business events news17th September 2012business events news

17th September 2012

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

1300 799 220

business events news Page 1

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MARK your calendar, becauseBEN can today exclusively revealthat Northern Territory MeetingsMuster 2012 will run from 22-26October - and it promises to bebigger and better than ever. The Muster is open toattendance by professionalconference organisers, destinationmanagement companies, eventplanners, in-house meetingorganisers, associations andcorporate decision makers. Events are to be heldprogressively in Brisbane,Canberra, Sydney, Melbourne and

Adelaide and will consist of earlyevening networking forums, withthe exception of Adelaide whichwill be staged as a lunch. The Muster will provide morethan 200 event planners aroundthe country with the opportunityto meet with the NorthernTerritory Convention Bureau teamand their ten industry partners. Fantastic prizes are beingoffered in each destination,including trips to Uluru, Darwinand the Top End, and Alice Springs. Topping this off, the event willbe emceed by ex-AFL footballer,Russell Robertson, a roving NTtourism advocate who has beenclosely involved in communityfootball development. “This five city road-show enablesus to bring the NT so much closerto city-based planners,” said ScottLovett, the director of businessevents for Tourism NT. “They can meet with ouroperators, learn more about ourdestinations, products andservices, as well as the wonderfulCSR activities that enable NT-based conferences and incentivesto give back to local communitiesand make a real difference.” Registrations are now open atthe www.ntconventions.com.auwebsite - for more details see thelast page of today’s BEN.

NT to muster the industry Spreading the Sunshine SIX Sunshine Coast operatorsfrom Business Events SunshineCoast (BESC) attended the thirdAnnual Executive AssistantNetwork Congress at Royal on thePark in Brisbane last week. The event attracted over 130senior executive assistants (EAs)and personal assistants (PAs). Sunshine Coast Destination ceoSteve Cooper said, “More oftenthan not, the EA or PA within anorganisation is responsible forresearching destination and venueoptions for corporate events. “Developing these relationshipsand providing key people withrecommendations and ongoingsupport for their upcoming event,means they gain a betterunderstanding of what our regionhas to offer.”

Pukkatucker...ANOTHER opening- another JamieOliver show. This time itis Perth’sturn, with Jamie’s Italian set toopen in Western Australia inearly 2013, when it enters thecapital’s burgeoning food scene. Perth readers and visitors willfind it in the Mitchell Building,between Wellington St and theMurray St Mall. On the menu will be Jamie’srenowned Italian signatures ofa unique pasta machine(producing fresh pasta daily)and the legendary planks ofantipasti too. The eatery will boast a spaciousMartin Brudnizki designed diningand bar area - and naturally a“wow factor” experience - can’twait to give it a go! Jill

Hot offer on Med cruise PAY for a category 12 balconysuite on a seven-night WesternMediterranean cruise aboardMSC Splendida, and you will beupgraded to a deluxe suite in theship’s MSC Yacht Club. This exceptional deal applies tobookings before 30 September,for cruises until November thisyear - and the price for such acruise is a bargain $1219 perperson, twin share. “That’s a saving of $1280 perperson,” said Lynne Clarke,managing director of MSC CruisesAustralia and New Zealand. Info on msccruises.com.au.

South Africa approval QANTAS and South AfricanAirways will be permitted to offercodeshare flights betweenAustralia and South Africathrough until the end of 2014,under a draft determinationissued today by the InternationalAir Services Commission. Under a previous ruling the pactwas set to terminate on 31 Marchnext year. The IASC said it’s still veryconcerned that the codeshare islimiting competition on the route.

Exotissimo into China ASIAN inbound specialistExotissimo Travel has announcedthe launch of China as its eighthdestination in Asia, with a newoffice in Beijing which is a “fullylicensed and invested inboundoperator”. The move sees Exotissimo nowoperate a total of 19 offices,employing 600 full time staff. From 28 Sep Exotissimo said itwill debut a number of newexciting programs, covering the22 provinces, five autonomousregions and five municipalities ofthe country. “They are also exploring areasmany other DMCs do not operatein, including the specialadministrative regions of HongKong and Macau,” the firm said. For more information seewww.traveltrade.exotissimo.com.

business events news17th September 2012

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IT could be an elaborate hoax bypesky kids, or it has even beensuggested that it’s possibly asneaky ploy by Auckland Tourismto drum up visitor numbers. Whatever, there is somethinglurking in Auckland Harbour thatemerges from the water just longenough to be photographed - theLoch Ness Taupo Monster? First reported in Fairfax NZnewspapers, the sighting of whatlooks suspiciously like a midgetsubmarine, still has the localharbourmasters scratching theircollective heads. In the admittedly grainyphotograph, avid sea-gazer BradWatson managed to snap the tailend of a “mysterious cigar-shaped object” - or perhaps along, sleek reptile - gliding alongthe waterfront in broad daylightat 11.30am last Thursday. Incredibly, despite being in fullview of the Viaduct - probablyAuckland’s busiest area - nobodyelse reported seeing it.

Staging an award SUCCESSFULLY defending their2011 title, Staging Connectionstook out the category ofAcademy of Wedding PlannersBest Private Event, at the 2012Australian Events Awards. The Australian Event Awardsacknowledge the commitment,hard work and consistency thatorganisations make across theentire national events industry. Accepting the award, SeniorWedding Stylist and Planner,Anthony del Col said: “Our clientstrust us to transform their lovestory and vision into a reality andthis award is a tribute to them.”

Jordan wants Aussie MICE THE Kingdom of Jordanwill next month send aformal delegation toAustralia, in the hopes ofattracting more businesstourism events such ashigh-end incentives,meetings and conferences. The group, includingJordan Tourism Board director ofmarketing Mahfouz Kishek, willmeet with the industry at cocktailevents to be held in Brisbane,Sydney and Melbourne. It’s part of efforts supported bythe USAID Jordan TourismDevelopment Project to helpJordan develop its industry. “We see Australia as anincredibly important sourcemarket,” Kishek said, withAustralian visitation up 20%between 2009 and 2011. And Aussie visitors spent anaverage of $3800 each, with thecompelling destination offering awide range of experiencesincluding a rich cultural heritage,the spectacular Dead Sea (above)

and World Heritage Petra, whichis considered the “eighth wonderof the ancient world”. The Brisbane event is on Mon15 Oct; Jordan meets with SydneyMICE people on Tue 16 Oct andthen the Melbourne event is atthe Hotel Windsor on Wed 17 Oct. For details on attending contactnicole@fivestarpr.com.au.

Queenstown showcase QUEENSTOWN will this weekbe on show at a specialDestination Queenstown C&Ishowcase at Sydney’s Museum ofContemporary Art. The event, in partnership withAir New Zealand, will take placetomorrow night from 5.30pm. For more information contactJana Kingston via email onjanak@queenstownnz.co.nz.

CIBTM wraps up LAST week’s China Incentives,Business Travel & Meetings Eventfrom 12-14 Sep in Beijing,attracted 5,000 domestic andglobal participants including “over30 international buyers,”according to the China Daily.

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What does your role entail?

My day-to-day job involves

overseeing all elements of AIME

and driving the strategic direction

of the event. I am ultimately

responsible for the delivery of a

successful event each year so I

work with our teams to ensure we

achieve this. My role requires me

to regularly liaise closely with key

stakeholders such as the MCVB &

Reed Travel Exhibitions in the UK.

What’s the first thing you do when

you get in the office?

Check in with the AIME team and

then grab a coffee.

What is the most challenging

aspect of your job?

Managing everyone’s expectations

can be a challenge. AIME targets

all areas of the business events

industry so we have a few different

audiences and we always want to

ensure that AIME is highly relevant

to each of these. We are

constantly looking at ways to

improve each year, so all attendees

continue to get the best possible

results from attending AIME.

How do you inspire your team?

I think you would need to ask them

however I would hope that they

feel inspired by the very important

contribution they make to the

success of AIME. The AIME team is

small and we really enjoy working

together. We are constantly

bouncing ideas around and

everyone is encouraged to have

input. Delivering AIME is a true

team effort.

Dealing with new technology -

bonus or headache?

Absolute bonus - it’s the way of

the future and we need to

embrace it - however a slight

headache develops when I am

reminded that I should be writing a

blog! While new technology can be

a bit time consuming to harness

initially, it certainly offers you new

opportunities to grow your

product and audience.

An intimate dinner with DavidAn intimate dinner with David

Sally de Swart,

Director for AIME,

Reed Travel Exhibitions

Face to Face with...

Business Events News recently

caught up with Director of

Australia’s largest exhibition

showcase for the business events

industry, Sally de Swart, about her

role as Reed Travel Exhibitions’

Director for AIME. With years of

experience working in the UK

events industry, Sally relocated to

Sydney in 2010 to take on the busy

role with AIME and talks to BEN

about what makes her tick.

What would you be doing if you

weren’t Event Director of AIME?

As boring as it sounds, I have been

doing this for a long time and I

have always enjoyed it. I get such a

thrill being on site and delivering

events, it always keeps me

inspired. I don’t have time to

dwell on what else I would be doing.

Who has inspired you?

I have been inspired by a number

of generous mentors throughout

my career and I am a firm believer

in the role of a mentor. These days

I am really inspired by the people I

now mentor myself. Mentoring is

such a great way to learn from

someone else’s experience and see

things from a new perspective.

How do you relax?

I have no “off” switch so relaxing is

an unfamiliar concept – two small

children are a great distraction

from work but they are certainly

not relaxing! Although, some of

the beautiful properties and

destinations we see exhibited at

AIME each year makes it very

tempting to fly away somewhere

exotic and just relax!

What makes a great event?

Live events are so powerful in

delivering face to face connections

and getting us out of the office. A

great event is one that each person

walks away from with a renewed

sense of excitement for what they

do and feeling they have made

some valuable connections.

What makes AIME a great event?

We listen to what our buyers,

exhibitors and visitors want and

actively take their feedback each

year and turn their ideas into new

innovative initiatives. We embrace

new technology and concepts but

we also draw on the knowledge of

people within the industry and

keep the core ideals that AIME is

about; doing business and

networking. We must be doing

something right as AIME 2013 will

be our 21st show!

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Novotel appoints NOVOTEL Forest ResortCreswick has appointed threenew team members. They include local Daylesfordresident Paul Green as the newconference sales manager. Green returns to his passion ofhospitality after a more recentcareer in real estate sales. Gerhard Zitzenbacher is theresort’s new executive chef, witha wealth of experience workingfor luxury properties includingRadisson Vienna and GrandChancellor Christchurch. French-born Albane Mahaut hasbeen appointed director of sales& marketing. She brings with her 10 years ofexperience, most recently asdirector of sales & marketing atNovotel Rockford Darling Harbour.

New Dusit Maldives

DUSIT International celebratedthe grand opening of its newflagship resort last week - theDusit Thani Maldives. The opening ceremony saw HisExcellency Dr Mohamed WaheedHassan Manik, the president ofthe Republic of Maldives attend. Dr Manik said at the opening,“The Republic of the Maldiveswill not only benefit fromeconomic gains and job creationas a result of Dusit International’sinvestment, but equally, if notmore important, is the legacyafforded by the educationopportunities that DusitInternational will introduce tothis country.” The resort, which comprises aluxurious collection of 100 guestvillas and residences, is locatedon Mudhdhoo Island in Baa Atoll.

Rock stars apply here VIBE Hotels, continuing theiraffiliation with music through thelaunch of the Vibe SongwritingSuite, are now giving aspiring rockstars and wannabe singers thechance to ‘live like a Rockstar’ fora day, with the announcement ofthe Vibe Rockstar Package. This includes - two daysaccommodation in a Vibe-rantroom (Rockstars sleep during theday); limo transfers to the VibeSongwriting Suite; one day ofsong writing at the VibeSongwriting Suite; a Rockstardinner at curve café; unlimiteduse of the minibar; a delicious fullbuffet breakfast for two each dayat curve café and late check-outat 4.00pm. The Vibe Rockstar Package isavailable from $10,000 at any ofthe three Vibe Hotels locatedacross Sydney: Vibe Hotel Sydney,Vibe Hotel Rushcutters Bay andVibe Hotel North Sydney.

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CONTACT US:CONTACT US:CONTACT US:CONTACT US:CONTACT US:

PublisherPublisherPublisherPublisherPublisher EditorEditorEditorEditorEditorBruce Piper Jill VarleyContributors/CoordinatorContributors/CoordinatorContributors/CoordinatorContributors/CoordinatorContributors/CoordinatorChantel LongAdvertising:Advertising:Advertising:Advertising:Advertising: advertising@businesseventsnews.com.au

P:P:P:P:P: 1300 799 220 F: F: F: F: F: 1300 799 221

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.

SCEC’s fertile training ground PROVING a fertileground for young talent,the Sydney Conventionand Exhibition Centre‘s(SCEC) technical traineeJosh Lazarus (picturedright) was awarded a$2000 AustralianVocational Student Prizeby the FederalGovernment, forshowing outstandingskills while undertaking aVocational Education andTraining (VET) in Schoolsprogram. Lazarus joined thevenue’s specialistproduction unit CentreTechnical Production and Designin 2010 and 2011 as part of apilot program in partnership withBradfield Senior College TAFE,which allowed him to completehis Certificate III in LiveProduction while at the sametime studying for his HSC. “The training opportunitiesavailable at the Centre provideamong the most specialisedtechnical experience available inAustralia,” said the SCEC’s chiefexecutive Ton van Amerongen. In other staff achievements,Centre third-year apprentice LeviMurphy recently won a gold

medal in the Hospitality TrainingNetwork’s apprentice chefcompetition, And fellow Food and Beverageteam member Angelo Velardecame in the top 10 in the recentHennessy HotCup Baristacompetition undertaken as partof the Australasian Gaming Expo. Angelo’s efforts in thecompetition included four tastycafe lattes, four espressos andfour cappuccinos, as well as hissignature coffee - a “popcorn-infused liquor topped with astrong espresso and soy milkfoam”.

Africa award winner WHAT could be more excitingthan attending a SITEInternational Conference in China? How about receiving the newsthat the dynamic Somewhere inAfrica team had won a big award? “We’re so thrilled that ourcollaborative project – a day ofcommunity service for theNutrimetics Incentive Group - hasbeen chosen as a 2012 SITE CrystalAward winner in the category‘Responsible Experiences’”, saysMD Susan van de Merwe. She said the initiative was theresult of an opportunity broughtto the firm by Australian incentivehouse, Unique Group Travel. “In July 2011 we set out tocreate a sustainable communityservice program that would makeit possible for the women inKhayelitsha (South Africa) to tell adifferent story - a story thatincludes pride, self esteem andfinancial independence,” explainsvan de Merwe. “Through the Khayelitsha SewingProject, Somewhere In Africa hasprovided a project that enablesboth international visitors andlocal businesses to touch the livesof others in a very real way,leaving not money, but a legacy.” Blanca Delgado, co-ordinator ofSITE Chapter & Member Servicessaid the Crystal Awards weredesigned to elevate the globalstandard of motivationalexperiences and honour creativityand excellence. “No other program serves torecognize program planning andexecution for experiencesindividuals would not be able tocreate on their own,” Blanca said.

Accor’s 3 for 2 IF you are looking for a gooddeal, take advantage of Accor’sthree nights for the price of twoin their hotels across Australia. It’s valid for stays from nowuntil 10 November atparticipating Pullman, MGallery,Grand Mercure, Novotel,Mercure, All Seasons and ibishotels - see www.accor.com.

’Gong farewells Binskin AS Tourism Wollongong takeson a broader marketing anddevelopment role as DestinationWollongong, the organisation’senergetic general manager GregBinskin has announced he isleaving to spend more time withhis family. “After 11.5 years buildingWollongong’s image as anexciting tourism and lifestyledestination, Binskin believes thetime is right to set a new course,”said Tourism Wollongongchairman Matt Davidson. “We greatly regret but totallyrespect Greg’s decision,” he said,with the move following theachievement of a new five yearfunding agreement. “He has worked very hard tohelp achieve the transition nowunderway, but wants to spendmore time with his young familyduring a very challenging time. “He will leave with our absoluteblessing and deep thanks for hisenergy and commitment,”he said. Davidson said latest NationalVisitor Survey figures showed theIllawarra’s tourism industry wasworth $678m a year, after biggrowth in the past seven years.

Win a luxury stay at Southern Ocean Lodge

During the months of August and September,

Business Events News is giving one lucky reader

the chance to win an amazing two-night stay at

the exclusive South Ocean Lodge, Kangaroo

Island courtesy of Baillie Lodges.

two people in a Flinders Suite with breakfast, lunch

and dinner daily, open bar with premium wines

and spirits, in-suite bar, signature experiences and

return island airport transfers.

in BEN on 21 September.

Email your answers to:

baillielodges@businesseventsnews.com.au

Q16: How many suites does

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DISCOVER why the NT should be the first place you think of when deciding your next event. CONNECT with the local professionals who do what it takes to make it happen! INSPIRE your team to bring their next event to the NT with the knowlege you gain and the contacts you make at NT Meetings Muster 2012.

We have mustered our top meetings and event suppliers to embark on a road show around Australia, bringing the NT to you. Join us and MC Russell Robertson as we share the reasons why the NT holds such great opportunites for your next conference, incentive, meeting, exhibition or product launch.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

CONTACT US: Visit our Website for more inspiration, or drop us a line. TELEPHONE: 1800 656 209EMAIL: info@ntconventions.com.auntconventions.com.au

Uluru, Red Centre

invitationNT MUSTER; DISCOVER, CONNECT, INSPIRE