Tate returns from holidays next week.
Ms Jones said she had preliminary talks with Cr Tate and Mr Donovan about extending trading hours in retail areas and in clubs.
"It is something that government will consider, but we want to talk to Gold Coasters first about what they want," Ms Jones said.
"With the world's eyes on the Gold Coast, we need to get the balance right between sensible trading hours and ensuring visitors have a safe and enjoyable time."
It is expected that a working group of Gold Coast tourism, police, retailers and business representatives will meet with state and local government representatives next week.
"The idea starts with the mayor and its starts with the minister and it starts next week," a spokesman for Ms Jones said on Tuesday afternoon.
Acting mayor Donna Gates said the Commonwealth Games would be the time to "lay out the late night welcome mat" on the Gold Coast.
"Personally I would like us to lay out the late night welcome mat in its entirety," Cr Gates said.
"We are a tourist town. We have 11 days of competition when the world will be here and we will have visitors from everywhere.
"I say, let's lay out the late night welcome mat to the people who are coming here for the Games."
The Queensland government has set aside several late night precincts for nightclubs on the Gold Coast, which include last drinks at 3am and no shots after midnight.
Cr Gates said she would support relaxing those drinking restrictions for 11 days during the Games.
"It would be a time when we have 650,000 additional visitors in our city and what better time to trial it when we have the best security we will ever have," she said.
The next step will be research into the benefits and costs on local business, employment and opportunities that will be explored by the working group which will begin next week.
