CIM April 2014 Issue

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APRIL 2014

Adelaide’s brain gain Centres of excellence Gold Coast gets connected

Big events Sydney Showground

BEYOND THE AGENDA

A business event in New Zealand goes beyond expectation.

Boasting world-class facilities, spectacular landscapes, friendly people, and a diverse range of activities within easy reach, New Zealand will take your next event from ordinary to extraordinary. Plan the conference they’ll never forget today.

businessevents.newzealand.com TOU0093\CIM\TBWA

CONTENTS

On the cover

20

28

REGULARS

Sydney Showground has unveiled the latest addition to its exhibition space in time for a bumper year for events lined up in 2014, making Sydney Olympic Park truly a venue for all events and all sizes.

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NOV 2013

04 Publisher’s note 06 News 08 New Zealand news 10 International news

Top End, top performer New look Adelaide Luxury on any budget cim1113.indd 1

13 Q&A Alison Barnes, Alpha Event Management 34 Venue update 36 Profile Sallie Coventry, Reed Travel Exhibitions 37 Meeting people 38 PCO Association

FEATURES 12 Cover story Big experiences at Sydney Showground

Clear view New Zealand goes Beyond Convention 8/11/13 2:03:43 PM

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Don’t miss

14 Adelaide Adelaide's new brain gain 20 Convention Centres New infrastructure, new opportunities

26

26 The Red Centre Going from strength to strength 28 Gold Coast On the menu at the Gold Coast

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

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

PUBLISHER’S WORD

Feeling optimistic R

ecently I was invited to attend the openings of two new venues here in Sydney within the space of about a week: Sydney Showground’s new multi-purpose facility and the Australian National Maritime Museum’s new Lighthouse Gallery.

The Showground’s new pavilion offers 10,000sqm of additional exhibition space (see page 12), while the Lighthouse Gallery is a pillar-free waterfront venue for up to 400 theatre-style.

Speaking with the management of both venues, it was clear that they have no concerns about being the new kids on the business events block, and are confident of strong bookings for the financial year ahead and beyond.

Further afield, Peppers Seaport in Launceston in Tasmania, Cypress Lakes Resort in New South Wales’ Hunter Valley, and Tangalooma on Moreton Island in Queensland, have all recently opened generous new conference spaces. A number of other venues, including the Hunter Valley Conference & Events Centre, The Palm House in the Whitsunday’s and floating event space Dockside Pavillion at Darling Harbour, will open later this year.

And that’s not even touching on the numerous hotel refurbishments or the building work that’s going on with the Adelaide Convention Centre and International Convention Centre Sydney (see page 20).

One of the questions I most often hear in question and answer sessions at industry events I go to, and have people ask me, is how the business events industry is faring overall. For my part, I think the answer lies in the amount of investment in new infrastructure that’s going on at the moment. When the business events market is flat, venue management companies aren’t prepared to outlay vast sums on spec, but when the market is buoyant, occupancy rates are high and future bookings strong, investing in the future makes sound business sense.

Long may it last!

Published in Australia by Creative Head Media Pty Ltd Suite 202, 80-84 Chandos Street, St Leonards 2065 P.O. Box 189, St Leonards 1590 ACN 147 436 280 ISSN 1039-1029 Website: www.cimmagazine.com PUBLISHER Alexandra Yeomans MANAGING EDITOR Ylla Watkins JOURNALIST Sheridan Randall SALES & MARKETING MANAGER Jo Robinson ACCOUNT MANAGER Michelle Cullen DESIGN/PRODUCTION MANAGER Bin Zhou DIGITAL/PRODUCTION ASSISTANT Xin Jin EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Anna-Louise McDougall

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Nielsen Media Research July 2004 Readership 57,936 monthly Official Australian publication for the PCO Association

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PCO

Inc. ation oci ss

As the $3 billion Adelaide River Bank Precinct redevelopment pushes forward, Adelaide is busy forging partnerships with key sectors that are set to pay dividends in the long term. Find out more on page 14.

Opinions expressed by the contributors in this magazine are not the opinion of CIM. Letters to the editor are subject to editing.

Professio na lC

Alexandra Yeomans, Publisher

Copyright © 2013 Creative Head Media Pty Ltd.

BUSINESS PARTNER

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and lounge. It will conclude with a full refurbishment of Chameleon Restaurant, The Lobby Lounge and reception, followed by the meeting and conference facilities.

Debut of Deluxe Accommodation Earlier this year the first of the newly-defined Deluxe Guestrooms became available offering an elegant and memorable experience. The rooms feature several enhancements including multi-device high-speed wireless internet connection, digital audio hub, 46 inch widescreen TV, fully customisable air-conditioning/ heating options and brand new bathrooms with walk-in showers and dual shower heads. These rooms also feature a second flat screen TV and adjoining couch area.

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Additionally the Deluxe Harbour View Guestrooms, pictured below, offer captivating views of the waterfront and all the exciting Deluxe Guestroom enhancements.

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Club InterContinental Offering personalised service to guests staying in the exclusive Club InterContinental Guestrooms, the new lounge will span the total width of the hotel overlooking the iconic harbour, providing truly stunning views.

Additionally, the 64 Club InterContinental Guestrooms and Suites will be totally recreated including state of the art electronic room features, sophisticated styling and digital lighting controls.

For a relaxing weekend, unwind in a new King Deluxe Spa Guestroom with luxurious in-room spa and complimentary spa amenities.

REDESIGNED MEETING SPACE

Deluxe Harbour View Guestroom

INTERCONTINENTAL MEETINGS Drawing on the experience of the global brand, InterContinental Meetings delivers a seamless experience for meeting planners and delegates, including a dedicated events team and Instant Service

Design Impression of Club InterContinental Lounge

Executive. Furthermore the InterContinental Insider Collection offers a series of local speakers, breaks and activities to ensure delegates discover what makes Wellington truly unique.

Scheduled for quarter three of 2014, the existing level one event floor and meeting rooms will receive a complete decor refurbishment and installation of state of the art audio visual technology.

Connection to the Wellington community via the InterContinental Meetings programme will remain paramount with an increased focus on partner venues and celebrating the finest Wellington cuisine and products.

Start planning your spring and summer events to ensure your delegates are amongst the first to experience the modern luxury.

INDUSTRY NEWS NEWS BRIEFS New register for sustainability The Sustainable Event Alliance is to host a register of all organisations, events and venues claiming conformity to ISO 20121.

The ISO 20121 is a management system standard that has been designed to help organisations in the events industry improve the sustainability of their event related activities, products and services.

Business events boom in Whitsundays

Tourism body calls for MCEC funding Victoria Tourism Industry Council chief executive Dianne Smith has called on the State Government to fund the proposed expansion of the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, or risk losing future business to Sydney’s new Centre, due to be completed in 2016.

Chefs enlisted for ‘Restaurant Australia’ As part of its “Restaurant Australia” marketing campaign last year, Tourism Australia is enlisting the story-telling skills of internationally renowned chef John Torode.

The UK-based chef’s new TV series, John Torode’s Australia, launched in the UK last month, sees him retrace the flavours of his childhood growing up in Australia.

Training academy receives new funding The Australian Events Academy, the training arm of Meetings & Events Australia (MEA), is to receive funding from the NSW Government, following ongoing lobbying from MEA over concerns the industry is facing a skills shortage.

New York-style “Goods Line” for Sydney The Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority has revealed designs for a radical makeover of the Goods Line South, the pedestrian route from Central Station to Darling Harbour. The corridor will feature a series of elevated spaces or platforms which can be used for a variety of activities. It is expected that it will be used for “pop ups” and other events, invigorating the precinct.

Whitsundays Business Events has recorded significant growth in business event opportunities for the Whitsundays region from July to December 2013.

The half-yearly report showed that the convention bureau has distributed leads with a value of over $5 million for events to be held in the remainder of 2014 and 2015.

“The amount of event opportunities that the Bureau is working on has doubled in the current financial year,” said Whitsundays Business Events manager

Leanne Zeid.

“This can be attributed to significant developments happening within our region, both within island resorts and the Whitsunday Coast and the increase in flight access to our region.

“On the Whitsunday Coast, Airlie Beach is growing as a conference destination with a new multi-purpose event centre, The Palm House, opening in July and we will also see the official opening of One&Only Hayman Island in July.”

Mega-resort progresses to next stage The Foreign Investment Review Board has approved an application by the Chinese developers of the proposed $4.2 billion Aquis resort at Yorkeys Knob just north of Cairns to purchase 340 hectares of land for its development.

Plans for the resort include 3750 hotel rooms across nine hotels, a casino, a 25,000 seat stadium, one of the world’s largest aquariums, 13,500sqm of high end retailing, two 25,000 seat theatres, a cultural heritage centre, 65 hectare estuarine lagoon, 18-hole golf course, large scale water fun park, and a 45,000sqm convention and exhibition centre.

According to Aquis chief executive Justin Fung the company will take full ownership of the land once plans for the project are approved and a casino licence secured.

The company recently signed a $269 million

6 Convention & Incentive Marketing, April 2014 www.cimmagazine.com

takeover bid implementation agreement with the Reef Casino Trust, which owns the Reef Hotel Casino in Cairns. Aquis is hoping to negotiate with the government to split the gaming license to cover both sites. They have also applied for a regional integrated resort license as a backup.

Melbourne sets bar high “In December 2013, the 22nd World Diabetes Congress attracted more than 10,000 delegates from 140 countries and generated approximately $63 million for the state’s economy.

Melbourne is half way through its most successful two years on record in terms of international association conferences held, according to Karen Bolinger, chief executive of the Melbourne Convention Bureau (MCB).

“In May, the city will welcome 9000 delegates for the World Congress of Cardiology, and in July, in excess of 14,000 delegates for the 20th International AIDS Conference, which will be the largest health-related conference ever hosted in Australia.

By the end of this year, Melbourne will have hosted 70 international conferences secured by MCB and welcomed more than 85,000 delegates to the city, which will contribute almost $420 million to the state’s economy.

In 2013 and 2014 the number of events coming to Melbourne had risen by 37 per cent, delegate numbers by over half and economic impact by over a third compared to 2011 and 2012.

“This success is largely due to the fact that Melbourne will be the first city in the world to host three of the largest and most prestigious health-related conferences in the space of a year,” Bolinger said.

“As most major international conferences are held every two years at a minimum and are on a regional rotation with hundreds of cities to choose from, it is very unlikely that any other city in the world will ever be able to emulate this feat.”

www.cimmagazine.com Convention & Incentive Marketing, April 2014 7

NZ NEWS

Trotter farewells Australian PCOs Alan Trotter, outgoing chief executive of Conventions & Incentives New Zealand (CINZ), has officiated over his last official function for the industry body before his retirement this month.

The event saw almost 60 business events organisers and CINZ platinum sponsors gather at The Ivy Penthouse in Sydney for an evening of New Zealand food and wine, networking and inspiration from New Zealand adventurer and leadership development consultant Jamie Fitzgerald.

Speaking at the event, Trotter said it was appropriate for him to be in Australia for his last function, given the close relationship the two nations have.

Meetings goes luxe

“The Australian market has, and will always be, the most important source market for conventions and incentives of any country for New Zealand,” he said. “I know that other markets have come on stream and other markets are flavour of the month, but there is one thing that I know, when the shit hits the fan, and times are tough for Australia or New Zealand, each country can depend on the other. We’re cousins.”

The CINZ board is currently looking for a replacement for Trotter, with an announcement expected before the Meetings tradeshow in Auckland in June.

www.sydneyshowground.com.au

Meetings 2014 has added a new Luxury Collection to its mix.

The Luxury Collection will showcase the finest end of the New Zealand business events market with everything from boutique lodges to luxury yachts.

Confirmed exhibitors include Eagles Nest in the Bay of Islands, Huka Lodge, near Taupo, Peppers Carrington Resort in Northland, The Museum Art Hotel in Wellington, The Lodge at Kauri Cliffs, The Farm at Cape Kidnappers, Matakauri Lodge, Touch of Spice, Simon Gault’s The Nourish Group of restaurants, and luxury Queenstown cruiser Pacific Jemm.

The director of Queenstown-

based Touch of Spice, Jacqui Spice, who is also a Tourism New Zealand board member, says the addition of the Luxury Collection to Meetings aligns with Tourism New Zealand’s strategy to attract more high-yield visitors to the country and will give buyers an opportunity to learn more about what luxury New Zealand has to offer.

“The trends are showing that more and more people want to truly experience what New Zealand has to offer over and above the beds being slept in – they want to taste it, touch it, feel it and experience it,” said Spice.

Meetings is being held this year at the Auckland ASB Showgrounds on June 18-19.

Supporting solos and novices At Sydney Showground, we create sensational exhibitions on any scale.

We are Sydney’s biggest exhibition centre with over 32,000 sqm of clearspan space and over 20 indoor and outdoor venues. We are custom-built for major trade and consumer shows with underground services and the city’s largest loading dock. And our catering team serves up award-winning food made fresh onsite. The result is a big experience for visitors and exhibitors.

8 Convention & Incentive Marketing, April 2014 www.cimmagazine.com

Conferences can be daunting for first timers and those attending on their own. As hosts and PCOs, we have an obligation to smooth their way.

An article by Jeff Hurt on his Velvet Chainsaw’s Midcourse Corrections blog caught my eye recently. It was entitled “Helping conference first timers and solo attendees move beyond hello”. The article struck a chord, partly because I’ve just been a conference “first timer” myself; and partly because providing a great experience for these delegates is a perennial issue for conference

hosts and organisers.

The article hones in on how it feels to be the sole representative from your organisation at a conference, or to be attending for the first time. Usefully, it proposes steps to help someone in this situation connect with others.

I particularly like the idea of a mentor programme that pairs new attendees with diehard loyalists, and an orientation that connects fellow firsttimers. Both these ideas could readily be extended to include “solos”.

Recently I was a “novice” at Professional Convention

TNZ targets Aussie decision makers Following the New Zealand Government’s decision last year to increase funding to promote New Zealand as an international business events destination, Tourism New Zealand has targeted some of Australia’s most senior decision makers.

The tourism body, along with Air New Zealand, recently sponsored this year’s CEO Institute Summit, which attracted close to 350 chief executives and senior leaders from a broad range of Australian businesses to Sydney.

Tourism New Zealand’s director of trade, PR and major events, Justin Watson, said the organisation is committed to marketing the country as a

20-22 MAY 2014

world-class business events destination.

imex-frankfurt.com

“We are making significant steps forward in the implementation of our business events strategy with key initiatives underway including the CEO Institute Summit,” he said.

“This is the first year Tourism New Zealand has sponsored the summit,which has provided a new avenue to target key decision makers within corporations.

Hurt also suggests how a conference app can connect participants, by creating a platform for posting problems and proposing

MEETINGS TRENDS,

TODAY

“Our presence at the CEO Institute Summit further promotes the New Zealand business events offering using a group of key economic sectors as the focus for our message.”

Lynn Simmonds from Air New Zealand and Helen Bambry from Tourism New Zealand at The CEO Institute Summit

Management Association’s (PCMA) Convening Leaders conference in Boston. There I saw first-hand how thoughtful initiatives can make a material difference to a conference experience. Several weeks prior, two “diehards” emailed me to introduce themselves, give me tips about making the most of the conference and suggest a time to catch up at the start of the event.

It was a wonderful gesture. I knew that if I felt adrift at any stage, my diehards would be there for me.

TOMORROW’S

solutions. He encourages speakers to incorporate time for conversations amongst neighbours during sessions, and to make themselves available for post-session chats. His take on speed networking is to focus sessions on particular topics to maximise useful meet-ups.

This kind of thinking is the essence of creating a great experience for attendees. Let’s put more of it into practice!

Jan Tonkin is managing director of New Zealand PCO, The Conference Company, vice-president of International Association of Professional Congress Organisers (IAPCO) and vice-chair of the IAPCO Training Academy.

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Latest inspiration – Discover the innovations and latest trends that will get you on top of today’s meetings market challenges Tailored to you – We gather feedback from the industry and shape each IMEX to address the most pressing issues Constantly evolving – Every year is different, so you’ll always find the very latest trends and developments IT’S DESIGNED TO BE YOUR INDUSTRY EVENT.

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www.cimmagazine.com Convention & Incentive Marketing, April 2014 9

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

London launches new convention bureau website “We’re extremely proud of our all-new convention bureau website,” said Tracy Halliwell, director of major events and business tourism for London & Partners.

“Right from the start it was built and designed with the customer in mind. We talked to event planners and to our clients and asked them what they wanted the site to do for them – how it could make their job easier.

London & Partners, the promotional organisation for London, has launched a new convention bureau website that provides an easy-to-use service for event planners around the world. The website offers improved venue listing services, an all-new search and shortlisting tool, as well as “Visualise” 360 degree panoramas.

“Our new website does just that – from making it simpler to search for and find venues, to bringing to life the city for people who’ve never been here or haven’t visited for a while. We hope that event planners find the website a valuable new tool, and one which vividly conveys to people all over the world what an amazing place London is to visit and do business in.”

The new website can be found at conventionbureau.londonandpartners.com

Technology in the spotlight for PCOs INCON, a partnership of leading companies providing conference, event and destination management services globally, has launched a Digital Infrastructure Award to recognise venues who achieve better management of conferences by investing in digital infrastructure, implementation and staff.

“Too many times we are faced with a limiting, restrictive or cost prohibitive network, whilst having to deal with a third party vendor without any technical staff on the ground,” said judge Daniel Branik, executive manager of technology for Arinex.

“The Award will recognise and reward those venues that have put the effort and investment into having the right infrastructure and supporting staff, to support the needs of today’s conferences and events where technology isn’t a choice, but instrumental to the overall success of the event.”

The first winner(s) will be announced at IMEX Frankfurt in May 2014.

Asia Pacific drives Sheraton’s global growth The Starwood Hotels & Resorts owned Sheraton brand is poised for record-breaking growth over the next 12 months with 35 new hotels expected to open world-wide. Of those nearly half of the new Sheraton hotels to open will be in China.

Sheraton also continues to build momentum in the Asia Pacific region with 23 openings

expected over the next 12 months, including the new markets of New Caledonia, Samoa and Sri Lanka.

Sheraton will open approximately one hotel every three weeks in China alone, launching in Wuhan, Shaoxing, Nanchang, Zhengzhou, and Qingdao, while adding its third hotel in Beijing and fifth in Shanghai. More than 13

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10 Convention & Incentive Marketing, April 2014 www.cimmagazine.com

additional Sheraton hotels are slated to open in China by 2017.

“Asia Pacific continues to drive the brand’s future pipeline growth, but we are also experiencing strong demand in other emerging markets including Eastern Europe and the Middle East,” said Hoyt Harper, global brand leader for Sheraton Hotels & Resorts.

Middle East booming for international association meetings The number of regularly-occurring, internationally-rotating association meetings in the Middle East has doubled each decade in the last 50 years, and more than tripled in the last 10 years, according to new figures released by the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA).

The report, A Modern History of International Association Meetings: 19632012, shows that the total number of regularly-occurring, internationally-rotating association meetings is increasing by 100 per cent every 10 years, and has been consistently doing so for the last half century, with no signs of a slowdown. The number of meetings in the Middle East has even grown quicker than in other regions.

Acknowledging the growing importance of the Middle East meetings market, ICCA opened its first ICCA Middle East Regional Office in 2012, which is leveraging the association’s key expertise in the international association meetings sector, and the association is also extending its

activities in the Middle East region.

“Our statistics are proving what we have long suspected: that the world is experiencing an unprecedentedly revolutionary period in terms of knowledge creation, and that association meetings are growing exponentially in tandem, as primary vectors for disseminating that knowledge,” said ICCA chief executive Martin Sirk.

“The Middle East joined the information revolution more recently than most regions, so it is not surprising to see some of the world’s fastest growth rates here, now that excellent meetings infrastructure has been developed, governments have created knowledge strategies to underpin their economic development agendas, and local demand for education and knowledgetransfer is at an all-time high. We are confident that the region will enjoy even greater international meetings activity in the future, based on these underlying fundamentals.”

The Burj Al Arab hotel in Dubai.

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Exterior Grand Pavilion, Rosehill Gardens

Royal Randwick’s Spectacular Ballroom

Grand Pavilion Level Two, Rosehill Gardens

The new Royal Randwick Grandstand

www.cimmagazine.com Convention & Incentive Marketing, April 2014 11

COVER STORY

Sydney Olympic Park is so big it has its own postcode. So big that it offers 10 different business event venues, with more than 100 function rooms and outdoor spaces for groups of 10 up to 21,000. This sort of scale is why its premier event precinct Sydney Showground hosts Australia’s largest event, the Sydney Royal Easter Show, on an annual basis.

Other mega events being held at Sydney Showground this year include the Rotary International Convention Sydney 2014, with more than 18,000 delegates, and for the first time CeBIT Australia, with 30,000 people expected to attend.

“The rebranding is designed to clarify our offering in the market place, and define what makes Sydney Showground compelling for our clients. We surveyed customers, staff and other key stakeholders and conducted rigorous workshops with the end result identifying that we are really good at big – big events and big experiences for all our customers and their visitors.”

To cope with the increasing demand for an event facility on this scale, Sydney Showground is this month celebrating the opening of its new pavilion, which offers

In addition to the increased exhibition space come further enhancements such as the introduction of new digital signage in the Dome, Halls and refurbished Café areas.

Big experiences Sydney Showground has unveiled the latest addition to its exhibition space in time for the bumper year of events lined up in 2014, making Sydney Olympic Park truly a venue for all events and all sizes.

Watch the video in the CIM iPad app.

enough pillar-less exhibition space but what we now need is conference facilities, breakout rooms and some smaller boutique spaces’, which is why we put the mobile walls in,” he says.

an extra 10,000sqm of exhibition space dividable into three separate facilities using mobile soundproof walls. The new pavilion connects with the existing Southee Complex and adds to the Dome’s 22,000sqm of continuous pillar-less exhibition space.

Launching at the same time as Sydney Showground’s new branding which centres on “Big Experiences”, the additional event space will be a “much needed asset”, says Sydney Showground general manager Peter Thorpe, adding that feedback from event organisers and clients was essential to the planning process for the new pavilion.

“Clients such as CeBIT said ‘you have

12 Convention & Incentive Marketing, April 2014 www.cimmagazine.com

“I want to make sure that the new events that are coming here want to stay here,” Thorpe says.

“A lot of our events are growing in size year after year and we now have the facilities that they can do that in easily.”

Access to Sydney Olympic Park has also increased along with the number of national companies relocating there, including Commonwealth Bank and Lion. There is improved access by public transport, with trains to Sydney Olympic Park station every 10 minutes, four bus services and a ferry service to Sydney and Parramatta, while 10,000 car parking spaces are also available.

“All the different people around here are using all of our facilities, not just Sydney Showground, and we all work together to keep them here,” he adds.

There are also more than 800 accommodation rooms available in Sydney Olympic Park, and more than 30 places to eat and entertain. As Thorpe says, “the precinct is booming”.

Q&A

The science of events Director of Alpha Event Management, Alison Barnes takes a scientific approach to measuring the success of the events she’s involved in, discovers Ylla Watkins.

Q: What services does Alpha Event Management offer clients?

A: We offer event management and project management services; from creative through to implementation and beyond. A lot of what clients are looking for now doesn’t just stop with the actual event. You have to have something to take away after the event.

Q: What have been some of the stand out events you’ve been involved in over the last few years?

A: Probably the one that stands out the most is a week of events we did last year that started with an incentive program, went into an awards event, and then flowed into a corporate leadership forum that went for three days. Over the course of that week we had five gala dinners to manage back–to–back and a series of offsite events during the days as well. That was challenging in terms of getting suppliers in the right place at the right time, and moving a lot of people from place to place in very short time frames. We probably only had six months to organise it from start to finish. We did an amazing job in terms of the feedback we got from the client, and how much the team enjoyed working on it. We were doing 20 hour days and yet everyone was happy to be there.

Q: How do you measure the success of the events that you run?

A: We follow project management principles quite closely; everything has to be recorded and measured.

In terms of working with our clients, we want to understand what their objectives are from the start of the process and then we set measurements around it – key performance indicators and key results areas that we constantly hold ourselves accountable to internally and report back to the client about throughout the process. There’s a lot of science in what we do.

Q: What’s more important: creativity or attention to detail?

A: I think to be both effective for your client and successful as a business you have to have a good balance of both. A lot of people have great ideas and promise big, amazing, wonderful things that have never been done before but if you don’t follow it through its all wasted effort.

And if it doesn’t fit the client's brief, it’s a waste of time and money.

Q: How would you describe the events market at the moment overall?

A: I’d say the market is definitely buoyant and getting more so. I’m not sure how the Australian dollar will affect it in the longer term but this financial year we have a lot planned and people are spending more than

last year. Lead times are definitely shorter than they used to be. I’m not entirely sure why that is. It’s a challenge because corporate clients expect to get what they want but aren’t necessarily leaving enough time to achieve it in terms of securing the venues, hotels or flights. You never want to disappoint your clients but sometimes you literally can’t deliver what they want and that’s hard.

Q: How else have you seen the events market change over the last few years?

A: We’ve found that in the last 18 months budgets are getting bigger but the clients we work with expect a lot more for the their money.

They are prepared to spend money but they want to see a real return on investment in terms of that “wow-factor”, and they want to create a lasting impression beyond that event. It’s a program of work that starts before the event and continues on after it. Often the client will set a budget initially, but if we come to them with a good idea, there is some flexibility there; they’ll generally consider whether the return on investment is there. If you can give them the information they need to assess where they’re going to see the return they’re generally more open to spending more than if you just ask for more money because you want to do more fireworks.

Clients are also more tech savvy than they used to be; they want to use alternative methods to get the same result. We’ve done a lot of work in the hybrid space where there is a lot of face to face but there is also a lot of providing content remotely via video conference, video streaming, or live streaming between sites.

That poses an interesting challenge in trying to engage the audience when you can’t see them or how they’re reacting in person. That comes down to great content, great speakers, and making it as interactive as you can. Social media is a big one in terms of reaching audiences and getting the message across. If we’re doing a product specific launch of some kind clients now expect you to bundle the social media into the solution. It’s a learning curve for everyone.

Q: Is sustainability an issue for clients?

A: Most corporate clients we deal with have a corporate social responsibility policy which we have to adhere to. We do a lot of reporting that is based on the impact the event is having, from waste management to travel and freight, even down to how water is served to guests at the event. Clients take it seriously; this isn’t just ticking a box.

The good thing is that when we first started out many of the venues didn’t have a policy, but now a lot of them have gotten on board.

www.cimmagazine.com Convention & Incentive Marketing, April 2014 13

ADELAIDE

Watch the video in the CIM iPad app.

Above: Adelaide Convention Centre.

Inset: The new SAHMRI building in Adelaide.

Brain gain As the $3 billion Adelaide Riverbank Precinct redevelopment pushes forward, Adelaide is busy forging partnerships with key sectors that are set to pay dividends in the long term, writes Sheridan Randall.

The Adelaide Convention Bureau recently announced that the city will host the 2016 International Symposium on Supportive Care in Cancer. With 1500 of the world's top supportive care researchers and practitioners, along with patients and advocates expected to attend the four-day symposium, the event is set to be worth $5.7 million for the South Australian economy, as well as providing an opportunity to create networks and connections between the international and local cancer health and research community.

and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI) that is already delivering results following the $200 million health and medical research institute’s official opening at the beginning of this year.

This latest bid win is one of many that have come about following the relationship forged by the Bureau and the South Australian Health

To this end the Bureau has developed a strong relationship with the SAHMRI board and management and in particular the

14 Convention & Incentive Marketing, April 2014 www.cimmagazine.com

“SAHMRI is a significant opportunity in attracting medical conventions,” says Damien Kitto, CEO of Adelaide Convention Bureau.

“The medical precinct, which SAHMRI is a key pillar of, will be one of the biggest in the southern hemisphere and with this the Bureau has the chance of positioning Adelaide as the destination of choice for medical conventions.”

WELCOME TO THE HEART OF AUSTRALIA’S CONVENTIONS The award-winning Adelaide Convention Centre, located on the banks of the River Torrens in the heart of the Adelaide CBD, is undergoing an exciting two-stage expansion.

The new layout was designed with future needs in mind.

Capacities, floor plan and room configurations are fully flexible and offer a variety of options for diverse event requirements.

A striking design inspired by the South Australian landscape will comprise three iconic interlinked buildings that will flow seamlessly, with the adaptability to host a single conference or three separate conferences concurrently.

The first stage is due for completion at the end of 2014.

Highlights include a multi-purpose function space with retractable, levered and rotational seating as well as innovative audio-visual capabilities including webstreaming, wifi connectivity and a tilting lighting grid.

Top drop The National Wine Centre has unveiled plans to become a South Australian tourism icon with a new wine bar, revamped exhibition area and the largest wine by the glass offering in Australia. The Centre's existing ground floor café will be transformed with a $350,000 state-of-the-art dispensing system for wine tastings, and there are plans to host a series of South Australian wine region events throughout the year to showcase wine makers and each region’s food artisans.

seven research theme leaders, representing aboriginal health; cancer; nutrition and metabolism; infection and immunity; healthy mothers, babies and children; heart health; and mind and brain.

“This alliance, whilst in its early stages, will see the four cities working to assist each other with bid submissions and lead opportunities with respect to international science-based conferences,” Kitto adds.

“Important to the Bureau is that the SAHMRI Board and management understand the benefits of hosting conventions and with this we have their full support,” Kitto says. “Conventions are viewed as one of the vehicles of publishing research which ultimately leads to the commercialisation of product.”

With $62 million in economic benefit of confirmed convention business that is connected to one of the medical areas linked to SAHMRI coming to Adelaide within the next three years and a further $91 million worth of business currently in the development pipeline, it is little wonder that Kitto describes the collaboration as “vital for this state on so many levels”.

SAHMRI’s executive director and one of the Bureau’s latest ambassadors for its Conventions Adelaide programme, Professor Steve Wesselingh, says that attracting and hosting national and international conferences to Adelaide “is incredibly important to the future of this state’s research and science capabilities”.

“The spotlight on our people, our facilities, our collaborations and the work we are doing here in South Australia is priceless,” he says.

“This is the legacy that we want to leave for generations to come.”

The relationship with SAHMRI comes in addition to a recently formed “science alliance” with three other destinations – Hyderabad in India, Daejeon in South Korea and Toulouse in France.

The health sector is a lucrative one and one which Adelaide is keen to get more exposure in on a global level but there is another sector that plays well to both the international and domestic markets with equal passion – sport.

The Adelaide Oval completed its $535 million redevelopment in time to host an Indian delegation on last year’s Dreamtime famil, with the group witnessing a test cricket match between Australia and England, which Kitto describes as “a highlight of their Dreamtime experience”.

The ICC Cricket World Cup comes to Australia in 2015, with India playing Pakistan at Adelaide Oval in March, setting the tone for some great incentive opportunities from

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16 Convention & Incentive Marketing, April 2014 www.cimmagazine.com

AdelAIde Festival centre

Adelaide Festival Centre.

“The Bureau is close to confirming three group opportunities and is focusing on attracting more groups in and around the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup,” Kitto adds. “Cricket is proving to be a real hook for the Bureau and State in attracting Indian visitors.”

“We are striving to re-invent Adelaide Festival Centre’s function venues on offer,” he says.

The Adelaide Oval is also making its mark as a conference and function venue, being recently named the host venue for the 2014 ANZSLA (Australian & New Zealand Sports Law Association) conference in October, 2014.

Sparks says that the redevelopment of the Riverbank precinct has “sparked interest” from the business events industry, but the new $40 million Torrens footbridge opening and redevelopment of Adelaide Oval has provided Adelaide Festival Centre a new growth area to look at – sport and the Australian Football League (AFL).

“The redevelopment of the Riverbank precinct has sparked interest from the business events industry.”

“The Adelaide Oval is a world-class sporting and entertainment venue,” says Adelaide Oval Stadium Management Authority CEO Andrew Daniels. “However, a significant focus of the stadium’s redevelopment was also to create an outstanding location to host conferences and corporate events – and the new Adelaide Oval delivers just that.”

The Adelaide Festival Centre is also looking to take advantage of the increase in meetings and events held in the city, according to Darren Sparks, the function sales manager at

Insider tips

the Indian corporate sector.

Trent Parkin, sales manager at Staging Connections BEST COFFEE

“We have been working with the South Australian National Football League (SANFL) and AFL clubs to become their venue of choice for events hosted in Adelaide during the AFL season,” he says.

CIBO in Hutt Street – it helped us get through Mad March.

The Adelaide Entertainment Centre (AEC) is also looking to capture more of the anticipated boom in business events following all the new infrastructure investment.

BEST BAR

BEST RESTAURANT A Hereford Beefstouw (pictured above) in Hutt Street – best steaks in Adelaide.

Curious Squire in North Adelaide – great atmosphere, best bar.

“People know us as a concert venue whereas we are really pushing the fact we are one of Adelaide’s best function spaces,” says Coralie Cheney, AEC’s senior manager, sales and marketing.

Adelaide’s Best Functions

Conferences, Trade Shows, Gala Banquets, Welcome Receptions Phone: 08 8208 2222 functions@theaec.net www.theaec.net www.cimmagazine.com Convention & Incentive Marketing, April 2014 17

Insider tips

BEST RESTAURANT Press and Bistro Dom are currently getting rave reviews, whilst Orana is the latest exceptional restaurant to open in the East End. Shiki at InterContinental Adelaide and Playford Restaurant at the Sebel Playford Adelaide are creating menus as good as any.

BEST BAR

Martin Radcliffe, director sales & marketing at Adelaide Convention Bureau

Check out Udaberri and Proof in the West End. Hilton Adelaide has also done a fantastic job with its new Collins Bar (pictured)... the cocktail list is amazing!

BEST COFFEE At the moment Rigoni's and Coffee Branch on Leigh Street not only serve outstanding coffee but are great meeting places.

Being just five minutes from the Adelaide Convention Centre, by either taxi, bus or the free tram, Cheney says that having offsite functions at the AEC offers delegates the opportunity to get out of North Terrace and the Riverside Precinct.

“We are hoping that for those conferences that come to the Adelaide Conference Centre we can get their offsite dinners,” she says.

“We are only just down the road and are a unique and stunning venue. It gives people

FAVOURITE LOCAL TIPPLE It has to be a big bold Shiraz and for me Hentley Farm’s Beast from the Barossa is a taste to behold!

an opportunity to get out of that space.”

Jakki Temple Govan has returned to her home town after 15 years to take up her new role as commercial director at InterContinental Adelaide Hotel, and is seeing the city with fresh eyes, saying that “everyone in Adelaide is genuinely waving the same flag”.

“The collaboration that this city has enjoyed because it is small is still quite clear,” she says. “It was quite seamless for me to step back in and reach out to the Bureau, the

Adelaide Convention Centre (ACC), the Adelaide Festival Centre and the Adelaide Oval and get a very warm response where people really want to work together. And what I have seen from the team I have inherited here at the InterContinental is they have been doing that, not just selling our hotel but genuinely selling the city and authentic tourism experiences as well.”

The convention centre, which is set to see completion of Stage 1 of its redevelopment

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18 Convention & Incentive Marketing, April 2014 www.cimmagazine.com

The Cellar Door Festival saw a 30 per increase in attendance this year with “every South Australian a potential ambassador”, according to the Centre’s chief executive, Alec Gilbert.

“Engaging the South Australian community is a key priority for the Adelaide Convention Centre,” he says. “And we’re focused on bringing more local people into the Centre.

“The Cellar Door Wine Festival’s success has been instrumental in engaging the community and we’re delighted that South Australians have embraced the event.”

The Festival is part of the Centre’s broader community engagement strategy which also includes sponsorship of Variety SA, food charities OzHarvest and Foodbank SA, the creation of Centre ArtBeat, a program designed to showcase the talents of local artists and a partnership with Barkuma, a not for profit organisation dedicated to the training and employment of people with a disability.

The Centre is currently targeting large international conferences as part of a strategy to capitalise on its $350 million redevelopment.

Insider tips

later this year, has been busy both winning bids for larger international conferences, and also winning over locals, with events such as its Cellar Door Wine Festival.

“The Centre’s increased capacity will not only enable us to compete for large international conferences but also provides the flexibility to host a number of conferences and events, both international and national, simultaneously,” he says.

In the meantime Adelaide continues to bask in the glow of increasing global media coverage, with the city establishing itself as a new “must see” destination.

“Positive media coverage for Adelaide certainly helps when talking to PCOs and meeting planners about bringing conferences to the Centre,” says Gilbert.

“The key benefit has been people now understand a bit more about Adelaide and its attributes. In turn, this gives PCOs and meeting planners more confidence in recommending Adelaide to their clients.”

The ACB is up more than 10 per cent on its target for the first half of the financial year due in no small part to the unprecedented levels of public and private infrastructure in the city.

“The city has new meeting and event venues, entertainment venues, new and refurbished hotels, new restaurants and bars and of course a major upgrade to Rundle Mall,” says Kitto.

“It is an exciting time to be working in the business events sector.”

Wade Galea, business development manager at Adelaide Convention Centre BEST COFFEE Coffee Branch in Leigh Street.

BEST RESTAURANT Peel Street Restaurant (pictured above) – great atmosphere and the food is seasonal and delicious.

BEST BAR Clever Little Tailor is a funky new cocktail bar – intimate and cool.

FAVOURITE LOCAL TIPPLE

Destination SA warms up The Adelaide Convention Bureau’s Destination SA showcase is moving from its traditional winter time slot to the warmer festival and major events month of March in 2015.

Kirrihill 2012 Single Vineyard, Tullymore Cabernet Sauvignon (Clare Valley).

It’s an amazing drop for $25 a bottle.

ADELAIDE... NOW IS THE TIME! FOR YOUR NEXT EVENT SOUTH AUSTRALIAN HEALTH AND MEDICAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE (SAHMRI)

Adelaide is currently undergoing an unprecedented level of infrastructure development and investment which will see the city’s ‘Riverbank Precinct’ go from strength to strength as a world-class convention, entertainment and research precinct.

Now is the time to plan your conventions and events in Adelaide!

Contact the Adelaide Convention Bureau www.adelaideconvention.com.au

ADELAIDE CONVENTION CENTRE EXPANSION

www.cimmagazine.com Convention & Incentive Marketing, April 2014 19

CONVENTION CENTRE

An artist’s impression of the ICC Sydney.

Centres of excellence THE CONTRACTOR shall verify all dimensions on the job before starting work or preparing shop drawings.

THE CONTRACTOR shall notify the Architect of any discrepancies.

DIMENSIONS; Figured dimensions shall take precedence over scaled and larger scale drawings over lesser.

COPYRIGHT in all drawings, specification, documentation and in the work executed from them remains the property of AAPiDesign Ltd

Client

Architect

AAPiDESIGN po box 18295 suva fiji islands

tel: + 679 331 2304 mob: +679 999 0313 (Fiji) +614 49598820 (Aus) email: admin@aapidesign.com

Consultants

With Australia and New Zealand in the middle of a convention centre building boom, event organisers are set to have more flexibility and choice, writes Ylla Watkins.

Building Services Engineer

Structural/ Civil Engineers:

One of the biggest news stories in the business events industry in the last few years has been how Sydney will Proposed cope during Conference Facility Sheraton FJ Resort, the three-year construction Denarau Is, Fiji Islands of the new International Convention Centre Sydney (ICC Sydney), however it’s just one facet of Area a larger story: the Pre-Function 3D Render 1 infrastructure building boom currently 1305/A/SCF/3D/001 underway in Australia and New Zealand. /

24/07/13 Issued to Client for Information

Mark

Date Description

Project Title

Tender Issue

Project ID

CAD File Name

1305-A-SCF-3D-001.vwx PR

Designed by

iB

Drawn By

Reviewed by

iB PR

Issue Date:

24/07/13

Plot Date:

03/06/13

Checked By

Issue/Revision

Issue

Drawing Scale

N.T.S 1305

Job no

Sheet Title

Breaking new ground Connect with colleagues at our Denarau Island Convention Centre due to open on 23rd April, 2014.

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Find out more at sheraton.com /fiji or call +679 675 0777

Pre-Function Area 3D Render 1 N.T.S

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1305/A/SCF/3D/001

Drawing No.

of 3

3500 seats. It is scheduled for completion in 2017.

Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, which is currently running at capacity and turning away about 20 per cent of its potential business, according to chief executive Peter King, is also currently seeking funding to build another 12,000sqm of exhibition space.

“The new convention centres are going to open up new opportunities for our business events industry.”

In recent years Brisbane has welcomed two new facilities: the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre on Grey Street, which opened in January 2012, and the Royal International Convention Centre (Royal ICC) at the Brisbane Showgrounds, which opened in March 2013.

Denarau20 Convention Centre Ad_ 125mm x 48mm.indd 3/25/2014 11:05:44 1 Marketing, AM Convention & Incentive

In South Australia the first stage of the $350 million Adelaide Convention Centre’s expansion, which will see the existing facility westwards over the railway lines to link with Morphett Street bridge,

is set to be completed in late 2014. Stage Two of the redevelopment will replace the existing Plenary Building (home of the first Convention Centre in Australia in 1987) with a multipurpose, state-of-the-art facility with plenary capacity of up to

April 2014 www.cimmagazine.com

In New Zealand, where there are currently three new Centres under development, it’s a similar story.

“By mid-2018 New Zealand will have more than 6000 delegate capacity across three new convention centre facilities in Auckland (3500), Christchurch (2000-2500) and Queenstown

Queensland centres share CSR honour Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre (BCEC) and the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre (GCCEC) have been named joint winners of this year’s Queensland Meetings and Events Australia (MEA) Award for corporate social responsibility. It is the third year the BCEC has won the award. Last year, the GCCEC (pictured) was the first convention centre in the world to achieve Gold EarthCheck status.

(750),” says outgoing Conference and Incentives New Zealand (CINZ) chief executive Alan Trotter.

“Auckland’s development at Skycity is expected to come on stream from late 2017, while Christchurch should be first off the block earlier in 2017.

Queenstown is still working through plans but it is likely they will also be opening

C

A I R N S

around the same time, in late 2017 or early 2018.”

Christchurch’s new convention centre precinct is estimated to cost $284 million and will be set close to hotels, shops, the Avon River and Cathedral Square.

The site for the convention centre is due to be cleared for construction by August.

Proposals are currently being considered from short-listed

C

operators and developers and it is expected the master-planning and development stage will start from June.

Further south the Queenstown Lakes District Council has identified a preferred site for its new convention centre, and is currently in negotiations with commercial developers. A master-plan by Populous, the international company behind

O N V E N T I O N

London's Olympic stadium, Brazil's Football World Cup stadium and Dubai's 2020 World Expo Centre, and Aucklandbased architects Fearon Hay, has been approved.

“The new convention centres are going to open up new opportunities for our business events industry and give us the capacity to host much larger international gatherings,” says Trotter.

C

E N T R E

Consider Cairns for your next meeting…

Vi s i t w w w. c a i r n s c o n v e n t i o n . c o m . a u

Serious Business in Australia’s Most Stunning Location www.cimmagazine.com Convention & Incentive Marketing, April 2014 21

Island paradise The newly completed Denarau Island Convention Centre, located at the Sheraton Fiji Resort, is the largest event space on Denarau, Fiji. With a capacity of 1200 seated guests, the Centre hopes to attract larger business events to Fiji from Australia, New Zealand and beyond.

Director of sales & marketing Paul Yui says, “The key attribute will be having a venue with the capacity to host large local, regional and international gatherings enabling a greater scope of events for Fiji”. It will host its first big event, the Fijian Tourism Expo, next month.

While yet to be approved, Wellington City Council has also recently proposed building a purpose-built conference facility as part of its “eight big ideas” plan to transform the city and fuel sustainable economic growth. A business case study to determine feasibility, costs, benefits, sites and funding options is currently underway.

With so much new infrastructure

coming online in a similar time frame, the question has to be asked, is there enough business to fill the new centres?

“There are quite a few numbers that point to the fact that there is strong demand internationally for New Zealand and having additional capacity will help us to attract more business events,” says Bjoern Spreitzer, international

business events manager at Tourism New Zealand (TNZ).

“We already have some great infrastructure, but the new centre in Auckland, for example, will allow us to bid for those pieces of business we can’t currently put our hand up for because of their size.

Spreitzer points to the number of international business events arrivals before and after the

opening of the current SkyCity Auckland Convention Centre as evidence that “if you build it, they will come”.

“Prior to the August 2004 when the current SkyCity convention centre came online, New Zealand attracted between 35,000-40,000 international conference arrivals, depending on the year,” he says. “But with the new infrastructure coming

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22 Convention & Incentive ARM0582 Tic Tac CIM_60x210.indd 1 Marketing, April 2014 www.cimmagazine.com

19/03/14 11:16 AM

NCCC looks ahead The National Convention Centre Canberra (NCCC) will host two industry-specific conferences in 2014, welcoming the Associations Forum National Conference in July and the PCO Association Conference in late November.

Jenifer Dwyer Slee, director of sales & marketing for the Centre, says they are looking forward to welcoming the delegates to Canberra. “Both Conferences offer dynamic programs to attract delegates and along with our partners Canberra Convention Bureau, Crowne Plaza Canberra and Parliament House Catering by IHG, the delegates will experience some of Canberra’s national attractions offering memorable cultural and social experiences that add a unique experience for delegates,” she says.

in on top you can see a growth of around 10,000 international delegates for conferencing alone the next year. Two years later arrivals had moved up to around 60,000.”

Back across the Tasman, Penny Lion, head of Business Events Australia at Tourism Australia, also believes that Australia’s new and improved convention centres will hold their own.

of events. And organisations need choice – they’re not all events of 20,000 delegates; there are some events that need to cater to 600 people, others just a couple of hundred.

TNZ has already started work on identifying potential association conferences to target.

“When I talk to the convention centres, they all very much want more space and they all believe they can fill it,” she says.

“We know what our challenges and barriers to conversion are here in Australia, but Australia really bats above our weight, especially if it’s not an association choosing

“We offer a really compelling proposition to the right conference,” Spreitzer says.

“Convention Centres need extra space to cater to different types

a northern versus southern hemisphere location. It’s really an opportunity for Australia because we’re multidestinational. If Sydney is not going to work because they feel the convention centre is too big they might go to Cairns, where they get a more intimate feeling.

The choice is tremendous for the decision maker.”

“Every proponent of every one

www.cimmagazine.com Convention & Incentive Marketing, April 2014 23

Fast fact Four of the pylons from Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre (SCEC) have been recycled for use in the construction of the new $4 million Hunter Valley Conference & Events Centre.

The pylons, which have been resized from 20 metres to 14 metres, will be placed at each corner of the new building. A plaque will commemorate the pylons’ heritage.

Rebate program proves popular Events and Venues Rotorua’s Delegate Advantage Programme, which ran for the last six months of 2013 and saw organisations receive a rebate on all 2014/15 conferences at an Events and Venues Rotorua venue saw business increase “two-fold”, according to sales and marketing manager Brett Jeffery. “We are currently working on the next phase, which should be released over the next few months,” he says. of these new projects thinks there is [enough demand], ” agrees AEG Ogden’s Geoff Donaghy, chief executive of the ICC Sydney. “The market will remain competitive but it always has been. We definitely believe there’s a strong future for the ICC.

in the Middle East coming online as well, but that market is quite strong and growing quite steadily, notwithstanding the pretty negative economic conditions that have happened in a lot of source markets in the last few years.

“It’s important to realise that convention centres aren’t built just for the international market.

There are three broad categories of markets, and a lot of centres have entertainment as part of their mix as well.

“Then there’s the national business; there’s still some growth in that as well. But I would hazard a guess that most of the venues get the majority of their business out of their local catchments, for example, banquets and local conferences etc…

“There’s certainly international business and that will continue to be competitive, not just here but with centres such as those

“Certainly Sydney is well placed for that, with NSW being the most populous and probably the strongest state

economically as well.”

Nearly three years out from the opening of the ICC Sydney, Donaghy reports that bookings for the Centre are already strong.

“Even at this early stage we couldn’t be more delighted with the interest and the demand we’re seeing,” he says.

“Business Events Sydney have been very active in the international market, lodging bids and securing events already, and with AEG Ogden’s networks and profile in the international market we’re also building a strong amount of interest. We’ll be announcing some further senior appointments in the coming weeks and then we’ll

start to amp up our branding and our sales contact work in the national and local markets.”

While he admits that some clients are reticent to book an event in a centre that’s still in the construction phase, the incredible appeal of Sydney itself, as well as the excitement around the project and the Darling Harbour Live Precinct as a whole, is taking clients “a great way towards overcoming that reticence to book off the plan”.

The good news for event organisers is that with so many new facilities coming online, both local and international events are in a good position to secure a good deal.

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24 Convention & Incentive Marketing, April 2014 www.cimmagazine.com

Advocates drive economic growth Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre’s (BCEC) Advocates Program has celebrated its fourth anniversary with a gala dinner attended by many of the Centre’s 57 Advocates and the patron of the BCEC Advocates Partnership, Her Excellency Penelope Wensley, Governor of Queensland.

BCEC general manager, Bob O’Keeffe, said the Convention Advocates Partnership has an essential role to play in promoting Brisbane’s world leading science and its credentials as an international business destination.

“This very effective partnership continues to drive Brisbane’s growth in the conventions market place,” he said. “International business events bring the world’s brightest and best thought leaders to Brisbane to share knowledge and expertise and stimulate research and investment opportunities.”

At this year’s dinner, the Centre welcomed five new Advocates from the medical, research and engineering sectors and announced 10 new Advocate assisted bid wins which included the International Conference on Emerging and Advanced Nanomaterials 2015, the International Mesostructured Materials Symposium 2015, the Asia Pacific Gastroesophageal Cancer Congress 2015 and the World Congress on Melanoma 2017.

Since launching, the Centre’s Advocates have secured 36 new conferences for Brisbane. There are currently a further 12 new Advocate assisted bids awaiting a decision.

View menu in the CIM iPad app.

Cairns thinks local In line with Cairns Convention Centre’s commitment to sourcing food locally, the Centre has recently released its 2014 menu, featuring some of the farmers and farm produce growing in the region.

“The menu highlights the quality of produce used by the Centre’s catering team in the new dishes they have created which embody the rich, natural food heritage of tropical north Queensland,” says general manager Ross Steele.

The centre also has an interactive Local Produce Map available, showing where food being served at the Centre originated from in the local region. By clicking on a product or town in the Interactive Local Produce Map an image and relevant information will be displayed. The map is available

on the Centre’s website and electronic versions will be strategically placed during catered events allowing touch screen viewing.

The Centre has also recently started offering complimentary tastings of exotic fruit from the region for conference delegates during morning tea.

“We are proud to support our local producers whilst also providing a better delegate experience,” says Steele. “We expect these enhancements will be enjoyed by the 14,000 conference guests we look forward to welcoming in 2014 including delegates from the Australian Tourism Exchange in May and the G20 Finance Ministers and World Bank Governors Meeting in September.” www.cimmagazine.com Convention & Incentive Marketing, April 2014 25

THE RED CENTRE

At the heart of things With award winning infrastructure, new team building activities and one-of-a-kind major events, Uluru and the Red Centre are winning over event organisers and delegates alike, writes Ylla Watkins.

While Uluru is undoubtedly one of Australia’s most iconic tourism destinations, it may come as a surprise to many that it’s also home to Australia’s top business event destination, Ayers Rock Resort’s Uluru Meeting Place.

An exclusive dinner at Uluru.

The conference facility, which opened in late 2012, recently won the Australian Tourism Award for Business Tourism.

The award recognised Uluru Meeting Place’s premium conference facilities and its ability to cater to a wide variety of conferences and events together with providing unique offerings to delegates.

“We are incredibly thrilled to receive recognition at the highest level for Uluru Meeting Place,” says Ray Stone, executive general manager at Voyages.

Named in acknowledgement of the local Anangu people who have used the area as meeting place for tens of thousands of years, Uluru Meeting Place offers state-of-the-art facilities with a desert flavour. Facilities include a ballroom with a capacity of 420, that can also be sub-divided into smaller meeting spaces; a smaller ballroom that seats more than 300; and three boardroom-style breakout rooms and pre-function space.

As of this month, the resort also offers an expanded range of Indigenous experiences for conference groups. A two hour “round robin” team-building programme provides a “cultural energiser” of four different activities. The suite of activities include traditional local Inma dance and welcome to country, dot painting,

A town like Alice

“Since opening in late 2012, Uluru Meeting Place has gone from strength to strength in terms of the successful number and variety of events that have been held.

“Through the hard work and dedication of our core team we have proven it is possible to have a facility of the highest standard in the middle of the Australian Desert.”

Eventful Alice

Get on your bike

Eating the Territory

From the quirky to the creative, laid back to high adventure, major events can complement a conference or incentive programme, and are also an invaluable opportunity for participants to engage with the local community. In 2014, Alice Springs will be offering events such as the Alice Springs Beanie Festival (pictured, June 20-23) celebrating more than 6000 original handmade beanies, and the iconic Henleyon-Todd Regatta (August 16), where bottomless boats are carried along the dry, sandy bed of the “river” by their crews.

Outback Cycling is based at the Trail Station in the Alice Springs Telegraph Station Historical Reserve, and is an ideal way for conference or incentive participants to explore the outback town on two wheels. Outback Cycling provides an approximately two hour tour of Alice Springs and with an experienced local rider as their guide, riders travel through the scrub on trails known only to the locals. The company also operates at Uluru from February to November.

Looking for an unusual venue? The Alice Springs Convention Centre has an impressive off-site catering portfolio of venues. These range from magnificent outdoor locations like the quartzite amphitheatre at The Quarry (pictured), through to art spaces and galleries such as the Araluen Cultural Precinct. To ensure visitors to the region get a true taste of the Territory, the catering team has come up with the aNTipasto Tasting Plate, which includes NT specialities such as barramundi, tiger prawns, bush tomatoes and wattle seed-crusted kangaroo.

26 Convention & Incentive Marketing, April 2014 www.cimmagazine.com

The Uluru Camel Cup Race Day.

Indigenous dance workshops, Aboriginal campfire tours, traditional Aboriginal games, a didgeridoo session and spear or boomerang throwing lessons.

A new corporate social responsibility educational component is now also available, providing delegates with a deeper understanding of the Indigenous training and development activities carried out at the resort, via the National Indigenous Training Academy as well as the efforts of the Mutitjulu Foundation.

A 30-60 minute presentation hosted by the management team and a traditional Anangu owner gives the opportunity to learn about specific community projects, training initiatives and interaction with an Anangu representative.

“The positive response from conference delegates to the trial of this presentation was so strong that we knew it would be a successful regular option,” Stone says.

in early May, incorporating the iconic Uluru Camel Cup Race Day, a Outdoor BBQ Bash, as well as the Frock Up & Rock Up Outback Ball. In late July, the Australian Outback Marathon will be staged for the 5th year, with a full marathon, half marathon and two shorter fun runs. In late August, the Astronomy Weekend sees the spectacular outback night sky take centre stage, with some of the world’s leading experts providing invaluable insights.

“A business event provides the perfect opportunity for first-time visitors to finally visit the NT.”

Groups can also leverage their events against Voyages Ayers Rock Resort’s program of major events, held throughout the year.

Heading up the calendar is The Outback Fest

With a visit to Uluru and the Red Centre on many people’s “bucket list” its little wonder that feedback received from business events planners suggests the destination is a popular one with delegates.

“We constantly hear how delegate numbers

have far exceeded expectations when an event is held in this amazing part of Australia,” says Scott Lovett, director of business events with the Northern Territory Convention Bureau (NTCB).

“A business event provides the perfect opportunity for first-time visitors to finally visit the NT and participants can then choose to stay on and enjoy some fantastic posttouring options.

“This popularity is borne out by our business events numbers for the region increasing 10 per cent year on year and we are confident of that growth continuing.”

Set to make the Red Centre more accessible to business events is Jetstar’s new return service between Melbourne and Uluru, which will run four times weekly from June 29, 2014.

Jetstar is the first scheduled carrier to offer nonstop flights between the two destinations.

The carrier is also set to upgrade its existing Sydney to Uluru service to daily.

www.cimmagazine.com Convention & Incentive Marketing, April 2014 27

GOLD COAST

Linked in The Gold Coast is becoming connected in more ways than one, with a new light rail system and new markets to tap into, writes Sheridan Randall.

The new Gold Coast light rail system – GoldLinQ – has laid the final piece of track along the 13km Stage One corridor, which now runs from Gold Coast University Hospital Station near Griffith University through to Broadbeach South Station.

The completion of both stages of the light rail system is set to be ready for the Commonwealth Games in 2018. However, conference delegates are set to enjoy the improved transport options from June this year.

“The Gold Coast light rail will afford delegates the opportunity to consider a wider range of options by connecting the major café, shopping and accommodation precincts of Broadbeach, Surfers Paradise and Main Beach,” says Anna Case, business events director at Gold Coast Tourism.

“With the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre (GCCEC) located in Broadbeach, conference delegates who would have traditionally stayed within the precinct can now look further afield.

“It also provides a wider range of options for Chinese and South East Asian incentive groups to explore other parts of the city where the majority would have stayed within Surfers Paradise in the past.”

For delegates staying at Crowne Plaza Surfers Paradise, the light rail system is a “major win”, as the hotel is situated just one stop from the GCCEC, according to the hotel’s distribution and relationship marketing executive, Victoria Thornton.

“We are fortunate in that we have a stop just metres from our hotel that easily connects delegates to the convention centre or the local dining scene in either Broadbeach or Main Beach, as well as Griffith University and the Southport CBD,” she says.

“Seven minutes between each tram means fast transportation for our delegates as well as the delegates who are conferencing at the GCCC and staying with us.”

28 Convention & Incentive Marketing, April 2014 www.cimmagazine.com

GOLD COAST’S NEWEST CONFERENCE CENTRE With a world class conference centre opening in 2015 catering up to 1000 delegates and easy access to Australia’s most exciting theme parks, Sea World Resort will become your gateway to unique day and night conferences and events on the Gold Coast.

To discuss your next conference or event call 07 5591 0020 or email ConferencesAndEvents@vrtp.com.au.

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AUSTRALIAN OUTBACK SPECTACULAR © 2014 Village Roadshow Theme Parks. SEA WORLD © 2014 & TM Sea World Property Trust. WARNER BROS. MOVIE WORLD and logo and all related characters and elements are trademarks of and © Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (s14)

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Accor Chef’s Cook-off

Something new is better when shared

This month’s inaugural Gold Coast International Food, Wine and Music Festival offers a feast of culinary events and culinary masterclasses. The Festival Village is located at the Mercure Gold Coast Resort (pictured), which will be the scene for the Accor Chef’s Cook-off.

Unveiling the new Pandanus Venue. Suitable for up to 200 delegates and featuring a naturally lit 384sqm interior, incorporating a large sunbathed outdoor courtyard.

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Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre general manager Adrienne Readings says that the new light rail system will allow event organisers “to use many more accommodation options within the Gold Coast”.

beneficial,” she says.

“Delegates already have access to 3000 accommodation options within walking distance of the

accommodation rooms within an 8km radius of GCCEC.” A new light rail system is not the only benefit the Gold Coast is reaping from hosting the 2018 Commonwealth Games, with the event opening up new conference markets to pitch for.

“The Commonwealth Games give us an enhanced opportunity to attract business events in allied industries.”

“This gives delegates even more choice of accommodation and the added confidence that they can use a reasonably priced and reliable tram network that will drop them to the Centre’s very door in Broadbeach all within minutes and making it stress free and highly

Centre. Being able to hop onto the light rail and travel to and from the Centre without the worry of traffic from nearby Surfers Paradise will link together more than 27,000

30 Convention & Incentive Marketing, April 2014 www.cimmagazine.com

“The Commonwealth Games give us an enhanced opportunity to attract business events in allied industries such as sports science and sports medicine,” Readings says.

“In addition we are looking at targeting the marine

Cloud Technology for Venues

Surfers Paradise Festival The Surfers Paradise Festival is a celebration of food, art, music and entertainment, across four weekends of community events in April. A welcome event, the Surfers Paradise Festival Street Parade, Launch It Concert Series, One Way Street Party and SIPfest Short Film Festival, is capped off with the Seafire Fireworks Challenge.

For all your Sales, Catering & Event requirements Features Central Reservation & Search Lead & Sales Tracking Calendar Management Function Diary Automated Quoting and Contracts sciences off the back of the recent announcement of the International Association of Aquatic Animal Medicine (IAAAM) 2014 to be held on the Gold Coast in May this year.”

This comes in addition to the 10 international business events secured for the Gold Coast by the Ambassadors Program, which are estimated to deliver over $9 million to the local economy.

In 2013 the Gold Coast hosted 1584 national and international overnight business events, an increase of 28 per cent on the previous year, and is seeing growth from core incentive markets, in particular China and India.

“What’s exciting is that we are seeing a lot more confidence particularly from the corporate sector which is reflected in the increased amount of last minute enquiries and ultimately in more meetings and events being added to our books this year and 2015 and 2016,” says Readings.

“It’s very encouraging to see this growth in confidence and spend which will continue to trickle into other sectors and is something that we have certainly not seen over the last few years.”

Adding to the Gold Coast’s charms are an increasing number of events, such as the inaugural Gold Coast International Food, Wine and

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Mangan degustation Hilton Surfers Paradise will this month offer a Luke Mangan Wine Dinner. This five course degustation dinner will offer food and wine pairing that embraces the energy and vibrancy of the Gold Coast with the excitement and theatre of an open kitchen.

Music Festival, which is being held across a number of venues and locations this month.

“Events such as these help drive visitors to the Gold Coast, whether they are sporting, cultural, or musical events,” Case says. “They also help

attract corporate visitors keen to tie a major happening in with an incentive, conference or other business on the Gold Coast.”

Amanda Elder, cluster director of sales and marketing at Queensland Marriott Australia, says that events that coincide

with incentive group travel “enhance their overall Gold Coast experience and many incorporate these events into their program”.

“We share the calendar of events with the group before arrival so delegates may incorporate than into their free time,” says Elder.

“International groups particularly appreciate receiving this information ahead of time.”

toss eggs and create flaming onion volcanoes,” Elder says.

Village Roadshow Theme Parks, which includes Warner Bros. Movie World, Sea World, Sea World Resort & Water Park, Australian Outback Spectacular, Wet’n’Wild Water World and Paradise Country, is also looking to capitalise on the Gold Coast’s reputation as a destination where “serious business meets serious fun” with the new Sea World Resort Conference Centre due for completion in 2015.

“The Gold Coast attracts twice as many delegates than anywhere else in Queensland.”

Surfers Paradise Marriott Resort & Spa’s Citrique Restaurant also recently celebrated the vast array of local produce during March, Ewith executive chef Andrew Fraser creating a menu made with ingredients sourced within a 100-mile radius.

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This May, the hotel’s Benihana Japanese Steakhouse will join over 100 restaurants in more than 20 countries around the world to celebrate Benihana of Tokyo’s 50th anniversary.

“The highly trained Benihana chefs are known as entertainers as well as culinary masters and create an unforgettable dining experience every time as they slice, dice and juggle utensils,

32 Convention & Incentive Marketing, April 2014 www.cimmagazine.com

“The fact that Gold Coast attracts twice as many delegates than anywhere else in Queensland (according to Gold Coast Tourism figures) shows that delegates love coming here,” says Darrin Davies, corporate communication manager at Village Roadshow Theme Parks.

“The potential for business events on the Gold Coast is huge and the destination has all the ingredients to grow that segment event more.”

The new conference centre will cater to conferences up to 1000

License to thrill The GCCEC is home to a James Bond inspired tuxedo clad koala who is affectionately known as Martini! The sculpture is part of an earlier art, tourism and wildlife conservation project – Animals With Attitude – to raise awareness of the koalas plight and to raise funds for the Currumbin Wildlife Hospital.

delegates and has already got booking through to 2017.

“Business events are an important part of the business coming to the Gold Coast and whilst the destination is associated with fun and leisure, it offers impressive

accommodation and state of the art venues as well as a wide range of partner programs,” says Davies.

“The new conference centre at Sea World Resort is looking to regain those conferences that had outgrown our current

capacities and to bring more business to the Gold Coast by offering a new, unique and affordable product whilst promoting all the best that the Gold Coast has to offer through a one stop shop.”

The Gold Coast is broadening

M E E T D I F F E R E N T LY M E E T B R I L L I A N T LY

its appeal to event organisers without losing its core appeal as a fun destination, and the new infrastructure both within the public domain and at venues shows a new level of confidence as it looks forward to 2018.

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www.cimmagazine.com Convention & Incentive Marketing, April 2014 33

VENUE UPDATE

Boathouse for Coatesville Coatesville on Auckland’s North Shore has added Boathouse Row to its portfolio of private residences. Ideally suited to a maximum of 16 corporate meeting guests with board table and presentation space, capacity can be extended to 30 guests for private dining and functions.

With a lakeside setting and picturesque countryside, Boathouse Row also features an open conservatory. The unobstructed views offer an ideal location for a variety of launches, promotions and photographic locations.

News in brief New venue for Sheraton Mirage Sheraton Mirage Resort and Spa on the Gold Coast recently unveiled Pandanus, a flexible, boutique venue suitable for up to 200 delegates. Formerly the Rolls Nightclub, the space offers 350sqm of internal space, a built-in AV system and an outdoor terrace ideal for welcome gatherings and working lunches on the absolute beachfront location.

Rydges’ $6 million upgrade Rydges Sydney World Square is undergoing a $6 million upgrade, scheduled for completion by the end of 2014. The upgraded lobby will feature a multi-media screen backdrop and all rooms are set to be finished with a “business friendly” design. The hotel can cater for conferences and events of up to 500 people.

34 Convention & Incentive Marketing, April 2014 www.cimmagazine.com

The Attic opens at The Star The Star in Sydney is opening up The Attic in its Event Centre complex for the first time. The Attic is a large versatile event space with industry leading technology capabilities available for events.

The Attic has 16 high speed data links, suitable for broadcasts, and the capacity to deliver an intimate dinner for 60 or a theatre style event for just over 100, offering the flexibility to suit most event styles.

Four Seasons upgrades AV AVPartners has introduced new audiovisual technology to the Four Seasons Hotel Sydney. Creating a tailored audiovisual solution for the hotel’s studio spaces, audio visual equipment retracts into the ceiling for a faster set up, meaning meeting rooms can be turned around quicker. The interconnected studios can be set up as three standalone rooms or combined to cater to both intimate meetings and larger events.

AVPartners has also equipped the Residential Suite, which is ideal for boardroom-style meetings, with a drop down screen, projector, speakers and a flat-panel television. The company provides audiovisual support for meetings and events and professional technical assistance for attendees at the venue.

Aquatic makeover The newly upgraded Gold Coast Aquatic Centre is set to cater for the 2018 Commonwealth Games after receiving a $14 million redevelopment. Built to international standards, the Aquatic Centre houses two indoor multi-purpose spaces suitable for meetings, seminars and functions of 60-80 delegates. Located alongside the Gold Coast Broadwater in Southport, outdoor podium areas also provide an ideal waterside venue for larger functions and events.

Ramada Resort Shoal Bay joins Wyndham Wyndham Hotel Group has added Shoal Bay Resort & Spa in New South Wales to its portfolio of properties in the South Pacific region.

Formerly the Country Club Hotel, the recently refurbished property will be branded the Ramada Resort Shoal Bay. The resort features four restaurants, five bars, three swimming pools and a convention centre for conferences and events.

Sheraton opens in Melbourne Opening last month, the Sheraton Melbourne hotel features six meeting rooms of varying sizes, comprising a total of over 660sqm.

Meeting rooms can be configured to accommodate between 12 and 400 delegates with a dedicated conference and events team. The Terrace Bar on level three is available for private events.

The heart of Seoul South Korea’s capital, Seoul, has unveiled the Dongdaemun Design Plaza, a 95,000sqm structure that is the largest three dimensional atypical building in the world. The Plaza consists of five meeting spaces including the 4953sqm Art Hall, suitable for conventions, conferences and product launches.

www.cimmagazine.com Convention & Incentive Marketing, April 2014 35

PROFILE

Balancing act Sallie Coventry is looking to bring her experience as a hosted buyer to her new role as Reed Travel Exhibitions’ portfolio director for the IBTM Global Events Portfolio.

In her former role working as an event manager Sallie Coventry has been blessed with travelling across the world (Russia being her last most inspiring destination) and meeting some inspiring people, (including former US president Bill Clinton). But it all could have been so different if she had pursued her plan to be a teacher.

“My plan was to be a teacher, but then I taught French in my year off and realised it was a vocation but it wasn’t my vocation,” she says.

“I had no idea what I was going to do so it was a happy accident I fell into the industry!”

Coventry concedes she wasn’t even aware there was an events industry until she accepted a temping job after graduating in Modern Languages from university.

“I fell in love and I have been doing it ever since,” she says.

After many successful years working on the event management side of the industry, Coventry says she accepted the role at Reed “because it was a new challenge”.

Watch the video in the CIM iPad app.

“I have been a hosted buyer at a number of Reed shows and I

36 Convention & Incentive Marketing, April 2014 www.cimmagazine.com

thought that experience would help me drive the portfolio forward and continually raise the bar in what we are providing for our hosted buyers and in turn our exhibitors,” she says.

Coventry says that her previous experience helps “find the common ground” between exhibitors and hosted buyers at trade shows, who have “different agendas".

“People in this industry are very passionate about what they do and that fuels me on, as you can’t do things half-heartedly,” she says. “Every day you meet people who look at things a different way and make you think differently and that’s the beauty of the industry.”

From a personal viewpoint Coventry describes herself as an empathic person who likes “to connect with people and understand their point of view”.

“I am very passionate about the industry and about delivering good customer service,” she adds. “I think they are all things I can bring to the table at Reed and help grow their offering.

However, I am not the most patient person in the world and that is something I have to work on!”

MEETING PEOPLE

The new Four Points by Sheraton Brisbane has announced the appointment of Brad Mercer to the position of general manager.

Mercer was previously hotel manager at Sheraton on the Park in Sydney, and also held the position of executive assistant manager for the three Starwood properties in Fiji, The Westin Resort and Spa, Sheraton Fiji Resort and Sheraton Denarau.

Swissôtel Sydney has announced the appointment of Christian Hirt as general manager. Hirt was previously the director of operations at Swissôtel Bosphorus, Istanbul, and prior to joining Swissôtel Hotels and Resorts, he worked within the Le Meridian and Kempinski hotel group.

Darren Burden has been appointed general manager of Christchurch venue management company, Vbase. Burden previously spent several years in Dunedin as head of the Carisbrook Stadium Trust and then operations director for Dunedin Venues, which manages the stadium, the Dunedin Centre and Town Hall on behalf of the Dunedin City Council.

Pan Pacific Hotels Group has appointed Kim Powley as general manager of the Pan Pacific Perth.

Powley has 20 years of hotel management experience across Asia-Pacific and joins Pan Pacific Hotels Group from Sentosa Resorts Bali where he was area general manager.

Relais & Chateaux New Zealand has announced new sales and marketing management appointments across The Lodge at Kauri Cliffs, The Farm at Cape Kidnappers and Matakauri Lodge. Tanya Dennis (pictured) is the new sales and marketing manager and Michele Ballantine-Wooley joins as sales manager.

The InterContinental Fiji Golf Resort and Spa has appointed Kamal Haer as area director of marketing and sales. She will also be responsible for the marketing and sales of Holiday Inn Suva and Holiday Inn Resort Vanuatu.

Rotorua's Rainbow Springs and Agrodome, along with Hukafalls Jet in Taupo, are relaunching into the conference market with the appointment of a new MICE market sales manager, Diane Curtis.

Curtis has extensive experience working in sales and marketing with international brand hotels in Asia and Fiji.

Hilton Sydney has announced the appointment of Brigid Kennedy as director of sales. Kennedy brings more than 25 years of experience to her new role, and most recently was the executive officer for Ultimate Winery Experiences of Australia.

Dockside Group has appointed Chris Sanderson to the role of venues operations manager, responsible for the Darling Harbour venues Dockside, L’Aqua, and Star Room. Sanderson held the position of general manager of the Hilton Edinburgh before moving to Sydney to open the event facilities at the renovated Sydney Hilton in 2005.

Metro Hospitality Group has appointed Harry Leong to the position of general manager of Metro Hotel Sydney Central. He has worked with international hotel chains throughout Asia-Pacific, including Hyatt, Shangri-La, Sheraton and Ramada.

Southern Discoveries has appointed Julia Savill as the new sales manager for western markets. Savill brings more than 14 years experience in international tourism having previously been with Destination Queenstown and Tourism New Zealand.

Verve Creative Events has announced that Megan Peters will join the team as production director. Peters was previously the general manager of Sydney event catering company, Avocado Group. Most recently she was the production manager at Triumph Leisure Solutions.

Jakki Temple Govan has been appointed to the new role of commercial director at InterContinental Adelaide. Temple was most recently general manager, sales and marketing at The Star in Sydney.

www.cimmagazine.com Convention & Incentive Marketing, April 2014 37

PCO ASSOCIATION

The World Diabetes Congress 2013, held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.

The importance of great content Content is the beating heart of an event and frankly, it should be the reason people attend.

When strategically developed and delivered, content can be educational and engaging, creating a productive and memorable experience for your audience.

However, across corporate Australia today, scores of glassy eyed people will sit through content they do not enjoy and may not recall.

Yawn-inspiring events will not sell products, services or ideas.

There are some key reasons why this occurs: • The content for the event does not have an owner: presenters often work in isolation and are not aligned with the strategic direction of the event. They know they have to do a presentation but they don’t know why or where it fits in to the agenda. This often results in presentations that miss the mark or fall flat.

• The presentation is delivered without the audience in mind.

• The presentation is cobbled together, often at the last minute, rather than being created based on the story the presenter has to tell, with meaningful data, examples and varying methods of delivery.

To ensure this doesn’t happen I work with clients up to three and four months prior

to an event to ensure content is managed with considered strategy, placing the same importance on the content as other production elements. I find that presenters who are prepared and rehearsed deliver a more professional output than those who are not, increasing their credibility and the all important engagement and retention of the audience, which is what an event should strive to achieve.

The key steps in the process are as follows: • Develop the strategic purpose and intent of the event. This involves asking the question “why are we doing what we are doing?” You often know that you “should” get people together, however it’s essential to establish why you “need” to get people together, in order to create a strategic direction.

• Be clear on the outcomes, both from an organisational and participant perspective, and invest in training and coaching. We’re not all natural-born presenters, however understanding your audience and how they cognitively absorb information and recall it can help create a memorable experience.

Having an independent trainer invest in your people ensures each individual improves their presenting skill set, is kept to task and is given honest and constructive feedback.

38 Convention & Incentive Marketing, April 2014 www.cimmagazine.com

• Design a theme and agenda; this is to determine which kind of event will meet your objectives, how it will be structured, what the key messages are and who will deliver the content.

• Once you know who is presenting what and why, it’s important for each presenter to create the content they need to deliver to meet the organisational and participant outcomes. And more importantly, it will give you time to explore how they will present it, taking into account structure, the best method of delivery, a call to action and the individual’s presenting strengths and personal style.

• Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse: presentation coaching and rehearsal before and during an event makes all the difference. Do not make the presentation you do on event day the first run through!

• Deliver your event knowing it will be a raging success, rather than just crossing your fingers and toes and hoping.

• Analyse the event after it happens; ask your participants and employees for honest feedback.

Michael Hann is director of Deep Blue Learning. He was a speaker at the 2013 PCO National Conference.

5 tips for seamless hybrid events Over the last decade many external factors have impacted the way we plan, deliver and measure the return on investment from our live events and conferences. This has in turn created a case for technologies such as webcasts. Sara Gonzalez from Redback Conferencing shares her five top tips for taking your next event online.

1. Avoiding Murphy’s Law

2. Marketing your event

4. Engaging those online

There’s a saying with technology – “whatever can go wrong, has the potential to go wrong”.

Ensure you have all bases covered. Tried and tested back up plans are critical when it comes to hybrid events.

It’s a common concern – “if delegates know my event is going to be a streamed, why would they attend in person?” While this fear is rational, studies show that when webcasting is used with best practices applied, it can lead to a greater number of both physical and virtual attendees. Still not convinced? Try these ideas: Advertise the virtual portion of your event closer to the actual date. You can then target those who may have said no or have failed to RSVP. You may also choose to promote the webcast based on postal codes or to rural and remote delegates only, or to webcast keynote sessions or special events only.

Speakers at hybrid events have to cater to both your live audience and virtual delegates.

It’s therefore crucial that they are familiar with the technology, aware of all interactive tools, and trained on engaging those in person and online. When briefing speakers create a best practice guide and send it to them before the event, provide them with an example of a past webcast so they know what to expect and encourage them to consider both the camera and the audience when presenting.

Always ask the following questions when broadcasting from a venue: Do you have a dedicated internet connection in the room?

What is the minimum upload speed of your internet connection? Does the room have sufficient lighting?

Photo courtesy of www.anna-om-line.com

Consider choosing a provider that offers complete end-to-end project management and looks after all the technical aspects of your event so you can focus on the webcast itself.

3. Post event pluses Broadcasting a live event provides you with content that can be used on an ongoing basis. Consider using your video content and hosting it for on-demand purposes. This will give you new revenue opportunities (you can sell your content at discounted rates), added benefits (for example, offer on-demand access to live attendees in case they missed certain sessions), and video content you can use to market future events.

PCO ASSOCIATION NEWS PCO Association launches 2014 E-learning Program The first webinar program for the PCO Associations’ 2014 E-learning Program has been announced, with subjects covering a range of issues including sponsorship, pricing, project management, online business communities, technology and more.

“We have tried to offer a range of subject material that will be of interest to our membership constituencies, from in-house

conference and event organisers to business owners/directors and suppliers in the meetings industry sector,” says Association spokesman Peter Sugg.

Further topics will be added later in the year.

A number of special interest groups (SIGs) will also be available online this year to members and non-members. Launched so far are SIGs on "MICE innovation", chaired by Danny Davis, and monthly "Technology" meetings, chaired by Craig Rispin, with more to come.

Visit the Association website for details on

5. Value adds As hybrid events become more commonplace so will the need to enhance the experience for virtual delegates before, during and after the event. Think about packaging some value-ads to increase engagement levels.

Broadcast interviews with speakers in between sessions, get exhibitors involved by offering a 60 second "soapbox" and use both public and private social networks to increase networking opportunities.

Sara Gonzalez is marketing manager at Redback Conferencing and a consultant to the PCO Association.

how to join a SIG or book a webinar. There are no fees or charges for any of the online activities.

You will also find details on the homepage on how to follow or engage with the meetings industry community on our blog, Facebook or Linkedin Group.

PCO Conference & Exhibition Following the success of the 2013 PCO National Conference in Melbourne, keen interest is already being shown for registrations and exhibition space for the 2014 conference, to be held from November 30 to December 2, 2014, in Canberra.

For more information contact the PCO Association at conference@pco.asn.au

www.cimmagazine.com Convention & Incentive Marketing, April 2014 39

Top that

Take your team to new heights!

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42 Convention & Incentive Marketing, April 2014 www.cimmagazine.com

www.cimmagazine.com Convention & Incentive Marketing, April 2014 43

PUBLISHER’S WORD

Feeling optimistic R

ecently I was invited to attend the openings of two new venues here in Sydney within the space of about a week: Sydney Showground’s new multi-purpose facility and the Australian National Maritime Museum’s new Lighthouse Gallery.

The Showground’s new pavilion offers 10,000sqm of additional exhibition space (see page 12), while the Lighthouse Gallery is a pillar-free waterfront venue for up to 400 theatre-style.

Speaking with the management of both venues, it was clear that they have no concerns about being the new kids on the business events block, and are confident of strong bookings for the financial year ahead and beyond.

Further afield, Peppers Seaport in Launceston in Tasmania, Cypress Lakes Resort in New South Wales’ Hunter Valley, and Tangalooma on Moreton Island in Queensland, have all recently opened generous new conference spaces. A number of other venues, including the Hunter Valley Conference & Events Centre, The Palm House in the Whitsunday’s and floating event space Dockside Pavillion at Darling Harbour, will open later this year.

And that’s not even touching on the numerous hotel refurbishments or the building work that’s going on with the Adelaide Convention Centre and International Convention Centre Sydney (see page 20).

One of the questions I most often hear in question and answer sessions at industry events I go to, and have people ask me, is how the business events industry is faring overall. For my part, I think the answer lies in the amount of investment in new infrastructure that’s going on at the moment. When the business events market is flat, venue management companies aren’t prepared to outlay vast sums on spec, but when the market is buoyant, occupancy rates are high and future bookings strong, investing in the future makes sound business sense.

Long may it last!

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As the $3 billion Adelaide River Bank Precinct redevelopment pushes forward, Adelaide is busy forging partnerships with key sectors that are set to pay dividends in the long term. Find out more on page 14.

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