Business Events News for Wed 27 Aug 2014 - Helipad for ICC Sofitel, ATE exhibition tender, BET expands, Sitting Pretty and much more

8/11/2019 Business Events News for Wed 27 Aug 2014 - Helipad for ICC Sofitel, ATE exhibition tender, BET expands, Sitting

1/4business events news Page 1

business events news

27th August 2014

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

1300 799 220

Six of thebestPROVING thatinnovationknows noboundaries,global allianceBestCities, whose certicationprogram ensures a consistentlevel of convention bureauservice excellence from itspartner cities, has had six of themfeature on Business Insiders 2014list of the 18 Most InnovativeCities in the World.

Karen Bolinger, BestCitiesboard chair and ceo of MelbourneConvention Bureau said,Innovation can be dened asnding a better way of doingsomething, which BestCitiesGlobal Alliance has beendoing for more than a decade,delivering the best professionalpractices and service to themeetings industry.

The publication said the reason

the six BestCities partners werefeatured was because:Singapore has the best

infrastructure in the world,including an airport completewith a buttery garden, rooftoppool, movie theatres, hotels,spas, showers, and even a four-story slide.

Copenhagen boasts some ofthe most ecient nationalisedhealthcare on Earth, with bothmaternity and paternity leave.

Cape Town makes it easy to

get o fossil fuels, by makingsolar water heaters available tocitizens.

Vancouver has set a mission tobecome the greenest city in theworld by 2020, which has alreadyled to a 20% decrease in waterconsumption. Plus, 41% of peoplewalk or bike to get around.

Dubai features strikinglyinnovative architecture, like the160-story-tall Burj Khalifa, thetallest building on earth.

Regional Aliate Member

Tokyo also made it onto the listfor launching the worlds rst capand trade system in 2010, whichnow has 1,100 participatingfacilities.

Jill

Four pages todayBEN has three pages of

editorial plus a full page from

(click):

Accor Conferences

Helipad for ICC SotelTHE Internaonal ConvenonCentre Hotel (ICC Hotel) in Sydney

could have a helipad atop its 35

storeys, and external lighng.

Announced at Darling Harbour

(BENbreaking news yesterday)

by NSW Deputy Premier Andrew

Stoner, the Schwartz Family

Company signed an agreement

with developer Lend Lease

to purchase the hotel for an

undisclosed amount.

Accor has been appointed to

manage the hotel under its Sotel

brand, making it, succinctly,

the second Sotel for Sydney

(seriously).

The Company said it would be

the largest and most signicant

new hotel to be built in the city

for more than 20 years.

Stoner said it would provide

convenient and contemporary

accommodaon for delegates

to the ICC, increasing Sydneys

appeal for major internaonalevents.

Construcon of the hotel is

set to start this year and be

completed by the second half of

2017, in me for major events,

with about 600 rooms, including

meeng rooms and a ballroom.

The ICC is set to open in late

2016.

Schwartz Family Company

principal Dr Jerry Schwartz said

the company would be seeking

the rights for a helipad on top ofthe hotel to allow more direct

access to the precinct.

We will also be in dialogue

with the authories to introduce

external lighng of the building,

so that it will enhance Darling

Harbour at night and put it on par

with other major harbour cies,

such as Hong Kong.

No appointments had been

made and no formal discussions

had taken place regarding

Accor working with the ICC in

partnership to aract conference

business to the hotel, an Accor

spokesperson said.

Moet love for BEN

THE winner of the BEN draw at

Inspire EX, Lauren Harkness of LH

event management, picked up

her prize yesterday, a bole of

Moet, just in me for her mumssixeth birthday this weekend

- congratulaons Lauren, and

happy birthday, Laurens mum!

Lauren ispictured le with BEN

deputy editor Alex Walls.

For more photos, check out

our Facebook page by CLICKING

HEREand check out LH Event

management by CLICKING HERE.

Biz Ev Tas expandsBUSINESS Events Tasmania

(BET) has added a business

development manager based in

Launceston in a move it says will

boost conference acvity for the

north and north west.An announcement would be

made soon but the manager had

been appointed and would start

in mid September, BET said.

The new posion ed in with

the BET boards broader strategy

of expanding representaon into

key industry sectors as well as the

conference and tourism sectors,

BET chairman Malcolm Wells

said.

The new posion was funded

by state government and local

councils, with BET seeking

addional funding specically for

the posion.

The organisaon said it was

sure the posion would boost

enthusiasm within the sector

and ensure both Launceston and

northern Tasmania remained

an aracve business events

desnaon.

BET ceo Stuart Nelefold said

the new posion would work

with business and Universies to

up the organisaons ambassador

program, as well as working to

nd new products, such as Boags

new visitor centre and conference

facility, which would increase the

regions appeal.
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business events news27th August 2014

Sizing up Fiji

AS FIJIStourism and business

events product enters a new

era of maturity aer major

expansion and refurbishment

programs, Tourism Fijis Sydney

MICE Roadshow presented a

dierent style of updang clients

on Monday evening at The

Menzies, by holding eight minute

presentaons to diners.Tourism Fiji regional director

Carlah Walton spoke of the

maturity of Fijis business

events market as one that oers

everything from big events to

a new convenon centre, right

through to execuve retreats and

small exclusive resorts.

We have a really well

developed infrastructure

including substanal transport

companies with brand new

coaches, an internaonal airlinethrough Fiji Airways and an

extensive domesc network

through Fiji Link.

There was much laughter when

Walton said the Denarau Island

Convenon Centre (DICC) was

known aeconately as The Dick.

As you know size maers in

Fiji!

Walton talked of Fijis food and

beverage challenges, saying while

there had been issues in past

years, food and beverage in Fiji

had come full circle.

She said Fiji was on the cusp of

a F&B revoluon.Highlighng Fijis social jusce

programs, Walton said they were

integrated into conference and

incenve programs.

Fiji is not just about laying on

a beach and drinking a cocktail,

in this day and age we nd

people want to feel like they are

contribung and we have a lot of

programs which can aid in this.

They can really make the

dierence between a good

conference and a greatconference.

Picturedfrom le Ma

Symonds and Luisa Finiasi from

Tourism Fiji Sydney line up with

the Fiji operators at the MICE

Roadshow in Sydney.

Gate to gate devicesQANTAS and Virgin Australia

have announced that passengersan now use their personal

electronic devices from gate to

gate.

The Civil Aviaon Safety

Authority approved the revision

of Qantas policy following new

guidance on the use of electronic

devices during ight, Qantas said.

This meant passengers could

use devices while boarding but

hey sll needed to be switched

o ight mode once the aircra

doors were closed for departure,Qantas said.

Handheld devices needed to be

ecured during taxi, take-o and

anding, and larger item such as

aptops sll needed to be stowed,

Qantas said.

Novotel Cairns dsmNOVOTEL Cairns Oasis Resort

has appointed a new director of

sales and markeng, Shirley Dodt.

Dodt had worked in the tourism

and hospitality industry for more

than 25 years and was most

recently account director at

Sheraton Mirage Port Douglas

Resort.

Novotel Cairns Oasis Resort

gm Peter Richardson said with

Dodts experience and knowledge

of North Queensland, he was

condent she would help the

resort achieve new success.

Mauritius famil

AIR Maurius and the Maurius

Tourism Promoon Authority

(MTPA) recently sponsored ve

agents on a week long famil to

Maurius to promote the naon

as a major desnaon for the

MICE market.

MTPA Australian representave

Peter Power said it oered clients

something dierent, with the

agents taking part in acvies

such as walking with lions, voted

by the group as the favourite

acvity, sailing and rum tasng.

Maurius had a range of

properes suitable to the MICE

market, was close to Australia

and had diverse acvies

available for delegates.

Picturedfrom le are Anne of

Gray Impact Events, Peter Bender

of Flight Biz, Melanie Wynne

of Phil Homan Travel, Anna

Fraunfelter of BI Worldwide,

Daniela Chiodo of CI Events, a

Solis Representave, and Peter

Power.

AACB conferenceTHE 25th Associaon of

Australian Convenon Bureaux

(AACB) annual sta conference

has opened today at Daydream

Island Resort and Spa.

The conference would involve

professional development and

sharing of knowledge between

sta, AACB said.

The conference brought

competors together in a friendly

environment from 15 city and

regional member bureaux,

execuve director Andrew Hiebl

said.

ATE exhibition tender

TOURISM Australia (TA)

has released a tender for

he provision of exhibion

management services for its

ravel trade show, the Australian

Tourism Exchange (ATE) 2016-18.

This would cover three years

of the event in three states: ATE

2016 in Queensland, ATE 2017

n NSW and ATE 2018 in South

Australia, the tender said.

TA said the successful tenderer

would need to have at least

ve years experience in the

exhibion and events industry

n Australia as well as previous

experience delivering events of a

imilar nature and size as ATE.

The tenderer would need to be

suitably accredited and manage

venue negoaons as well as

oordinate the trade show oor

build, liaise with the organisaon

egarding standard booth design.

TA did not immediately reply

to queries about budget and a

previous tender for management

of ATE 2015-17.

The tender closes on 23 Sep.

CLICK HERE to access the

tender.

Credit: Tourism Australia/

Tourism and Events Queensland.
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business events news27th August 2014

IF YOUREkeen to give yourdelegates a preview before theyattend an event in Victoria, thengood news - Street View Trekkeris on its way for the state, theproduct of a Tourism Victoria andGoogle Street View partnership.

The tool would allow peopleall over the world to takevirtual tours of Victorias touristattractions while sitting at home,the state government said.

Tourism and Major EventsMinister Louise Asher said testingwas underway in Melbourne andthe technology would be used toget 360 degree panoramas of thestates most visited attractions,including Federation Square, theMelbourne Cricket Ground andthe Yarra Valley.

Street View Trekker involved abackpack with a camera systemof 15 lenses on top automatically

gathering images as it was wornby an operator while they walkeddown pedestrian trails, thegovernment said.

These were then stitchedtogether to make a 360 degreeview, it said.

The initiative followed thePlay Melbourne campaignwhere tourists were equippedwith wearable cameras andmicrophones and directed byprospective visitors via a websiteto explore the city, the Minister

said.Other Street View Trekking

experiences include Angkor Wat,the Taj Mahal, Venice and polarbear capital, Churchill.

crumbs!

CONTACT US:

Publisher Editor Deputy editorBruce Piper Jill Varley Alex Walls

For advertising enquiries email Sean Harrigan & Katrina Ford at:[email protected]

P: 1300 799 220 F: 1300 799 221

PO Box 1010 Epping, NSW, 1710

Business Events News is part of the Travel Daily group of publications

which also include: Travel Daily, Cruise Weekly & Pharmacy Daily.

Disclaimer:While every care has been taken in the preparaon of Business Events Newsno liability can be

accepted for errors or omissions. BENtakes no responsibility for the opinions of i ts contributors/columnists.

Informaon is published in good faith to smulate independent invesgaon of the maers canvassed.

The Ghan with opals

A NEWfour day service on The

Ghan that adds the opal mining

town of Manguri (Coober Pedy)

is being pitched to the incenve

market.

Passengers will y into Darwin

to join the train, from where it

travels to Katherine, Alice Springs

and Coober Pedy.

Great Southern Rail business

development manager Damien

Wol said the Ghan was a high

incenve product with the private

Chairmans Carriage available for

hire or a full train charter for 350.

Rarely do travellers get to see

Darwin, Katherine, Alice Springs

and Coober Pedy in one journey

and for the incenve market this

metable makes good sense.Literally, you get to see the

outback in one great experience.

While in Alice Springs,

passengers enjoy a full days

touring or they can upgrade to do

a scenic ight to Uluru and Kata

Juta.

Coober Pedy, with its opal

mining credenals, is something

of a bucket list wish for many

Australians and train enthusiasts

and it is here that they can

experience dugout style living inthe underground rooms at the

Desert Cave Hotel.

The Ghans peak season services

depart Saturdays May to Aug.

Sitting Pretty

Welcome to Sitting Pretty, our regular review ofexperiences up the front of the plane.

China Southern AirlinesBusiness Class

China Southern Airlines is a rising star amongst business and leisure

travellers, one of a number of airlines based in China making a placefor itself on the world stage. BENtravelled on one of its nine new 787

Dreamliners from London to Guangzhou.

THE SEATGreeted by friendly smiles from the crew,BENtook a seat in 3K by

the lovely large windows that feature in the 787 Dreamliner. The uniquedimming system on the windows meant that BEN got a fantastic lookat London at night, a view which just got better as other passengersreclined to sleep later on in the ight.

The seats on the Dreamliner are the same width as in ChinaSoutherns other planes, reclining 180 degrees to provide a luxuriousbed for overnight ights. In a 2-2-2 layout there is plenty of room,although if you are in a window seat you do have to clamber over the

person seated next to you to get out if they are sleeping.There is a generous amount of storage in front of the seat, very

handy for shoes when you tuck in for bed, as well as above in overheadcompartments. The new Dreamliners have been designed so that thereis no overhead luggage storage above the centre aisle seats and it isamazing how much of a dierence it makes. There seemed to be anincredible amount of space, denitively removing any sense of feelingcramped.

ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEMPassengers are able to watch movies immediately after they are

seated, not having to wait until in the air, although BENopted touse the lighting options above and next to the seat to do some lightreading. Business class passengers have large individual screens and

are able to choose from a wide variety of Western and foreign lms,including a good mix of new releases and old favourites. There are alsoa number of TV shows, CDs and even e-books available.

Additionally, the seat is equipped with conveniently located USB andpower ports for charging devices and theres even an option to streammusic or videos from your personal device on to the screen.

SERVICEBENs ight departed at night, so dinner was served, with a delicious

mix of classic Western food such as grilled rack of lamb, as well astraditional Chinese dishes.

China Southern also times the ight from London to connect neatlywith their ongoing ight to Sydney, on which BENtravelled, meaningthankfully little time was spent in transit. It made for an extremely

pleasant journey with almost no jet lag at all.
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