CIM November 2014 Issue

APR

IL 2014

Delegates in the driving seat

Adelaide’s space race Thailand bounces back

Looking to the future

National Convention Centre Canberra

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NOV 2014

www.cimmagazine.com Convention & Incentive Marketing, November 2014 3

CONTENTS

On the coverDelegates attending conferences and meetings at the National Convention Centre Canberra are enjoying the benefits of the city’s growing reputation as a destination to mix business with pleasure.

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OCT 2014

Starwood targets meetings planners

New Caledonia: The French connection

The Gold Coast invests for the future

A world of difference

Sea World Resort’s new Conference Centre

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Don’t miss

Look out for these topical news-based video stories on our website, www.cimmagazine.com, and in the CIM iPad app, to delve deeper into the issues behind the print stories.

REGULARS04 Publisher’s note

06 News

08 New Zealand news

10 International news

13 Q&A Ron D. Burton, Rotary International

34 Venue update

36 Profile Malu Barrios, Sydney Exhibition

Centre @ Glebe Island

37 Meeting people

38 PCO Association

FEATURES12 Cover story National Convention Centre, Canberra

14 Adelaide The stars align for Adelaide

20 Darwin The NT’s capital sells itself

24 Thailand Time to take a fresh look

26 Altogether Perfect Three regions unite

28 Unconferencing The rise of participant led meetings

32 Event report Australian Childhood Trauma Conference

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4 Convention & Incentive Marketing, November 2014 www.cimmagazine.com

I am heading off to the ICCA Congress in Antalya, Turkey, this month. This has led to many discussions in the last few weeks

about tensions in the region and the safety of travelling there. I have to admit to being cautious about travelling to the region, given the events of recent months, and I kept a close eye on the news before confirming my trip.

It doesn’t take much for our industry to suffer from events happening in the world. Terrorism, Ebola, avian flu, natural disasters, plane crashes – all of which seem to be occurring more frequently – have all had their effect.

I think it is important that we, as an industry, take a stand against fear. It would be easy to sit at home, read the headlines and be intimidated by world events, but as an industry we need to be at the forefront in ensuring that people continue to travel, meet and do business.

I’m clearly not alone. This year’s ICCA Congress has attracted over 900 delegates, making it one of the largest congresses yet.

Of course you have to be smart about travelling – I am not suggesting heading off into a war zone – but fear stops people travelling to safe destinations. Our industry needs to send a message by leading by example. It’s in all our interests to do so.

Australia's most remote capital, Darwin is attracting interest both as a gateway to Northern Australia and Southeast Asia. Find out more on page 20.

THIS MONTH’S TOP STORY

PUBLISHER’S WORD

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INDUSTRY NEWS

NTCB staffer wins AACB scholarship The Northern Territory Convention Bureau’s Becky Hargrove (pictured) has received the 2014/15 Association

of Australian Convention Bureaux Staff Scholarship. Hargrove will travel to leading UK conference destination Liverpool in March 2015 to learn about the sales and marketing initiatives the city uses to attract conferences.

GCCEC sets standard The Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre (GCCEC) has become the first EarthCheck Certified

member to be verified against the EarthCheck Responsible Meetings and Events Standard. The standard helps venues offer event organisers, clients and suppliers a framework to measure and minimise the impact of events.

AIME innovation a winner Business Events Sydney has been awarded a 2014 Prevue Visionary Award for its creative use of technology on its stand

at this year’s Asia-Pacific Incentives and Meetings Expo. The stand featured a replica of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, which visitors could climb and, by wearing iTVGoggles, enjoy views of the Vivid Sydney festival.

Lonely Planet shines spotlight on Tassie Travel publisher Lonely Planet has named Tasmania one of the world’s top regions to visit in 2015 in its Best in Travel 2015

guide. Tourism Australia managing director, John O’Sullivan, said that with three Lonely Planet accolades in the past five years, Tasmania is rapidly losing its status as one of Australia’s “hidden gems”.

Small Islands big win for Kangaroo Island One of South Australia’s most popular destinations, Kangaroo Island will host the 2017 International Small Islands Studies Association

(ISISA) Conference. It is the first time the conference has been held in Australia, with Kangaroo Island beating bids from Denmark and the Greek Islands.

NEWS BRIEFS

Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre (BCEC) has experienced one of its busiest periods on record ahead of the G20 Leaders Summit this month.

August and September saw the Centre welcome 223 events including 35 conventions delivering 15,000 delegates to Brisbane with an economic boost to the city of $39 million for the two month period. This was a 22 per cent increase in the number of conventions held compared to the same period last year, continuing the trend of the number of conventions doubling over the past five years.

BCEC general manager Bob O’Keeffe said there has been increased interest in the Centre because of the G20 and he expects that momentum to build.

“The G20 is a catalyst to build on our already strong track record of hosting international scientific, technology and business events and the heightened awareness of Brisbane and its scientific and research credentials will help attract these key sector conferences,” he said.

With 171 advance visits relating to G20 already having taken place, O’Keeffe adds that the bump-in for the G20 has begun in earnest, with hundreds of contractors converging on the Centre.

“This event is both exciting and challenging and a great opportunity for global recognition of Brisbane as an international business destination and for us to showcase the world class facilities and expertise of BCEC,” he said.

BCEC breaks records as G20 bump-in begins

Sydney, Newcastle tops for eventsSydney and Newcastle in New South Wales have been named as two of only six World Festival and Event cities in the world by the International Festivals & Events Association (IFEA) at this year’s IFEA 59th Annual Convention and Expo, held in Kansas City in the US recently.

The two cities joined Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, Sao Paulo in Brazil, and

US cities Dublin (Ohio) and Philadelphia (Pennsylvania), in recognition of their success at uniting local communities to host major events. Sydney won the award for the fifth consecutive time, while Newcastle won the award for the second year.

Destination NSW chief executive Sandra Chipchase said she was proud of the recognition both cities had received.


City of Sydney brings in the businessThe City of Sydney has helped secure 10 international conferences, providing a $42 million boost for the local economy while work to redevelop Darling Harbour’s exhibition and convention centre continues.

The City pledged $1.5 million over three years to Business Events Sydney (BESydney) to help it attract major events throughout the three year demolition and reconstruction job.

“Our investment through Business Events Sydney demonstrates our commitment to growing Sydney businesses,” said Lord Mayor Clover Moore.

“It has directly contributed to attracting more people to our city, growing our profile as a world-class destination at a time when international competition for large business events is getting stronger.

“Ensuring that Sydney remains a destination of choice for business travel has huge benefits for the hospitality and tourism sectors right across our local government area.”

BESydney chief executive Lyn Lewis-Smith said the City’s expertise had helped secure more than 11,000 national and international delegates for big conferences between 2014 and 2017, such as the World Business Forum and meetings of LG and Amway Taiwan staff.

“The City of Sydney’s support has been a wonderful boost to our efforts to drive business to the city over the next few years,” she said.

“In the past 12 months, the City’s funding has directly helped us secure 10 international events for the coming years that will contribute over $42 million in economic benefit to the city.

“In addition to its financial support, the City has also played an active role in the bidding and delivery stages of a number of key events, including the 105th Rotary International Convention, which welcomed over 19,000 people to Sydney from around the world in June.”

MCEC gets green light for expansionMelbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre’s (MCEC) proposed expansion has been given the go ahead by the Victorian Government.

The proposal expands the South Wharf precinct footprint to include new retail space, additional car parks, hotel accommodation and multi-purpose convention and exhibition facilities.

Industry has been calling for the proposed expansion for some time as the venue continues to turn away nearly 20 per cent of new business opportunities due to lack of available space.

MCEC chief executive Peter King said the expansion proposal is in response to the changing business events industry, customer expectations and worldwide competition.

“This highly anticipated announcement is huge news for the industry and Victoria and further strengthens our position as Australia’s number one business events destination,” he said.

“The expansion could include additional exhibition and banquet space, smaller meeting rooms, new plenary options and an exciting new indoor-outdoor networking and entertainment space.

“The development will enhance the

flexibility of the whole precinct and ensure MCEC continues to deliver world class event experiences.”

The news has been warmly received by event industry bodies, including Melbourne Convention Bureau (MCB), the Victoria Events Industry Council and Exhibition and Event Association of Australasia, with MCB chief executive Karen Bolinger describing the announcement as “exciting news”.

“MCEC is one of MCB’s key strategic partners and plays host to many events that we secure,” she said. “In the past calendar year alone, MCEC has hosted three major international association conferences secured by MCB – the 22nd World Diabetes Congress in December 2013; the World Congress of Cardiology in May 2014; and the 20th International Aids Conference 2014 in July 2014.

“MCB is currently working on a significant pipeline of opportunities for the next few years and therefore this investment by Victorian State Government is very welcome news as it will enable both organisations to continue to deliver high-yield large-scale business events to the state for many years to come.”

Sydney, Newcastle tops for events“We can all be proud of the recognition Sydney has received, placing it in its rightful position as the major events capital of Australia,” said Destination NSW chief executive Sandra Chipchase.

“Since Destination NSW was created, we have been focused on developing the Sydney and NSW Events Calendar as the most compelling in Australia and this award

proves that we are achieving that goal.”

Chipchase went on to say that “the recognition of Newcastle’s capability to deliver world class major events is an outstanding accolade that demonstrates the City’s continued efforts to establish Newcastle as one of the best events destinations in NSW”.

“Securing major events has been a priority for Destination NSW, the Government’s tourism and major events agency, as we work towards achieving our goal of doubling overnight visitor expenditure by 2020,” she said.


Conventions & Incentives New Zealand (CINZ) has welcomed news that Prime Minister John Key (pictured) is to retain his Tourism portfolio for a third consecutive term, with Paula Bennett as his new Associate Minister of Tourism.

Sue Sullivan, chief executive of CINZ, says this high-level government focus is exactly what the business tourism industry needs, adding that “Mr Key gets our industry”.

“He and his team understand business events

and business tourism and the value of putting them at the top of the government’s growth agenda,” she said.

“We are delighted to know there will be a continued focus on high value and special interest visitors, and ongoing support to

attract conventions through Tourism New Zealand’s business events funding.”

However, Sullivan says that there is “still a lot of work to do as New Zealand gears up for a huge business events infrastructure boost”.

“With new convention centres in Auckland and Christchurch set for opening by 2018, and Wellington and Queenstown also on the cards we can confidently get out and sell our country to the world as a great place to meet, learn and do business,” she added.

NZ NEWS

Industry applauds Key’s vision

Over the past year New Zealand has played host to everyone from geophysists to private detectives, and doctors to journalists, thanks to the support of Tourism New Zealand’s (TNZ) business events programme.

With the launch of a new Business Events advocates programme we are set to see even more of these valuable delegations visiting our shores.

The programme was announced at the inaugural New Zealand Business Events Awards dinner held by TNZ and partners Auckland Convention Bureau (ACB) and Air New Zealand on October 22.

The dinner celebrated the success New Zealand has had in the business events sector and acknowledged the contribution of key industry and sector leaders.

Attendees of the awards dinner have won a combined 29 international events representing an estimated 13,500 delegates and injecting approximately NZD$41 million ($36.7 million) into the New Zealand economy.

It’s great to see New Zealand successfully bidding for and winning international association conventions and much of this comes down to the influential sector leaders who are

putting their hands up to champion their field of expertise to attract key conventions to our shores.

The development of an advocate programme is about creating lasting relationships with these individuals, so that they can continue to bid for international conferences and encourage their colleagues to do so as well.

TNZ, in partnership with ACB, has developed an advocate programme that will identify and engage thought leaders in their field as champions for business events.

Advocate programmes are employed broadly by many countries and large cities in the international business sector.

The programme will see regional programmes being developed throughout the country, with the ACB the first out of the gate, while Tourism New Zealand manages the overarching national strategy.

TNZ has significantly increased its efforts in the business events sector and in the last financial year has bid for 39 international events and has secured seven.

Bjoern Spreitzer is international business events manager at Tourism New Zealand.

New Zealand launches new business events advocates programme

Western markets strong for NZ Visitor growth from western markets has pushed up international visitor arrivals for New Zealand for the year-ending August 2014 to 2.8 million, up 5.3 per cent year-on-year.

For the year ending August, arrivals out of the US were up 14.2 per cent, French arrivals were up 19.2 per cent, and German arrivals were up 21.6 per cent.

“As we approach the final installment of The Hobbit Trilogy, our 100% Middle-earth, 100% Pure New Zealand campaign activity is stepping up a gear,” said Tourism New Zealand general manager corporate affairs, Deborah Gray. “With some exciting opportunities to leverage the event on the horizon, we expect to see this trend continue.”

Year-on-year growth has been further bolstered by holiday arrivals out of Tourism New Zealand’s target Asian markets – China (up 7 per cent), Korea (up 3.1 per cent), Singapore (up 19.9 per cent) and Malaysia (up 18.2 per cent).

“This month New Zealand played host to China’s biggest reality TV show, Dad, where are we going?,” said Gray. “The resulting 200 minutes of footage will be viewed across China to millions of viewers, with the first of two episodes set to go live next week.

“As a result we anticipate even more interest and conversation about New Zealand in this important market.”

Australia remains New Zealand’s number one source market, also experiencing year-on-year growth of 4.7 per cent.

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Auckland will host a major global livestock genetics congress in February 2018, expected to attract 1300 international delegates.

The World Congress on Genetics Applied to Livestock Production (WCGALP), held every four years, is the premier conference for professionals involved in genetic improvement of livestock.

Dr Hugh Blair, professor at Massey University’s Institute of Vet, Animal & Biomedical Sciences, worked with the Auckland Convention Bureau and Tourism New Zealand’s (TNZ) Conference Assistance Programme to secure hosting rights.

Blair says the bid was successful thanks to a strong local and international science team preparing the congress program, as well as New Zealand being a desirable destination for delegates.

“New Zealand has a proud record in livestock breeding and this is widely recognised,” he said. “Hosting 1300 scientists is a wonderful opportunity for New Zealand to show off to the world what we have achieved.

“Having the congress in Auckland will enable us to set up mid-conference field trips with less than two hours driving to visit and experience many livestock systems. We will also be able to include grape genetics with a trip to Waiheke and forestry genetics in Rotorua.”

TNZ international business events manager Bjoern Spreitzer says international events such as WCGALP provide a huge opportunity to New Zealand.

“TNZ has been working to target key sectors where New Zealand provides world leadership and expertise to set us apart from other international destinations, so this is a great result,” he said.

“Attracting people to New Zealand for business purposes who previously might not have visited, and helping to create lasting business relationships through the conference is an important part of our work in the sector.”

Genetics experts choose Auckland

Iconic Wintec venue turns 90One of Waikato Institute of Technology’s (Wintec) most notable icons, Wintec House, marks its 90th anniversary this year.

The former Hamilton Technical College building is one of the New Zealand region’s most sought after events venue, with its rich history adding to its appeal.

Having undergone a multi-million dollar make-over in 2010, the building is home to two in-demand event spaces, The Atrium and The Long Room.

This year alone the building has hosted a number of large events, including the Wintec Staff Awards and the Wintec Student Ball – both of which were themed 1920s to recognise the special 90th anniversary.

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INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Sarawak launches new CSR program

Meetings business booming in NYC

NYC & Company, New York City’s official marketing, tourism and partnership organisation, is expecting an extra 200,000 meeting and convention delegates in 2014 compared to 2013, bringing the total to 6.1 million.

Jerry Cito, senior vice president, convention development at NYC & Company, has welcomed the news, saying, “New York City’s meetings and conventions industry is thriving, with increases in MICE visitation year over year”.

The marketing organisation is currently showcasing unique meetings experiences throughout New York’s five boroughs, from meetings held in exclusive locations to one-of-a-kind interactive group activities.

“Visiting delegates expect an ‘only-in-NYC’ experience, and the five boroughs do not disappoint,” said Cito. “From museums to sports stadiums and everything in between, New York City caters to groups of all sizes, interests and needs with unique experiences.”

Australia and New Zealand are a strong source of international visitors to New York City, ranking within its top five overseas markets.

Sarawak Convention Bureau (SCB) has launched its “Soulful Orang-utan Appeal Project” at last month’s IMEX America tradeshow in Las Vegas.

The Project will be an ongoing initiative of SCB to promote Sarawak Forestry Corporation’s (SFC) popular corporate social responsibility program, Heart2Heart with

Orang-utans.

By liking and sharing the Soulful Orang-utan Appeal Project’s Facebook page, visitors to the page can be part of the program and make a difference. Each “Like” received equals a US$1 donation from the Sarawak Convention Bureau under the name of each participating individual.

A new industry group aimed at facilitating the growth of the business tourism industry in Scotland, Business Tourism for Scotland (BTfS), has launched.

In partnership with Scotland’s economic agencies, the group represents a combined effort to support business tourism in Scotland in identifying a pathway for growth alongside the industry’s umbrella body, The Scottish Tourism Alliance (STA).

Through the STA, BTfS chair Judy Rae, head of events at Glasgow Science Centre, along with a number of passionate industry professionals, has formed a representative group to provide a voice for the industry and lead Scotland’s growth as a business events destination.

“Demand for business events in Scotland has never been stronger,” she said. “There

has been significant investment in major facilities in Scotland’s cities; new direct air routes are opening up regularly and the success of the major events which have taken place in 2014 has showcased Scotland’s

ability to deliver on the global stage.”

BTfS will be concentrating on three key projects: building a better understanding of the scale and nature of the industry and demonstrating its economic contribution; developing various communications platforms so that industry can find relevant intelligence, useful tools and be inspired by case studies to learn from their peers; and developing initiatives to capture untapped opportunities.

There are currently 15 members of BTfS, ranging from hotels and venues, to PCOs, DMCs and convention bureaux.

Scotland targets business tourism

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Business events expo Meetings Africa will celebrate its 10th anniversary in 2015, marking the occasion by looking back on how far the South African business events sector has come in that time.

Thulani Nzima, chief executive of South African Tourism, says the anniversary is a milestone.

“Meetings Africa has grown from a small and insignificant show into the continent’s premier and best represented business event exhibition,” Nzima said. “It is now recognised, and heralded around the world as the place to do business with a continent that’s capable, competent and absolutely committed to service excellence and delivery.

“Our achievements, through Meetings Africa, have been great. Today, South Africa holds 34th place on the global ICCA rankings. Our advance up the rankings has been steady and sustainable and it’s this industry’s ambition to see South Africa occupy a place in the top 20 ICCA destinations by 2017.

“With growing support for Meetings Africa, we are confident we will achieve our goal because we have solidarity in our

IMEX America biggest yet Last month’s IMEX America tradeshow, held at Sands Expo, Las Vegas, was the biggest to date with growth in all key areas, according to IMEX chairman Ray Bloom.

Bloom said that the show had seen the number of exhibiting companies rise from 2694 in 2013 to 2900 in 2014, as well as the number of hosted buyers, which topped 2900 for the first time this year. The total number of participants in IMEX America 2014 was 10,000.

As a result of this year’s all round growth, the number of one-to-one business appointments and booth presentations taking place at the show rose to 53,000, compared to 50,000 last year.

Next year’s event will be held from October 13-15.

Meetings Africa celebrates 10 years

industry. We have a united determination that extends across numerous areas of interest: bidding for events, marketing the destination; working on skills and capability; and coming together at Meetings Africa to offer buyers from around the world the very best of our continent under one roof.”

Since the first Meetings Africa, held at the Sandton Convention Centre in 2005, South Africa has seen several new convention centres open, as well as the establishment of the South Africa National Convention Bureau in 2012 with its call to the South African industry to “Win as One”.

Meetings Africa 2015 will be held in Johannesburg from February 23-25, 2015.

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COVER STORY

“Canberra is fast becoming the go-to destination for conferences, meetings and events,” says Stephen Wood (pictured), manager at the National Convention Centre, Canberra’s leading, purpose built meeting and events venue with a collection of 15 spaces over two floors.

“Well established in the Association sector, Canberra has developed in recent years and now provides more meeting solutions to the corporate and franchise sector than ever before.”

Managed by InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), the National Convention Centre has seen increased demand from these markets over the past 12 months, with the Centre set to welcome delegates attending the PCO Association Conference on November 30 to December 2, 2014. Like all delegates attending conferences and meetings at the National Convention Centre, the PCO Association Conference attendees will enjoy complimentary wi-fi, with superior connectivity for the meeting content.

Free public wi-fi is also being rolled out across several districts in Canberra, with the precinct adjacent to the National Convention Centre amongst the first of the city to go live this year, as part of the ACT Government’s commitment to Canberra’s future as a smart and digital city.

As the nation’s capital, Canberra is continuously developing its urban environment, with the emerging foodie precincts of Braddon, Kingston Foreshore and New Acton adding to the city’s existing 300 restaurants, cafes and bars, and bringing more flavour to the delegate experience.

No trip to Canberra is complete without a visit to at least one of the unique and inspiring national attractions, which add a level of culture and influence to any

conference program. Enrich the delegate experience with an off-site activity; such as a gala dinner at Parliament House, welcome event at the National Portrait Gallery or experience them all as part of an accompanying partner program.

Not to be missed on a trip to Canberra are the 33 wineries within 30 minutes of Canberra’s CBD. A short trip from the heart of the city, conference delegates can indulge in award-winning wines and fresh produce at one of Australia’s leading small wineries, Clonakilla Wines, and be inspired by local producers along Poacher’s Way.

With the AFC Asian Cup 2015 games being held in January, followed by the ICC Cricket World Cup in February and March, even more visitors will experience the reasons why Canberra was ranked in 2014 by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development as the “Best Place in the World to Live.”

With more on offer than ever before, now is the time to “#MeetCanberra”.

Looking to the futureCanberra is evolving beyond

its role as the nation’s capital, with the increasing number of

delegates attending conferences and meetings at the National

Convention Centre enjoying the benefits of the city’s growing reputation as a destination to

mix business with pleasure.

View slideshow in the CIM iPad app.


Q&A

Q: What does your role as an ambassador for Sydney mean to you?

A: Hopefully I can help give a different perspective to people who are considering bringing international meetings to Sydney. If I can convince them, just by telling them about the great experience we had, then maybe I can repay Business Events Sydney for the really positive work they did in helping us put our program together.

Q: You were originally booked at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre. How did the news they were going to tear it down affect you?

A: After I was selected [to the role of President of Rotary International], we made a trip to Sydney with the idea of visiting Moore Park and Olympic Park and took the opportunity to visit with the Premier at the time, Barry O’Farrell.

Olympic Park had everything we needed; the only problem was that on the train it’s a good 30 minutes out there from the CBD. When we went to see the Premier I said, “You know Barry you’ve put me in a really tough situation – the best venue I’ve seen is Olympic Park, but we’re going to have somewhere between 17,000 and 20,000 delegates and I can’t keep them on public transport the whole time. And there are other venues that have expressed an interest since they found out that you’re tearing down your convention centre. Depending on what kind of help we can get here, we are going to have to take a serious look at that”.

He ended up agreeing to provide public transport for the convention, dedicating new trains from Central Station to Homebush, and synchronising the traffic lights like they did for the Olympics. After that it all just started falling into place.

Business Events Sydney made the arrangements for us, so we always had the right people at the table.

Q: How did the Olympic Park venue work on a practical level?

A: We looked at our starting time each day for plenary sessions, and decided to make it a little bit later. Depending on when delegates got to Central Station they had at least a 28 minute ride. My thought was, they’ll probably come to the Plenary session, they’ll probably grab a bite to eat in the Dome of Friendship, they’ll probably go to a breakout session – we had 100 breakout sessions – and then they’ll get back on the train and go back to the CBD. Once they go back to the CBD they’re not coming back. My job was to make the convention as exciting and interesting as I could for the time we had them captured at Olympic Park.

Q: What were some of the highlights of the Sydney convention for you?

A: We set two Guinness world records on the Sydney Harbour Bridge

during our convention, for having the most number of people on the bridge at one time, and the most number of flags on the bridge at one time. We got international publicity all over the world for that. It was amazing.

It didn’t hurt that Tony Abbott came either. He not only gave a tremendous message at our opening ceremony but he also gave a $100 million commitment to our Polio eradication campaign. The group Bridge Climb was directly related to the End Polio Now campaign, and we also had a 3km walk on Saturday morning, which was directly related to the End Polio Now campaign.

I think we set the standard for what a Rotary International Convention should be at this point in our existence. People enjoyed themselves. I take great satisfaction in that.

Q: What has the feedback from your membership been like?

A: It’s been very positive; everyone talks about how well it went. I’ve been to 25 Rotary International conventions and I think I know what it takes to put on a successful convention. Having been to these other destinations, I’ve ridden for an hour and a half to get to the venue; I’ve seen people turn their ankles on cobbled streets; I’ve seen mass transportation not work; I’ve had to leave a convention in Latin America a day early because they were threatening a strike. We didn’t have any issues at all in Sydney; it worked perfectly.

Q: So, it’s possible to hold a conference of this scale in Sydney?

A: Absolutely. We had built our budget on 17,000 paid registrants and we ended up with 18,608, and I think with support people and Rotarians we exceeded 19,000 in total. We were able to put US$1.1 million into Rotary’s coffers after we paid for everything, and I believe the estimated economic impact to Sydney was something in excess of $80 million. What’s not factored into that is the fact that no one is going to get on a plane to go to a four-day convention and arrive the day it starts and leaves the day it finishes; they’re going to spend some time in Australia either before or after.

The nice thing about the Rotary convention is it’s an opportunity for members to come and meet their old friends, as well as meet new Rotary friends. There was a thrust in Sydney to really involve the intellectual community, the colleges and universities, as well as industry, and I think there was a lot of professional knowledge that changed hands and relationships developed during the Convention.

Q: What’s the next step for you as an ambassador?

A: I’ll be happy to be a spokesperson wherever Business Events Sydney thinks I can help. There may well be people and organisations that want to talk to me in person and get our take on what happened with our event.

The former President of Rotary International, Ron D. Burton, is the latest industry leader to join Business Events Sydney’s group of ambassadors, fresh off the back of the success of the 105th Rotary International Convention, held in Sydney earlier this year. Alexandra Yeomans caught up with him at IMEX America.

A fresh perspective


ADELAIDE

The stars are aligning for Adelaide with the International Astronautical Congress in 2017 marking a significant milestone for the city, which is also counting down to the completion of Stage 1 of the Adelaide Convention Centre’s redevelopment next year, writes Sheridan Randall.

The South Australian capital beat strong competition from Germany (Bremen), the US (Orlando), Turkey (Istanbul) and Ireland (Dublin) in its bid to secure the International Astronautical Congress (IAC) 2017 in what will be the largest congress ever to be hosted by Adelaide.

The Congress is expected to attract more than 3000 delegates from around the world including 200 astronauts and was secured by the Adelaide Convention Bureau (ACB), in partnership with The Space Industry Association of Australia and South Australian Government.

Adelaide Convention Bureau chief executive Damien Kitto says “the legacy to be left to South Australia’s space and related industries as a result of this win is priceless”.

“For the duration of the event, the eyes of the space industry will be firmly on this state,” he says. “It will increase opportunities for international collaboration and regional

leadership, especially relevant as Australia, and South Australia in particular, is recognised as an emerging participant in the international space community.”

In addition to its more than 3000 delegates, IAC will feature a large exhibition component which is designed to attract

support from space agencies and international space companies such as Lockheed Martin, China Aerospace Tech. Corp, Airbus Defence & Space and Boeing Space Exploration.

Acting Premier John Rau describes it as “the most significant conference that Adelaide has ever secured”.

“The International Astronautical Congress is a new frontier for

the convention business in Adelaide,” he says. “Adelaide has a strong history in space industries and research and is perfectly placed to host one of the world’s most prestigious conventions that is estimated to generate more than $18 million in economic activity and create

more than 150 jobs.

“Securing this convention is testament to the State Government’s investment in the Riverbank Precinct and the $350 million redevelopment of the convention centre. Without a redeveloped convention centre the state would not be in a position to bid for

these strategically important industry events.”

The IAC bid win is only one of many big wins for Adelaide with $41 million of business secured for the destination by the ACB and “Team Adelaide” in the past three months.

“This is not only great news for the visitor economy but also for developing industry and business,” says Kitto. “South

Watch the video in the CIM iPad app.

Space race

Lift offWhether the organisers of the International Astronautical Congress 2017 (IAC17) saw destination video “Adelaide. Breathe.” featuring an astronaut is up for debate, but the Adelaide Convention Bureau shared its delegate experience video “Adelaide ... Indulge Your Mind” on the IAC17 bid website giving committee members and potential delegates a first-hand look at what they would experience by attending the event.

“For the duration of the event, the eyes of the space industry will be firmly on this state.”

Ph

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WELCOME TO THE HEART OFAUSTRALIA’S CONVENTIONSAdelaide Convention Centre’s West Building – the �rst of the two-stage expansion – is undergoing �nal �nishing touches in preparation of its o�cial grand opening in March of 2015.

Highlights of the new West Building include a multi-purpose function space with retractable and levered seating as well as state-of-the-art audio-visual technologies and connectivity with webstreaming, a tilting lighting grid and 12,000 available wi� connections.

The Panorama Ballroom will be the jewel in the new West Buildings crown, boasting breath taking views over the River Torrens, the redeveloped Riverbank Precinct, the Adelaide Oval and surrounding Adelaide parklands with the �exibility to comfortably host up to 600 seated guests.

The East Building redevelopment, scheduled for completion in 2017, will replace the oldest part of the existing Centre and include a plenary capacity of up to 3,500 seats or 3000 square metres of �at �oor space.

Australia will have the world’s space executives on its door step which will be great for local companies in transferring knowledge, fostering innovation and ultimately boosting productivity. With an exhibition of around 6000sqm consisting of 150 companies, the trade and investment opportunities will be endless. The space industry is big on research and one never knows if this could lead to greater research collaboration for Australia.”

A key factor in the Bureau’s

success has been its strategy to increase bids by 30 per cent over target, focusing on sectors including agriculture, advanced manufacturing, health and mineral resources, with more than $200 million of international and national events in the pipeline.

“The Bureau has built strong relationships with key industry sectors including key government departments,” says Kitto. “Through this relationship development approach over the past few years, it is yielding a high level of leads and ultimately

bid opportunities. A high level of bidding and a 50 per cent conversion rate has delivered strong results for the destination.”

The South Australian Government also announced it would fund a two-year bid fund to attract large conventions aligned to the state’s key economic sectors.

“In a highly competitive international and national market additional bidding resources is proving crucial to not only compete with highly resourced destination but to also drive demand and leverage the supply

of infrastructure investment taking place,” Kitto says.

“Crucial to recent success is the redevelopment of the Adelaide Convention Centre, without the two stage extension taking place Adelaide would not be in a position to bid for the events currently taking place.”

Adelaide Convention Centre (ACC) chief executive Alec Gilbert says that IAC “will be made more significant being hosted in the fully completed multi-million dollar expanded Centre”.

Left: LambEx at the Adelaide Event & Exhibition Centre. Below: Stamford Grand Adelaide Hotel.


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“IAC will allow us to showcase the full potential of the expanded Centre in a very high profile manner with all three buildings and up to 50 separate breakout or meeting spaces required each day,” he says.

The first stage of the ACC’s redevelopment is almost complete, with two new large exhibitions booked in for early 2015.

The ACC will host new wedding festival Best Day Ever on January 30 – February 1, which is expected to attract up to 7000 visitors over three days. Best Day Ever will be followed by health and wellbeing expo Enlighten Adelaide on February 14-15, which will form part of the official Fringe Festival program and is expected to attract more than 2000 visitors over two days.

“These new events will provide an ideal demonstration of the Centre’s philosophy of partnering with exhibitions and consumer events to help them to maximise attendance and interest in the event,” Gilbert says.

“This includes providing marketing support through to freight logistics, exhibitor relations and ticket sales.”

The new exhibitions will be closely followed by the Centre’s own multi-award winning annual Cellar Door Wine Festival (February 22-25) which attracted 9000 visitors earlier this year.

“Exhibitions will now be able to grow with the Centre because previous capacity constraints will be lifted following completion of the expansion,” he adds.

“Over the last few years, we’ve built a strong reputation for hosting successful exhibitions including AVCon, an anime and video game exhibition which attracts 14,000 visitors, and Savour Australia, Australia’s inaugural global wine forum.

“Also, the creation of our own successful show, the Cellar Door Wine Festival, has enabled us to walk in the shoes of exhibition organisers so we know what they need and understand their commercial imperatives.

“We’ve developed a strong understanding of how to create truly impressive exhibitions, both as a host and a client, and that gives us a distinct competitive advantage.”

The Centre is not alone in seeing

a spike in business, with the Stamford Grand Adelaide Hotel in the beachside suburb of Glenelg to host the National Institute of Patent and Trademark Attorneys conference in April 2015. The three-day conference is expected to attract 160 attorneys adding more than $561,996 to the state’s visitor economy.

The conference was secured with the help of the Bureau, with the organising committee praising the Adelaide bid for its creativity in proposing more than just in-house social events. The opportunity to enjoy drinks and canapés on a tram to Glenelg or host a high tea on the Glenelg jetty in particular helped the decision makers select Adelaide as their host city.

The Stamford Grand Adelaide was also recently named as the host venue for the 2015 Australian Psychological Society’s College of Clinical Psychologists Conference, which will see around 500 delegates come to Adelaide over three days and add a further $2 million to the state’s visitor economy.

“Stamford Plaza and Stamford Grand both work closely with the Bureau and as such both hotels enjoyed record level of business written during the current year,” says Karl Unterfrauner, Stamford Hotels & Resorts’ area general manager Adelaide.

“The development of the Adelaide Oval and the Adelaide Convention Centre has been fantastic for the precinct and is a real positive for visitors who come to Adelaide for events held

Above: Morphettville Racecourse. Right: The Adelaide Festival is a popular

pre or post conference activity.


Green machineThe Adelaide Convention Centre achieved EarthCheck Gold Certification at the start of the year having achieved five years of continuous silver certification and in the process significantly reducing its environment footprint. This achievement was made despite the Centre undergoing a major expansion, which has impacted energy and water use, and having an outstanding year for conferences and events. “The whole team at the Centre is on-board, and particularly through the expansion works and a busy year, they’ve proved to be incredibly diligent,” says the Centre’s chief executive, Alec Gilbert. “Sustainability

not only makes sense environmentally but also economically and in turn this translates into better value for our clients.”

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at either venue,” he says.

“The Stamford Plaza Hotel on North Terrace is in prime position to work closely with events held at the Convention Centre. This extends to accommodation services, smaller off site meetings, board or VIP sessions and sponsor product exhibitions. A popular approach has been for smaller groups to come over for lunch or dinner in

our casual La Boca restaurant.”

Beyond the redevelopment of the Riverbank precinct, there is still plenty of diversity on offer from Adelaide’s venues with Morphettville Racecourse offering 22 function rooms accommodating up to 1000 guests over its 25 hectare property, which is only a five minute drive from Glenelg.

“In April 2015, Morphettville

Racecourse will host Camp Gallipoli, the 100th anniversary of Gallipoli, with 6000 people sleeping out in preparation for the dawn service on Anzac Day,” says Brenton Wilkinson, CEO of the South Australian Jockey Club.

Marquees, open air and unique dinners, family fun days for more than 1500 people with amusement rides for the children and exhibitions and trade shows

ranging from 15 to 80 booths undercover are just some of the possibilities available at Morphettville Racecourse.

“Adelaide’s biggest Melbourne Cup party will be at Morphettville with live racing here on the day, in addition to all of the racing action broadcast live from Flemington, and this year we are excited to be welcoming Guy Sebastian for our after race


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concert,” says Wilkinson.

“There is also the Fashion at the Races competition, plus we have approximately 3000 guests in corporate syndicated events including our Fashion Pavilion featuring entertainment from Rachael Leahcar.”

The racecourse also offers plenty of horse-related pre and post event activities, with tours of the local stables, trackside breakfasts while watching the

horses do track work and tours of the wetlands popular choices.

“Being located on the tram line some companies choose to use this for their delegates for transport to arrive at Morphettville conveniently from the CBD or Glenelg,” he says.

Another venue making the most of its size is the Adelaide Event & Exhibition Centre at the Adelaide Showground. Working closely with the Bureau,

Adelaide Event & Exhibition Centre has secured a number of new public events to be staged in South Australia for the first time, including Adelaide Sport & Fitness Expo 2014; Tattoo & Art Expo; Stitches & Craft Show 2015; and Gluten Matters.

This year’s LambEx event also highlighted the versatility of the venue’s space, with the Australian lamb expo including live animal demonstrations, a 900-plus people plenary and a 770 person sit-down gala dinner (see case study on page 19).

Once a time to avoid for business events the Adelaide Festival (February 27 to March 15) is now being sold as a great way to provide colour to meetings or events.

“February and March is an exciting time in Adelaide with the Adelaide Festival of Arts contributing to the vibrancy of the city in a big way,” says Gillian Mercer, Adelaide Festival’s business development director.

“It’s not uncommon for Adelaide Festival to feature as an option for pre or post conference entertainment and was the official pre-touring program of the World Police and Fire Games. Our membership with the Bureau enables us to contact conference organisers who are holding events in Adelaide during festival time, encouraging conference delegates to take advantage of the great range of art available to them from within our program.”

The Adelaide Festival has launched a range of packages for

the corporate sector, based on suitability to the corporate market and available function facilities either within or in close proximity to the location of the performance.

“Options range from light refreshments pre or post show to a more formal pre show dinning offer at our fine dining partner restaurant Jolleys Boathouse,” she says.

“We also deliver a VIP event program which is accessed by our sponsors and donors. This program includes a range of event experiences in addition to attending Festival performances such as post show artist meets and hosted activity with the artistic director, chief executive and board of the Festival.”

The Adelaide Festival Centre is one venue that works very closely with the Adelaide Festival and their hosted events, according to Darren Sparks, function sales manager at Adelaide Festival Centre.

“We provide opportunities for corporate clients to host their own events to tie in particular shows and artists,” he says.

The Adelaide Festival Centre is to host the 2015 Australian International Documentary Conference in February 2015, with around 250 delegates expected to attend.

Adelaide’s business event offering is maturing, with the ongoing infrastructure investment combining with Adelaide’s strong focus on cultural and sporting events proving to be a winning formula.

Above: Trackside at Morphettville Racecourse. Right: The tram

connecting the CBD to Glenelg.


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BriefLambEx is a biennial industry event that rotates around the major lamb producing states of Australia. When planning began in 2012 the LambEx 2014 committee hoped to attract more than 500 people from

all sheep states of Australia, plus a good contingent of international guests.

ApproachA team effort, spearheaded by the Adelaide Event & Exhibition Centre at the

Adelaide Showground, and supported by a professional bid document put together by the Adelaide Convention Bureau, resulted in South Australia winning the right to host LambEx2014. Overwhelming support from local industry bodies and key government departments – including letters of support from the Premier and Minister for Agriculture – were crucial to the bid’s success.

Challenges• Hosting live animals in the

exhibition area while food was being served

• Turn a 900-plus plenary into a gala dinner set up in record time

Overcoming the challengesThe venue, organising

committee, event managers and the Government worked collaboratively to provide solutions that delivered a satisfactory outcome, all the while adhering to relevant rules and policies and not compromising the standard of the event. This team approach addressed all the challenges in complying with food safety, while ensuring a fantastic experience in a safe environment.

The outcomeClose to 900 delegates from across Australia, New Zealand and Argentina converging on the Adelaide Showground. The event sold out a month in advance and delegate numbers surpassed the two previous events in Bendigo (2012) and Perth (2010). For a state with just 11 per cent of the nation’s sheep population, it was a tremendous feat for South Australia.

Case study

LambEx 2014 Adelaide Event & Exhibition Centre

July 9-11, 2014


Darwin may be one of the most remote cities in Australia but its location is proving to be one of its greatest assets for its burgeoning business events industry. Located quite literally at the Top End of Australia, Darwin is not only an ideal conference destination for those corporations and associations with interests in the region, including the oil and gas, tropical medicine and Indigenous health sectors, but also for those interested in tapping into the Southeast Asian market.

“We’re in a good position because Darwin is so topical at the moment,” says Suzanne Morgan, executive director, business and market segments, of the Northern Territory Convention Bureau (NTCB). “Particularly in relation to the major projects that are going on here, but also with the Commonwealth push for North Australia.

“Our proximity to Asia is also really opening

up new market opportunities for us. More importantly than attracting the big Asian international conferences, what we’re seeing is rapid growth in delegations coming in from Asia.”

The bureau is specifically targeting corporate events that “make economic sense” to come to Darwin.

“The challenge in the association space is that we don’t have a huge number of members for associations, so there needs to be an additional desire for them to come

here,” Morgan says.

Improved air capacity in recent years has made Darwin a more attractive destination, she adds.

“We have better aviation capacity, both internationally and domestically, than we’ve

had in a very long time, which makes a vast difference to the corporate traveller.”

A recent announcement that Virgin Australia will fly from Darwin to Alice Springs from March next year will further improve access to the Red Centre for the Southeast Asian market.

Keen to spread the word, NTCB last month held a successful roadshow event, ConveNTions Walkabout ’14, which saw representatives from the bureau along with 10 industry partners host a series of events for around 200 meeting planners at locations around the country.

DARWIN

Australia’s most remote capital, Darwin is attracting interest both as a gateway to Northern Australia and to Southeast Asia, discovers Ylla Watkins.

Location, location, location

“Our proximity to Asia is really opening up new market

opportunities for us.”


Qantas Club gets a makeoverA new-look Qantas Club was recently unveiled at Darwin Airport. At more than double its previous size, the club now provides seating for more than 350 guests, along with a business centre and meeting room, new bathroom and shower facilities, a barista service for coffee-lovers and dedicated family zone.

Qantas’ head of Australian regional operations, Natalie Saulter, says Darwin’s new Qantas Club is a testament to the airline’s ongoing investment in Darwin.

“Qantas has a long history in the Northern Territory and we consider Darwin a very important part of our domestic network,” she said. “Not only do we operate the most services in and out of the capital we are also the only airline to have a dedicated lounge for its customers.

“The new lounge has been designed to give customers a new level of comfort and convenience.”

The opening of the new Qantas Club coincides with Darwin Airport’s $60 million expansion, which is set to vastly improve airport facilities for all customers.

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Operators on show to talk up the latest developments across the Northern Territory included Darwin Convention Centre; Darwin Turf Club; Great Southern rail; Hilton; SkyCity Darwin; TFE Hotels; and Fusion Exhibition and Hire Services.

“The key messages for us at the Roadshow were that we are really keen for people to see Central Australia and the Top End as different destinations,” says Morgan. “That it’s not about choosing Northern Territory once; the NT can offer you reasons, both business and destination-wise, to come back again and again. And secondly, that if a conference comes to town in Darwin the whole community will embrace that event. They’re not just a number to us; that’s really important.”

Along with the roadshow, the NTCB recently

hosted a famil showcasing the diversity of business event products and experiences on offer in the Top End, with participants visiting Darwin, as well as Litchfield National Park.

The itinerary featured a Top End sunset viewed from Skycity Darwin, dinner at the iconic Mindil Beach Markets, where participants were able to spend their “Mindil dinner dollars”, presentations at the Paspaley and di Croco boutiques, dinner at Crocosaurus Cove in Darwin’s CBD, and a breakfast cruise aboard Darwin Harbour Cruises’ beautifully-restored 20m schooner, the Tumlaren. A full day trip to Litchfield National Park provided a taste of the region’s natural attractions, rock art and wildlife, as well as the chance to swim in a stunning rock pool.

Feedback from participants indicated that

the program had ticked all the boxes from a planner’s perspective.

“The recent Top End famil provided us with a range of different tastes of Darwin and the NT,” says Tricia Mahoney from InHouse Event Solutions. “There were the iconic experiences such as the Mindil Beach Markets, breakfast cruise on Darwin Harbour, a visit to the pearl and crocodile skin product boutiques, as well as dining with the crocs. Being chauffeured around in an open-air double decker coach was a very creative touch and the visit out of town to Litchfield National Park was spectacular. Planners are definitely spoiled for choice in the NT! The Bureau put together exceptional programs which really showed the incredible uniqueness and beauty of this region.”

Evidence suggests that word is definitely

From left: Mindil Beach Sunset Markets; Darwin Harbour Cruises’ Tumlaren; Litchfield National Park was a stop on the recent NTCB famil.


getting out about the Northern Territory’s capital. Darwin Convention Centre (DCC) reports one of its busiest conference seasons since opening, with more than 9000 delegates expected to converge on the city from July to November.

October saw two major events held in Darwin, October Business Month (OBM), presented by the NT Department of Business and the Chamber of Commerce NT, and the 52nd Australia-Japan Joint Business Conference.

The latter event saw 300 senior business executives and government officials from Japan and Australia descend on the Centre for discussions on a wide range of business topics and to explore future trade opportunities between the two countries. It was the first time the conference, which is held annually and alternates between locations in Australia and Japan, had been held in Australia outside of the Eastern States and was proof that “Darwin is on the radar as a an Australian city to do business in”, according to Morgan.

Highlights included a number of plenary sessions tackling issues including economic integration, energy security and Asia’s food future, and a speech by guest of honour Prime Minister Tony Abbott at the conference dinner.

“We had some fantastic feedback about the Australia-Japan Joint Business Conference, both from the Chief Minister’s department and the Japanese delegates,” says Janet Hamilton, general manager at the DCC.

“I think the focus on the ‘Developing the North’ program, which both the Federal and Northern Territory government are pushing, and the activity around the oil and gas industries, made it an attractive proposition for the Japanese delegates.”

Hamilton agrees that many conferences and meetings are choosing to hold their events in Darwin because they are trying to attract delegates from Southeast Asia.

While forward bookings for 2015 are looking good, Hamilton says her team are working hard to both promote the Centre within traditional markets and diversify into new markets.

“We’re trying to diversify and bring things which are outside of the conference market to Darwin,” she says. “It’s important for us to be part of our community, and it’s also important to have a balanced approach to sales and revenue.

“Obviously conferences are our primary market but our local market is equally important to us – we want to broaden our special event and exhibition market. Often when there are national roadshows of exhibitions, they miss Darwin, because of the distance to get here. We want to change that.

“One thing we’ve been doing is marketing ourselves to promoters as a concert venue. We’ve not been perceived as a serious concert venue before but we had James Blunt earlier this year, and Missy Higgins last week, which was fantastic, and we’ve also got a new arrangement with the Darwin Symphony Orchestra.”

This month the Centre will play host to the Small Business Association of Australia (SBAA), when they hold their annual national conference from November 19-22.

SBAA’s patron and Hancock Prospecting chairman Gina Rinehart, NT Chief Minister Adam Giles and other State and Federal Government ministers, are expected to attend the conference gala dinner at the Centre.

“The Small Business Association conference is the first event to come out of our Ambassador program,” Morgan says. “Gina Rinehart, who is the patron of the association, is one of our ambassadors and brought the conference here. It’s really exciting.”

Launched a year ago, the ambassador program has been extremely successful so far, adds Morgan.

“The ambassadors have not only had a role in attracting business events to the Territory but also in raising our profile in the corporate sector,” she says. “Because the Territory is such a small place, in terms of population, we have to shout quite loudly to be considered in the mix.”

Overall, Morgan believes the Territory is in a good place going into 2015.

“Domestically we’re being taken seriously a place to do business, and internationally we’re on the radar for the first time, especially for that Asian market.

“We are quietly confident about 2015. We definitely have more on the books for the year ahead than we did this time last year.”

New venue for Darwin A new venue for Darwin is the 4.5-star Élan Soho Suites, which opened earlier this year.

Offering 301 one and two bedroom apartments, the hotel also has a dedicated conference floor which can cater to up to 400 delegates cocktail-style, or be split into six smaller event spaces.

While still early days, the property has already seen a lot of local interest for conferences and events, and forward bookings are strong, according to Judy Lee, marketing and business development manager for Élan Hotels.

“Our first event was at the end of September,” she says. “Since then there has been a really good pick up from the local industry. The week before last we had 12 events in the one week, which is pretty good for a new product. These particular events were local but we’ve also had a lot of interest from across Australia. We’ve been working with various PCOs on business for next year, and also working with the NTCB.”

The property is the first hotel in the Northern Territory to offer remote check-in facilities, allowing guests to check in via their smartphone and use the phone as their room key throughout their stay.

Above: Darwin city, waterfront precinct and convention centre.


Let’s connect www.darwinconvention.com.au+618 8923 9000 | [email protected]

make it darwinAustralia’s tropical harbour city has two faces – a cultural mosaic showpiece with an enviable casual lifestyle

on one hand and humming global hub leading the world in innovation industries on the other.

We’re proud to provide a world class experience for business events visitors to the Northern Territory, one stamped with the uniqueness of Darwin.

Indigenous tourism experiences under the spotlight Tourism Australia is partnering with an award winning team for a new film project which will see renowned director/cinematographer Warwick Thornton direct a three-minute film promoting Australia’s Indigenous tourism experiences to international visitors.

Thornton, who directed acclaimed films such as Samson and Delilah and The Sapphires, will be collaborating with critically-acclaimed Australian director Brendan Fletcher (Mad Bastards) on the short film.

Speaking about the project Thornton said he viewed it as “a great opportunity to celebrate what is so very special about this country and our indigenous culture”.

“Being Aboriginal and a filmmaker I have had the opportunity to travel to a lot of different parts of our country and as part of the film project I look forward to sharing the proud stories of our people, their culture and their land so we can extend these experiences to others around the world when they are here,” he said.

The project aims to dispel some of the misconceptions that Indigenous tourism experiences can only be found in hot, dry and remote areas.

“Australia’s Indigenous tourism experiences are a unique and important part of Australia’s tourism offering for international visitors,” said Tourism Australia managing director John O’Sullivan.

“Tourism Australia is committed to bringing Indigenous tourism experiences to the fore through its global marketing of Australia.

“Having the expertise of Warwick Thornton and Brendan Fletcher to create the film will help us share the story of our ‘champion’ tourism product in a very compelling way and in turn increase the interest and participation

in our Indigenous tourism experiences.”

Based on consumer research, the film will highlight the most popular activities for international visitors which include adventure, remote cultural immersion experiences, iconic Red Centre and outback experiences, rainforests in the tropics, and urban cultural experiences.

Kakadu Tourism’s Yellow Water Cruses.


THAILAND

Thailand is very much “open for business” after the political turmoil which saw power transition to the military in August.

That’s the message the Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) set out to convey to international media when it hosted a familiarisation to Bangkok and emerging business events destination Khon Kaen in September. The “Thailand Connect 2014 – Isan Indulgence Media Familiarisation Trip”, hosted in association with the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), Thai Airways and the Ratchaprasong Square Trade Association, saw media from across Asia and Australasia jet into the Thai capital for an exciting five-day program highlighting Thailand’s unique attributes and world-class business events facilities.

Speaking at a briefing on the first full day of the familiarisation, Sek Wannamethee, director-general, department of information, and spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, emphasised that

“the situation in Thailand is now peaceful and secure”.

“Now is the perfect time to showcase Thailand’s strong fundamentals and resilient economy,” he said.

“As key government policies are being expedited, including important infrastructure projects to enhance Thailand’s natural advantage as Southeast Asia’s logistics hub, foreign investors are attracted to opportunities in Thailand, which is a gateway to ASEAN [Association of Southeast Asian Nations], a market with a population of more than 600 million.

“Thailand remains a regional hub, a vibrant, multicultural society with friendly people, a world-class tourist destination,

and a strategic location for profitable businesses in ASEAN.”

Nopparat Maythaveekulchai, president of TCEB, assured visiting media that the new government has affirmed its

commitment to the business events industry, and is moving ahead with plans to promote the industry internationally. While business had gone through a slump due

to the political uncertainty evident earlier in the year, TCEB expects the total number of business events travellers to Thailand this year will reach 888,210, contributing around US$2.9 billion to the Thai economy ($3.3 billion).

TCEB’s partners have thrown

their support behind the bureau’s efforts, with Charles Pamonmontri, director of Thailand sales services department, Thai Airways, saying that “Thai Airways can see great synergy among partners in reasserting confidence and reinvigorating Thailand’s image as a premiere MICE destination”.

“Thai Airways is committed to leveraging the success of the campaign by offering support with promotions, roadshows and complementary or specially-priced air tickets on routes that the airline flies,” he said.

Other stakeholders have also been working towards Thailand’s rehabilitation as a destination. Global hotel group Starwood Hotels & Resorts for example recently chose to launch their new SPG Pro loyalty program in Bangkok, so visiting international media could see first-hand that it is now business as usual for the city.

The Bangkok leg of the TCEB famil program centred on

With order restored and a new government in place following civil unrest earlier this year, the Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau is encouraging business events organisers to take a fresh look at the nation for their next event.

Take a fresh look

“Now is the perfect time to showcase

Thailand’s strong fundamentals and resilient economy.”


the Ratchaprasong Square district, considered “the heart of Bangkok”, with participants staying in a number of local hotels including the St Regis Bangkok and the InterContinental Bangkok, however new infrastructure including venues, accommodation and transport links abounds throughout the city.

Highlights include the expansion of the BTS Skytrain network, making it easier for locals and conference delegates alike to get around Bangkok without having to navigate the city’s notoriously bad traffic; the THB 6 billion ($200 million) expansion of the Bangkok International Trade and Exhibition Centre (BITEC), THB 3 billion ($100 million) of which will be spent on an exhibition, convention and concert hall which will be one of the largest in the country; and new accommodation in growing districts such as Sukhumvit and Chao Praya Riverside.

In the Northeast of Thailand, the famil group’s second stop, Khon Kaen, is a thriving industrial hub that is fast becoming known as a gateway to Indochina and southern China, and an emerging destination for business events.

Recognising its potential, TCEB has fast-tracked the promotion of the city as a “MICE city” of Thailand, creating a “roadmap” for the development of the industry for the period 2013-2016, emphasising three strategic directions: “Winning Events Strategy to maintain existing markets and expansion

to target markets; Promotion Strategy to empower Khon Kaen as the region’s first option for MICE; and Development Strategy to make Khon Kaen a new MICE city with distinct uniqueness that is able to add value to the MICE industry through the creative economy”.

Highlights of the whirlwind tour included a site inspection of the Centara Hotel and Convention Centre Khon Kaen, which also hosted the group overnight; a visit to the Moon Muang Museum; Issan Indulgence Tour; and CSR activity which involved building furniture for a local children’s charity.

The final day of the tour saw the group return to Bangkok, where a half day itinerary including a cooking class with “Eat Play Love” at the Peninsula Hotel Bangkok, a presentation from the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre, and Mauy Thai (Thai Boxing) demonstration at Asiatique The Riverfront rounded out the trip.

While Thailand’s business events industry’s may take some time to recover fully, high-profile wins including One Young World Summit 2015, Unicity Global Convention and the 10th International Mycological Congress, suggest that the bureau’s efforts to convince business events organisers to take a fresh look at Thailand are already paying off.

Alexandra Yeomans was a guest of the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau.


From left: Muay Thai Live at Asiatique; The Bangkok skyline; Khon Kaen Shrine.


ON THE ROAD

“All for one and one for all” was the classic rallying call from Alexandre Dumas’ iconic Three Musketeers, and some three centuries later it could be equally applied to the Altogether Perfect campaign, launched earlier this year, which aims to shine a spotlight on three regions north of Sydney – Newcastle, Hunter Valley and Port Stephens.

For a group of event organisers from Sydney, Canberra, Brisbane and the Gold Coast on the recent Altogether Perfect famil the spirit of adventure was never far away with plenty of wine, good food, more wine, cruising, paddle boarding, quad biking, and more across the three day itinerary.

The group had barely got past introductions before taking off their shoes and getting down and dirty in tubs of grapes for a wine challenge at Bimbadgen Estate. Under the watchful eye of head winemaker Rauri Donkin, wines were blended, labels designed and a new vintage created before the group indulged in lunch at the Estate’s restaurant Esca. Dessert at the Château Élan at the Vintage satisfied the most ardent sweet tooth cravings before venue inspections at Crowne Plaza Hunter Valley, Cypress Lakes Resort and Hunter Valley Resort. The group worked for their supper at Tuscany Wine Estate under the steely gaze

All for oneIn only its second year the Altogether Perfect familiarisation could well become a must-do on every event organiser’s calendar with its mix of great food and wine, high adventure and versatility of meetings venues, discovers Sheridan Randall.


of executive chef Rebecca Kaye, who guided them through a cooking masterclass aided by the liberal application of a selection of wines from McWilliam’s Wines.

The group farewelled the Hunter Valley with a champagne breakfast at Peterson House and a demonstration from Balloon Aloft before hitting the road and heading south east to Newcastle.

A High Tea at Hobarts at the Executive Inn, part of Wests Group, hit the group’s refresh button before a tour of Newcastle’s historic Grand Venues including the Civic Theatre and Town Hall. Primal instincts were unleashed during a surprise African drumming session courtesy of Circle of Life, before an al fresco lunch at the picturesque Rotunda in King Edward Park. Stand-up paddle boarding in Newcastle Ocean Baths with 2UP SUP was the perfect tonic for those who wanted to work off a few kilojoules before site inspections of Novotel Newcastle Beach, Noah’s on the Beach, Crowne Plaza Newcastle, Quest Serviced Apartments and Apollo International Hotel. The firing of the cannons atop the historic Fort Scratchley

Barracks kicked off a gala dinner, with singer Daniel Arvidsen leading the group on an epic sing-a-long of every radio friendly hit from four decades.

A trackside breakfast the Newcastle Jockey Club followed by clay pigeon shooting with Pinnacle Team Events got the group cantering along the final furlong before heading to Port Stephens for some quad biking on the biggest sand dunes in Australia, led by Quad Bike King. While most took the coach via Birubi Point Surf Life Saving Club, a lucky few took to the skies with Skyline Aviation before regrouping at Anchorage Port Stephens for lunch with Destination Port Stephens chief executive Janelle Gardner. A leisurely boat trip across the bay with Moonshadow Cruises brought the group to the Ramada Resort Shoal Bay where they enjoyed five minute head massages in the day spa before a final farewell.

Speaking earlier at the gala dinner, Tourism Hunter chairman Will Creedon described the three regions as “united” in working to attract more business events.

“We are asking you to become our ambassadors,” he said. “Tell people about your experiences here, tell them about the versatility, our accessibility and our connectivity.”

Creedon’s words probably worked faster than he expected with two in the group immediately jumping up to speak about their trip thus far. Janene Wardrop, manager client services and events at the College of Law, said she would be bringing business to the region based on her experiences on the famil, while Roger Buckley, chief executive of the Surveying and Spatial Sciences Institute, summed up what many felt by saying “it is just amazing what you have got here”.

The famil has certainly created a new group of ambassadors, who will no doubt spread the good word about what an Altogether Perfect destination the three regions offer.

Sheridan Randall was hosted by Altogether Perfect, which comprises Newcastle Convention Bureau, Hunter Valley Wine & Tourism Association and Destination Port Stephens.

Clockwise from opposite page: Flying high in the Hunter Valley at Peterson House; The famil group at Bimbadgen Estate; The Rotunda in Newcastle’s King Edward Park; Janene Wardrop and Roger Buckley at Fort Scratchley Barracks; Quad biking on the dunes in Port Stephens.



UNCONFERENCING

Conference formats are changing with delegates becoming participants looking to engage in topics rather than simply be consumers of keynote speeches, discovers Sheridan Randall.

Delegates in the driving seat

The internet changed the world in many ways, not least in the way that we communicate both personally and as part of a community or society. People are no longer passive consumers of information but want to engage with the topics and share their thoughts as well.

So it should come as no surprise that “unconferencing” grew out the tech world well over a decade ago when the term first appeared in an announcement for the annual XML developers conference in 1998. Participant driven, the new style of conference was a reaction to the top down format used by traditional conferences and reflected the democratising power of the emerging internet.

Today, unconferencing is still an adjunct to mainstream conferencing, but many of its principles are nonetheless shaping the format of traditional conferences.

The Unconference, an annual event held this year at the Hunter Valley Hotel Academy in New South Wales, sees delegates from across many community sectors invited to discuss a raft of community topics they feel passionate about including disabilities policies, organisational change, aged care and community engagement.

Co-founder Dee Brooks, director of the Jeder Institute, says the motivation behind The Unconference was to create “a level playing field and open space that people can come together around really big issues and big questions”.

Taking a leap of faith that potential delegates would embrace the free flowing format, Brooks says that the key is “setting it up in a way that people understand the self-organising aspect of it”.

“We always start in a circle so there are no rows of chairs,” she says. “There is just one big circle, or if there isn’t the space we would have two concentric circles. We don’t stand in the middle, we talk from the circle and give them a bit of an overview of what the days will look like.”

To begin with the delegates take an “appreciative listening walk” around the venue for 30 minutes where they can ponder two questions – what is it that brought them to the meeting and what is it they want to take away with them?

“We get that feedback straight away and make sure we get that addressed over the three days,” she says.

“We started this year with a half day, where

we had an introduction and meet and greet circle and went through a few group exercises to get people mixing with each other and unearthing their hidden talents or skills and sharing stories of their success.”

Rather than moderators or set speakers The Unconference uses “key agitators”, who “bring their wisdom and knowledge to the different groups”.

“People can put up their own topics and then break into groups, so you don’t have to stay in one group and move around,” she says.

The aim is to get “all facets of community invited and involved in these conversations”, with the end result being that “people are getting meatier strategies, topics and responses from what they are doing”.

Bond University’s Faculty of Business is another body that has seen success from adopting the unconference format to their annual global meeting, having recently hosted the 2014 Research in Management Learning and Education (RMLE) Unconference at the Copenhagen Business School in Denmark following the success of last year’s inaugural event held in Australia.

Assistant Professor George Hrivnak and Professor Amy Kenworthy partnered with

Building blocksHeld at Copenhagen Business School in Denmark, the 2014 Research in Management Learning and Education Unconference used Lego figures as a motif for the passion, innovation and creativity experienced by delegates at the event.


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the editors of four international management education journals to run the event which attracted submissions from 52 academics representing 26 universities located across four continents.

Having a “heavily participant focused and driven feel to it”, Kenworthy says it is like a “think tank with personality”.

“We wanted a new twist on that topic and

bring new people into the fold,” she says.

“This is about bringing people together who otherwise wouldn’t come together in another format. They may pass each other in the hall in other traditional types of conferences but they wouldn’t sit down and figuratively chew on research topics together.”

With little in the way of traditional format or structure, session times can go on

for extended periods, with participants encouraged to break out, change groups or start new groups.

“At the end of the session time, which is usually around 60-90 minutes we have everyone report back about what they talked about so that everyone can connect with those people that had ideas that resonated with them,” she says. “Everything morphs

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and changes in a real time. Literally every minute things are changing and being reshaped and being discovered.”

The space itself also plays an important part in making the event work, according to Kenworthy.

“There is no way we would run one of these in a traditional auditorium unless we could put a disco ball on the ceiling to change it in a way that made it totally non-traditional,” she says.

“We are creating an environment as much as we are creating networks. It’s meant to be different and give people a voice in a safe environment to ask questions, challenge people and raise issues that you would never raise in a traditional conference format because you would only have 30 seconds in a Q&A at the end of a pre-determined pre-created presentation that you are presenting in a one way monologue to the audience.”

The event attracted around 50 participants, but Kenworth says that the format is not limited to small groups.

“It’s really about getting the right people in the space and having them interact

together,” she says. “As long as there are genuine connections being made there’s no number that I could put on that. At this point there is no going back.”

GovCamp is another initiative that emerged from a vision to create an open forum for discussion on public sector issues. It is currently coordinated nationally by the Cofluence team, consisting of Allison Hornery and John Wells, with the support of the Inspire Centre at the University of Canberra.

GovCamps typically involve a day of open, informal discussion among the participants with a mix of quick presentations, 20-30 minute sessions held in parallel and plenary sessions.

“Cofluence has played a leadership role in the GovCamp movement for a number of years, and for the most recent GovCamp in July, we wanted to add extra value to the format by making it a networked event – to enable participants in multiple locations to both meet locally as well as connecting the conversations across the country,” says Wells.

“We had voluntary teams in Canberra, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane and Perth working together to organise an Innovation GovCamp in their city on the

same day, and we linked the cities at three points during the day by two-way video. We also experimented with setting key innovation-related themes and encouraged participants to capture their thoughts and learnings live using a collaborative note-taking tool.”

With many of the participants in the most recent nationally networked Innovation GovCamp unused to the unconference format each location ran a short workshop session at the start of the day to tease out the issues and to get people talking, before moving into unconference mode.

“Having run a few of these unconferences now, we find that it doesn’t take people long to adapt to the unconference style, and indeed we often have feedback that people find it refreshing,” he says.

“We take the approach of having a couple of facilitators on hand to help the group create their real-time agenda for the day. Then it becomes a logistical exercise to move people between rooms for each session. But it’s not about stopping people from going off tangent – in fact, we want lots of tangents! It’s often how new insights or connections

From Left: GovCamp Sydney; GovCamp Adelaide; GovCamp

Sydney; Blended learning cartoon by RMLE Unconference

delegate Marc Baaij.

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[email protected]: 9209 4220www.atp.com.au2 Locomotive StreetEveleigh 2015

E X P E R I E N C E U N F O R G E T T A B L E E V E N T S

A U S T R A L I A N T E C H N O L O G Y P A R K

ConferenCes I exhibit ions I Corporate meet ings

training I fashion produCt launChes I and muCh more.

happen. The only thing we are firm about are what we call the rules of engagement, which are common to all kinds of unconference events: in essence, no pitching or selling, be respectful and share.”

The unconference format works best for groups under 150 people, to ensure a “sense of community”, according to Wells.

“Our view is that unconferences like GovCamp are a valuable personal learning opportunity like any other conference, with the added benefit of being highly experiential, rather than simply being a passive audience member in a conference. As organisers, we also have a commitment to curating the conversation from the day and communicating the insights to leaders and influencers as a snapshot of the current thinking on a particular issue or theme. In our experience, this is not an outcome you usually expect or receive from a more conventional conference.”

Technology is also changing the way delegates interact. Live streaming a conference or meeting has become commonplace with a range of do-it-yourself webinar platforms readily available including Citrix GoToMeeting, Cisco WebEx, Microsoft

Lync and Adobe Connect, according to Tim Chapman, general manager of digital event services at Staging Connections.

“The actual ability to create your own webcast means we are all getting more used to that environment and because of that we are now becoming more comfortable watching a live event in a webinar space,” he says.

However, watching a screen as a passive attendee results in very short attention spans, with the average length of passive viewing between 30 to 50 minutes.

“When you are at a live conference you are looking around a room there’s activity and a sense of being in a room with a group of people,” he says. “When you are solo sitting in front of a screen you are actually inclined to listen to it in the background and go back to doing something secondary like working on your emails.”

This is one reason Staging Connections has been proactive in bringing greater interactivity into the digital realm.

“The actual audience engagement at a virtual level has been our focus for the last year, which is why we have introduced a

webcast platform that is fully interactive whether it be live polls, being able to ask the speaker a direct question or social media feed,” he says.

“We’ve even incorporated live chat into our webcast platform so that when the real audience goes to morning tea, lunch of afternoon tea we are facilitating a video hook-up between the attendees in the virtual world, so you can be chatting to the other viewers waiting for the live sessions to be starting again.”

Rather than seeing digital technology as simply an add-on for a conference, Chapman says that event organisers should define the desired outcomes of a conference and build a digital platform around that end goal.

“To simply live stream it for free anyone can do that, but [the goal is] to keep your attendees to a point where their feedback at the end is fantastic and want to attend again in person,” he says.

“You can tailor a virtual environment much easier if you know what outcome you want. It’s not just people watching it on a screen anymore.”

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Community building

EVENT REPORT

A desire to create a lasting legacy for the inaugural Australian Childhood Trauma Conference, held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) in August, led conference management company ICMS to create a self-sustaining community of delegates and online “virtual delegates”.

Organised by the Australian Childhood Foundation (ACF), the five-day conference was aimed at providing a space for people working with vulnerable kids, adults and communities to get together, hear from the world’s leading thinkers in the field of childhood trauma, and share their own experiences of working in this rapidly-evolving

field. For the ACF it was also an opportunity to consolidate their position as a convener of global thought leadership, and to establish an ongoing dialogue and community to be drawn on by the ACF in the future.

Attracting a “sell out” 2000 international delegates drawn from a variety of fields including health, education, welfare services, law, mental health and government following a successful targeted eDM offering an attractive early-bird discount and broader marketing campaign, the conference also attracted 150 “virtual delegates”.

ICMS identified early that the most valuable outcome of this conference would be generated

by its participants. Their opinions, their energy and their passion would be the lifeblood of the conference: could their enthusiasm and dedication be somehow harnessed?

ICMS’ solution was to move that conversation into the digital space. To create a self-sustaining community whose conversations would be hosted and to an extent prompted by the ACF but allowed to grow organically.

ICMS saw significant potential for the introduction of a smartphone app to facilitate an ongoing, open and informed dialogue between conference participants and speakers. After being impressed at its offering at a trade show in

Germany, ICMS engaged social event platform Double Dutch to develop the app. Based on iBeacon technology, the platform provided a real-time community forum, open only to event registrants. The app was released two weeks before the conference to build discussion in the lead up, and promoted to attendees during the event to encourage them to download it.

Acting as an activity feed for the conference, the user-friendly app was widely adopted by delegates (both in-person and virtual), speakers and organisers, creating a central point for opinions, questions and discussion points to be directed, and for important information and resources to be shared.

Organisers of the inaugural Australian Childhood Trauma Conference turned to technology to create an “organic” community of delegates, speakers and social media users.

The conference provided a space for people working in the childhood trauma field to get together, hear from leading experts in the field and share their own experiences.

Delegates at the Australian Childhood Trauma Conference, held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.


The uptake on the app was exceptional. Delegates embraced the opportunity to continue discussions online well into the early hours, and speakers were more than happy to engage in interesting conversations.

Entrusting responsibility to an appointed manager, ICMS were able to cross-fertilise the activity feed of the app with Twitter discussions generated throughout the conference, creating a seamless news and conversation source. The use of Twitter also helped to broaden the reach of the discussions and engage interest from social media users previously unaware of the conference, but who could potentially be marketed to for future events. This has particularly been the case where the event speakers have discussed the conference and shared information with their personal network of followers.

A related challenge was how to ensure that a large number of potential attendees, both within Australia and overseas, who hadn’t been able to register for the sold out event, could still be involved.

ICMS worked with the technological capabilities of the MCEC to deliver a “virtual delegate” option of far greater quality than most live streaming opportunities at forums and speaking events.

A production team of 15 delivered HD-quality live viewing opportunities to virtual delegates across the world who were able to gain the insights and knowledge shared at the conference without having to travel. The online stream was developed to include

rewind capability, allowing the presentations and discussions to be reviewed at a later time.

With the help of the conference’s smartphone app these delegates were able to take part in the conference digitally, contributing to discussions and sharing information with other delegates and conference speakers.

Providing good content was also vital, with the ACF able to secure global childhood trauma expert Dr Dan Siegel from the UCLA School of Medicine to lead a range of distinguished international and Australian keynote speakers, including Cindy Blackstock, executive director of the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society of Canada, Dr Ed Tronick, developmental and clinical psychologist at the University of Massachusetts, behavioral psychologist Dr Dan Hughes, and Pat Ogden Ph.D, a pioneering somatic psychologist at the Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Institute in Colorado.

Feedback from delegates said they found the format of the presentations to be inclusive, with discussions around topics open and often related to the attendees’ own experiences. Keynote speakers were accessible and eager to engage in discussions with delegates at the event and on the app. Overall, this collaborative environment helped to create a community feel that conference organisers often find challenging to cultivate.

The introduction of the app also assisted in organically developing a social program around the event. Over the five days of the event many

attendees used it to direct others to suitable locations for further discussion on the topics covered that day. It is also anticipated that the app will be used to maintain relationships between attendees, allowing each to share useful information and updates on developments within their chosen field. The app will continue to be in operation for the next couple of years.

The inclusion of the virtual delegate option also provides a strong opportunity for future events, safe in the knowledge that the streaming experience offers value for money and can be marketed as a viable alternative to those not wishing to travel to the event.

Joe Tucci, chief executive of the ACF, says the not-for-profit was thrilled with the response they received.

“The approach taken by ICMS showed a clear understanding of our values and business model, and helped to ensure we got the best return on investment, which is crucial for organisations working in under-resourced areas such as ours,” he said.

Deputy chief executive Janise Mitchell also praised ICMS for its “creative approach to engage with our existing stakeholders and expand into areas where we’ve previously not been able to reach”.

“We were blown away by the turnout and have greatly strengthened relationships with our speakers and delegates,” she said. “ICMS has definitely added significant value to this conference and put us in a strong position for the 2016 Conference, preparations for which are well underway.”

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Organisers used a smartphone app and social media platforms such as Twitter to engage delegates and other interested parties, creating a real-time community forum.


News in brief

VENUE UPDATE

Oaks Rivermarque in MackayOaks Hotels & Resorts has announced the opening of its 48th

property, Oaks Rivermarque, located in Mackay, Queensland. The 138 room, serviced apartment complex is located in the region’s central business district. The hotel features a range of facilities including an indoor swimming pool, spa, gymnasium, BBQ area, sundeck and business services.

Hotel Kurrajong CanberraThe historic Hotel Kurrajong Canberra is set to reopen its doors this

December. Currently undergoing a significant renovation, the iconic boutique heritage-listed hotel is conveniently located in Canberra’s parliamentary precinct and surrounded by the city’s attractions and business district. The 147 room hotel will comprise of 26 heritage-listed rooms, four executive suites, four balcony and eight terrace rooms.

Third W Hotel for ThailandW Hotels Worldwide has announced the debut of its third

hotel in Thailand with W Retreat Phuket, Phang Nga Bay, to open in January 2018. Features include a 120sqm meeting and event space, a lobby lounge, an all-day dining restaurant and a specialty restaurant and bar. The retreat will offer 79 standalone villas, private outdoor areas and plunge pools.

Fairytale opening for DalianStarwood Hotels & Resorts debuts The Castle Hotel as part of the Luxury Collection brand in China’s Northern Coast, in Dalian. The hotel offers 292 luxurious guestrooms and suites, as well as 67 residences, offering stunning ocean views, and features three restaurants with authentic cuisine options unique to Dalian. Venue offerings include a spacious grand ballroom, seven function rooms and a 4000sqm open-air rooftop garden, which provides an elegant space for cocktail parties.


Extra dimension in ChatswoodConstruction of the Civic Plaza serviced apartments in Chatswood, Sydney,

will add an extra element to the location’s entertainment destination, The Concourse. The new development will offer 212 luxury serviced apartments, providing an onsite accommodation option for conferences and events held at The Concourse. It is scheduled for completion by early 2016.

Novotel takes the Norwest crownAccor has grown its Western Sydney presence following a managerial

takeover and rebranding of the Novotel Sydney Norwest, formerly Crowne Plaza Norwest. The 132 room hotel boasts well appointed guestrooms including balcony and spa rooms. Facilities include a restaurant and bar, outdoor swimming pool, gym and conferencing space for up to 300 people.

Brisbane’s first street art hotelTryp by Wyndham Fortitude Valley has opened in Brisbane; it is the

city’s first street art hotel and the first Tryp by Wyndham hotel in Australia. The 4.5 star, 65 room hotel offers queen and king rooms that reflect the street-art theme, with edgy décor complementing contemporary styling. The hotel offers a meeting room for intimate board meetings and a rooftop bar that can cater to events of up to 240 people cocktail style.

ibis spreads its wings in BrisbaneAccor, in partnership with Action Hotels, has confirmed it will go ahead with what will be the largest ibis hotel in Australasia. The $90 million, 368-room hotel, will be located in central Brisbane at 40 Elizabeth Street, with a scheduled opening date of early 2016. The announcement comes after the successful launch of the $70 million ibis Adelaide hotel development. The ibis Adelaide offers 311 accommodation rooms and excellent facilities for business travellers.

Double Bay dame opens after faceliftThe former Ritz Carlton has been transformed into a new bayside sanctuary, opening as the InterContinental Sydney Double Bay this month. Key features include a Mediterranean-inspired rooftop pool and lounge area with panoramic views of the bay; a hidden French provincial-style courtyard on level two, adjoining the Club InterContinental lounge; and sophisticated marble-inlaid gin bar. Events of up to 495 guests cocktail-style can be catered to in their restored pillarless Grand Ballroom. The hotel also has six flexible function rooms and Sydney’s only fully separate kosher kitchen.


TALKING POINT


When Malu Barrios moved from Darwin to Sydney in late 2013 to take up the role of general manager of the still-to-be-completed interim Sydney Exhibition Centre @ Glebe Island, she had a single mission in mind: “to ensure the success of every event hosted at the Centre”.

A year on, Barrios says the centre, which was built to house exhibitions throughout the three-year development period of the International Convention Centre Sydney, is “performing really well”.

Teething problems, including issues with car parking rates, the Centre’s food and beverage offering and loading dock access have been ironed out, and feedback from both event organisers and the public is positive.

Getting the Centre up and running hasn’t been without its challenges, admits Barrios.

“A number of factors combined to present a number of unprecedented challenges,” she says. “Our location on a working port; the lack of public access; the facility not being a standard venue, as perceived by

most people, because it’s a ‘tent’; and also I think the expectations of many of the stakeholders, who expected it to be similar to the former exhibition centre.

“A lot of the concerns were emanating from lack of information, so we came up with an awareness and communications strategy to allow people see what we were all about. We had an open day for the industry, we had famils for trade and media, and we used all of our resources, including social media and our website, to educate people.

“A lot of exhibition organisers wanted to see how the venue performed before committing themselves.”

While Barrios rates the Centre’s first expo, the Reed Gift Fair in February, as a seven “on a scale of one to 10”, she says she’s “proud to say that we’ve learnt from every event that we’ve hosted here and have improved on and resolved any issues that our clients have brought to us”. Reed Exhibitions has gone on to hold a further four events at the Centre.

Looking back at the Centre’s first calendar year in operation, Barrios cites the National Rugby League launch which saw the site turned into a rugby field, the reinvigorated Craft & Quilt Fair, which saw 30,000 craft enthusiasts pass through the Centre’s doors, and the recent pop culture festival Oz Comic-Con, as highlights.

“We have consistently received great comments on the things that make the venue unique,” she adds. “The ferry access to the site; the strategic location between the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Anzac Bridge; the amazing light that penetrates through the ceilings of the buildings; and the expansiveness of the buildings. These are the things the public continues to praise us on.”

With the Centre having hosted its last expo for the year, Grand Designs Live, late last month, Barrios and her team are already looking ahead to 2015 and beyond.

“We’ve put the name of Glebe Island on the map and now we’re looking forward to the next two and a half years,” she says.

A year to rememberNine months after opening with the Reed Gift Fair, Sydney’s interim exhibition centre has just finalised its last show for 2014. Ylla Watkins spoke with Sydney Exhibition Centre at Glebe Island’s general manager, Malu Barrios, about her first 12 months in the job.


MEETING PEOPLE

Destination NSW has appointed Paul Hawes to the role of regional manager UK and Germany. Hawes was most recently the marketing manager at the Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC). He will be based at the Destination NSW office in London.

Destination Southern Tasmania (DST) has appointed Melinda Anderson as tourism executive, based in Melbourne. Anderson joins DST from her most recent position as business development and operations manager at the Victoria Tourism Industry Council.

Accor has announced the appointment of D’orne Fitzpatrick as general manager of the Sebel Resort Noosa. Fitzpatrick joined Accor in 2011 at the Mercure & Ibis Brisbane and was most recently employed as rooms division manager.

AVPartners has appointed Ben Hamblin as technical director at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre (PCEC). Hamblin was previously the project manager at PCEC for AVPartners.

Accor has appointed Jean-Philippe Lagarde to the role of general manager at Novotel Perth Langley. He first joined

Accor in 1992 as food and beverage manager at the Ibis Tour Eiffel in Paris. In his most recent role, Lagarde was the general manager of Novotel Mumbai Juhu Beach.

Spicers Retreats in Queensland has announced the appointment of Helen Kretschmann (pictured) as general manager of

Spicers Peak Lodge. Kretschmann leaves her most recent position at Southern Ocean Lodge on Kangaroo Island in South Australia. Her partner, Alastair Oakman, also joins Spicers Peak Lodge as experiences manager.

Pan Pacific Hotels Group has announced the appointments of Erik Anderouard (pictured) as senior vice president,

operations, and Timur Senturk as vice president, operations, ASEAN. Anderouard joins the hotel group from United Capital Corp in the US, while Timur was previously managing director of Interstate China Hotels & Resorts.

Shangri-La Hotel, Sydney, has appointed Natasha Granath as its new director of communications. Granath brings more than 15 years of

experience in public relations, marketing and journalism. She has worked across a range of top-tier brands in the travel and leisure industry, most recently the international hotel and restaurant association Relais & Châteaux.

BridgeClimb Sydney has appointed Dylan Rowland to the newly created position of general manager of

sales. Rowland was previously associate director of consulting at the NextGen Group, and brings a wealth of expertise and skills in sales leadership, strategy and development.

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has appointed Julie White as its new director of key accounts for New Zealand, based at the

InterContinental Wellington. White brings seven years of account sales experience from across the travel and hospitality sectors to the role, including time as business development director of IHG.

Staging Connections’ Western Australia has welcomed Matt Simpson (pictured) to the role of creative consultant

and multimedia manager. Idris Achmad has also recently been appointed as WA state manager; he has more than 10 years experience with Staging Connections.

Thala Beach Lodge, in Tropical North Queensland, has appointed Fiona Harper as communications manager. Harper has a strong tourism,

communication and media background with over 10 years experience as a highly acclaimed freelance travel writer. She brings with her skills across digital media, website management and content creation.

Echo Entertainment has welcomed Greg Hawkins to the role of managing director of their Sydney property, The Star. Hawkins

brings more than 20 years industry experience and a wealth of knowledge across a variety of local and international properties to the role. He was most recently chief executive officer of Crown Melbourne.


PCO ASSOCIATION

Any professional conference organiser (PCO) worth their salt keeps an eye on the professional, trade, industry, sporting and cultural associations in their part of the world.

Given that in Australia and New Zealand alone there are over 16,000 of these not-for-profits, all busy holding meetings, running training events and planning conferences, that is hardly surprising. Many are big, with membership levels, influence and finances to match. Many more are small but are still defined by the Australian Tax Office as being economically significant, that is they employ staff and pay the goods and services tax (GST). It means that there will be an association that matches the size, interests and level of expertise of every PCO out there.

Although budgets are often modest, associations hold their events come hail or shine. This is unlike in the commercial world where businesses can just decide not to meet and not to train staff when an economic downturn affects their trade and finances. No matter the underlying economy, associations must meet and continue to serve their members' interests. I know of associations that have reined in their expenditure on meetings and events, but not of any that have walked away from the activity that is generally central to every association’s purpose. So it makes sense for a PCO to consider building a portfolio of work in the association sector as a core element of their business. Mind you, the thought of working with a legion of volunteers and committees, not to mention the notoriously slow and sometimes destructive decision making processes of many associations, may make you stay your hand.

Dealing with association managers and the associations we run is not for the faint hearted PCO. It takes someone who is as

committed to serving our members and their professional, sporting, cultural or industrial interests as we are. It also takes a PCO who gets associations; who knows why folk choose to be a member and what has to be done to keep that member.

In 2013 the Australasian Society of Association Executives (AuSAE) conducted this century’s first survey of members of professional associations in Australia and New Zealand in partnership with Survey Matters. The Mathematical Association of Victoria (MAV) participated and in the process learnt that the top three reasons people remained members was for access to good quality information, professional development and networking. Helping provide these services lies at the core of the relationship between associations and a PCO.

This relationship will always involve money. Conference and events partnership INCON co-chairs Inge Hanser and Roslyn McLeod reported in mid-2013 that budgeting is "the number one trend likely to influence the association conference sector in the coming year”.

“We are finding that conference budgets continue to be scrutinised and planners are seeking value from their events,” they added. “We must be ready to respond to this pressure and work towards delivering better prices and demanding more value from suppliers.”

A good PCO making a pitch for association business will therefore have ready answers for questions such as this list generated by some AuSAE members:

• Are you recognised and accredited?

• What services will you provide? And not?

• What are your fees and how are they calculated?

• What is your attitude to commissions and mark-ups in the events and hospitality industry?

• Who will be liable for cancellation penalties?

• Where will the funds be banked (our account or yours)?

• Who manages the GST?

But the relationship has to be wider than just this. Associations are facing fresh competitive challenges when it comes to education and professional development events. A great PCO should be able to understand and support the purpose of that association and give tangible support to the work of the association as they seek to broaden revenue streams, reach more members, serve a wider range of learning styles, explore and benefit from the virtual world (where people actually participate and say they benefit, and where the association gains a real revenue stream), understand and benefit from social media, and make their exhibitions or trade shows more effective for visitors, exhibitors and the association.

We association managers are looking for PCOs who understand what our jobs entail and what a particular meeting or event means to our association. Naturally, we expect that you will know your job inside out and that you avoid crisis through brilliant risk management. Just as importantly, though, you will be brilliant in a crisis.

Are you up to the challenge?

Simon Pryor is a life member of the Australasian Society of Association Executives, CEO of the Mathematical Association of Victoria and a consultant to the PCO association.

It’s not enough to be a good conference organiser when dealing with associations, association managers are looking for a PCO who is as committed to serving their members as they are, writes Simon Pryor.

Associations are looking for more from their PCO


In late July, Melbourne hosted the 20th biennial International AIDS Conference. With an estimated 12,000 attendees, it became one of the largest conferences to occur in the region and held particular significance this year for a number of reasons. Beyond the tremendous effects of raising awareness for AIDS, sharing knowledge and supporting research, is the benefit a large event can bring to the local economy; which can be partially illustrated by the impact on the hotel market in the surrounding area.

STR Global’s preliminary daily data for Melbourne properties indicates that the overall impact to Melbourne was positive. During the three week period encompassing the week prior, during and after the conference, demand for accommodation was up 3.7 per cent and revenue per available room (RevPAR) grew by 3.2 per cent.

The week of the event saw demand increase by 6.2 per cent and RevPAR grow by 11.7 per cent to $195.58. The week prior, compared with the same period last year however, saw demand decline by 5.1 per cent and RevPAR fall by $15.98, suggesting demand for accommodation was displaced as visitors postponed their travel plans (a

behaviour commonly seen before any large event). The week after the conference, occupancy levels remained high at 89.2 per cent in conjunction with a demand increase of 10.3 per cent. Despite a drop in average daily rate (ADR) relative to the conference week of $16.60, RevPAR continued to see an increase of 7.2 per cent compared to the same week in 2013.

Further analysis by market class or geographic spread from the convention centre may reveal some more interesting insight into how hotels, convention bureaus, organisers and governments can attract and benefit from hosting such events in the future. For example, when Washington DC in the US was the host of the AIDS conference in 2012, the city saw similar occupancy across the three weeks compared with the same period in 2013 whilst the ADR grew 5.9 per cent, indicating the city as a whole was able to extract more revenue per room (RevPAR was up 6.4 per cent for the three week period).

This information illustrates two points about this small case study. Firstly, that there appears to be a correlation and net benefit from a city hosting international conferences for the accommodation sector. And secondly,

Measuring the impact of an international conference

PCO ASSOCIATION NEWSThe next generation of meetingsThere has never been a more exciting time to be part of the meetings industry.

According to Taleb Rifai, secretary-general of the World Tourism Organization, the meetings industry “has firmly placed itself at the centre of tourism as one of the key drivers of the sector’s development and an important generator of income, employment and investment".

While it’s nice to get the recognition the sector deserves, relationships and interdependence between venues, transport, delegates, convenors, managers, technologies, bureaus, governments and

clients has never been more complex.

The question being asked at this year’s PCO Association 2014 conference in Canberra is how will we build the next generation of successful meetings and events?

PCO Association members are invited to join help find the answers, with the help of an impressive list of presenters who will share their experience and vision with delegates.

Organisers report that a compelling program has been finalised for the conference, with the event’s ever-popular networking function to be held at the National Museum of Australia on Monday

December 1. Following on from the success of last year’s exhibition in Melbourne, the conference exhibition has also sold out, with 60 booths allocated to industry supporters wanting to meet with delegates face-to-face. For the first time, PCO Association business partners from Malaysia and Fiji will be amongst the exhibitors.

The PCO Conference and Exhibition will be held at the National Convention Centre Canberra, from November 30 to December 1, 2014.

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

Hosting a major international conference is a citywide affair with businesses such as hotels benefiting before, during and after the event, writes Matthew Burke.

that there is merit for all stakeholders in evaluating historic accommodation performance, whether it is to understand the potential worth of an event or for hoteliers to understand how to leverage the demand opportunities international conferences bring.

Matthew Burke is business development manager at STR Global and a consultant to the PCO Association.

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Documents

CIM November 2014 Issue