business events news19th September 2012business events news

19th September 2012

editor: Jill Varleyinfo@businesseventsnews.com.auwww.businesseventsnews.com.au

1300 799 220

business events news Page 1

Smart idea MOST of ushave been to abountiful Chinesebanquet,where theeight to 12courseskeep on coming until you are fitto burst. Taiwan Tourism’s lunch onTuesday at The Eight modernChinese Restaurant in SydneyChinatown’s Market City was justsuch an event. A feast that began with Pekingduck, stir fried lobster and wokseared wagyu, glisteningmushrooms and bok choy......and it kept on coming for thedelighted attendees. Still, there was much left overwhich The Eight cleverly packedup into separate containers andencouraged the departing gueststo take a ‘doggy bag.’ My lobster with noodles todaywas delicious! Jill

FOLLOWING news (BENbreaking news Mon) that Sydney’sGlebe Island is to host an interimexhibition facility during theredevelopment of the DarlingHarbour precinct, EEAA generalmanager Joyce DiMascio said shewas pleased at the NSWgovernment ‘s committment tobusiness continuity. “Identifying Glebe Island Expo isan important milestone, but evenmore important now is gettingthe finer details and speeding upthe process as this decision ismonths overdue,” she said. “There are tens of thousands ofpeople whose income is derivedthrough the staging of exhibitions- the benefits also spill over tohotels, hospitality and retail allover the city....exhibitions andevents generate around 2 millionvisitors a year to Sydney so arecrucial to the economy” The proximity of Glebe Island tothe city, DiMascio said, is a goodsolution for the SydneyInternational Boat Show, howeverthe relocation of other big eventslike the Australian InternationalMotor Show may not be suitable. “The reality is that Sydneyneeds a dual precinct strategy formajor events infrastructure - wewelcome the Government’sinvestment in the renewal ofDarling Harbour and providing aninterim site . “In the future, we’d like it toalso consider improvements toSydney Olympic Park,” she said. Diversified Exhibitions ceo Matt

Support for Glebe Island ExpoPearce said he welcomed thedecision to open up Glebe Islandbut his firm was still not able tobegin planning for 2014 events. “We do not yet know who willdesign and build the facility whichstill needs to be put to tender. “We can surmise that thisprocess will take at least anothertwo or three months and then weare into 2013 before we can giveany firm assurances to exhibitors.” Domenic Genua, marketing andevents manager for the BoatingIndustry Association of NSW,which owns and organises theSydney International Boat Show,said Glebe Island could present aworkable solution. “If we were unable to run theevent, we’d jeopardise 7,000jobs,” Genua said. Debbie Evans, ceo of ReedExhibitions, which stagesAustralia’s largest tradeexhibition, the Reed Gift Fair,said, “What we need fromInfrastructure NSW now is towork very closely and very quicklywith the organisers on the detail. Evans said many internationalexhibitions and events werestaged successfully in temporarystructures but it had to be a goodlooking structure with wow factor. The Government has appointedTransfield subsidiary APP to runthe tender to design, build andoperate the interim facility. DiMascio said EEAA lookedforward to working with APP toensure an optimal outcome fromthe Glebe Island interim venue.

BESydney to take onmanagement role BUSINESS Events Sydney(BESydney) is to take on broaderresponsibility and managebooking enquiries for both thenewly announced Glebe IslandExpo (see main story) and theSydney International Convention,Exhibition and EntertainmentPrecinct (SICEEP) until operatorsof the new facilities areappointed. Infrastructure NSW, which isdelivering SICEEP for the NSWGovernment, will recommend thesuccessful proponent inDecember 2012 and the operatorfor the interim facility isscheduled to be announced inMarch 2013. Infrastructure NSW projectdirector, Tim Parker commented,“BESydney’s team has extensiveknowledge of the events marketand the expertise to oversee boththe enquiry and booking processfor both Glebe Island Expo andSICEEP. “BESydney is already bidding onevents for 2017 and beyond.” BESydney ceo Lyn Lewis-Smithsaid her team was pleased to betaking on the extra responsibility. “BESydney will be a one-stopshop for business events.” She said that exhibitionsaffected by the SICEEP projectwould have first right of refusalfor bookings of the interim GlebeIsland Expo, and that it was alsoanticipated there would be scopefor additional events to besecured for the temporary facility.

Tangalooma push TANGALOOMA Island Resort,located about an hour north ofBrisbane, is today promotingitself as an ideal location forconferences, corporate events,team building and retreats. The property has a range ofspecial offers available, includinga $45 day delegate deal plusresidential delegate discounts,and activities also include whalewatching, beachside bonfire galadinners, and even art classes See the last page of today’s BENfor more information.

business events news19th September 2012

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BOEING, Boeing, gone! Michael O’Leary, thecontroversial head of Irish budgetairline pioneer RyanAir, not onlycalled one of his passengers“stupid” he also refused tocompensate her when she wascharged what seems to be anexcessive amount for forgettingto print boarding passes for herfamily’s return flight on his airline. The blunder cost her the hugeamount of 300 Euro (about $387). Seems it’s wiser to print yourboarding passes before leavinghome, as RyanAir charges 60euros per ticket to print them outat the airport. “She wrote to me last weekasking for compensation and agesture of good will,” saidO’Leary, “to which we havereplied, politely but firmly, thankyou, but it was your ****-up.”

SCEC - still the one IT’S been a year of triumph forthe Sydney Convention andExhibition Centre and it hasn’tended yet. Now comes the news that theyhave won the Best Venue prize inthe Australian Event Awards. Announced on Friday night at agala dinner in Sydney, Centrechief executive Ton vanAmerongen said of the award:“We’ve been setting newstandards in Australia’s eventindustry for almost 25 years andwe have no intention of restingon our laurels.” “As we head towards our silveranniversary in 2013 we plan tomake sure each event we host isamong the best Sydney hasexperienced.”

Port Stephens winner CONGRATULATIONS toRosemary Ferrari from Meetingsand Events Australia who is theBusiness Events News winner of aholiday to Salamander Shores,Port Stephens. Ferrari’s prize includes twonight’s accommodation for two ina Bayview Room, full buffetbreakfast daily and a $100 diningvoucher to Shoreline Steakhouse. Her winning entry soloquised -

Bayview rooms, SalamanderShores, the perfect place to take

a work pause.Spot a whale, you just might, allthat ocean. No office in sight”

MEA Roadshow 20 Sep MEA members are remindedthat the MEA National Roadshowis being held tomorrow, Thursday20 September at Event Cinemas,505-525 George Street, Sydney,from 5-7pm. At this complimentary eventyou’ll hear all the latest MEAnews and have the opportunity toprovide valuable input in how theassociation can grow and prosperin NSW. Following the meeting there willbe opportunity to network withfellow members. For info or to book seewww.meetingsevents.com.au.

CHILE ranksamong the mostdiverse countriesin the worldregardingclimate andlandscapes, aland ofcontrasts: ariddeserts, highmountains,eternal glaciersand people,mainly of mixed native-Europeanblood. Chile’s geography provides aunique difference from otherdestinations in the world; thehighlight is its tri-continentallocation with territories in TheAmericas, Oceania and evenAntarctica. It is a long and narrow countrywhich goes from 90 to 470 kmwide and its length is 4,330 km. Making it easy to experiencethis special place, Condor TravelChile has created severalincentive programs in thesouthern part of the country. One of these is the breathtakingTorres del Paine National Park,located in the lower end of theChilean Patagonia, 147 km fromthe city of Puerto Natales. Designated a World BiosphereReserve by UNESCO in 1978, thepark was created in May 1959,and it is part of the NationalSystem of Protected Wild Areas

of the Chilean State. Here accommodation rangesfrom camping - living theexperience of direct contact withthe famous granite spires-through to luxury hotels, inlocations where you wake up withthe mountain in front of yourroom window. One of the expeditionalternatives includes sailing theSerrano River in kayaks or in smallboats, viewing the stunningÚltima Esperanza Sound in PuertoNatales, sailing through theBernardo O’Higgins National Parkand taking in extraordinarilybeautiful spots like the Serranoand Balmaceda Glaciers. Torres del Paine offers surprisesat every step and while trekking,it is not unusual to see amazingwildlife such as eagles andcondors, flamencos, swans,guanacos, foxes, and if you arelucky, the Chilean cougar. For program suggestions forincentive reward and group travelgo to Nemonic Concepts, CondorTravel’s local representatives –www.nemonic.com.au

Consider Chile!

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An intimate dinner with David

Connect via the Klowd HERE’S aninteresting newtwist on theboring oldPowerPointpresentation –an app thatallows you to‘connect’ withyour audience(literally) andmeasure their responsewhile you present. SlideKlowd, developed byKlowd.com, offers a servicethat creates connectionsbetween the presenter andthe audience on theirmobile devices or internetbrowsers. Here’s how it works.When the audience enters anevent key, it creates aconnection between thepresenter and the devices usedby the audience. SlideKlowd offers apps for iOSand Android devices. Once connected, thepresenter knows who isattending. He or she can also tell thelevel of engagement and if theaudience are doing other things. The service collects individualand overall information abouteach of the presenter’s slides. The presenter can get thumbsup or down from the audience,with all data being captured andcompiled into an analyticsreport. SlideKlowd is easy to use and

provides a fresh take onpresentations. The presenter gets real-timefeedback. The audience can beanywhere, as long as they havea mobile device. The companywill soon integrate Twitter tooffer a new way to share apresentation. For more information and ademonstration, visit the websiteat www.klowd.com. To checkout thelatest technews forsmallbusinessvisit TonyWragg’s TechTalk at:www.tonystechtalk.com.au Story adapted from an articlein TechCrunch.

WA’s South West rocks WITH so many choices for eventplanners to choose from, it is notalways easy to pick one. Western Australia’s South Westregion says it has the locations tohold extraordinary events in anarea teeming with options formemorable conferences,exceptional incentives andengaging team building activities. What’s more, the regionalBusiness Tourism Officer can helpplanners save time and make adecision. To get their new 24 page, ASWConference Planner’s & IncentiveGuide for 2012 / 2013, contactAustralia’s South West onmice@australiassouthwest.com

A TIMELY visit toAustralia thisweek by adelegation ofTaiwan Tourismofficials followsannouncementsof a markedincrease in visitorarrivals and thenews that severalkey players in theinternational hotelsector plan tosubstantially invest in thedestination over the next few years. Heading the delegation, thepresident of Golden FoundationTours, Jean Change is joined bythe deputy secretary general ofthe Taiwan Visitors Association,Sophia Yeh and the director ofTaiwan Tourism Bureau (TTB) -Singapore, Australia & NewZealand, Arthur Hsieh. Workshops began yesterday atthe Hilton Sydney and will beheld at the Sofitel on Collins inMelbourne on Thursday. The scheduled hoteldevelopments in Taiwan are theresult of a marked increase intourists visiting the country andinclude international hotel groupssuch as Le Meridien, Fullon Hotels& Resorts, Sheraton and CaesarPark Hotel & Resorts. Australian visitor arrival figuresto Taiwan, released this week bythe Taiwan Tourism Bureau, showa total of 4,588 visited last month. This moderate increase over the4,563 visitor tally in Aug 2011helped push figures for the Jan-

Thriving Taiwan increases Oz visitors

Aug 2012 period to 49,000. TTB marketing representativeAustralia & New Zealand, PearlLee, attributed the increase to anever-building awareness for thedestination at both consumer andtrade levels which is consistentwith the national tourist office’songoing promotion drive.

Strange bedfellows SOFITEL Auckland ViaductHarbour, not beyond immersingtheir guests in the local cultureand arts of the city, is now in theCompany of Strangers. All part of a creative partnershipwith this hot New Zealand fashionlabel, which will see the twocollaborate on a series of bespokeevents including fashion shows,art installations and more. The label is helmed by designerSara Aspinall, who has quicklybuilt a reputation amongst stylestalkers for high fashion clothing,vintage leather bags and jewellery.

Portfolio appointment TOURISM Portfolio hasannounced the appointment ofSusanna Boyd as BusinessDevelopment Manager. Susanna has more than adecade’s experience in travel andtourism, and moves from hermost recent role as ClientRelationship Manager with WorldTravel Professionals. “Our business continues torapidly expand and Susanna’sknowledge and experience willonly further enhance ourpresence in the market,” said thefirm’s md, Donna Kessler.

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PO Box 1010 Epping, NSW, 1710Business Events NewsBusiness Events NewsBusiness Events NewsBusiness Events NewsBusiness Events News is part of the Travel Daily group ofpublications which also include: Travel Daily, Cruise Weekly &Pharmacy Daily.

Disclaimer:While every care has been taken in the preparation of Business Events News no liability can beaccepted for errors or omissions. BEN takes no responsibility for the opinions of its contributors/columnists.Information is published in good faith to stimulate independent investigation of the matters canvassed.

Grand Juna Wuxi conf WORLDHOTEL Grand JunaWuxi,a new 370-room propertywith a state-of-the-art conventionand exhibition centre in Tai HuLake New City, played hostrecently to Asia-Pacific hoteliersfrom the Worldhotels globalnetwork of independent hotels. The occasion was theWorldhotels Dragon’s PeakConference 2012 at which somefifty general managers, directorsof sales and marketing fromacross Greater China, Singapore,Australia, Japan and Indianetworked at the group’s firstbranded hotel in China. In conjunction with the officialopening of the host WorldhotelGrand Juna Wuxi, the hoteliersalso went ‘green’ in support ofneedy children during theconference. In Australia the Worldhotelsportfolio includes Stamford andthe Tabcorp properites includingJupiters on the Gold Coast andSydney’s The Star.

Star struck Maxine wins STAR struck in so many ways! A mega response to the ‘Shareyour celebrity moment withBusiness Events News ’ comp hasculminated in a win by travelagent Maxine McKeon fromHarvey World Travel in Erina NSW. The competition, run togetherwith BEN’s sister publicationsCruise Weekly and Travel Dailyhad a major prize of a trip for twoto America courtesy of Cosmos,including a 16 day Route 66 tourand economy class flights.

pic

Pictured here with MaxineMcKeon is the retired Americanastronaut Buzz Aldrin, the secondman to walk on the moon - veryappropriate for a Cosmos comp.

ARGUABLY in one of the mostbeautiful places on the planet,Club Med is poised to open itssecond resort in China next yearin Guilin. Set within a 46 hectare parkhaven and fifty picture-perfectmountains, it is due to open inearly 2013. Currently undergoing a stunningtransformation, the resort lies onthe banks of the Li River, betweenGuilin and Yangshuo in southChina, around 800 km north westof Hong Kong. Club Med says that the resortwill appeal to families, couplesand also conference groups. “Club Med Guilin is spread overa spacious scenic park, withplenty of secluded meeting andfunction spaces - with some veryspecial dining spots, including acave setting as well as lakesideand outdoor banquet options. “It will certainly make for amemorable group dinner orevent,” a spokesperson said. The resort has 329 guest rooms,three bars and three swimmingpools including a peaceful child-free ‘zen pool’. It’s located in a UNESCO WorldHeritage park, with localattractions including the ReedFlute Cave, Elephant Trunk Hill orcruising along the Li River. Club Med Guilin will be open forreservations from 01 Nov, fortravel from May 2013.

Another Club Med for China

Keystone expands FOLLOWING what they describeas a hugely successful twelveyears of operation, Sydney-based“lifestyle and hospitality” firm,the Keystone Group, has launcheda new chapter in their history. It’s an occasion marked by theexpansion of their portfolio withthe opening of The NewtownHotel as well as SweetheartsRooftop Barbecue atop Sugarmillin Kings Cross, next month. These openings follow a strongyear of growth taking their venueportfolio to 12 iconic destinationsthat employs over 800 staff. John Duncan, group MD, said:“We are all about prime positionand we spend a lot of timeresearching an area to make surewe nail the best location possible.” Proof of this is their NewtownHotel, which has undergone acomplete restoration bringing the1885 building and its originalfacade back to its former glory. The venue will feature a ‘verytraditional’ old school Newtownpub, Greek inspired eatery - TheAnimal - replete with a privatedining room in the form of afunky retro caravan, and a cinemaroom for up to 30 people. The rooftop barbeque, calledSweetheart’s, will have a casual,backyard party feel with eskies,grills and a real Aussie playlist. See thekeystonegroup.com.au.

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