After completing his role as the onsite marketing manager for the Mystic Sands Development in 1990, which also won him several national marketing awards, he moved back to his former hometown of Ayr to develop a 7500 mango tree plantation on the banks of the Burdekin River. During this time he went on 2 Wife Hunt Safari’s which generated global media interest which inspired millions of lonely people living in many parts of the world.

In 1999 the president of the Burdekin Race Club challenged him to resurrect their declining annual cup race day. Back in the marketing arena again he  renamed his promotions business Henry Petersen Creative Marketing then created and launched within 6 weeks the Burdekin Grower $100,000 Race Day which proved to be a smash hit attracting over 1500 racegoers and winning the Burdekin Shire Councils Community Event of the Year Award,

After staging 3 more $100,000 Race Days and further increasing attendance figures to almost 4000 + the event winning 3 more major marketing awards Henry handed the reigns back to the race club to go out and create and launch the 2003 Home Hill $25,000 Fashion Bash. It attracted 80 North Qld entries and 269 ticket sales as well as lots of regional media publicity. After staging 2 more annual fashion bashes’s in the Burdekin Shire it was decided in 2006 to move the event to Townsville in order to further expand its boundaries to cover all Qld.

The $100,000 Fashion Bash Townsville was another instant hit attracting over 350 entries, 800 ticket sales. Its prize money was the richest ever offered for a student fashion challenge in the world. It again generated many tens of thousands of dollars in both regional and national media publicity with 33 media houses supporting the event. The remarkable growth figures this event had recorded in the space in just over 3 yrs was truly amazing and is again testament to the creative marketing ability of its founder.

In 2007 Henry chose Townsville Riverway, a $40 million state–of–the–art entertainment & outdoors recreational facility, to showcase the Fashion Bash’s 5th Birthday. With its lagoon swimming pools & idealic setting it again proved popular attracting record 450 state wide entries. In 2008 the Fashion Bash was launched nationally attracting 525 entries. It staged a Miss Universe Australian Townsville Preliminary Final & Townsville World Models Day. Over 50 schools were represented & a $20,000 TV Doco was filmed. Its web site www.fashionbash.com.au was rated the best youth fashion web site in this country attracting 20,000 visitors & its video previews received 10,000 views. Over 120 students participated in its professional training workshops & its career education programs resulting in the discovery of 4 new international models & dancers to its Entrants Hall of Fame.

In Summary, the major community events Henry has created & staged over the past 3 decades have offered almost $1.5 million in prizes, attracted thousands of entrants & has generated millions of dollars of spending & media publicity for the many industries they have promoted. His innovative creations have transformed the way many industries are being promoted & marketed today.
In the Recreational Fishing & Tourism Industry we have seen the creation of many television lifestyle & adventure shows.
In the Racing Industry the entertainment he created has now been successfully adopted by many race clubs all over this country. In the Fashion Industry alone 3 new Qld Fashion Events have been born in recent years as a direct result of the outstanding success of the Fashion Bash which has already produced 7 Australian Fashion Design Award winners & 20 international models.  Many of his original creations have also stood the test of time. In 2008 The Kids Fishing Classic he originally created back in 1987 in Townsville become 21 years of age. The Burdekin Grower Race Day celebrated its 10th Birthday & the Fashion Bash turned 6 yrs old. This is the real testament to his creative marketing ability.

No matter what the challenge Henry faces in any industry he so chooses to promote he always seems to have the creative marketing ability to be able to turn a negative situation into a positive one, He has inspired millions of persons around the world by demonstrating that anything is achievable if one has the ability to create something that others just normally can only dream about.

2009 has perhaps been the best year yet for Henry & his dedicated team. The Opal Fashion Bash celebrated its national status in fine style with 4 past entrants making the final of Miss Universe Australia. Rachael Finch took out the title & then was placed 3rd runner up in the Miss Universe Final in the Bahamas in August. Her much published journey has proved to be a windfall for the fashion bash web site which could see it record up to 50,000 visits + 2 Million Hits by year’s end. This will represent about a 900% increase in visitor numbers since it was first launched back in 2006 when it recorded just 5000 visits.

But perhaps their greatest success was to witness 10 of their model discoveries travel overseas. This was by far the most ever in any previous calendar year. Securing a record 12 entrants into Tamblyn Young Model Discovery Final in Brisbane in October was also a noteworthy performance. Not one to bask in this glory Henry & his committee have unveiled a new look 2010 Opal Fashion Bash Program which will see it become a global event for the first time. * 3 new Awards will be included to its 3 day event program. * City of Townsville $10,000 International Design Award * Fashion Ambassador Awards * Rachael Finch Rising Star of the Year Award. The prestige & status of these new award competitions is expected to lure the best talent this country & overseas can offer to come to Townsville next April to compete in these finals. The winners will most certainly go on to global success judging by its entrants Hall of Fame achievements. This country will see its first crowned Miss Fashion Australia.

Reading Henrys Biog in some way could be compared to following the adventures of some of this country’s greatest visionaries. Persons who were not born with a vision but created one…..One who did not know the meaning of the word - Impossible. One that knew passion & determination would overcome any setback along the journey to success. One that left behind a legacy for others to look up to for inspiration to also be successful in whatever career dreams or goals they set themselves.