Sydney is already heralded for its natural beauty, and now the local government – the City of Sydney – has commenced many projects to make the city even greener and more sustainable.

The aim is to make the harbour city a place where the environment is a priority, the economy thrives, and arts and culture are encouraged and supported. It will be a place where locals and visitors feel at home, connected to the local community and the wider world. In short, by 2030 Sydney will be a city that is green, global and connected.

The city has developed a draft renewable energy master plan – a blueprint for providing 30 per cent of the city’s electricity demand from carbon-free renewable electricity, mainly from harnessing solar and wind power, and 70 per cent from renewable gases derived from waste.

“The plan outlines how 100 per cent of the city’s electricity, heating and cooling could be supplied from renewable sources by 2030,” says the City of Sydney.

The city is already leading Australia’s battle against extreme weather patterns and climate change by slashing its carbon emissions. Sydney aims to reduce carbon

emissions by 70 per cent by 2030 – one of the most ambitious targets set by any government in Australia. To reach this target, the city is undertaking a range of initiatives.

Rather than using coal-fired power stations, which currently provide 80 per cent of the city’s electricity, the City of Sydney is finding a way to use local generators.

“According to the most detailed investigation ever undertaken of renewable energy resources in and around Sydney, all of central Sydney’s electricity, heating and cooling needs could be met from renewable energy sources” says the City of Sydney.

Trigeneration is an extremely efficient way of producing reliable, low carbon electricity and zero carbon heating and cooling.

Unlike the big power stations, trigeneration systems actually use the waste heat they accumulate – to either heat or cool buildings as required.

These trigeneration systems can be set up in building basements or on vacant land, and can produce all the electricity needed for a designated area, with any left-over power going back into the grid.

“These systems can be powered with low-carbon fuels such as natural gas and eventually, they could run on renewable energy produced from treating household waste,” the government says.

According to Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore, the City of Sydney is now installing trigeneration systems in its own council buildings, starting with a plant to provide electricity, heating and cooling to Sydney Town Hall, Town Hall House and the Queen Victoria Building. “It’s only through bold ideas and taking action that we can achieve change,” says Ms Moore.

Central Park Sydney is one of Sydney’s latest urban redevelopment projects made up of residential housing and offices, as well as shops, cafés and green spaces.

The multi-stage $2 billion urban village – designed by a world-leading team of architects from Sydney, London, Paris and Copenhagen – has signed a $26.5 million Environmental Upgrade Agreement with the local government to set up a trigeneration power system. The area will be the largest urban development in Australia to include an on-site system of this  kind.

Ms Moore says the local government is also rolling out its biggest solar installation project in Australia. The city is installing 5,500 solar photovoltaic panels on more than 30 city buildings, with 2,574m2 of panels now installed at 24 sites. By 2015, the panels are expected to supply up to 12.5 per cent of the city’s own energy requirements.

With so many initiatives planned and underway in Sydney, the harbour city is set to stay at the forefront of the highest levels of environmental standards and sustainability in the world. So watch this (green) space!

Open to fresh ideas, new challenges and inspiring solutions.

“Sydney aims to reduce carbon

emissions by 70% by 2030.”

GREENING SYDNEYLeading sustainability Energy revolutionRethinking supply and demand

S Y D N E Y S H I N E S

Read more at cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au

Renewable energy is high on Sydney’s agenda.

201 4, EDITION 1

PE OPL E ID E A S D IN ING E V EN T S T E CHNOL OGY

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“I can’t just continuously stand on the shoulders of others, I have to do that for other people now,” she says. And that brings its own rewards. “Hearing that you can inspire someone – there’s nothing like it, it’s heart-warming.”

Reddy has come a long way from St Thomas More Catholic Parish Primary School where even then she “looked outside the square,” according to one of her teachers. She credits teachers at the school for encouraging her creativity and though she now lives in London, Reddy says her upbringing in Australia influenced her “massively”.

“Sydney was a great city to be near to growing up, and I spent a lot of time as a teenager in the city going to all-age gigs, art shows, watching films,” she says. “The long history of Australia is vast and fascinating and the landscape of Australia is so beautiful – it’s an inspiring country.”

Reddy says Australians bring to the video game industry not just a great sense of humour and solid work ethic, but a worldliness and a playfulness that makes them great storytellers. “There’s an ability to take creative risks which is what I really like about working with Australians.”

“There are more people playing games now than ever before... things change, we evolve – it’s not always easy but that’s what I think we all secretly love.”

Source: Licensed from the Commonwealth of Australia under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Australia Licence. The Commonwealth of Australia does not necessarily endorse the content of this publication.

COME SHINE IN SYDNEYLyn Lewis-SmithCEO, Business Events SydneyChampion of change

When writing this article for our new Sydney Shines magazine, I found myself with too many words! It’s difficult to condense the amazing things I see, think and feel about my adopted home. That’s right. Sydney is my adopted home.

Adelaide is my birth city and where I spent my childhood. Now, I choose to live in Sydney like so many others. It’s a city with a spark that attracts – for short visits or longer stays, and for business and pleasure. It’s a place where people want to be.

Why? Sydney is a place where you’ll hear “yes”, more than you’ll hear “no”. It’s a melting pot of different cultures, backgrounds and influences brought together by a desire for freedom – to live, to speak and to think. Our people are open to new ideas, to new challenges and to inspired solutions.

Sydney Shines is the story of our city. A city that is open to bright ideas. In our first Sydney Shines magazine, we will share some great stories of innovation, and the incredible achievements of our leaders, researchers and entrepreneurs.

The stories that we’ve selected cover a breadth of topics from global talent and medical research, to indigenous culture and sustainability. Sydney is rounded and individual, with many facets that contribute to a successful, ambitious state: the State of New South Wales (NSW).

With an economy larger than that of Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore, NSW has many strings to its bow. It is home to 74 per cent of Australia’s financial and insurance services and R&D, Australia’s biggest manufacturing centre and more multinational regional headquarters than any other city in Australia. And we’ve been voted the 2nd most innovative city in the Asia Pacific!

At Business Events Sydney, we see so many reasons for people to explore our communities, our culture and our commerce. And, being one of the first in Australia – indeed perhaps globally – to embrace an aligned approach to business events, we have a unique multi-tiered approach that helps our clients to connect both within Australia and globally to create exceptional events and outcomes.

My invitation to you: come shine in Sydney!

“Sydney was a great city to be

near to growing up, and I spent a lot of time as a teenager in

the city going to all‑age gigs, art shows,

watching films.

The long history of Australia is vast and

fascinating and the landscape of

Australia is so beautiful – it’s an inspiring

country.”

VIDEO VISIONARY AT THE TOP OF HER GAMEWinner Qantas Australian Woman of the Year in the UK AwardPassionate mentor

“I am stubborn, feisty and have very thick skin,” goes some way towards explaining how a self‑labelled “geek” from south‑west Sydney was able to climb to the top of the male‑dominated video game industry and, in 2013, become one of the BBC’s top 100 most powerful women in Britain, alongside The Queen, JK Rowling, Adele and Victoria Beckham.

Reddy, studio director of London-based video game developer Media Molecule, was inducted into the European Women in Games Hall of Fame in September 2013. In March she received the Qantas Australian Woman of the Year in the UK Award, beating 30 other nominees.

“I have had a really spectacular year,” says Reddy, 35. “It’s all made me feel I should work harder to actually deserve it all! I have got a real kick out of it but we have been busy shipping a game too so that has taken most of my focus.”

That unwavering work ethic led Media Molecule to quickly rack up the accolades, including Studio of the Year in 2008 following the release of debut title LittleBigPlanet for the PlayStation 3, which sold millions of copies and received an average rating of 95 per cent from critics out of 85 reviews aggregated by metacritic.com. LittleBigPlanet 2 was released in 2011 after Media Molecule had been acquired by Sony Computer Entertainment.

Reddy’s newest title, Tearaway for the PlayStation Vita, also attracted rave reviews, and won best handheld game at the E3 2013 video game festival.

Reddy admits the recognition and recent accolades have now spurred her to put herself forward as a mentor and role model for young people.

S I O B H A N

We can help your event shine sydneyshines.com.au

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VIVID SYDNEY 2014Southern Hemisphere’s festival of lightAlive with sight, sound and creativitySee our city shine by day and night

The Vivid Sydney Festival, named Australia’s Best Tourism Event and the Australian Event of the Year in 2013, makes a spectacular return to Sydney from 23 May to 9 June 2014. The Southern Hemisphere’s largest festival of light, music and ideas is expected to attract record audiences, exceeding 800,000 people.

Destination NSW Chief Executive Officer, Sandra Chipchase says that Vivid, now in its sixth year, will shine brighter than ever before. “Vivid Sydney plays an important role in cementing Sydney as Australia’s major events capital and our nation’s creative industries’ hub.”

“Festival-goers will be wowed with a world-class program of lighting art installations and projections, music and creative ideas, and conferences and business events,” said Ms Chipchase.

In addition to a growing audience, the Vivid Sydney footprint also expands annually. This year, Martin Place has two spectacular light installations and a massive pop-up outdoor bar, while Harbour Lights sees cruise vessels light up with brilliant LED lights that change colour as they travel across the water. When the sails of the Opera House are bathed in amazing colours through high-tech, 3D-mapped projections every night,

infrastructure, particularly roads and ports, are also expected.

“I know we’ll see significant developments in the biological-based industries. Professor John Mattick at the Garvan Institute in Sydney, has been at the forefront of human genetic and genomic research worldwide, and because of his and others’ work, we’re on the cusp of personalised medicine, where a person’s genetic make-up will be able to inform a treatment tailored for them.”

The NSW Government has established the Innovation and Productivity Council to bolster support for innovation in business, government, and education and research sectors, with the aim of stimulating productivity for the wider NSW economy. “There has been a raft of measures implemented to ensure our entrepreneurs and leading researchers are given the opportunity to succeed,” Professor O’Kane said.

Some measures have been very direct, including the recently created Medical Devices Fund, which provides $5 million annually to support development and commercialisation. There‘s also been support through the development of technology parks across the state, which are home to a mix of science, communications and IT companies. Other measures have focused on encouraging an entrepreneurial spirit in school students.

“Australians are very competitive and great problem-solvers,” Professor O’Kane said. “Our typical ‘have-a-go’ attitude is critical to our entrepreneurial success as a nation, as well as our success in research and development.”

the world knows that Vivid Sydney is back! A string of iconic Sydney structures join in for Vivid Light – Customs House, the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia (MCA), the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Darling Harbour. The dazzling Light Walk is back again with more than 50 new light installations located around the harbour foreshore.

Vivid Music is also expanding in 2014 with an amazing program. The line-up for Vivid LIVE at the Sydney Opera House is always a highlight for music fans, while Modulations at Carriageworks is set to draw in huge crowds with The Pet Shop Boys, Electro Pop and much more.

Vivid Ideas brings together the world’s best creative minds at more than 200 events during the Vivid Ideas Exchange at the MCA. In 2014, two premier events, Semi-Permanent and The Good Design Festival, will feature in the Vivid Ideas program, attracting global leaders in design, art and media for a range of industry conferences, exhibitions and networking events.

This year the 105th International Rotary Convention with 18,000 delegates will also convene during Vivid.

“The Vivid Ideas program reinforces Sydney’s position as the creative services hub of Asia Pacific. Sydney is Australia’s global city and international gateway, and events like Vivid underscore the creativity, business events, great experiences and pure joy visitors find in Sydney,” said Ms Chipchase.

more than the sum of its parts is Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority’s ‘whole of precinct’ approach.

The visionary and multi-faceted project is a world-class example of urban renewal, targeted to generate both economic benefits and cultural growth. The mixed-use precinct is driven by sustainable design, and a response to the community’s increased demand for quality public space. By forging authentic connections between the people of Sydney and the places they share, the rejuvenation of Darling Harbour is at the forefront of place making and urban design, as befits a truly global city.

Providing new and improved pedestrian connections is central to the renewal efforts – making life easier for the estimated 2,000 people who will make their home in Darling Harbour’s new neighbourhood. A feature of the redevelopment is the creation of a new city neighbourhood with a strategically designed mix of commercial offices, residential buildings, student housing, retail spaces, restaurants and bars – all providing attractive and attainable city living.

From green spaces and open places to pedestrian connections and public celebrations, Darling Harbour is looking to the future. With Australia’s largest and first fully-integrated convention, exhibition and entertainment hub at its core, the united precinct will offer what is undoubtedly one of the world’s best areas to live, meet and be entertained.

Learn more about Australia’s state of ideas nsw.gov.au/now

Check out the action at darlingharbour.com

Vivid Sydney is an outstanding showcase for Australia’s global city

and its creative industries.

DARLING HARBOUR LOOKS TO THE FUTURESydney’s place to meet and celebrate26 million visitors a yearActive and entertaining

Sydney’s favourite place to celebrate – Darling Harbour – is on the brink of a major transformation. Under the stewardship of the NSW Government, the renewal of this vibrant precinct that attracts around 26 million visitors annually, encompasses a new convention, exhibition and entertainment hub, and embraces an extraordinary vision of connected, cosmopolitan Sydney. The key that will allow Darling Harbour to offer

NSW LEADS THE SMART INDUSTRY OF INNOVATIONProfessor Mary O’Kane: thinking differentlyFuture-focused NSW invests $6 billion on R&D annually

New South Wales (NSW) is a state with a great track record for innovation and has a bright future in high‑tech information and communications and biotechnology, according to NSW Chief Scientist & Engineer Professor Mary O’Kane.

Professor O’Kane, who advises the NSW Government on policy matters requiring science and engineering input, says smart industry will be the way of the future – combining information, technology and human inventiveness to develop and apply intelligence to all aspects of business.

“I expect we will see big advances in high-tech information and communications technology related to automation and sensing, and the bringing together of large amounts of data to inform how we manage the natural and built environments,” Professor O’Kane said. Significant developments in new and smart materials, as well as major innovations in

There’s something for everyone vividsydney.com

The Goods Line… a new urban hub and connection to Sydney’s much‑loved Darling Harbour

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The master plan has been defined around five key principles: the north-south boulevard; the three primary public open spaces – Waterfront, Tumbalong Park and a new urban square; Harbourside Place and Tumbalong Place are the east-west connections; the International Convention Centre (ICC) Sydney and ICC Hotel to the north with the entertainment theatre to the south; and the terraced landscape over the ICC Exhibition area.

The master plan will also deliver a ‘whole of precinct’ approach which responds to the character of the unique location that is Darling Harbour and integrates seamlessly with the adjacent city fabric, while providing state-of-the-art operation and functional performance.

The ICC SydneyThe International Convention Centre Sydney (ICC Sydney) is the cornerstone element of the overall master plan.With links to creative, multicultural and dynamic businesses and communities, ICC Sydney will be the place where the world’s leaders meet, collaborate and innovate with Australia’s brightest minds. It will also be the only convention centre in the world located just 8km from the airport, adjacent to the heart of the CBD and on the world’s largest natural harbour.

ICC Sydney’s design, which includes a convention and exhibition centre plus a theatre, will provide a combined total of 40,000m2 of directly linked space – 20,000m2 on the ground level, 13,000m2 situated above, convex space of 3,000 m2 within the convention centre and more than 5,000m2 of flexible exhibition space across the facility.

The ICC will also showcase the city’s spectacular city and harbour views with a 5,000m2 Event Deck delivering a high-quality dedicated outdoor venue.

The ICC TheatreSydney will also be the home to a new ultramodern red carpet entertainment theatre. The ICC Theatre is due to replace the Sydney Entertainment Centre which will close its doors at the end of 2015. As Sydney’s newest entertainment venue, the ICC Theatre will have seating capacity for 8,000 people, catering for all the most popular events. Situated alongside and connected to the ICC Exhibition Halls, the new theatre will also be directly linked to Tumbalong Place, destined to be Sydney’s only true red carpet arrival spot. Tumbalong Park will also be reinvigorated and expanded by 3,000m2, with new adaptable event space capable of hosting up to 27,000 people.

The ICC HotelMeanwhile, a new hotel is set to become a landmark building for Darling Harbour and Sydney.

Featuring premier hotel rooms, it will support the success of the new world-class convention, exhibition and entertainment precinct. The hotel facilities will also include restaurants and bars, meeting rooms, lounges, a ballroom and more. Located in close proximity to the Sydney CBD and the creative and technology hub in Pyrmont, and only a short walk to the new financial services development at Barangaroo, the hotel will be popular with delegates, corporate visitors and tourists alike.

The public spaces By creating new spaces and improving existing locations, Darling Harbour’s appeal will be boosted for both locals and visitors alike. Better connections, a new event area and a selection of gathering and meeting places will be included in the public open space improvements and expansions in the new precinct. And the new public realm will provide the opportunity for the quintessential Australian experience – the barbeque.

The world has spoken and Sydney has listened, creating the ideal location and infrastructure for first-class conferences and events. The transformation of Darling Harbour will be a catalyst to revitalise the popular site, and also radiate positive economic and cultural benefits well beyond its boundaries.

The master plan design builds upon

and enhances the wider framework of Sydney’s open

places and spaces, water engagement,

green spaces, pedestrian and cycle networks.

Rethinking convention with the new ICC Sydney iccsydney.com

NEW CONVENTION FACILITIESSydney evolving to delegates’ needsBig city thinking

Darling Harbour is a crucial piece of urban infrastructure for Sydney, and represents a unique opportunity for the renewal and revitalisation of one of Sydney’s favourite places. While the former convention, exhibition and entertainment facilities served Sydney well for 25 years – they were state‑of‑the‑art and set world benchmarks when built in the 1980s – from late 2016, Sydney will open the doors to Australia’s newest and largest convention and exhibition facilities.

The mammoth project involves the redevelopment of the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre, the Sydney Entertainment Centre (SEC), the SEC Car Park and the surrounding public realm. When finished, it will be an impressive, integrated and world-class convention, exhibition and entertainment precinct.

The master planDarling Harbour Live, which comprises Lend Lease, Capella Capital, HOSTPLUS, AEG Ogden and Spotless, says the master plan design for the revitalisation of Sydney’s 20 hectare much-loved Darling Harbour precinct “builds upon and enhances the wider framework of Sydney’s open places and spaces, water engagement, green spaces, pedestrian and cycle networks. Of particular importance has been creating and enhancing seamless urban pedestrian connections through the precinct between all the communities surrounding Darling Harbour”.

*Artist’s impressions of ICC Sydney courtesy of HASSELL + Populous and Darling Harbour Live

International Convention Centre (ICC) Sydney

ICC Theatre looking to Tumbalong Park

ICC Sydney and ICC Hotel

5

S Y D N E YS H I N E S

*Artist’s impressions of ICC Sydney courtesy of HASSELL + Populous and Darling Harbour Live

Darling Harbour is an innovation hub in the heart of Sydney. Home to ICC Sydney and many international events, it fuels collaboration and commerce.

The new precinct will also be a hive of residential and retail, leisure spaces and more. It will connect educational, creative and multicultural precincts. Above all,

it will have the character, dynamism and energy for which Sydney is renowned. Events already in the calendar for ICC Sydney include:

• International Bar Association (IBA) Annual Conference 2017

• AIPPI World Intellectual Property Congress 2017

• International Association of Restructuring Insolvency Bankruptcy Professionals (INSOL) World Quadrennial Congress 2017

• IEEE Semiannual Vehicular Technology Conference 2017

• The World Self-Medication Industry (WSMI) Asia Pacific Regional Conference and General Assembly 2017

• International Conference of the Institute of Internal Auditors 2017

• The International Council of Commercial Arbitration Congress 2018

• Pacific Association of Quantity Surveyors Congress: PAQS 2018

• International Congress of Behavioural Optometry ICBO 2018

• 20th International Congress of Cytology 2019

6

Firelight Ceremony, Corroboree Sydney

Hetti Perkins / photo by Susie Hagon

Visitors to Australia need not look beyond Sydney to get close to and experience the best of the country’s Indigenous culture and history. That is one of the many messages of the city’s newest festivals – Corroboree Sydney.

A corroboree is an Australian Aboriginal gathering that takes the form of a sacred ceremony. Corroboree Sydney takes its inspiration from this important aspect of Australia’s Indigenous culture, and the 11-day annual festival brings together the best of Indigenous creativity through visual arts, dance, film, music and literature.

“The idea is for locals and visitors to Sydney to discover the unique and dynamic cultural traditions of our people and enjoy the contemporary expressions of those traditions,” says Corroboree Sydney Creative Director Hetti Perkins.

Sydney is the perfect location for such a festival with so much Indigenous history ingrained in the harbour city. “A lot of people don’t know that the Aboriginal word corroboree was first recorded in Sydney by Europeans just near Government House,” says Ms Perkins. “When visiting Australia, people think they have to go to Arnhem Land or somewhere in the outback to experience the Indigenous culture, but Sydney, for example, is set on one of the largest rock art galleries in the country on the harbour foreshore and surrounds.”

Highlights included the Gurung parade where school children had the opportunity  to walk through the city accompanied by the Council of Elders and Patron, Her Excellency the Governor of NSW, and received education kits; the Black Arts Market; Corroboree Cinema; and late night Corroboree Club. Many more events are planned for this year’s festival.

What was just an idea became a reality with the help of organisations such as Destination NSW who came on board to support some of the festival’s funding. “Sydney hosts so many events and it’s wonderful to work with organisations that have so much experience in the area and could guide us through the process,” says Ms Perkins.

“The thing I love about Sydney is being surrounded and inspired by the many artists who choose this city as their home.”

Corroboree Sydney will return for its first encore this November and is expected to run for many more years to come, with the hope its legacy will be the spirit of sharing and participation in Australia’s Indigenous culture and history.

SYDNEY TELLS STORY OF NATION’S INDIGENOUS CULTURE

“One of the great things about Sydney is that it has a great

acceptance of everyone and everything.

It’s an incredibly tolerant city, a city with

a huge multicultural basis.” Baz Luhrmann

Ms Perkins is a member of the Eastern Arrernte and Kalkadoon Aboriginal peoples, and the eldest daughter of Charles Perkins, the esteemed activist.

Holding many important roles in Sydney’s arts community, Ms Perkins was the Senior Curator of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, and is currently the Creative Director of Corroboree Sydney.

In 2013, Ms Perkins worked with nine collaborating partner institutions in Sydney including Bangarra, Art Gallery of NSW, Australian Museum, Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, Sydney Opera House, Royal Botanic Garden Sydney, State Library of NSW, Blackfella Films and Koori Radio 93.7FM. The inaugural Corroboree Sydney in 2013 featured more than 100 events showcasing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art and culture.

7

Pre-blogging and Facebook, these stunning sunrise surf shots popped up in people’s in-boxes when email was still an exciting new novelty. The original emails were an immediate hit. “No one had seen anything like it” Tan recalls. “My mates were like, ‘wait, this is TODAY?!”

So popular did the daily email become, it inspired Tan to quit his day job. Thirteen years ago, he swapped the boardroom for board shorts to concentrate full-time as a professional photographer and blogger.“I decided to make capturing the coast my mission: shooting in the water, on the beaches and above from the helicopter.” From the start, the talented graphic designer’s email stood out for its beautiful photography and escapist insights into a surfer lifestyle most people can only dream of.

The next step was to give his daily gifts a name. Aquabumps (the endearing term Tan called ‘waves’), has become a powerful brand, synonymous with crisp, casual, spontaneous, beautiful graphic images. Over the years, it’s moved far beyond email, now appearing on Facebook and Instagram, a popular store and gallery – sending artwork all over the world – and two published books. The first print run of ‘A Day At Bondi’ sold out in 6 weeks, and the new ‘The Beach Blog’ sums up 15 years of Aquabumps – and it weighs the same as a small child.

When you have passionate fans, other companies want to jump into the water with you. Aquabumps has a number of valuable commercial partners such as Canon cameras, Corona and Telstra on board, and companies fly Tan around the

world to places like Italy and New Zealand to shoot photos and videos.

To his 40,000-plus dedicated subscribers, Tan is more than a few pretty pictures when they turn on their computer. “Every day I get an email from a happy subscriber – that makes it all worthwhile. I get lots of comments and feedback… and read every single one.”

There’s Jon, who works on an offshore oil rig near South Africa, who calls Tan his “eyes to the real world”. There is a homesick Aussie expat stuck in Poland who writes regularly. Or the grandma in the United States, who has grandchildren living in Bondi, and thanks Tan for keeping her connected to her family by seeing what her grandkids see. Aquabumps connects people to a dream that’s all the more appealing and reassuring because every day they see that the dream is real. “Bondi is an interesting place,” he says. “There are so many different types of people, it’s an old Bronxy type of suburb,

but now it’s getting glamorous. There’s an apartment up there that just went for $9m, that’s serious cash.”

“There are lots of wonderful, varied people. Designers, artists, models, leading business people, they are all here. There’s always something different to photograph… so much happens here.” And from the thousands of photos he’s taken, does he have a favourite?

“Yes, ‘Lone Swimmer’. It’s shot from a helicopter as a girl swims out far on a busy day down at North Bondi. I love this image as the colours are amazing. No one believes it’s actually Bondi, a beach just 8 kilometres away from a large city centre.”

When you look through the lens of Eugene and see the Sydney he sees, you believe anything is possible.

THE BAREFOOT ENTREPRENEURInspiring a global audience 40,000 daily email subscribers150,000 unique website readers / month

Leaving a career to follow a real passion, capturing a gap in the market, plenty of practice and hard work, expansion and diversification… it sounds like a classic tale of a successful businessman. However, Eugene Tan’s career is anything but usual. It is one that most of us could only ever dream of.

It’s his business to be at the beach. Everyday. For Eugene is one of Sydney’s ‘barefoot entrepreneurs’.

His photography-led Aquabumps website and email, dedicated to early morning Bondi beach life, is eagerly anticipated by 200,000 followers around the world every day. So how does someone end up with an office of surf, sand, sunrises and bikinis?

Starting early seems fundamental. Not only is Eugene up at 5am to catch the best light and action, he also started early in life. Before he was 10, he was taking photos and riding waves. He went on to study photography at university as part of his design degree, and religiously studied the surf every day. But he never imagined he’d be making a living out of the combination of the two.

In 1999, Eugene began providing a nice break for his desk-bound mates, sending them shots of Bondi surf at work. The daily updates started flowing more consistently, and a few friends quickly became thousands of people logging on from around the globe.

A Q U AB U M P S

From boardroom to board shorts

Lone Swimmer / photo by Eugene Tan

“Just 8km away from the centre of

Australia’s biggest city, Tan tells the stories of

the people making the most of one of the world’s most famous

beaches.”

Catch a daily Sydney wave at aquabumps.com

8

FAST FACTS

Launched in October last year, in conjunction with the venue’s 40th anniversary, MADE by the Opera House will run for 10 years and create an elite program alumni of 100 students from both countries, The Sydney Morning Herald recently reported. The first group of Australian students travelled to Denmark in January, with the first group of Danish students arriving in Sydney in July.

‘’MADE is a celebration of how the Opera House came to be, through the process of multi-discipline collaboration, while at the same time forging stronger relationships between Australia and Denmark,’’ Opera House’s program manager Caroline Grandjean-Thomsen said. ‘’It’s about the importance of Jørn Utzon and his design principles and sharing that information with the

greater community as well as the country where he was born and resided.’’

Selected from NSW tertiary students, participants in the MADE program (Multidisciplinary Australian Danish Exchange) are drawn from third year or above in the fields of architecture, engineering and design (built environment), and receive a $6,000 scholarship from program sponsors including the NSW Architects Registration Board and The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, Schools of Architecture, Design and Conservation.

Explore our house sydneyoperahouse.com

MADE BY THE OPERA HOUSEBuilding bridges to the world Collaborating for the future

The Sydney Opera House will continue to link Sydney with the country of its architect following the announcement of an exchange program between the harbour city and Denmark.

Designed by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, the Sydney Opera House, with its famous white sails, is recognised all around the world. And now Australian tertiary students will be able to take part in an international exchange program to collaborate on multi-disciplinary architecture, engineering and design projects here and in Denmark.

However, organising a world congress was an entirely different thing.

“The commitment I made to this event forced me to develop enhanced organisational skills not only to coordinate the organising team but also the many committees to deliver the event in five years’ time,” said Professor Cooper.

“However, the congress itself was a great success. We attracted over 6,500 delegates making it one of the largest medical conventions held in Australia. We had a first-class scientific program, stunning social events and great support from industry.”

Seventeen years on and Australia’s dermatological community is still benefiting. The congress enhanced recognition at state and federal levels, opening the way to enhanced funding, and the Australian Dermatology Research and Education Foundation was established, with several million dollars now donated.

Personally and professionally, Professor Cooper is still feeling the afterglow of chairing the congress committee.

“My involvement gave a huge boost to my professional reputation. I didn’t set out with this in mind, it just happened. I’m now well known at an international level and have spent 10 years on the Board of Directors of the International League of Dermatological Societies.

“Since the congress I’ve received dozens of invitations to speak on scientific programs throughout Europe, Asia and North and South America. This has enabled me to develop an extensive network of international colleagues and research collaborators.”

PROF ALAN COOPER OAM17 years on, the legacy continues International afterglowFuelling research collaboration

It was a ‘tap on the shoulder’ by then New South Wales premier Nick Greiner that inspired Professor Alan Cooper OAM, Head of the Department of Dermatology at Royal North Shore Hospital, to lead the Sydney bid to host the 19th World Congress of Dermatology in 1997.

Paris was touted as the front runner to host the event and Sydney’s chances of winning were very slim. However, after a lot of hard work from the bid committee, together with the Sydney Convention and Visitors Bureau (now Business Events Sydney), Sydney secured the event in a triumphant win.

Professor Cooper, also Clinical Professor of Dermatology at the University of Sydney’s Northern Clinical School, had worked on many regional and national events.

Sydney is just 6hrs’ time difference from half the

world’s population

of all international business visitors to Australia come

to NSW

50%

multinationals have their regional headquarters

in Sydney

600+Sydney is Australia’s home of ICT, Finance, Manufacturing

and ASX

Sydney has the world’s best reputation according to the Reputation Institute’s 2013 City

Reptrak study. The annual study ranks the world’s 100 most reputable cities based on levels

of trust, esteem, admiration and respect, as well as perceptions regarding the economy, destination

appeal and business environment. Did you know:

MADE students and the Danish Crown Prince Couple / photo by Prudence Upton

Jørn Utzon, Architect

9

E-TEXTBOOKInteractive textbook Changing the way we learn

The e‑textbook has essentially changed the structure of the course at Sydney University’s Business School.

The world’s first interactive digital textbook was developed at Sydney University’s Business School and has now become a bestseller.

E-textbook author Quintin Rares has used the technology for his book Negotiation: Science and Practice. The e-textbook, now the basis for the course he teaches, allows students to interact and get explanations to words in the text; links them through to references such as a law cases; and encourages them to highlight sections and add their own notes. It also has an interactive Question and Answer section at the end of each chapter that explains the right and wrong answers.

Mr Rares said the new digital version moves away from the traditionally very long textbooks that had inadequate glossaries and did not factor in the science of negotiation in business studies.

‘’The interactive elements allow students to explore the concepts that they didn’t otherwise understand from reading the main chapters,’’ Mr Rares recently told The Sydney Morning Herald newspaper. “The basic text amounts to 130 pages of reading material, but with all the interactive elements, it would run to 1,100 pages in printed form. And no student will bring 1,000 pages to a seminar.”

The technology has essentially changed the structure of the business course, placing the e-textbook at the centre of the study rather than lectures. This means that the face-to-face time spent with lecturers allows more time for students to practise the skills outlined in the e-textbook and then review their progress.

In a three-step learning process, the e-textbook guides role-play negotiations, workshops are used to practically apply the concepts and then there are the lectures that allow students to ask detailed questions and learn from in-depth debriefs of the negotiations.

Feedback from his students suggest that they are able to take in information more efficiently using this method. Students say they are pleased that the e-textbook successfully ties together the academic aspect of the course with the practical, and the course is now more interactive than traditional models of learning.

the SSO the leading orchestra of this region over the next 10 years.

Particularly, I believe in China, which is currently enjoying a massive growth of its middle class. There is an explosion of the desire to connect with western culture and all western art forms including our own. So there is a huge opportunity for us to get in early and to build a reputation for the SSO.

the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. The concept of broadcasting through various means – such as web streaming – is really built into our DNA in a way that perhaps wouldn’t be for many other orchestras around the world.

Q: How did SSO become Australia’s flagship orchestra?

Former prime minister Paul Keating decided in the 1990s through his concept of the ‘creative nation’ that SSO should be positioned as the national flagship and not just state flagship orchestra. This has been enhanced by the fact that we perform at the Sydney Opera House and we tour internationally; we have significantly more audiences than any of the other orchestras and I think our artistic standards are extremely high.

Q: What’s a personal interest/activity you have that Sydney/Australia allows you to undertake more easily or better than if you lived somewhere else?

A: The greatest joy I’ve had in Sydney is the lifestyle of bringing up children here. It’s not just about the beach – it actually is about the lifestyle, how easy it is to build a local community where you live. I’ve found it hugely rewarding how open people are in your street; they want to get to know you just because they’re your neighbour.

Q: Is it true the SSO was the first orchestra in the world to embrace technology by developing a smartphone app which enables live web streaming to mobile devices?

A: Yes I’m very proud that SSO was the first orchestra in the world to web stream live to mobile devices. We web stream a number of our concerts every year which are then available on demand afterwards. The idea seems natural to us partly due to our heritage of having been a part of

“Sydney is a cultural hub

where people can enjoy cultural

activities at the highest levels.”

RORY JEFFESManaging Director, Sydney Symphony OrchestraGlobal musical ambitionCommunity enthusiast

Q: How would you describe the global contribution of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra (SSO)?

A: The SSO was established 82 years ago and has grown to become a world-class orchestra in terms of quality and depth of what we deliver. It’s now possible for our audiences to hear performances of a standard they would hear anywhere else in the world without leaving town. I think the sophistication of the delivery of arts here is such that Sydney can be proud of being a truly world-class city.

Q: What message does the SSO take to the world about Sydney and Australia?

A: That modern Sydney is a cultural hub of the world, and that people can enjoy cultural activities at the highest levels.

Q: You have been working particularly hard to build up cultural relationships with China, what are the benefits to both countries?

A: Without the historical impediments that most other countries in the Asia-Pacific region have with each other, we are in a unique position to build a profile and make

“It’s little wonder that Sydney causes a brain drain on the rest of Australia. Like New York, London and Berlin, this is a place that draws in anyone who’s got something interesting to say. Australia’s best musos, foodies, actors, stockbrokers and models, writers and architects flock to

the Harbour city to make their mark, and the effect is dazzling: a hyper‑energetic, ambitious marketplace of the soul, where anything

goes and everything usually does.” Lonely Planet

Join the SSO’s global audience sydneysymphony.com

10

The accolades keep rolling: in the 2012 Quality of Living Survey, there were few better places than Sydney (10th place worldwide) to live and Sydney was ranked second in Asia for social and economic innovation in the 2012-2013 Innovation Cities Index.

Sydney was the only Australian city ranked in the top 20 in three of the world’s premier city rankings – A.T. Kearney’s 2012 Global Cities Index, Knight Frank’s Global Cities Survey, and the Global Financial Centres Index.

It’s no wonder Sydney is the location of choice for more and more international firms. 60 per cent of all Asia-Pacific regional headquarters are located in Sydney and more than 90% of the international banks operating in Australia are based here.

And the city and state governments are continually reviewing Sydney’s suitability for overseas talent – for Sydney to truly become a global talent hub.

Sydney as a Global Talent Hub represents a major collaboration between the Committee

for Sydney and NSW Department of Trade and Investment, with their objective being to identify and implement initiatives that build on Sydney’s comparative advantage to attract internationally mobile talent. To gain a better understanding of the decisions staff and companies make when choosing where to locate, the Committee – which is made up of companies with global connections together with individuals from some of Sydney’s major international operations – conducted a survey receiving over 3,000 responses.

The Sydney as a Global Talent Hub Survey (GHT) identified these top four factors for talent who work overseas:• Opportunities to work on interesting and

challenging projects (97.5%) • The ease of getting around the city (94.6%) • Safety and security (94.3%)• Remuneration and earnings after

tax (93.3%)

Across the whole survey sample, almost three quarters felt Sydney could meet all or most of their work needs, while 8 in 10 people felt Sydney could meet all or most of their personal needs. More than 80% were satisfied Sydney could meet all or most of their lifestyle needs. “Overall, the ability to meet all or most of people’s lifestyle needs was clearly Sydney’s strength, a result confirmed by both the GTH survey, other international surveys and from interviews with both individuals and HR professionals,” a report from the survey concluded.

Data collected from this survey was used to provide the evidential basis for Sydney Issues Paper 3 – City of Choice: Sydney as a Global Talent Hub. An in-depth analysis of the survey results is contained in the Sydney as a Global Talent Hub: Data & Analysis Report.

“Sixty per cent of all Asia‑

Pacific regional headquarters are located in Sydney

and more than 90 per cent of the

international banks operating in Australia are

based here.”

GLOBAL TALENT HUB7.3 million people in NSWOver 140 languages spokenAmbitious, energetic and optimistic

Whether it’s the appeal of the lifestyle, the economic stability or its highly‑skilled multicultural workforce, Sydney is fast becoming a magnet for global talent due to its world leading brand, business opportunities and lifestyle choices.

As Australia’s largest city, Sydney makes up 25% of the nation’s total economic activity including, services, manufacturing, mining, finance, property and retail. In fact, the state of New South Wales accounts for 32% of the nation’s gross domestic product.

Sydney is Australia’s strongest international brand. It consistently ranks highly in global city surveys. Through the Anholt‑GfK City IndexSM 2013 Overall Brand Ranking, Sydney was ranked as the second best city ‘brand’ in the world. This index ranks 50 world cities across Presence, Place, Pre-requisites, People, Pulse and Potential.

Download the official guide to living and working in Sydney sydney.org.au/sydney-as-a-global-talent-hub-2

The University of Technology Sydney’s new Dr Chau Chak Wing Building – home to the School of Business – designed by Frank Gehry

11

Matt Barrie, Freelancer.comSerial entrepreneur

TALENT ATTRACTS TALENT

G L O B A LS Y D N E Y

Matt Barrie (left) is just one of many examples of the breed of entrepreneurs that Sydney produces. Adjunct Professor at the University of Sydney, he is also the founder and CEO of Freelancer.com – the world’s largest online outsourcing marketplace which connects 7.3 million professionals globally. It is also the world’s 21st biggest website, outranking Amazon and Apple.

Mr Barrie (left), who teaches in computer and network security (since 2001) and technology venture creation (since 2010), is a serial entrepreneur and was always searching for the most overlooked mega-trend he could find. Barrie launched himself into the outsourcing space, with a series of acquisitions and mergers that would make even the most aggressive Silicon Valley titan blush, and he is also one of the many reasons global talent is attracted to Sydney – entrepreneurs want to have access to like-minded people.

Pro

f R

oy G

reen

S Y D N E YS H I N E S

Sydney – the perfect stage for your success.

Come and be inspired in a city where anything is possible, where we say “yes” to the toughest challenge, and where we work as a team to bring brilliant ideas to life. Ask us how your event can shine in Sydney. Visit Sydney, Australia at stand B320.

SYDNEYSHINES.COM.AU

DisclaimerThis publication has been prepared by Business Events Sydney (BESydney) as an information source only. BESydney makes no statements, representations, or warranties about the accuracy or completeness of, and you and all other persons should not rely on, any information contained in this publication. Any reference to a specific organisation, product or service does not constitute or imply its endorsement or recommendation by BESydney. BESydney disclaims all responsibility and all liability (including without limitation, liability in negligence) for all expenses, losses, damages and costs you might incur as a result of the information being inaccurate or incomplete in any way, and for any reason.

© Business Events Sydney 2014