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Convention centresTechnology watch

RACV Inverloch Resort

New horizons

The Red Centre

CSR matters

2 Convention & Incentive Marketing, April 2013 www.cimmagazine.com

Tropical North Queensland’s award-winning rainforest dining experience Flames of the Forest has reopened following a temporary closure for its annual refurbishment. This year marks its 10th in operation. “A decade of creating special events is such a significant milestone for us and one that we are keen to celebrate,” said sales and marketing manager Natalie Johnson. “In that time over 60 thousand leisure and business guests have dined in our special pocket of candle lit rainforest. From a corporate perspective, it is safe to say that our delegates have experienced something completely unique.”

Sixty two per cent of business visitors to South Australia would not have otherwise visited the state, although 95 per cent said they thought South Australia made for a great holiday destination, according to data released by the Adelaide Convention Bureau as part of their 2012 visitor survey. Data was sourced over a six-month period from delegates attending conferences in and around the city, with information broken down into national and international visitor profiles.

Business Events Tasmania has launched a new online 2013/2014 Meeting and Incentive Planners Guide, www.tasmaniaconventions.com. The Guide provides an overview of the regions where events can be held, outlines resources available to help organisers plan a Tasmanian conference, corporate meeting or incentive, and showcases products and services available. Hard copies are also available.

Peru is proving popular with Australians, with the latest visitor arrival figures confirming that the South American destination attracted 17 per cent more Aussies in 2012 than in 2011. PromPeru’s coordinator for the Asia-Pacific region, Rosana Guinea, attributes the rise in Australian visitors to increased awareness of the destination in the market, as well as a gastronomic boom that has firmly placed Peru on the foodie trail.

Business Events Geelong has launched a new website, www.businesseventsgeelong.com.au, to better reflect the needs of its clients. Convention bureau manager Terry Hickey said that the Business Events Geelong team responded to feedback from its members and website users to deliver the redesigned site, which he described as “a one-stop shop”.

The results of the first UK

Economic Impact Study results were revealed by Meeting Professionals International at last month’s International Confex. The study found that more than 1,301,600 meetings took place in the UK in 2011, attracting 116.1 million attendees who accounted for spending of just under $58 billion (£40 billion).

Staging Connections has been named a finalist in four states in the 2012 Meetings & Events Australia Industry Awards. The company’s New South Wales, Victoria, Western Australia and Queensland offices will all contest the “Technical & Creative Production less than $5 million” category in their state, and if they win, will go head to head for the national title. It is the first time the Western Australia branch has entered the category.

Hilton Hotels & Resorts has been named Hotel of the Year in New Zealand by Roy Morgan Research and ranked number one in customer satisfaction for Travel and Tourism companies. Throughout 2012, Roy Morgan Research surveyed more than 12,000 consumers across New Zealand, awarding the hotel or group with the highest proportion of satisfied customers monthly. Hilton won eight out of 12 months.

Hobart’s MONA, the Museum of Old and New Art, has just launched a new 250 seat catamaran to transport visitors from Hobart’s waterfront to the venue. The biggest passenger vessel to grace the waters of the Derwent River in a century – the MONA Roma 1, at 34m long, has been designed to cater for the ongoing increase in passengers, including business events delegates, to the museum.

The Barcelona International Convention Centre, which has a

(excepting those in some European nations) are emerging from a long-term crisis of economic uncertainty and budget cuts to find new groups of stakeholders with new expectations, new tools at their disposal and new opportunities to address the strengthening meeting and event market. Technology, budgets, lead times, risk management, employment levels and fluctuating prices continue to be significant factors; however operators are adopting higher quality standards to combat them.

Christchurch’s Newbery Lodge Function Centre has joined the Continental stable of venues. Managing director Greg Ward said it is very pleasing to be adding something of Newbery’s history and standing to the company’s venue portfolio. Until the February 2011 Canterbury earthquakes, Continental had been operating the historic Mona Vale Homestead in Fendalton. “Mona Vale is closed indefinitely due to quake damage, and we’ve really missed having a venue like that to offer the weddings and special occasions, corporate and meeting markets,” he said.

A record-breaking 635 international congresses were held in Finland during 2012, according to statistics from the Finland Convention Bureau. Compared to previous years, the number of international congresses organised in Finland went up by approximately 60 per cent. The number of delegates attending events in the country reached 77,222.

Team building company BeChallenged is rolling out Rat Trap, one of the UK’s most successful and innovative team building activities, in Australia. Inspired by the board game Mouse Trap, the activity allows groups to work in a collaborative rather than

competitive way, with the other teams working towards the same goal. Working within time constraints means that good communication between teams is essential for seamless integration of every team’s efforts, leading to success in a spectacular finale.

firm commitment to improving energy efficiency in its facilities, has installed a vertical-axis wind turbine on its north-eastern roof in order to generate its own energy. The energy produced will be integrated into the Centre’s existing power grid.

Organisers of New Zealand’s Pacific Area Incentives and Conferences Expo (PAICE 2013) have announced that the event will now be held on November 13 at Skycity Auckland Convention Centre. They had previously announced a date in October.

Meeting Professionals International’s February 2013 Business Barometer report suggests that meeting professionals

c&i briefing

www.cimmagazine.com Convention & Incentive Marketing, April 2013 3

MCEC executive chef Tony Panetta with guests at the “From Farm to Fork” event.

It’s been an interesting few weeks in federal politics, with the fall-out from Labor’s “leadership spill that

wasn’t” affecting our industry when Minister Martin Ferguson stepped down from the role of Tourism Minister.

I’m sure I’m not the only one who will be interested to see where his replacement, Gary Gray, takes the portfolio in the lead-up to the election in September, and if business events will get a bigger piece of the funding pie.

Bob Baldwin, Shadow Minister for Tourism, has previously said he’d like to see a “bid fund”, to help in winning international events, something which many Asian destinations already leverage to great effect, and

Policy changes ahead?which could help level the playing field for Australia.

Meanwhile, the business events community in Melbourne is waiting to hear whether the Victorian state government will give the go ahead for the much-needed extension to the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. Let’s hope they have the foresight to see that an investment in business events infrastructure is an investment in Australia’s future.

Alexandra Yeomans, Publisher

contents04 Industry news

06 International news

08 New Zealand news

10 Cover story

— RACV Inverloch Resort

11 Technology

12 In the air

14 The Red Centre

16 Convention Centres

22 Gold Coast

24 Adelaide

26 Venue update

28 PCO Association notes

30 Meeting people

31 Calendar

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A small group of guests recently enjoyed a behind-the-scenes tour of Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre’s (MCEC) kitchen before sitting down to an intimate five course dinner at Melbourne Food & Wine Festival (MFWF) event “From Farm to Fork”.

Partnering with suppliers Yarra Valley Gourmet Greenhouse and Warialda Belted Galloway Beef, MCEC executive chef Tony Panetta created a one-off menu featuring produce direct from their Victorian farms, including alpine strawberries picked fresh that day. The event was in line with MCEC’s overall food and wine philosophy: thinking locally and drawing on the best produce from around the state.

“It was a real thrill for us to dish up for the public and put our own stamp on the menu – from selecting the individual ingredients to the matched Victorian wines – we enjoyed every

aspect of the event,” he said.

“Our dinner was an example of how MCEC support local producers across Victoria which is rare for a venue of our size and something we’re particularly proud of.”

As Panetta introduced each course the farmers spoke about the produce featured and importance of MCEC’s relationship in the growth of their businesses.

“Most guests at the dinner had never tried our beef before, which was great exposure for us, so thanks MCEC for opening up your venue to small producers,” said Warialda Belted Galloway Beef’s Lizette Snaith.

The menu was complemented by matching Victorian wines from King Valley, Yarra Valley, Mornington Peninsula, Rutherglen and Nagambie.

Centre serves up a taste of Victoria


industry news

The Star in Sydney has officially launched the final piece of its $870 million development, the $100 million Event Centre, to a VIP guest list of event organisers and planners.

Guests at the roving dinner event held last month were greeted with cocktails, Champagne and mini macarons in the Event Centre foyer, before being led up to the mezzanine level to hear from The Star’s managing director, Frederic Luvisutto, and high-profile event producer David Grant, one of the first people to hold an event at the Centre.

“It is a real pleasure and a fantastic place to work,” said Grant. “It has ticked all the boxes for us; the money can’t buy sound system is seriously the best in Australia. It has an extensive lighting system and the team are flexible and professional – they don’t say no to your crazy ideas!”

Guests were then led down to the main floor for a dinner presided over by emcee Bob Downe, comedian Mark Trevorrow’s alter ego, who interviewed key personnel including chef de cuisine Jean-Philippe Secondis, who talked the audience through a live-cross to the kitchen where the main course was being plated up.

The evening was capped off with cheese platters and wine on the Event Centre Deck overlooking Sydney Harbour, the Harbour Bridge and city skyline (pictured below). Digital projections of an aquarium on the Event Centre deck walls along with the glass shell of the Event Centre,

research commissioned by Tourism Accommodation Australia (TAA).

TAA managing director Rodger Powell said the additional costs imposed on the hotel sector would impact its bottom line.

“The ultra-competitive nature of the industry means that operators can’t simply pass on their increased costs to consumers,” said Powell. “This is compounded by the fact that price competitive international destinations are not subject to a carbon tax by their governments.”

Powell called for the tax to be repealed, saying the report estimated that the impact on hotel profits would cause “the value of a benchmark 200-room hotel to fall by up to 16.5 per cent”.

“This is a major concern to the industry, which is desperately seeking new investment in new and upgrading accommodation properties,” he said.

“Tourism Australia is spruiking Australian tourism investment opportunities overseas, but concerns about generating returns are putting projects at risk.”

$141 million for regional tourism The first round of the Tourism Industry Regional Development Fund (TIRF) Grants Program will see nearly $14 million spent on 65 regional tourism projects,

“The funded projects will deliver a wide range of projects, including new and upgraded accommodation, innovative new attractions for visitors, such as

water parks, playgrounds, agri-tourism ventures, wilderness camps and adventure trails, and new conference and function facilities,” said former Minister for Tourism Martin Ferguson.

Successful projects are spread across Australia, with 14 in New South Wales, 11 in both Queensland and Western Australia, 10 in South Australia, eight in Victoria, seven in Tasmania, and one in the Northern Territory.

A list of the recipients can be found at www.ret.gov.au/tirfgrants.

Limburg to fly Aussie flag in Russia Elisa Limburg, founder and managing director of Sydney-based events and marketing company, Elevents, has been selected to represent Australia at the 2013 G20 Young Entrepreneurs Alliance (YEA) Summit in Moscow in June.

Limburg will be joined at the Summit by 21 other young business leaders across sectors ranging from online retailing to information technology and financial services, all of whom are being supported by the Enterprise Network for Young Australians (ENYA) to attend.

“Being part of the Australian delegation to the G20 YEA Summit is a real privilege and I’m excited to be given the opportunity to contribute to the discussion on improving and fostering entrepreneurship around the world,” she said.

Jeremy Liddle, chief entrepreneur officer at ENYA and Australian

which was lit up with a blue hue, showcased the technical capability of the entire venue.

Date set for Open Space 2014Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre’s (MCEC) Open Space event will return on Thursday February 20, 2014.

The free public event will coincide with Business Events Week and the Asia-Pacific Incentives and Meetings Expo, which is hosted annually at MCEC.

“Our first Open Space was a great opportunity to show off what we do so Melburnians can embrace MCEC as their home to learn, share, connect and be entertained,” said MCEC chief executive Peter King.

“I’m sure we can raise the bar in 2014 and I’m looking forward to opening our doors again to industry and the public.”

The inaugural Open Space, held in February, attracted 600 people, who enjoyed a panel discussion on the community, education and cultural benefits of events; inspiring plenary session on the value of connection in business, and pop up food market in the foyer complete with real grass.

Carbon costs hotel sectorThe Carbon Tax will cost the accommodation industry almost $115 million in just its first year and reduce profitability by up to 12 per cent, according to new AECgroup

The Star Event Centre shines at launch


president of the G20 Young Entrepreneurs Alliance, said the group going to Moscow is a showcase of the amazing depth of entrepreneurship among young Australians.

“The submissions we received to be part of the delegation, and the quality of those chosen, shows there is a great platform in Australia to encourage entrepreneurial thinking among young Australians and highlights the opportunity to turn that thinking to reality,” Liddle said.

Australia will host the 2014 G20 YEA Summit, with ENYA currently in talks with state and territory governments to determine the host city.

ABEE names ambassadorsOrganisers of this year’s Australian Business Events Expos (ABEE) have announced the creation of an Ambassador Panel of business and special events experts for both ABEE and Sydney’s Event Showcase.

The panel consists of Valerie Percival, special events manager,

IBM Australia; Tana Pal, head of events, Group Internal Communications, Westpac; Carol Malloy, event manager, Telstra Corporation; Matt Jones, founder and consultant, Better Happy; Lena Malouf, event consultant; and Janene Wardrop, events manager, Australian Medical Association.

Gary Daly, chief executive of Exhibitions and Trade Fairs, which owns both tradeshows, said having the panel on board is an essential component of this year’s refreshed show strategy.

“The forming of the Ambassador Panel presents a unique opportunity to bring the special and business event industries closer together, delivering inspiring and innovative content for the shows, and making sure that both events satisfy the needs of exhibitors and visitors,” he said.

The Ambassadors will work with the event teams behind ABEE and Sydney’s Event Showcase to discuss and provide feedback on the show’s direction and promotion on a regular basis.

The Australian Business Events

is an issue if something goes wrong.

“If you don’t have the lines of communication set up; you don’t know who has the right to talk to the media, it could be disastrous for the organisation and the supplier.”

Other tips for harm minimisation include nominating a properly trained and briefed spokesperson to speak with media, being as honest as you can be when things go wrong and setting yourself up as a “fact centre” where media can turn to for factual information.

Expo and Sydney’s Event Showcase will be held at Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre from August 14-16, 2013.

Putting safety first Safety managers from venues around Australia met at Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) recently to discuss streamlining processes for events that rotate around the country.

The Safety Managers Forum provided representatives the opportunity to share safety initiatives, discuss occupational health and safety legislation and initiatives to standardise processes nationally.

MCEC safety manager Sharon Friedman said it was a great opportunity “to have everyone together to openly chat about common challenges and discuss the safety practices that can be applied across our industry”.

“If we all work to the same risk assessments, floor plans and same guidelines, the rotation of events to other venues will be a seamless one for our customers and contractors – enhancing the overall event experience,” he said.

Venues represented at the forum included the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre, Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre, Adelaide Convention Centre, Sydney Showground and Exhibition Park in Canberra.

The next forum will be held in August/September and aims to rotate venues nationally every six months.

Plan ahead for the unexpectedHaving a crisis management plan in place when planning an event is vital, according to Martin Sirk, chief executive of the International Congress and Convention Association.

Speaking at a panel discussion on “Projective value: a media perspective”, held at the recent Asia-Pacific Incentive and Meetings Expo in Melbourne, Sirk said “all it takes for one guy to have a heart attack at a beach party and the venue, the destination and the client has a potential crisis coming along”.

“One piece of advice I give to everyone, both on the supplier and planner side, is when you’re having your routine meetings setting up an event, always have risk management and crises management on the agenda, even if there is nothing to talk about,” he said. “That way everyone knows it

‘Young Star’ chairman appointedThe Exhibition & Event Association of Australasia (EEAA) Young Stars steering committee has announced the appointment of Brad Booth (pictured above) from Moreton Hire as the inaugural chairperson.

Launched in July 2012, the program aims to give younger members a platform to share their views, ideas and experiences as well the opportunity to have a bigger voice in the work of the Association.

EEAA general manager Joyce DiMascio said Booth had showed great commitment to the initiative and played a key role in getting the Young Stars Program off the ground along with other committee members.

“He will be an excellent ambassador for the program as he is passionate about the industry and works around Australia presenting the value of exhibitions to clients.” she said.

“I see the EEAA Young Stars Program as an opportunity to set up a support network for younger people in the industry that was not available when I started out,” said Booth. “It’s been an exciting first year and I’m looking forward to helping to develop the program and making it available to young colleagues around the country.”

Elisa Limburg.

Watch the video in the CIM iPad app.

Peter King, chief executive of Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC), has revealed that the Centre is “ready to go” if the Victorian government approves a proposal to build another 12,500sqm of exhibition space in next month’s budget.

“We’d be able to start building within eight or nine months, and have it built within two and a half years,” he said.

With MCEC running at 100 per cent capacity, King says that they are turning away about 30 per cent of potential business at the moment. Both 2013 and 2014 are expected to be record years.

“We have about $200 million of orders in our system to 2016,” he said.

Quietly confident that the proposal will be approved, King said the case in front

of the government is “very strong and compelling”.

With a potential opening date just prior to the opening of the new Sydney centre, Kings says he believes he has always “been of the opinion that there’s enough business for us all”.

“This industry is growing, and we need the space to grow,” he said. “I think it’s a great thing that Sydney is rebuilding itself and providing us with some new infrastructure, but it’s not providing any additional infrastructure. They also have quite a compromised footprint that they have to manage around so it’s not really going to add a lot to overall industry capacity.”

MCEC ‘ready’ for expansion


international news

Global events boost for Jo’burg

Johannesburg’s reputation as a premier destination for international conferences and exhibitions will receive a major boost this year when the city hosts three global summits.

The C40 Summit on Climate Change will take place in June 2013, bringing together global leaders, activists and innovators to discuss environmental issues relating to the urban environment. Mayors and decision-makers from the world’s largest cities will also converge on Johannesburg for the annual meeting of the Board of Directors of the Metropolis organisation. The five day event will take place in July 2013 and coincide with a meeting of the Forum of Metropolitan Mayors.

In October the City will play host to the One Young World Summit, a global forum of young leaders which is expected to attract 1000 delegates from across the globe. One Young World was established in 2010 to ensure issues affecting the youth are receiving global attention. Archbishop Desmond Tutu and former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan are among its patrons.

Gulf infrastructure investment good for business eventsNew convention centres, hotels, venues and facilities planned for the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Oman will support the industry’s projected growth in the region, according to Reed Travel Exhibitions (RTE), the organiser of last month’s Gulf Incentive, Business Travel and Meetings Exhibition (GIBTM).

“In the UAE, Dubai and Abu Dhabi are both forging ahead with significant projects and initiatives that are designed to draw more MICE business to the destination in line with their ambitious targets for this sector,” says RTE’s Lois Hall.

“Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia and Oman are building and expanding convention facilities, helping to further establish the region as a meetings industry hub.”

Abu Dhabi last month launched the Abu Dhabi Convention Bureau, in a move that signals to the international business events industry that “Abu Dhabi is prioritising this sector as never before and is a move totally aligned to Abu Dhabi’s 2030 economic vision”, according to Jasem Al

Darmaki, deputy director general, Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi).

In neighbouring Dubai, the Dubai World Trade Centre has almost doubled its meetings capacity adding 18 new rooms covering an extra 1500sqm in a bid to keep pace with demand from business events clients.

Elsewhere in the Gulf, where the business events industry has strong growth potential, major infrastructure projects are underway including the expansion of Riyadh International Convention and Exhibition Centre. Upgrade plans at the facility, which hosts one-third of exhibitions in Saudi Arabia, include a four-star hotel, business club, additional indoor exhibition space and more storage facilities. Similarly, with Oman earmarking the industry as a key growth market, the Sultanate’s tourism development and management company, Omran, is building the $821 million Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre.

MyCEB’s ‘warrior’ forceThe Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB) has appointed 10 additional Kesatrias (“knights” or “warriors”) to its line-up of convention advocates.

Launched in 2012, the Kesatria 1Malaysia Program consists of leaders from key industry sectors that have previously hosted or will be hosting large scale international events in Malaysia. Their role is to help identify and encourage other potential local hosts to bid for and stage international conventions voluntarily under the Program, as well as to actively promote the benefits of hosting and inaugurating international conventions to their peers.

The new Kesatrias come from a number of key economic sectors including science and medical, research and innovations, education and law.

“In its inception, the Kesatria 1Malaysia Program has generated 22 conference opportunities for the country,” said Zulkefli Hj Sharif, chief executive Officer of MyCEB. “These represent a potential for Malaysia to receive 46,000 delegates’ arrivals and RM 552 million in economic impact for the country.”

Puerto Rico Convention Bureau launches ‘university’ The Puerto Rico Convention Bureau has launched an online education program tailored to meeting planners.

Through a series of online courses Puerto Rico Smooth Meeting University provides meeting planners with the latest and most comprehensive industry education available on hosting a meeting in Puerto Rico.

After completing a series of courses on topics such as meeting hotels, the Puerto Rico Convention Center Pedro Rosselló, history and culture, golf, shopping, dining and nightlife, planners earn a Puerto Rico Smooth Meeting Specialist designation, complete with a rewards component.

In addition to detailed lesson plans, Puerto

Rico Smooth Meeting University also provides detailed room layouts, an online request for proposal form and other helpful tools for planning a group program on the island.

“Puerto Rico Smooth Meeting University offers busy planners a thorough understanding of Puerto Rico as a meetings destination and a centralised location for planning and booking tools,” said Neil Mullanaphy, acting president and chief executive, Puerto Rico Convention Bureau.

For more information visit www.meetinguniversity.com.

The butler did itYTL Hotels has launched a new Signature Experience at Cameron Highland’s Resort, the hotel group’s 56-room boutique hilltop retreat in Malaysia’s scenic highlands region. Exclusive to the resort, the “Murder Mystery in the Misty Mountains” experience is a immersive and entertaining adventure ideal for corporate and incentive group trips.

Set in the 1960s, Murder Mystery in the Misty Mountains features Jim Thompson, the legendary American businessman known as the Thai “Silk King” who mysteriously disappeared while holidaying at the Moonlight Bungalow in Cameron Highlands in March 1967.

Invitations and character briefings are distributed two weeks before the event and upon arrival guests, dressed in 1960s clothing, get to know each other over pre-dinner cocktails by the fireplace at the Highlands Bar. Guests then move to the elegant Dining Room where murders are committed and weapons are found in between courses, with a good dose of blackmailing on the side. After guests look for clues to up their game and solve the crime, the evening culminates with the voting and selection of Best Performer, Super Sleuth, Best Costume and Wealthiest Player.

Other resort activities include the Signature Picnic in the Boh Tea Gardens, walking the Jim Thompson Mystery Trail with the resort naturalist, golfing, and enjoying a spa treatment at the award-winning Spa Village Cameron Highlands.


nz news

Auckland Conventions expands portfolioNew Zealand-based event organiser Auckland Conventions Venues and Events has expanded its portfolio of venues to include Auckland Zoo, Auckland Art Gallery and Mt Smart Stadium. Auckland Conventions currently manages events spaces at the Viaduct Events Centre, Aotea Centre, Auckland Town Hall and The Civic for business events.

“We are going through an exciting period of growth and are thrilled to incorporate Auckland Zoo, Auckland Art Gallery and Mt Smart Stadium into our offering” said Mohamed Mansour, director of Auckland Conventions.

“Our growing portfolio, not only offers clients a greater choice of venues but also the convenience of a centralised point of contact. Our team can help clients narrow down their options for suitable spaces and pull together a customised package of services to match their specific requirements.”

New boost to Vbase facilitiesVbase, the Christchurch City Council

governed event and conference facility management company, is to manage Christchurch’s newest conference and events venue, the Air Force Museum.

Vbase general manager Russell Kenny says that the converted conference facility is exceptional.

“This is a one-stop-shop facility and an amazing break-through in the current Christchurch market,” he said.

“With complimentary car and bus parking, it can cater for about 1200 standing guests or 900 seated guests and features 1500sqm of flexible space that can be configured to meet individual requirements. The facility also has breakout/meeting rooms, a lecture/film theatre, an atrium and a cafe.”

The temporary AMI stadium and the CBS Arena are both fully operational but with two of Vbase’s four facilities out of commission, Christchurch has been lacking in conference and event facilities.

Mayor Bob Parker confirms that this new facility is much needed

in Christchurch.

“The Council is committed to attracting top events and conferences to Christchurch while at the same time encouraging local businesses,” he said.

“This partnership between Vbase and Air Force Museum is another example of the ingenuity and make it happen attitude of Cantabrians since the earthquake. The opening of this facility is another feather in the cap of Christchurch’s recovery.”

Auckland Conference, Incentive & Event Planner releasedAuckland Convention Bureau has released its new 2013 Conference, Incentive & Event Planner. The comprehensive guide to venues, transport, activities, services and dining in Auckland has been designed to recreate the feeling of being on a famil, allowing readers to get a more in-depth understanding of the Auckland experience.

Auckland Convention Bureau manager Anna Hayward says the planner highlights the impressive volume and variety of what New Zealand’s most popular events destination has to offer.

“It is crucial that conference and incentive organisers are kept up to date with the huge array of products and experiences available in Auckland,” she said.

“There is so much here that can add real value to their events, and it just keeps growing.”

An online version of the planner is available at aucklandnz.com/planner.

Queenstown Centre a step closerA preferred consortium led by investors Ngai Tahu Property Limited and Morrison & Co. has been selected to develop the Queenstown Convention Centre. The consortium also includes convention centre architects Populous; project management firm RCP; Queenstown-based construction company Naylor Love; and award winning New Zealand architects Fearon Hay. SkyCity Entertainment Group is the preferred operator.

Queenstown Lakes District Council Mayor Vanessa van Uden said further work and consultation needed to happen before the project could be considered a reality but said the proposal had incredible promise.

“With commercially astute

investors; architects who have had involvement with everything from Wembley and Eden Park to the new $1 billion Darling Harbour Convention Centre; and local planners and contractors; this pretty much amounts to the ‘dream team’ for Queenstown,” Van Uden said.

She said the proposal would not only benefit the community and the local economy, but also support the wider national strategy of positioning New Zealand as a whole in the convention centre market.

“The benefits in the first instance will be increased jobs during the construction and operation phases, and in the longer term we expect far wider potential spin-offs for tourism as a whole to the District and New Zealand,” she said.

“The message from business is clear – provided we do it well, the proposed convention centre is regarded as a winner.”

The next step will be to develop the proposal for community consultation through the Queenstown Lakes District Council Annual Plan process (April-June).

National Centre will increase competitivenessThe Tourism Industry Association New Zealand (TIA) has welcomed the resumption of negotiations between the New Zealand government and Skycity to develop a national convention centre, saying that the lack of a world-class convention centre prevents New Zealand from hosting large international conferences.

“We have been losing conventions to other destinations, particularly Australia, because we don’t have an international-scale convention centre,” said TIA chief executive Martin Snedden. “Development of such a facility will enable the industry to target a whole new market that can’t be accommodated by existing conference facilities.

“While we acknowledge that there are genuine concerns about issues related to gambling, we are confident that the legislative process will provide an opportunity for a thorough examination of the issues.”

It is estimated a national convention centre will boost New Zealand’s economy by more than $70 million (NZ$90 million) a year.


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TRAnS-TASMAn TALk

While we’re all consumers in our everyday lives, it’s easy to forget what it feels like to be a consumer in our own industry. When did you last take the time to put yourself in the shoes of one of your delegates, speakers, sponsors or exhibitors?

As a conference organiser, talking with participants from many different countries, seeing the conference through their eyes and hearing about what they are experiencing is an invaluable exercise. Actually being a delegate or exhibition visitor yourself, as I was recently at our annual International Association of Professional Congress Organisers (IAPCO) conference and at the Asia-Pacific Incentives & Meetings Expo (AIME), also puts things into sharp perspective.

From a delegate’s point of view, a successful conference is one that truly makes the most of the time they’ve committed. That means

A mile in their shoes

By Jan Tonkin, founder and managing director of leading New Zealand PCO, The Conference Company and vice-chair of the IAPCO Training Academy.

great content in every session, being able to find and connect with the right people and enjoying themselves in the process.

A skilled PCO will guide their client on the best uses of their budget to deliver on these essentials. First-class content means investing in speakers who are not just highly regarded, but focus on the “topics of tomorrow”. Apps have been a game changer for delegates, giving them everything they need to build their schedules and identify the people they’d like to meet; these shouldn’t necessarily be viewed as optional extras. Audio visual service and tech support should never be skimped on; however elements of surprise and clever, rather than lavish, touches can be the making of great social functions.

To understand where the money is really best spent, try taking a little walk – in your audience’s shoes.

Meetings 2013 hosted buyer program openEvent organisers are being urged to apply online to secure a place in the Hosted Buyer Program for Meetings 2013, New Zealand’s premier business tourism exhibition.

The Hosted Buyer Program is designed to make it as easy as possible for event organisers and decision-makers to make connections with key people who can help them with the planning and execution of their next New Zealand event.

“It’s a very popular program because not only does it provide opportunities for people to connect at a business level, but it also gives people the chance to network informally and to experience some of our great hospitality,” says Meetings event manager Jeanette Stanton.

Tourism New Zealand has been actively working with Conventions & Incentives New Zealand (CINZ) to bring international buyers to the event as part of its commitment to growing the business events sector in New Zealand. Buyers from Australia, China, South and South-East Asia

are expected to attend.

Before getting down to business, hosted buyers can enjoy a famil day in Auckland. Australian buyers are also being offered the opportunity to extend their stay for the weekend and experience New Zealand with a famil trip to Auckland, Rotorua, Taupo, Wellington, Christchurch and Canterbury or Queenstown.

A Day Buyer Program is also available for those who don’t want to commit to a pre-arranged appointment schedule or do not fit the criteria for the Hosted Buyer Program. Visitors who register for the Day Buyer Program will be invited by Millennium Hotels & Resorts to join them for a hosted lunch at St Matthew in the City, and will also be able to attend the popular Speakers Showcase on the first day of the exhibition.

This year’s Meetings, which is being held in Auckland at the Skycity Convention Centre from June 26-27, has attracted more than 170 exhibitors representing venues and suppliers from throughout New Zealand.

To register for the Hosted Buyer Program visit www.meetings.co.nz.


cover story

Expanding horizonsSpectacular views and increased meetings capacity are set to make RACV Inverloch Resort the premier destination for events in the Gippsland region of Victoria.

The award-winning RACV Inverloch Resort is close to completing extensive renovations, which includes an expansion of its lodge facilities, a new Conference Centre and a new Lounge Bar.

Overlooking the Bass Strait, in Victoria’s Gippsland region, RACV Inverloch Resort’s new Conference Centre will offer a 250-seat Grand Ballroom, tripling its current size. A further two flexible boardrooms will also provide space for up to 10 people in each or 20 when combined, while the Ballroom will have the flexibility to divide into two smaller meetings areas, three different ways, all with floor to ceiling windows offering spectacular views of Anderson’s Inlet and the Bass Coast.

The new Lounge Bar is set to complement the meeting spaces, offering delegates the perfect environment in which to unwind and enjoy locally sourced food and drink while taking in the coastal views. Seating 80 people, the Lounge Bar features a gas log fire, large screen television and climate controlled wine display. The

restaurant also has commanding views out to Bass Strait, and has been extended to increase capacity to 150 guests.

RACV Inverloch Resort is one of six RACV properties across metro and regional Victoria and Queensland. In Victoria, RACV Cape Schanck Resort, on the Mornington Peninsula, combines modern conference and event facilities with a magnificent 18-hole par 70 golf course. Two conference rooms, a private function space, four breakout rooms with an abundance of natural light, and a range of accommodation options, some with ocean views, complete the package, and all within a 75 minute drive from Melbourne’s CBD.

RACV Healesville Country Club, in the Yarra Valley, is a perennial favourite with event organisers, with its easy access from Melbourne’s CBD, renowned golf course and conference facilities spanning over two levels, including its pillarless Grand Ballroom offering panoramic views across the mountain ranges.

In the heart of Melbourne, RACV

City Club has recently expanded its accommodation range with the introduction of The Retreat – 24 premium accommodation rooms featuring décor by renowned interior designer Joseph Pang, adding to the Club’s 112 existing rooms. The Club has also expanded its range of conference and events facilities, with the opening of the spectacular Club Pavilion. This flexible space, which caters up to 120 banquet-style, features floor to ceiling glass walls, access to outdoor terraces, the latest audio-visual technology and a breath-taking crystal chandelier suspended from the skylight.

Situated on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, RACV Noosa Resort has cemented itself as a favourite for guests, being recently voted one of Trip Advisor’s top 25 hotels in Australia and winning the prestigious Trip Advisor Travellers’ Choice Award 2013. The positive reviews follow a series of major upgrades at the spacious six hectare resort, that has flexible meetings space catering up 240 cocktail-style with three dedicated

breakout areas. A new poolside pizza bar and lounge opened late in 2012, adding to the 155 suites and luxury apartments, resort shop and expansion of the restaurant in 2011.

The Gold Coast’s RACV Royal Pines Resort made headlines recently after winning the hosting rights for the Australian PGA Championships for the next five years on its 27-hole golf course. The resort also boasts a 1500sqm Royal Benowa Ballroom among its versatile meeting spaces, which cater from eight to 1800 delegates. Construction has also begun on a new spa facility, due for completion in October this year, and is set to complete a compelling package for delegates, which includes hatted restaurant Videre on the 21st floor, refurbished executive suites and the addition of an executive lounge.

RACV Club and Resorts continues to grow, with RACV Torquay Resort in Victoria, scheduled to open in mid-2013. This looks set to strengthen the brand’s standing amongst event organisers looking for a premium facility offering the very best in service, in an iconic location on 1 Great Ocean Road.

To find out more about RACV Club and Resorts visit racv.com.au/venues.

RACV Inverloch Resort. View slideshow in the CIM iPad app.


technology

Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) has upgraded its audio-visual capability, while simultaneously enhancing its environmental credentials, by purchasing F35 and F85 projectors from Norway’s projectiondesign.

“We value the environment and seek ways to lead industry in all areas of our business,” said MCEC’s technology services manager, Paul Rumble. “When it came to the procurement process parameters such as power consumption and lamp usage had to be identified for each model in the proposal, as well as current replacement cost for servicing and replacement parts like lamps, filters and coolant.”

The projectors were installed by local systems integration firm Rigoni Hall.

“Designed for 24/7 operation, with no filters and a variant of UHPTM lamp technology to increase longevity, the F35 and F85 projectors deliver outstanding reliability and performance, as well as a low total cost of ownership, to MCEC,” said Mike Hall of Rigoni Hall..

Shangri-La gets connectedShangri-La Hotels and Resorts has introduced free wi-fi access across the group’s 78 hotels. In addition, nearly all hotels, including those under the Kerry Hotels and Traders Hotels brands, now offer complimentary wi-fi service in limousines so that guests can access the

internet using their mobile devices from the hotels’ chauffeured cars.

“Extending free wi-fi service to the limousines was a natural step to take after offering it at all our hotels,” said Greg Dogan, president and chief executive of Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts. “Connectivity is a vital part of the Shangri-La experience, and complimentary internet access has become one of our signature standards.”

At a number of Shangri-La hotels mobile connectivity has been taken a step further. In Taipei, arriving guests who are chauffeured to Shangri-La’s Far Eastern Plaza Hotel are welcomed via FaceTime, while commuters using Shangri-La Hotel, Guangzhou’s shuttle can enjoy free internet en route. At Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore, guests can flip through an iPad that provides information about the hotel’s surrounds and the Lion City.

Global company, local touchCloud-based event software company etouches has consolidated its presence in Asia-Pacific following outstanding market growth by acquiring long time regional partner, Imagine Asia Pacific. The new company will be known as etouches Australia.

“By joining forces with etouches global team, we are able to offer our local and international customers even better service and support,

24/7, 365 which is our number one priority,” said Alan Ivory, general manager APAC etouches. “We are now the only global cloud-based events software provider with an office in Australia, so our customers get all the benefits of etouches’ significant investments in product development, plus the peace of mind associated with having a regional support and development team they can meet face-to-face.”

The company’s software provides total registration workflow design, multi-lingual/multi-currency capabilities, custom reporting, and supports any look and feel to empower event organisers to plan, manage and market any size or type of event.

ProjectSpeaker launches speaker management platform Cloud-based technology company ProjectSpeaker has launched a speaker management platform, www.projectspeaker.com, to save conference and meeting planners’ time and resources.

Planners can search the speaker database of complete profiles, manage events and sessions and engage directly with speakers and/or their representatives through the internal communication channel.

Use of the website is free for both planners and speakers.

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in the air

Qantas has said that travelling from Australia to Europe via its new Dubai hub will be faster than going through Singapore. The announcement follows claims that passengers could wait up to 10 hours for connections through to the continent.

Qantas said its flights from Melbourne and Sydney to London will be about 30 minutes shorter than travelling through Singapore or Hong Kong, and that the longest transit time in Dubai for these

flights will be one hour 45 minutes.

The carrier said it will also introduce Dubai Connect, matching Emirates’ long stopover service in Dubai, which provides customers with free accommodation, transfers, meals and visa costs if their connections are greater than eight hours and less than 24 hours for premium economy and economy passengers or greater than six hours and less than 24 hours for first and business passengers.

Dubai route faster than Singapore

“We’re very excited that our Queensland customers can now book flights with us directly to Denpasar and Garuda Indonesia’s vast network,” said Bagus Y. Siregar, vice president for Garuda Indonesia Australia. “The new service will operate daily with connecting flights to Jakarta, catering to both the leisure and corporate market.”

Virgin Australia unveils at CanberraVirgin Australia has unveiled a range of initiatives including the introduction of Business Class on its refurbished Embraer fleet, which flies between Sydney and Canberra in 23 minutes.

Virgin Australia also opened its new 300-seater lounge at the new west wing of Canberra’s domestic terminal. There are now more check-in counters, comfortable leather seating in departure lounges and additional passenger screening areas and baggage carousels within the new terminal space.

“Canberra is an important hub for corporate, government and leisure travellers and we now offer a premium end-to-end travel experience that not only encapsulates Virgin Australia’s distinct look and feel but also our high standard of service,” said Virgin Australia CEO John Borghetti.

Abercrombie & Kent launches jet safarisLuxury travel company Abercrombie & Kent (A&K) has announced the resumption of its exclusive private jet journeys including a 19-day African safari adventure, which travels from Ethiopia to the Cape.

Travelling by privately chartered Boeing 737 jet, the safari caters up to 40 guests.

“Travelling by private jet allows guests to experience Africa at its most rewarding, to spend days immersed in the wonders of the continent, rather than in transit,” said A&K founder Geoffrey Kent.

“Arriving and departing when it makes the most sense, instead of on an airline’s schedule, allows us to devote more time to natural and man-made wonders, meet some extraordinary people, and stay at camps and lodges in remote wilderness areas.”

Air New Zealand tops employer listAir New Zealand has been inducted in to the Randstad Awards Global Hall of Fame after being named the country’s most attractive employer for a third consecutive year – the first time an organisation anywhere in the world has

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Malaysians to see the best of AustraliaSingapore Airlines has launched its first ever campaign with Tourism Australia in Malaysia, showcasing some of Australia’s best experiences in food and wine, nature, cities and journeys. The campaign also highlights flights to Darwin with SilkAir, the regional wing of Singapore Airlines.

Running across print, digital and radio, the campaign capitalises on Malaysians’ increased interest in travel during the Malaysian Association of Tour & Travel Agents consumer travel fair period.

New flights between Nelson and Palmerston NorthAir New Zealand is trialling a daily service between Nelson and Palmerston North from July 12, which last operated in 2008. The new service will operate twice each weekday with one return service on Sundays.

“We identified an opportunity for growth on our network and have worked with the team at Palmerston North airport to re-introduce this important regional link and help stimulate the local market,” said Air New Zealand’s chief operations officer Bruce Parton.

“This time round we are trialling two return services per day in primetime which we believe will be popular with business travellers as well as provide convenient connections between the two cities for leisure travellers.”

Garuda to depart BrisbaneGaruda Indonesia has announced its new service from Brisbane will begin on August 1, 2013. The flights will depart daily from Brisbane to Denpasar on Garuda Indonesia’s B737-800 Next Generation aircraft.


won the accolade three times in a row.

Nominated companies are assessed across a range of areas including strong management, financial health, job security, development opportunities and a good work-life balance.

Air New Zealand ranked highly with 86 per cent of respondents acknowledging they knew the airline well enough to have a strong opinion and positive perception about the brand. More than half of this group also indicated they would like to work for the company.

“We believe this culture translates to more positive experiences for our customers, greater productivity, more innovative thinking and ultimately to strong business results and it’s pleasing to see this commitment recognised externally,” said Air New Zealand CEO Christopher Luxon.

GBR Helicopters flies high in QldGBR Helicopters has achieved a long-term objective by securing major contracts with Telstra Corporation and MMG Limited (operator of Century Mine near Karumba). The move is in line with the company’s business strategy to develop commercial operations across regional Queensland and the Torres Strait.

Telstra’s agreement with GBR Helicopters is to provide an aerial charter services across its key operating locations on the Cape York Peninsula, including Cairns, Cooktown, Weipa and the Torres Strait. GBR Helicopters’ two-year contract with MMG Limited entails regular aerial surveillance and support across Century’s mining and processing operation at Lawn Hill and Port facility at Karumba, on the Gulf of Carpentaria.

“In bidding to secure the Telstra and MMG Limited contracts and fulfil the standards required, GBR Helicopters was able to leverage from its award-winning tourism

operation to ensure comprehensive safety accreditation, quality management and aircraft as well as professional and highly skilled pilots and staff,” said GBR’s managing director, Chris Cooper.

ACCC gives the nod to Jetstar joint venturesThe Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has granted authorisation to Qantas Airways and its subsidiary Jetstar Airways for coordination involving four Asian based Jetstar branded joint ventures: Jetstar Asia, Jetstar Pacific, Jetstar Japan and Jetstar Hong Kong until March 31, 2018.

The authorisation allows Jetstar Airways and the Jetstar joint ventures to coordinate with each other on passenger and cargo services, predominately on intra-Asian routes.

ACCC chairman Rod Sims said the move would result in “improved connections for consumers which will result in a better overall travel experience,” but would not be a detriment to competition in the aviation sector.

Qantas welcomes Ellen DegeneresQantas welcomed The Ellen DeGeneres Show to Australia last month for a six day visit that was expected to boost the global profile of Australia. Qantas partnered with Australian company Swisse Wellness to bring The Ellen DeGeneres Show to Australia to film a series of segments screening worldwide this month as part of the airline’s support for tourism.

The talk show host and her crew arrived into Sydney from Los Angeles on an A380 temporarily renamed “The Ellen DeGeneres Show Express” for the 14 hour flight.

“The exposure so far, the coverage from this visit and the segments filmed in Australia to be screened as part of the show is priceless for the tourism industry,” said Qantas CEO Alan Joyce.

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the red centre

Giving back in the NTNorthern Territory operators are leading the way by embracing corporate social responsibility activities, and providing opportunities for business events groups to do the same, writes Ylla Wright.

The Northern Territory Convention Bureau (NTCB) showed why the territory is fast gaining a reputation as a leader in corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives at the recent Asia-Pacific Incentives & Meetings Expo (AIME), when it invited Bindi, an Alice Springs-based cross-cultural organisation which provides employment opportunities for adults with disabilities, to promote its services on the Northern Territory stand at the show.

Bindi operates a workshop and creative arts studio which produces high quality corporate merchandise including handmade name badges, delegate satchels and bags, calendars, caps and shirts as well as table centerpieces and artworks for NT conferences and events. All profits from the sale of Bindi products go to the artist and the program’s artists collective.

To further increase awareness, participants in an upcoming famil to Alice Springs will undertake a hands-on CSR activity with some of Bindi’s employees on a site visit to their workshop.

“The NT Convention Bureau believes passionately in the value of CSR and we can see first-hand the positive mutual benefits these activities bring to organisations and our community,” says Scott Lovett, NTCB’s director of business events.

For events organisers interested in weaving a CSR component into a conference, incentive or event held in the NT, the NTCB aims to identify and connect organisations with a local CSR partner that demonstrates synergies with their specific business ethos or event.

Options include incorporating an Indigenous performance into the program, such as Drum Atweme, a children’s indigenous drumming group from Alice Springs Town Camps; purchasing a delegate gift of bush medicine balm; engaging local artists to either sell artwork during the event or arrange dot painting

workshops for delegates; volunteering time for hands-on activities; or fundraising or providing in-kind assistance to local projects.

The NTCB has identified 15 key CSR partners in the Territory for involvement with Bureau activities, as well as for the consideration of conference and incentive planners wishing to leave a lasting legacy when they stage an event in the NT. Other partners include The Balunu Foundation (Balunu), an Indigenous owned and operated not-for-profit organisation which aims to break the cycle of Indigenous disadvantage by targeting young people; Aboriginal healing centre Akeyulerre; and Indigenous secondary school Nyangatjatjara College.

Late last year the Bureau presented Drum Atweme with a donation of $5000, a gift made possible by forgoing promotional gifts for guests attending the NT’s Meetings Muster roadshow held in October.

Alice Springs Convention Centre [ASPCC] and sister property Lasseters Hotel Casino are also committed to a diverse CSR policy which contributes to the economic, environmental and social sustainability of the Red Centre.

As part of Lasseters recent $35 million redevelopment, interior designers enlisted the skills of not-for-profit Indigenous-owned and operated organisation Ngurratjuta Many Hands Arts & Gifts to commission more than 80 original works by Central Australian artists to hang in the 66 rooms and suites of the new premium hotel wing which opened last year.

Ngurratjuta Many Hands Arts & Gifts engages Central Australian artists on Fair Trade principles and aims to provide the maximum

percentage of painting sale funds to the individual artist.

The resulting $100,000 “Lasseters Collection” showcases Indigenous traditions and culture passed down from generation to generation as well as stories of the Dreamtime.

The collection can be viewed online at www.lhc.com.au/hotel/the-lasseters-collection with information about the artist and the story depicted, and conference guests are encouraged to nominate their preferred room based on the artwork they like best.

The response from conference clients has been extremely positive, according to convention centre sales and marketing manager Kylie Mansfield.

An Alice Stampede 2012 participant

enjoys the sunrise in Alice Springs.

Alice Stampede on againThe highly successful Alice Stampede mega-familiarisation event will return to Alice Springs from 12-16 July. This four day joint initiative of the Alice Springs Convention Centre and the Northern Territory Convention Bureau will enable approximately 20 business event planners to visit the heart of Central Australia and gain first-hand experience of the venues, accommodation, activities and services on offer in this quintessential outback town. Participation on the famil will be open to qualified professional conference organisers as well as conference, incentive and event planners from the corporate and association sectors. For more information, visit www.ntconventions.com.

Watch the video in the CIM iPad app.


asking for an Indigenous Engagement Program since we announced we were opening the Uluru Meeting Place, and we are delighted to present this program to the market,” said Voyages managing director Koos Klein.

The program offers a diverse range of options, from interactive cultural dance performances, spear and boomerang throwing lessons, didgeridoo playing, bushtucker and traditional weaponry, yarns and more.

“One of the keys to the program is that is can be tailored to meet a group’s individual requirements,” said Klein. “Its offering of authentic Indigenous experiences is unique in

the professional meeting marketplace.”

No doubt destined to be a favourite is a Bush Tucker Tasting Tour with an Aboriginal host who, during a walk through nearby country, teaches guests how the local people lived in such a hot desert climate.

“CSR engagement can make a real difference by bringing about positive change and leaving lasting legacies,” sums up Lovett. “It provides delegates the opportunity to engage with the local community, learn more about Australia’s ancient culture and make a strong connection with the land and its people.”

“Recently, a conference client fell in love with the piece in her room,” she said. “Unfortunately we couldn’t sell it, however we did unite her with the artist and she was able to commission her own gorgeous piece to take home after the conference.”

Increasingly, ASPCC conference bids and proposals are underpinned by individually-tailored CSR program opportunities.

“Our benchmark for success will be the organic inclusion of CSR elements within every successful conference bid for Alice Springs,” says Mansfield. “Our CSR strategy is driving home conference messages far beyond the boardroom and connecting delegates to destination more authentically than ever before.”

Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia, which runs Voyages Ayers Rock Resort and the newly opened Uluru Meeting Place, also has a strong commitment to giving back to the remote communities it operates in, reinvesting all profits in the Indigenous Land Corporation’s Indigenous training and development projects across Australia. The resort also provides employment opportunities for members of the local community and encourages the use of local suppliers.

A recent innovation is an Indigenous Encounters program, which was launched at AIME. The program offers conference organisers a range of Indigenous themed tours and activities.

“There has been a constant stream of enquiries from both PCOs and corporate clients alike

Indigenous drumming

group Drum Atweme is one of NTCB’s partners.


convention centres

Technology to watch forWith technology improving at an ever increasing pace, convention centres are upgrading their capabilities to stay competitive, writes Ylla Wright.

The way to a delegate’s heart may be good coffee and a tempting afternoon tea spread, but the number one thing that clients report they are interested in when booking an event is audio-visual capability, according to Bob O’Keeffe, general manager of the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre, who commissions regular surveys of clients requirements.

“When you think about it, if the coffee is cold, it’s annoying, but it’s not a killer for the event the way it would be if something went wrong for the opening plenary presentation,” he says.

With technology moving faster than ever before and an increasingly tech-savvy audience attending events, it’s little wonder that convention centres both in Australia and overseas are streamlining and upgrading their technology offering. From mobile event apps and free wi-fi for delegates, to blend screens that allow multiple projections to be screened at once and web streaming of speaker presentations, conference organisers now have more options to

consider when organising an event.

While some technological advances can be seen to improve the conference experience for delegates, others can actually help boost participation rates.

Playing the numbers gameIn the case of the recent Grains Research & Development Corporation’s (GRDC) annual Research Update Forum, held at the Adelaide Convention Centre (ACC) in February, the Centre’s built-in web streaming service increased participation by more than 15 per cent.

While the Forum attracted 350 delegates from around Australia, a further 54 GRDC stakeholders, who mostly live in regional or remote areas of the country, logged in to view live speaker presentations from their desktop computers and laptops via the Centre’s media streaming website.

In the planning stages of the event the GRDC

had posed the question of how to engage stakeholders unable to attend the forum and provide them with similar access to information being given to the Forum’s delegates. ACC’s web streaming technology, which is built into all its meeting rooms, enabled delegates to participate in sessions from anywhere in the world via remote access, including active participation such as asking questions, voting and completing questionnaires.

During the Forum, the Centre’s video cameras live streamed more than 50 presentations from the Plenary Hall and three other meeting rooms directly onto the site. The live web streaming service was complemented by a “video on demand” service where GRDC stakeholders, including delegates who attended the Forum, were able to view the speaker presentations in their own time.

ACC chief executive Alec Gilbert says conference organisers are increasingly looking for an integrated, cost effective approach to staging an event where it can be used as a platform to reach a wider audience through technologies like web streaming and digital media.

“Technology cannot replace the experience of attending an event but it does allow for greater

The Adelaide Convention Centre’s web streaming team

works on the Grains Research & Development Corporation Event.

FA_KLCC_Remarkable_CIMAus_0413.ai 8/3/13 10:17:17 G52


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participation and engagement,” he says.

“For conference organisers it also gives them an opportunity to explore new revenue streams by charging for access to the web streaming service.”

GRDC organisers ORM Agricultural Consulting and Communications have received a positive response from both GRDC and participants who took advantage of the web streaming service.

“We’re constantly looking for new ways to enhance the event experience for our clients and attendees,” says ORM’s Matt McCarthy.

“We’re living in the digital age where people expect to be able to access information quickly and easily and innovation is essential for keeping people engaged.”

The ACC has also recently installed 100 centimetre touch screen monitors into each of their professional conference organiser offices, which are directly linked to video monitors in the meeting rooms and foyers throughout the Centre, allowing event organisers to monitor their entire event from a single location.

Gilbert says the move was “part of our continuing effort to refine and improve the facilities and services offered to our clients”.

Team work triumphsTo maintain its competitiveness in an increasingly technological marketplace, the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre (GCCEC) last July invested significantly in the audio visual capacity of the Centre, as well as

introducing an in-house audio visual department for the first time to create a more seamless event experience for clients. New equipment including a 27m wide and 5.5m high super-screen and smaller 16m wide screen formed part of the $500,000 investment.

The GCCEC’s AV manager, Paul Wilson, says the Centre spent two years planning, preparing and acquiring equipment to

successfully deliver a service capable of not

only meeting industry benchmark standards

but exceeding clients’ expectations through

offering value for money, high-end technology

and a highly-tailored product.

“We have learnt and achieved more in the first

nine months of operation than we could have

imagined possible,” he says.

The professional conference organisers facilities at the ACC now feature touch screen monitors.


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“Our resources, abilities and knowledge it seemed were stretched to breaking almost daily however we quickly found our groove and delivered some of the largest and technically complex corporate events held in Australia.”

The team prides itself on linking ground breaking and innovative creative concepts to a client’s environment and expressing them in ways the client can relate to.

“We have worked with many prestigious clients including one of the world’s most recognised IT software companies, retail clients such as Bakers Delight, Mitre 10 and IGA and various associations,” says Wilson.

“From my perspective our greatest achievement as a department and as a world-class venue is receiving the trust and respect of not only these large corporations but of the

people that we have worked with – a lot rests on their events and we have delivered above their expectations.”

Free wi-fi has also been introduced through the venue, with infrastructure capable of sustaining up to 3000 concurrent users, allowing delegates and visitors to stay in touch via email, social media and the internet while at the Centre.

Screens to be believedFurther north, the Cairns Convention Centre has just finished a $6.4 million refurbishment program which included significant technology upgrades such as the installation of new electronic signage systems throughout the building that can be used as client sponsor opportunities, welcome notes, room session times, directional signage or whatever suits client requirements.

“The signage is currently being used during NBL basketball games for the Cairns Taipans showing live feeds from within the hall so fans don’t miss any of the action,” says Ross Steele, general manager of the Centre. “This could equally be applied to conferences with the opportunity for plenary sessions to be displayed to any screen anywhere throughout the building.”

The Centre has also upgraded their wi-fi so delegates and clients can connect from anywhere within the building.

“Our optical fibre backbone has been enhanced including an upgrade of our switching gear,” says Steele. “This allows us to offer the fastest


possible connection speeds within our building and ‘future proofs’ us for the NBN which is currently being rolled out in Cairns.

“Delegate’s expectations of presentation delivery and connectivity have evolved considerably and the Centre’s upgrades will ensure we remain world’s best practice.”

Upgraded digital signage with capability to display high definition videos and images, to serve both as directional signage and for event marketing, was also one of several recent technological upgrades at the Darwin Convention Centre (DCC).

“We have also just purchased five lease subscription licenses, called Vivien Software, to replace our VenueCAD which will allow 3D presentation of the floor plans to clients,” says Carrie Altamura, DCC business development manager. “This is an effective tool in terms of planning and up selling DCC resources.”

Clients can also access an interactive floorplan and room search option on the Centre’s website.

“In terms of our internet offering DCC has also upgraded its wireless infrastructure using Xirrus Arrays,” adds Altamura. “This will allow at least 1500 connections throughout the centre.”

No room for complacencyHaving positioned itself as a leader in the events venue field for technology when it opened in 2009, Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) is well aware that there is no room for complacency when it comes to technology.

“One of the things we’ve seen over the last few years is with consumer technology growing at such a staggering rate, and the advent of iPads and other devices, its raised people’s expectations when they come to an event,” says Michael Walsh, MCEC’s director of operations. “That’s taken a lot of effort to keep on top of.”

In 2012 Walsh and his team put together a 10-year roadmap of where they need to invest to maintain their high standards well into the future. Investments indentified included replacing all of the projectors throughout the venue, a $1 million project completed in January, and replacing the vision distribution system throughout the venue, a multi-million dollar project scheduled for next year.

Walsh says his team, which recently won the “In-house AV Services” award at the Victorian Meetings and Events Australia Awards for the third year in a row, are constantly “watching what the industry is doing, watching what our clients are trying to achieve when they come on site, and making sure we can do that”.

“Our biggest point of difference has always been that we’ve focused on putting a lot of key equipment pre-installed into our meeting spaces,” he adds. “The audio components that people will need; the vision components, whether it be projection or large screen plasma LCD technology; or even the basic lighting elements that people need.

“Building it into the venue makes it significantly easier for clients to come in here and deal with us as a venue. You don’t need to have a great

technical background to come in and run a great event; the venue itself makes it easy to do so. And because it’s all in-house my technical and sales and production teams are able to speak the right language to make sure every event is a success regardless of the level of technical knowledge the client has. We can help them understand exactly what it is they’re looking for and put forward solutions that make sense for their individual events.”


The first centre in Australia to offer free wi-fi,

in 2012 the Centre was also the first to launch

a web application, MConnect, offering a range

of features including venue maps, a calendar of

events, information about the Centre, as well as

step-by-step directions to getting there.

Walsh says his team is continually looking at

ways to improve the app, both through improved

content and technological upgrades.

“There are developments in that app space more frequently than any other technology type at the moment,” he says.

New ways to navigateThe Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre (BCEC), which launched its new conference venue app to clients at the recent Asia-Pacific Incentives and Meetings Expo, will be the

first convention centre to have Google “Indoor Maps” which allows users to navigate around large venues.

One of only 188 venues including sporting venues, shopping centres and airports across Australia to have the new technology, which uses nearby wi-fi networks and mobile towers rather than conventional satellite technology to determine a user’s location, it will be used in the second phase of the BCEC app, already under development.

The first phase of the app “enables visitors to have a better and broader experience while at BCEC, ensuring they take advantage of everything the Centre has to offer”, according to Adam Penberthy from app developer The App Network.

“We have focused primarily on ease of use,” he says. “Conference and tradeshow delegates have busy agendas; the application should be as easy as possible to use. We have looked at best practice design and user functionality and have created something that is intuitive, functional and simple to navigate, catering to users of varying IT experience.”

The BCEC has also refreshed its website delivering new and updated features and upgraded content and navigation.

O’Keeffe says that upgrading new technology at the Centre is exciting not only for clients and end users but also for staff.

“It generates good business, the clients like it and the staff like, and hopefully everyone stays around a lot longer,” he says.

The Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre puts on a show for a client.


gold coast

The Commonwealth Games may still be five years away but the pace of activity on the Gold Coast suggests that the region is preparing well in advance for what will be the chance of a lifetime to promote both its natural and manmade attributes to a global audience.

Gold Coast Tourism has recently launched its Gold Coast Ambassador Program, with 10 Ambassadors chosen to promote bidding for international events, and who between them have already secured 10 international business events over the last 18 months. Gold Coast Tourism’s director of business events, Anna Case, says that the Ambassadors will “showcase the Gold Coast’s leadership, expertise and innovation to the world”.

“Through bringing these events to the Gold Coast, our business events Ambassadors play a crucial role in the consolidation of the Gold Coast’s reputation as a world-class business events destination,” she says.

Having built a solid following domestically, the Gold Coast attracts 47 per cent of all conference delegates coming to Queensland, but of that only 10 per cent of those delegates are from overseas. With the “lion’s share of the big international association business going to Brisbane”, Gold Coast Tourism chief executive Martin Winter says the Ambassador Program is part of a raft of new initiatives that will help boost the amount of international association business coming to the Gold Coast.

Think global act localWith investment ramping up across a range of infrastructure projects on the Gold Coast in anticipation of the Commonwealth Games in 2018, the region is broadening its focus to attract more international business events, writes Sheridan Randall.

“We want to take our ICCA ranking from where it is now to where it should be – a second tier city with a leisure outlook to be among the top 100 in the world in the association meetings sector,” he says.

However, Winter is confident that the Gold Coast’s international profile “is about to hit new levels as the city builds its promotional momentum towards 2018”.

More than 120,000 extra tourists will visit the Gold Coast for the Commonwealth Games split evenly between international and domestic visitors. To capitalise on this “exceptional opportunity”, the region is undergoing an “unparalleled period of new investment and development”.

These include the Broadwater Marine Project, which is set to deliver one of the largest pieces of integrated tourism infrastructure developed in Queensland’s history; a new cultural precinct with arts museum, living arts centre and a subtropical outdoor artscape, to be located at 17-hectare site at Evandale; a $1 billion light rail system, operational from mid-2014 and running from Southport to Broadbeach; a $41 million Gold Coast Aquatic Centre to be ready for the 2014 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships; and

a $580 million redevelopment of retail complex Pacific Fair to include department stores, luxury and high street fashion, dining and bar venues, a leisure and entertainment precinct and more than 400 speciality stores.

Winter calls this “an exciting new phase” for the region which will see the Gold Coast “continue to reconfirm its global event status”.

International conferences and business events at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre (GCCEC) generated over 6000 delegate days and its international/interstate conference attendee days were up 17 per cent in the last financial year. The Centre is also aiming to build on international association interest, particularly in the medical sector, following the completion of the new $150 million Griffith Health Centre and the $1.76 billion Gold Coast University Hospital, which are both scheduled to open later this year, according to Michelle Mann, GCCEC’s director of sales.

Gold Coast Tourism CEO Martin Winter (left) with the 10 Gold Coast Ambassadors.

Ph

otos courtesy of G

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In the last 12 months, GCCEC has confirmed six international business events including the 61st Annual Scientific Meeting of the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand held in conjunction with the 37th Annual Scientific Meeting of the International Society for Heart; SIGIR Conference, and the World Volunteer Conference and Youth Forum, which is set to attract 1500 delegates in 2014.

“The international conference market has certainly become a focus for the Centre and with the

increase of international visitors more business events are set to rise,” Mann says.

“The Gold Coast is very appealing to the Asian market as a destination and the myriad of leisure options offering added-value post business events.”

Access to ChinaIncreased air access has also been a top priority for Gold Coast Tourism to secure more international visitors and delegates over the coming years.

Direct services from Kuala Lumpur with Air Asia are well established, while Scoot and Jetstar Asia have also opened up the Gold Coast to more South East Asian destinations.

“Singapore is another area of substantial growth for the Gold Coast with a 64 per cent increase in visitors last year which has been a result of Gold Coast Tourism and partners securing direct flights into the Gold Coast from Singapore with Scoot Airlines,” says Winter.

“It has been proven that scheduled services from China have been well received by both the leisure and corporate sector, with recent

figures showing a 32 per cent overall increase in Chinese visitors into the Gold Coast in 2012.

“A special Chinese New Year arrangement through legacy carrier Cathay Pacific was also very well received earlier this year, with three charters into the Gold Coast netting more than 1000 guests. Anticipation also surrounds the impending Jakarta to Brisbane service with five flights per week, offered by Garuda Airlines, set to provide a mono-destination equation for incentive travellers looking to experience more of what the Gold Coast can offer.”

Gold Coast Tourism has doubled its investment and resources in the Chinese market and is working with industry and government stakeholders to grow Chinese visitor expenditure by around $35 million a year over the next few years, according to Winter.

One such investment was a recent trade mission to China, giving 34 Queensland tourism businesses and four regional tourism organisations the chance to sell their product to 200 Chinese travel organisations. Organised by Tourism and Events Queensland and Destination NSW, the trade

mission was the largest delegation ever of Queensland tourism operators to head to China.

Among the group was Lee Eyre, co-owner of Gold Coast-based adventure crabbing tour company Catch-a-Crab, who has been going to the Chinese market for 15 years.

“I believe the timing is right for China now,” Eyre says. “When I first started going to China for trade trips I found I was too early in the market; it wasn’t ready. They just wanted to do theme parks and that was it. I have been working the Hong Kong market for many years, and China often looks at what’s happening in Hong Kong and follow their lead.”

With some business already secured, Eyre is set to go back in May on another trade mission to sell what many Australians take for granted and that the Gold Coast has in spades.

“Chinese buyers are very interested in nature and the Aussie lifestyle,” she says. “They also have that passionate love of seafood, along with the fresh water, clear blue skies and everything that we have here on the Gold Coast.”

An international famil enjoys an Indigenous performance at

O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat.


adelaide

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Artist’s Impression, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI)

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Something of an all-rounder, Adelaide has seen an increase in the number of business events being held, despite increased competition from the larger cities of Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne and cutbacks in the mining industry. The downside of this increase has been a drop off in the value of those events, with smaller meetings being the main trend over the last 18 months.

“The bureau won more events than ever but with the events being smaller it was down on its economic target,” says Adelaide Convention Bureau chief executive Damien Kitto.

“With reduced funding levels it has been challenging to attract larger national events to Adelaide. Associations and corporations are very budget driven in these economic times and often prefer to stay on the east coast

close to their core membership base. Despite this perception Adelaide does have a strong record in delivering an exceptional event for the delegate and organiser. For these reasons the bureau team works very closely with event organisers to overcome this perception.”

Initiatives such as the Ambassador Program have helped the bureau increase the number of events being held, with the program returning 54 bid wins which in turn has created 115,455 bed nights and generated $111.7 million for the South Australian economy.

Another strategy has also yielded several opportunities that are currently being developed into bids.

“A recent initiative is partnering with the Council for International Trade and Council for International Trade and Commerce South Australia to invite the presidents

of the key international business chambers to become Conventions Adelaide Ambassadors and actively work with them to work through their trade networks for opportunities,” says Kitto.

With a significant amount of investment in the Adelaide Convention Centre (ACC) expansion due to come online in 2014, the bureau has been working closely with the ACC team and industry to attract international and national events during the first 12 months of operation, according to Kitto.

However, Kitto concedes it has “been a challenging task due to global and national economic conditions and the [high] value of the Australian dollar”.

Ben Patten, the general manager at Mecure Grosvenor Hotel Adelaide, agrees, saying there has been “fiscal restraint” from many

companies across the board.

“There hasn’t been any one sector that has dropped off or disappeared altogether,” says Patten. “What we are seeing are shorter events and a decrease in discretionary events.

“The days of people flying in the afternoon prior and sleeping in the next morning, which always extends the duration of an event, are over. We are seeing an increase in people coming on red eye flights and going straight into conferences and that includes speakers and support staff. Then they keep the content as short as they can with as much density as they can.”

With the mining sector a major player in the state’s economy, Patten says Adelaide’s central business district has “had its roughest year in terms of confidence with the Olympic Dam project being put on hold”.

Adelaide has seen an increase in business events being held despite battling a number of headwinds. That trend is set to continue with innovative new initiatives and an increase in investment set to come online soon, writes Sheridan Randall.

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the food,the wine,the experience.

“The confidence knock on is disproportional to the actual impact it would have had on Adelaide, but there are still multitudes of other [mining] projects on the go in South Australia.”

Patten remains confident that expansion of capacity at the ACC will boost the size of events being held there while the investment in the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI) will “will feed in a culture of excellence for those people wanting to come to Adelaide for the pharmacy, medical and research streams”, with a flow on effect for business events in the city.

The Mercure Grosvenor Hotel Adelaide has just completed a multi-million dollar refurbishment of its 181 4-star accommodation rooms, and works together with sister property The Sebel Playford Adelaide for larger events, particularly those events being held at the ACC.

A recent Deloitte Economics Access reported showed occupancy rates across the accommodation sector in Adelaide were steady at around 75 per cent. However, they are expected to grow by 2.9 per cent over the next three years.

“Where we are seeing a little bit of pressure is in the average rate space,” says Patten. “Year on year the average rates are down 4 per cent across the market. We are able to maintain occupancy at a slightly lesser rate. I really think the issue will remain flat for this year, but we will see an upward swing in 2014 with opening of the first stage of the ACC, the Adelaide Oval and the [SAHMRI] medical centre. That should drive demand if supported appropriately.”

Another property looking to prepare for the expected increase in business is Stamford Grand

Adelaide Hotel at Glenelg, which is currently in the initial stages of a refurbishment of its 221 accommodation rooms, with plans to flow on to the rest of the hotel including the conferencing facilities and ballroom.

“Adelaide as a whole will benefit from the [CBD] investment,” says Justin Higgins, general manager at the hotel. “I think there has been a fair bit of work put in by the Adelaide Convention Bureau. And the city does have the business support – everything from mining to hospitals and universities. These markets segments for us are beneficial and there is a significant amount of business that works around those industries.”

New to the Adelaide market, Higgins says that it is “a very hands-on place, where everyone shakes hands and gets to know everyone else”.

“We all work together, the more we

activity, and the amount of business it brings in is significant,” he says.

“The Santos Tour Down Under has a massive following, and we have set up a couple of circuits up and down the coast where we supply bikes and equipment.”

Kitto sits on the Festivals Adelaide Committee to ensure that the business events sector capitalises on the interest in Adelaide that the different festivals and events bring, including the Fringe Festival, Adelaide Festival, WOMADelaide and Clipsal 500.

“January through to April is a fantastic time to attend a conference in Adelaide due to the range of internationally renowned major events and festivals taking place,” says Kitto.

In March, the bureau in collaboration with Business Events Australia, hosted a Chinese corporate agent familiarisation.

“They were blown away by the level of activity and atmosphere in the city during their stay,” says Kitto. “This reinforces the value of mixing conventions with major events or indeed hosting client activities during this time of the year.”

can get into town the more we can sell it,” he says.

With Adelaide having just finished its festival season, Higgins says that the city “really comes alive”.

“It’s amazing how a city can transform into such a hive of

Stamford Grand Adelaide Hotel at Glenelg.

The Mercure Grosvenor Hotel

Adelaide.


World class facility opens in 2013

The highly anticipated relaunch of Royal Randwick will see world class racing and event facilities on offer for gala dinners, conferences, product launches, cocktails, festivals and more in 2013.

royal randwick

Delivering award winning events

With over 30,000m2 of flexible, indoor and outdoor space for gala dinners, conferences and large scale exhibitions and events, Rosehill Gardens really is the event planners’ venue of choice.

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For bookings and enquiries P 1300 729 668 | E [email protected] | australianturfclub.com.au

Artist impression: The Grandstand Artist impression: ‘Theatre of the Horse’

Sofitel Brisbane lifts luxury

venue update

Sofitel Brisbane Central has completed a multi-million-dollar refurbishment of its accommodation rooms. All 433 rooms, including 81 Club rooms, and 21 Luxurious Suites, have undergone a makeover.

“We’re the largest luxury hotel in the city and our clients demand a high level of service and surroundings,” said general manager Marcus Hanna.

“Our design concept focused on infusing French elegance with elements of our local heritage, and has resulted in a fresh and sophisticated décor, whilst still reflecting traditional French design influences throughout all room types.”

Marco Polo Hongkong Hotel connectsMarco Polo Hongkong Hotel has introduced its new Connect Lounge, with complimentary wi-fi, gym and two new multi-purpose function rooms.

Overlooking the Canton Road and Heritage 1881, the Bauhinia Room has natural daylight and splits into five soundproof sections, with separate control panels and built-in projectors. The Orchid Room also has natural daylight, built-in screens and easy control panels and can be divided into two rooms.

Castaway Island, Fiji reopensCastaway Island, Fiji has reopened following its temporary closure as a result of damage sustained from Severe Tropical Cyclone Evan in December, 2012.

All bures are now rethatched and many received new tapa lined ceilings and air conditioning units, while hundreds of plants

from the Castaway nursery and many hundreds more purchased ensure the gardens are flourishing throughout the resort.

“During the closure, all our staff have played a huge part and taken ownership in the reinstatement of their much loved island resort,” said Geoffrey Shaw, chairman and CEO of the resort. “The outcome we have achieved would have been an uphill battle without their commitment and loyalty.”

Raffles hits Hainan IslandRaffles Hotels & Resorts has expanded its collection to 10 hotels with the opening of Raffles Hainan – their second property in China. The 299-room luxury resort opened last month in Clearwater Bay, on Hainan Island.

The Clearwater Bay development encompasses the Raffles resort, two championship golf courses designed by US-based Schmidt-Curley Design, and deluxe private residences. The property has

meetings space for up to 500 cocktail or 300 banquet at its Ballroom, with seven other flexible spaces also available including a beachfront pavilion.

Accor expands in South East AsiaAccor has announced the development of three newly built hotels in Myanmar – an MGallery hotel in Naypyidaw, Novotel Yangon Max and Novotel Mandalay Mingalar.

“We are excited to announce the signing of three new hotels in Myanmar – the first of which will open this year – marking Accor’s return to Myanmar,” said Michael Issenberg, chairman and chief operating officer for Accor Asia-Pacific.

“Southeast Asia has long been a focus market for Accor, and as the country’s tourism industry develops, we see significant growth potential for international hotel operators with long-term experience in the region. These

three developments represent yet another step towards our goal of operating 700 hotels in Asia-Pacific by 2015.”

The MGallery hotel will be the city’s first international brand hotel. The 168-room property will have one meeting hall, four meeting rooms, a cigar bar and two dining outlets, including an Italian restaurant, and is expected to open this year.

The 366-room Novotel Yangon Max will be completed by the end of 2013, with three restaurants, a 1000sqm banquet room and eight meeting rooms. The 280-room Novotel Mandalay Mingalar is scheduled to open in in 2015, and will have two restaurants, a ballroom and four meeting rooms.

Terrace Hotel finalist in Heritage AwardsPerth’s Terrace Hotel has been listed as a finalist in this year’s West Australian Heritage Awards. The winner is to be announced this month.

“It is such a beautiful property it caught the eye of famed entrepreneur Lord McAlpine who saved it from demolition in the early 1980s,” said the 15 room boutique hotel’s general manager, Michael Collins.

W Hotels to double Asian presenceW Hotels has announced plans to more than double its Asian presence by the end of 2018, offering almost 20 W Hotels and Retreats in nine countries in the region. More than half of the W brand’s global pipeline is slated for Asia Pacific, including the first W

Sofitel Brisbane Central.


World class facility opens in 2013

The highly anticipated relaunch of Royal Randwick will see world class racing and event facilities on offer for gala dinners, conferences, product launches, cocktails, festivals and more in 2013.

royal randwick

Delivering award winning events

With over 30,000m2 of flexible, indoor and outdoor space for gala dinners, conferences and large scale exhibitions and events, Rosehill Gardens really is the event planners’ venue of choice.

rosehillgardens

For bookings and enquiries P 1300 729 668 | E [email protected] | australianturfclub.com.au

Artist impression: The Grandstand Artist impression: ‘Theatre of the Horse’

Hotel in mainland China which opened in Guangzhou in March, followed by openings in Beijing, Shanghai, Changsha and Suzhou over the next five years. Additional W Hotels have been announced for India, Indonesia and Malaysia.

“Asia is a rapidly growing market, long known for exemplary, traditional service in hospitality,” said Paul James, global brand leader, W Hotels Worldwide, St. Regis, and The Luxury Collection. “With each new W Hotel opening, we are able to reinvent the luxury hotel landscape, offering cutting-edge design, whatever/whenever service, and insider access to what’s new and next for both our guests and locals alike.”

Wyndham continues to expandWyndham Hotel Group has continued its expansion with a new asset acquisition and management agreement for a landmark Melbourne development. Located on the corner of William Street and Little Bourke Street, the property is currently under construction. Set to be completed by mid-2014, the 531 mixed-use apartment complex will be branded Wyndham on William.

The development will provide a combination of studio, one, two and three-bedroom apartments for

both short term accommodation and residential. Onsite facilities will include a 24-hour concierge, gymnasium, restaurant, medical centre, library, conference space, meeting room and rooftop pool.

Dorsett Hotels & Resorts hits SingaporeDorsett Singapore, owned and managed by Dorsett Hospitality International, opened its doors in March, marking the first property to open in Singapore under the Dorsett branding.

The 285-room hotel is located above the Outram Park MRT interchange station.

New conference venue for Airlie BeachBIG4 Adventure Whitsunday Resort is set to build a new multi-purpose conference facility after receiving a grant through the Tourism Industry Regional Development Fund. The recent approval of a $250,000 grant will enable the award-winning resort to build a new facility with multiple spaces for meetings, functions and conferences catering for 30 to 100 delegates.

BIG4 Adventure Whitsunday currently caters for conferences, events and retreats for up to 50 people, with the new facility to be completed by December, 2013.

“Having received the only grant in the Whitsunday region we are keen to get the project underway and maximise the potential of the business events offering for the Whitsundays,” said owner Greg McKinnon.

Pullman Partners with Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week AustraliaPullman has announced it is the official hotel partner of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia, to be held from April 8-12, 2013.

Guests at Pullman Sydney Hyde Park will be able to watch the day’s runway shows from large television screens installed in the lobby, while black and white behind-the-scenes photographs of Fashion Weeks gone by will be displayed around the hotel.

Archipelago International opens new luxury hotel In BaliArchipelago International’s newest hotel brand, Alana, launched in March with the opening of its flagship property in Bali. The Alana Vasanti – Seminyak sits in the heart of Petitenget in South Bali.

The hotel features four presidential suites and 24 deluxe suites with separate lounge space and a mix of 93 guest rooms with private

balconies, spacious bathrooms with rain showers. There are also 200sqm of meeting facilities including one mid-sized general session room and two function rooms catering to intimate corporate functions and banquets.

Refurb for Crescent Beverly HillsThe Crescent Hotel Beverly Hills, in Los Angeles, has completed a renovation of its 35 guest rooms.

The Crescent Hotel was established as the first boutique hotel in the area in 1927, with the newly renovated guest rooms mixing a modern Beverly Hills style with the glamour of the 1920s Hollywood era.

South Africa’s Three Cities acquires Bantry Bay South African hospitality group Three Cities has acquired 4-star Bantry Bay Luxury Suites taking the group’s accommodation portfolio to 10 in the Western Cape region.

“The Three Cities Group has always been at the forefront of the industry and we are incredibly delighted to have The Bantry Bay Luxury Suites brought into our portfolio,” said Three Cities Group managing director John Creighton.

The Alana Vasanti – Seminyak in Bali.

The upcoming Wyndham on William.


pco association

Project management: tools and tipsProject management tools and methodologies are great ways for you to organise, plan and execute your events with precision, writes Matt Hnatojko.

Project management by definition is the discipline of planning, organising, motivating and controlling resources to achieve specific goals. A project is a temporary endeavor with a start and ending that has a set of goals and objectives. Every event that you undertake whether it’s a meeting for 12 people or a conference for 700 can be defined and undertaken as a project.

I am a project manager for Jomablue, a company which specialises in integrating technology solutions for public events, conferences and exhibitions. Even though we focus specifically on the technical aspects such as internet connectivity, every event we are involved in is considered to be a “project”. Each project we embark on is broken down into seven project phases – these divide the work into categories to ensure the work load can be distributed, tasks are completed, resources (staff) are not overworked, and it allows us to easily report to our clients on our current progress or expected delivery.

There are many aspects of an event that need to be considered, most of which involve working within budget or timeframes constraints. There are online tools that can assist you in managing these aspects in a format that will save you time,

improve your organisational skills and ensure you can deliver as promised.

To understand how you can use these tools for your event planning, we first need to understand some terminology that you will come across using these tools.

• Resource – resources are required to carry out project tasks (people, equipment, facilities etc...)

• Tasks – a task is a piece of work that is to be undertaken by a resource

• Milestone – a significant event during the project that requires action or a decision that may affect future outcomes

• Deliverable – a tangible or intangible object produced as a result of the project that is intended to be delivered.

Using online tools to assist you in managing the project (event) can be as straightforward or as complex as you desire. These tools in their most basic form are task or to-do lists and this is exactly where you should start. Allocate time that is free from distractions to focus entirely on your event. You need to create a task list that is from top to bottom, that is from the very first thing you do (the initial sales phone call) right up until the completion (potentially the event debrief). Any task that requires effort should be listed as a line item.

How far you take this task planning is up to you

and the online tools you decide to invest your time. If you prefer to brain-dump your task list, and not go much further, tools such as Teleype (http://telety.pe/) or Basecamp (http://basecamp.com/) offer a project dashboard that allows you and your staff to sign in to a dashboard and view project updates, project files and tasks that are assigned to them. These tools are designed for smaller businesses and have pricing models that start around $9.99 per user per month.

If scheduling and time constraints are something you would like to get a handle on, software such as Microsoft Project or SmartSheet (http://www.smartsheet.com/) might be more suitable. Both of these products are on the heavier lifting end of project management and definitely come with a greater learning curve. The products are focused around each task having start dates, end dates and predecessors, allowing you to make accurate predictions on time frames and task risks.

Project management tools are also great for drawing accurate quotations. As many of these tools are based around resource utilisation (that is, staff costs), you can accurately plan the amount of work involved in completing all the tasks involved in creating an event. Resources can be individually charged out as well as applying discounts, fixed costs and expenses.

The time invested into utilising these tools may seem like a heavy time investment but taking the time to think out a project and map those tasks into tools that can assist you in managing the event positively adds value to how you deliver your event, and demonstrates a high quality of work to your clients.

● Matt Hnatojko is project manager at Jomablue and a consultant to the PCO Association.


For more information, visit www.pco.asn.au

Professional development for PCOsMarch was professional development month for PCOs with workshops on Risk Management and Hybrid Events held in Brisbane, Melbourne, and Sydney.

During the sessions, Paul Chivers, from riskfacilitator, provided comprehensive coverage of risk management issues for conference and event managers, and explained why a good risk management plan will not only ensure that you are prepared to cope with any unwelcome surprises at events, but will provide a valuable communication tool for all stakeholders. As an added bonus, a good risk management plan provides conference and event managers with a competitive advantage over your rivals when it comes to pitching for business.

Impressed with the workshop content, participants have requested further workshops on the topic in the future.

Riskfacilitator is a business partner of the PCO Association, and has offered PCO Association members a free Risk Needs Analysis for their conference or event. For full details on how to contact riskfacilitator to take advantage of this great offer visit the PCO website’s Partners page.

Craig Rispin, our ever-popular futurist, also completed his workshop series on Hybrid Conferences and Events. Participants plugged-in to the technology and learned how easy it can be to conduct your own virtual event.

One of the main aims of the PCO Association is to provide quality Professional Development programs at very affordable prices, and we certainly delivered with these workshops. We can’t do this however without the generous support of our speakers and presenters, and industry partners. A big thank you to our presenters Paul Chivers and Craig Rispin, and our venue partners Rydges Southbank in Brisbane, Rydges North Sydney, Rydges Swanston in Melbourne, The Blackman Hotel in Sydney, Hotel Urban Brisbane, and audio visual

PCO ASSOCiATiON NEWSpartner Microhire.

The PCO Association will continue to respond to our members’ demand for quality professional development industry workshops and seminars. Feel free to contact us with relevant topics.

Understanding PCO business modelsA panel of industry experts and PCO Association National Councillors participated in an informative panel discussion on PCO Business Models as part of the AIME Knowledge educational seminar program held at the Asia-Pacific Incentives & Meetings Expo (AIME) in February. The session was recorded and is available for general viewing on the PCO Association’s home page.

Business Partner programThe Business Partner program is available to organisations who supply to the conference and events sector. The program was developed to facilitate engagement between PCOs and the greater conference, meetings and events community. Details are available on the PCO website’s Partners page.

PCO 2013 Conference and Exhibition website launchedInformation about the 2013 PCO National Conference, including the Sponsorship and Trade Prospectus, is now available on the PCO website, www.pco.asn.au/conference-2013.html.

The 2013 PCO National Conference will be held at Pullman Melbourne Albert Park from Thursday November 28 to Saturday November 30.

The theme of the conference – Business Events: New World Management Strategies – will

include a program addressing the challenges and opportunities, trends and issues currently facing our industry – from new government legislation, the rising expectations of conference stakeholders, delivering best outcomes in an environment of ever-changing technology, and the impact of globalisation and the internet.

Interested in becoming a Business Partner? Business Partners receive a 15 per cent discount on selected sponsorship and trade packages. Go to the PCO website and download the application form.

Is your membership current?PCO Association Members enjoy a variety of benefits including:

• Business referrals via requests for proposals and calls for tenders, as received from industry Associations, corporate and government bodies

• Discounted conference and professional development registration fees

• Regular e-newsletters and announcements

• Industry accreditation – individual and company

• Dispute resolution process

• Website, including “Find a PCO” facility

• Discounted conference and event insurance via our Business Partner H2 Insurance Services

Membership of your professional association also provides you with a voice on issues that influence your industry, your business and your career. Be involved!

Individual membership is available to bona fide PCOs, in-house meeting planners, conference and event managers, producers and coordinators. Annual membership fees offer great value at $110 (including GST). To apply for membership, go to the PCO website and complete the online application process.

• Dining areas for 450• Multiple meeting rooms• 4 minutes from the Sydney CBD• 6 minutes from Sydney Airport

• Exhibition Hall caters for 3000• Auditorium (cinema) seats 520• In-house catering and audio visual services• Undercover parking and coach access

Conferences, exhibitions, corporate meetings, training, fashion and product launches, movie launches…and more!

Contact Ruby Chronis, Director Sales & Marketing

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was marketing coordinator at the Sheraton Mirage Resort and Spa Gold Coast. Her previous positions have included conference and venue coordinator at Brisbane City Council and marketing coordinator at National Institute of Training.

Terri Growcott has joined ICMS Australasia as an event manager. She has most recently been senior project manager for

Conference Innovators in Christchurch.

Trudy James (pictured) has been appointed sales manager of the Blue Baths Rotorua. She has an extensive background

in sales, marketing and operations and will be replacing Megan Davies.

The Orange Group has recently made new appointments to the team at The Wharf and Orakei Bay. Dale Brown has been promoted to the role of event sales coordinator; he originally started on the service team before working his way up to supervisor. Sally Tau has been appointed event sales coordinator; she comes from a hospitality background having managed events and conferences at the Raratongan Beach Resort. Nicky Johnson has also been appointed sales event manager. She recently spent four years in London working for the Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust.

Sofitel Luxury Hotel group has appointed Alexandra Ridgway as director of sales and marketing for the Sofitel Fiji Resort and Spa. Most

recently she spent four years with Fraser suites in Sydney where she worked across various roles including director of sales and marketing and acting general manager. She has also worked for Marriott International as a senior manager and the Stamford Plaza Hotels Sydney as associate director of sales.

she was director of marketing at Four Seasons Hotel Sydney.

Stamford Grand Adelaide has appointed Justin Higgins general manager. He has worked in hotels for

more than 20 years including senior management roles in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the UK. Most recently he was general manager of Mirvac Hotels and Resorts where he was responsible for opening the Quay West Resort and Spa in Falls Creek.

Rendezvous Hospitality Group has announced the appointment of Christopher Lynch to the newly created role

of associate director, distribution and revenue management. Prior to this position he was regional revenue and yield manager for Mirvac Hotels and Resorts. He has also worked in similar positions for Urban Hotel Group and Rydges Hotels and Resorts.

Laura McDougall has been appointed MCI Australia’s corporate relations manager in Melbourne. In her new role

she will use her extensive industry network to focus on relationship development and business for corporate events. Prior to this position she was sales manager events for Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Shelagh Stanbridge has been appointed functions and events sales manager for the Adelaide Oval Stadium Management

Authority. She will be responsible for leading the event co-ordinators and focusing on the business events industry. Her previous

meeting people

Conference Innovators recently announced the appointment of Rachel Cook as their new director. She has been a long standing

event manager for the company and manager of the Auckland office. In her new role she will be responsible for leading the team of event manager and project managing her own events in Australia and New Zealand.

Event management company Dinamics in Queenstown, New Zealand, has appointed Katie Bowden as the newest member of its team. She brings to the role five years of hospitality management experience. Originally from the UK, she worked in public relations before moving to New Zealand.

SilverNeedle Hospitality has announced the appointment of Sean Flynn as executive vice president. He brings to the role more than 30 years experience in the hospitality and franchising industry. Most recently he was chief executive officer of Brotzeit International in Singapore and he has also held key positions in Rendezvous Hospitality Group including executive vice president operations. He has served on the board of directors for various organisations across South East Asia and Australia.

Stamford Plaza Adelaide has appointed Peter Gee as general manager. Prior to this he was general manager

of Stamford Plaza Auckland for nearly 10 years. In this position he was responsible for planning and project managing the redevelopment of the hotel’s ground floor as well as the addition of eleven floors. He was named “New Zealand Hotel General Manager of the Year” in 2005.

Beverley Parker has been appointed executive director of sales and marketing for Dockside Group. Her previous positions include director of sales and marketing for Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre and Accor Darling Harbour Hotels. Most recently

positions include director of sales and marketing for Stamford Hotels and Resorts Adelaide, group director of sales and marketing for View Hotels Sydney, and director of sales and marketing for the Swiss Grand Hotel in Bondi.

Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre (PCEC) has announced the appointment of Nigel Keen to the role of general

manager. He began his career at PCEC in 2008 as executive chef before being promoted to director of operations in 2011.

Borneo Convention Centre Kuching has announced the appointment of Collin Chan as its new director of sales and

marketing. He brings to the role 19 years of experience in the hospitality industry. He has been director of sales and marketing for a number of 5-star hotels within South East Asia including Hotel Equatorial Ho Chi Minh City and Kempinski Hotel Jakarta.

Crown Perth has announced the appointment of Yvette Ranger as events and conference sales manager of

Crown Convention Centre. She has 12 years of experience in the hospitality industry, including the role of business and events manager of Hilton London. She has also been involved in organising events for Queen Elizabeth II and the British Academy of Film and Television Arts.

Claire Clark has been appointed marketing coordinator for the sales and marketing team at RACV Royal Pines Resort. Prior

to taking on this new role she


KEY: L, Local; N, National; I, International; C, Conference; E, Exhibition; B, Both. Figures are of expected attendance. Contact details are included where available.

May 2013

1-3 MedTec, IE, London; www.medtecukshow.com3-4 Natural Medicine Summit, IC, Sydney; www.atmssummit.com.au4-8 Aust & NZ College of Anaesthetists Meeting, IC, MCEC, Melbourne; www.anzca2013.com7-9 Wine World Shanghai, IE 10,000, Shanghai; www.wineworldshanghai.com7-9 OzWater, NC, PCEC, Perth; www.ozwater.org7-9 SemiCon Singapore, IE, Singapore; www.semiconsingapore.org7-9 SIAL China, IE 45,000, Shanghai; www.sialchina.com7-10 AusTech, NE, MCEC, Melbourne; www.austechexpo.com.au8-10 Design Build, NE, SCEC, Sydney; www.designbuildexpo.com.au13 eHealth Week Conference, IC, Dublin; www.wtg.ie14-17 Alzheimer’s Australia National Conference, NC, Hobart; www.alzheimers2013.com16-19 Brisbane Truck Show, NE, BCEC, Brisbane; www.brisbanetruckshow.com.au16-19 Mind Body Spirit Show, NE, SCEC, Sydney; www.mbsfestival.com.au16-19 Sydney Home Show, LE, Sydney;

www.sydneyhomeshow.com.au18-26 Int. Conf. on Software Engineering, IC, San Francisco; www.2013.icse-conferences.org20-23 AustMine, IB, PCEC, Perth; www.austmine2013.com23-25 AusVeg, NB 1000, ACC, Adelaide; www.ausveg.com.au23-25 Dietitians Assoc. of Aust. National Conf, NC, Canberra; www.arinex.com.au/dietitians201323-26 Melbourne International Coffee Festival, IE, Melbourne; www.internationalcoffeeexpo.com26-29 APPEA Conference, NC, BCEC, Brisbane; www.appeaconference.com.au26-29 Royal Australasian College of Physicians Congress, NC, PCEC, Perth; www.racpcongress2013.com.au26-30 Royal Aust & NZ College of Psychiatrists Congress, IC, SCEC, Sydney; www.ranzcp2013.com29 The Events Event, IE, Aberdeen, UK; www.theeventsevent.com

June 2013

3-6 Int. Luxury Travel Market, IE, Shanghai; www.iltm.net4-6 Renewable Energy World, IB, Vienna; www.renewableenergyworld-europe.com4-6 Top Wine China, IE 7295, Beijing; www.topwinechina.com4-7 European Congress, IC, Dublin;

www.itsineurope.com

5-6 Total Facilities, NB, SCEC, Sydney; www.totalfacilities.com.au

5-6 ARCS Australia Conference, NC, SCEC, Sydney; www.arcsconferences.com

5-6 Water Industry Operations, NC, Gold Coast; www.wioa.org.au

7-10 Good Food and Wine Show, NE, MCEC, Melbourne; www.goodfoodshow.com.au

7-10 Mind Body Spirit Show, NE, MCEC, Melbourne; www.mbsfestival.com.au

8-10 Hair Expo, NE, SCEC, Sydney; www.hairexpoaustralia.com

12-15 Int. Liver Transplant Society, IC, SCEC, Sydney; www.2013.ilts.org

18-20 Int. Trade Show & Conference for Theatre, Film & Event, IB, Berlin; www.showtech.de

19-20 Happiness and its Causes, IC, Melbourne; www.happinessanditscauses.com.au

21-23 NSW Pharmacy Convention, BC, SCEC, Sydney; www.guildpharmacyacademy-nce.com.au

24-26 British International Congress of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, IC, ACC Liverpool, Liverpool; www.rcog.org.uk

26-27 Smart Conference, NB, SCEC, Sydney; www.smartconference.com.au

28-30 Good Food and Wine Show, NE, SCEC, Sydney;

www.goodfoodshow.com.au

28-30 Mind Body Spirit Show, NE, Brisbane; www.mbsfestival.com.au

29-Jul 2 European Cytogenetics Conference, IC, Dublin; www.e-c-a.eu

28-Jul 7 Australian International Motor Show, IE, MCEC, Melbourne; www.motorshow.com.au

July 2013

3-4 Materials Handling and Logistics, NE, Auckland; www.mhlshow.co.nz

3-4 National Safety Show, NE, Auckland; www.safetyshow.co.nz

3-5 Clean Energy Expo China, IE, Beijing; www.cleanenergyexpochina.com

5-7 Queensland Garden Expo, LE, Sunshine Coast; www.qldgardenexpo.com.au

5-7 Travel and Tourism Fair, IE, India; www.ttfotm.com

6 European Society for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Congress, IC, Dublin; www.wtg.ie

7-10 Australian Conference of Economists, NC, Perth; www.ace2013.org.au

12-14 Building & Home Improvement Expo, NE, MEC, Melbourne; www.buildexpo.com.au

14-18 World Renewable Energy Conference, IC, Perth; www.promaco.com.au/events/WREC_2013/

15-17 WineTech, NE, SCEC, Sydney; www.winetechexpo.com.au

16-17 Associations Forum National Conference, NC, SCEC, Sydney; www.associations.net.au

17-19 Ticket Summit, IB, Las Vegas; www.ticketsummit.org

18-21 Furnitex, NE, MEC, Melbourne; www.furnitex.com.au

19-20 Good Food and Wine Show, NE, PCEC, Perth; www.goodfoodshow.com.au

22-23 Tourism and Events Excellence Conference, NC, Melbourne; www.teeconference.com

23-25 Entech, NE 4500, SCEC, Sydney; www.entechshow.com.au

24-25 Digital Security Summit, NC, Canberra; www.acevents.com.au/digi-sec/#3

24-26 Security Expo, NE, SCEC, Sydney; www.securityexpo.com.au

25-28 Craft and Quilt Fair, NE, Melbourne; www.craftfair.com.au

29-31 Aust. Grains Industry Conference, NC 850, Melbourne; www.ausgrainsconf.com

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Journalist Sheridan Randall

sales & Marketing Manager Jo Robinson

account Manager Sofia Alexander, Sharon Davidson

design/Production Bin Zhou

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