CIM September 2015 Issue

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SEPT 2015

10 page New Zealand special Sarawak gets serious about events Convention centres put best food forward

Canberra’s new Vibe Vibe Hotel Canberra Airport

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CONTENTS

On the cover This November sees the new Vibe Hotel Canberra Airport open its doors signalling a new chapter in the nation’s capital as a leading meetings and events destination.

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Print Post Approved PP100008072

AUG 2015

REGULARS

Sydney invests for the future The disruptors are coming Internships a two-way street CIM0815.indd 1

04 Publisher’s word 06 News 08 International news 09 New Zealand news

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29 Q&A Rhonda Sear, Brand Orange 32 Talking point Peter King, Melbourne Convention

& Exhibition Centre

33 Event report Australian Technology Park 34 Venue update 36 Review

Adelaide Convention Centre

37 Meeting people 38 PCO Association

FEATURES

Ready for business

Sea World Resort Conference Centre

9/09/2015 9:46 am

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Don’t miss

10 Cover story Vibe Hotel Canberra Airport 12 New Zealand Diversity the key to success 22 Convention centres A focus on food and wine 30 Sarawak Doing business in the tropics

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, September 2015 3

PUBLISHER’S WORD

Back in focus I

t’s amazing what can happen over the space of four weeks.

Leaving aside the brutal nature of life at the top of the political food chain the clean sweep of the new Turnbull led Government has resulted in a new focus on tourism in the shape of Senator Richard Colbeck. After Abbott’s surprise decision to scrap having a dedicated minister for tourism, instead shuffling it into the Cabinet under Trade Minister Andrew Robb, it has come as a bit of a relief to finally have someone at the wheel again.

The move has been widely embraced by the tourism and business events industry. And although Colbeck doesn’t have a seat at the Cabinet table, he does come from Tasmania, a State which probably has a keener understanding on the importance of tourism than most.

It will be interesting to see how he develops in the role and what he will bring to the sector, in particular business events. At least there is somebody to lobby now, and so we should all begin making sure our voice is heard loud and clear.

And in another positive sign of increasing government focus on the business events industry, the decision to merge Tourism Victoria and the Victorian Major Events Company to create Visit Victoria, a single body bringing tourism and major events under one roof, has got to be a good thing.

Minister for Tourism and Major Events John Eren has already indicated that Visit Victoria will include a new conventions division aimed at making Victoria a leading destination for business events and conventions. Let’s make sure we keep him to his word.

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 GENERAL MANAGER Michelle Cullen MANAGING EDITOR Sheridan Randall JOURNALIST Anastasia Prikhodko ACCOUNT MANAGER Peyton Hinson DESIGN/PRODUCTION MANAGER Bin Zhou PRODUCTION CO-ORDINATOR Anne Esteban SALES & DIGITAL CO-ORDINATOR Grissel Ritchie ADMINISTRATION ASSISTANT Kate Wilcox

HEAD OFFICE – SYDNEY +61 2 9438 2300 Creative Head Media Pty Ltd Fax: +61 2 9438 5962 Email: enquiries@creativehead.com.au

SUBSCRIPTIONS 1 yr $99; 2 yrs $174; 3 yrs $261 (inc. GST) Copyright © 2015 Creative Head Media Pty Ltd.

Alexandra Yeomans, Publisher

THIS MONTH’S TOP STORY Australia is still the number one market for New Zealand with more Aussies crossing the ditch than ever before to take advantage of the country’s diverse offerings. See the full story on page 12.

4 Convention & Incentive Marketing, September 2015 www.cimmagazine.com

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

Nielsen Media Research July 2004 Readership 57,936 monthly Exclusive official publication for the PCO Association

AMAA, CAB Total Distribution Audit 16,458 March 2015

INDUSTRY NEWS NEWS BRIEFS MCEC serves up new executive chef Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) has appointed Peter Haycroft as the new executive chef.

Haycroft joins the team after 14 years with EPICURE at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, most recently as the director of culinary operations.

BCEC conference season heats up Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre is scheduled to host 60 conferences through to mid-December with some 30,000 delegates descending on Brisbane. The 60 conferences are part of a total 400 events scheduled between now and the end of the year attracting some 250,000 visitors to the Centre.

Wind in the sails for Geelong

Business tourism boost for Hunter A 99 per cent jump in stays in the Hunter region by business tourists over the past year has been welcomed by the Altogether Perfect marketing group, which has received new funding to launch its second year campaign to lure more corporate travellers to Newcastle, Port Stephens and the Hunter Valley.

Figures from Destination NSW show domestic business tourists spent a total of 1.35 million visitor nights in the Hunter region in 2014, or 15.7 per cent of nights spent by all visitors to the area.

This was 99 per cent up on the 678,210 nights spent by business tourists in the region in 2013, which was 9.4 per cent of all nights. International visitor nights for business travellers to the region also rose 70 per cent in the year to September last year over 2013.

“These figures are fantastic for our region’s burgeoning business events

industry and a great boost for our visitor economy, with corporate travellers staying midweek and year-round,” said Altogether Perfect spokesperson, Rebecca Morley – MICE manager for Destination Port Stephens.

“Business events and the ideas and intelligence that come with them also help enrich host communities and vice versa so seeing more visitors in suits in the Hunter’s city, country and coast region is a win-win for everyone.”

Morley announced that for its second year of operation from July, 2015, the Altogether Perfect campaign had received renewed funding through the Regional Visitor Economy Fund managed by Destination NSW. “We know the beaches, wildlife, wineries and business events venues of Newcastle, Port Stephens and the Hunter Valley are of great appeal to the corporate market in NZ so tapping more of that demand will be a key aim for us moving forward,” Morley said.

The Royal Geelong Yacht Club has secured the right to host the 2017 Viper World Championships.

Held from January 7-15, 2017, it represents the first time the Championships have been staged in Australia. The event is expected to attract 70 boats from all over the world including Europe, USA and New Zealand.

First time win for Adelaide Adelaide will host the International Conference of Young Researchers on Advanced Materials in 2018 attracting more than 1000 young researchers from around the world. To be held at the Adelaide Convention Centre it will be the first time the biennial Conference has been held in Australia.

Altogether Perfect team Georgia Lazzari, Danny Eather and Rebecca Morley.

Hunter hosts peak industry conference The Association of Australian Convention Bureaux’s 2015 Staff Conference was held at venues in Newcastle and the Hunter Valley from September 9-11, drawing 75 delegates from around Australia. The conference was held at Crowne Plaza Newcastle, Scratchley and The Barrel Room at the Tempest Two wine complex in the Hunter.

Tasmania set to benefit from increased air access Business Events Tasmania has welcomed increased Qantas services between Hobart and east coast cities next year.

QantasLink will operate a total of 46 return services per week from Hobart to Sydney and Melbourne, up from 35 services currently.

“It’s really welcome news for us,” said Stuart Nettlefold, CEO at Business Events Tasmania.

6 Convention & Incentive Marketing, September 2015 www.cimmagazine.com

“The additional flights have been timed to benefit the business traveller and conference delegate. Today’s announcement is great news for our key target market.

“This helps to increase Tasmania’s momentum to attract mid to large sized conferences, up to 1100 delegates, to the state.”

Singapore roadshow success Group; Sentosa HarbourFront Precinct; Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore; SingExpress DMC; The South Beach; and Tour East, the guests also heard from Sharon Lam (right), STB’s area director, Oceania, and Lionel Yeo (left), STB’s chief executive.

The Singapore Tourism Board’s (STB) MasterMice 2015 roadshow rolled into Sydney and Melbourne this month giving industry guests an update on the Lion City as it celebrates its 50th anniversary of independence.

Named Asia’s Top Convention City according to “Since gaining global rankings by independence 50 the International years ago, the Lion Congress and Watch the video in the CIM iPad app.

City has reinvented Convention itself to form a new Association for 12 identity as a world-class city welcoming years running, Singapore still had plenty of around 15 million visitors in the last year new news to share. alone, up from 91,000 in its first year of Attended by representatives from 11 independence,” said Yeo. companies including Destination Asia Singapore; Fairmont Singapore and Swissôtel The Stamford; Gardens by the Bay; Marina Bay Sands; Pacific World; Pan Pacific Hotels

“This would not be possible without our friends and partners based here in Australia.

There is still a lot more room for growth.”

MCEC a key driver For the third year in a row, Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre’s (MCEC) end of financial year figures have exceeded all previous year-end results, recording a total operating revenue of $76.3 million and driving almost $1 billion of economic impact into the Victorian economy.

For the first time MCEC has, through an exclusive report conducted by EY, measured the economic and social value of its business events over a 12 month period. In 2014/15, MCEC played host to 918 events and welcomed 724,000 business event visitors through its doors.

“With these encouraging financial results and our expansion on the horizon, our business has never looked better,” said Bob Annells, Melbourne Convention and Exhibition trust chairman.

Minister for Tourism and Major Events, John Eren MP said: “We’re ensuring MCEC remains the leading destination for business events and conferences in Australia by investing in the venue’s important Stage Two expansion. Our $190 million to $210 million investment will ensure that MCEC remains a key contributor to Victoria’s economy.”

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INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Not so lost in transit at Singapore Changi Airport Group, in collaboration with Singapore Tourism Board and Singapore Airlines, has re-launched the Free Singapore Tour, which enables travellers who are in transit the chance to explore Singapore during their stopovers.

As one of only four airports in the world to offer this service, the Free Singapore Tour allows travellers to make the most of their stopover with a range of experiences and packages. Nine tours operate daily, so travellers who have never been to the destination can have a brief experience of what the city offers – from attractions like the Gardens by the Bay or the Singapore

Flyer, to cultural precincts of Chinatown or Kampong Glam.

“The Free Singapore Tour is an excellent way for travellers who’ve only been inside Changi Airport to get a taste of the city while waiting for the next part of their travels,” said Sharon Lam, area director Oceania Singapore Tourism Board.

“We’re confident many Australians who try a free tour will be inspired to make a longer return visit. Aussies who haven’t visited us in a while may think they know Singapore, so this will be an exciting opportunity for us to show them the real Singapore and leave them wanting to come back for more.”

The Conference Company joins World PCO Alliance The Conference Company in New Zealand and Turismo & Convenciones in Mexico are the latest members to join the World PCO Alliance.

“I wish to extend my warmest welcome to our new members, David Tarrab from Mexico and Jan Tonkin (pictured left) from New Zealand, who will not only bring diversity and depth to our Alliance but also further strengthen our dynamic network,” said Kitty Wong,

president of the World PCO Alliance.

The Conference Company works out of offices in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin. It also has operations in Australia.

“In the same way we, as conference organisers, strive to create environments in which our clients can tap into each other’s energy and wisdom, we benefit from being able to tap into colleagues’ know-how and experience,” said Tonkin.

“The World PCO Alliance provides an ideal platform to do just that, not only for our collective benefit but for our clients’ as well. We are certainly looking forward to contributing to discussions and collaborating with fellow members.”

ibtm africa confirms dates for 2016 The 2016 edition of ibtm africa will take place at the Cape Town International Conference Centre from April 4-6.

This highly targeted event offers an exclusive opportunity for African exhibitors to connect and engage with top level international decision makers during three days of face-toface business meetings and networking.

“According to a recent Euromonitor International report, South Africa remains a global travel and tourism destination; the number of arrivals increased by 6 per cent in 2013, rising to 9.7 million and business

arrivals continue to drive overall growth in arrivals in South Africa,” said Chardonnay Marchesi, general manager for Africa Travel Week.

“These findings reinforce South Africa’s position as a global MICE destination and with an exclusive platform for high value pre-scheduled face-to-face meetings between top level buyers and suppliers for three days of business, networking and education, ibtm africa has now established itself as a key event in the meetings industry calendar in Africa.”

8 Convention & Incentive Marketing, September 2015 www.cimmagazine.com

ICCA Big Data unlocks association meeting ambassadors The International Congress and Convention Association’s (ICCA) recently upgraded Big Data Search tool has added a further 10,000 high-potential association meeting ambassadors available to its members.

In total, these 25,000 local association representatives are likely to be interested in bidding for an international association meeting.

“By automating the research to see if high-profile academics, as identified with our Big Data Search tool, are actually active with an association and its meetings, we create a shortcut for ICCA members to identify suitable local meeting ambassadors,”said ICCA CEO Martin Sirk.

“This should save our members a lot of research time.”

NZ NEWS

Tourism New Zealand’s high value strategy rewarded Tourism New Zealand scooped the Destination Award at the recent Luxperience trade show, for its global strategy to attract high-value visitors.

The inaugural award was presented at the Luxperience Gala Dinner and Awards Ceremony, held in Sydney on September 8.

“Winning the Destination Award is a great honour and further confirmation of the work Tourism New Zealand has been undertaking to attract more high value visitors to New Zealand,” said René de Monchy, Tourism New Zealand’s director of trade, PR and major events.

Christchurch’s largest hotel opens

NZ international convention centre progress

The 264-room BreakFree on Cashel has been officially opened in Christchurch, attended

by New Zealand Prime Minister John Key.

News that the New Zealand International Convention Centre (NZICC) has received resource consent approval is being welcomed by the industry.

Also attending was Christchurch Mayor Lianne Dalziel who said Christchurch was a “city in transition”.

Conventions and Incentives New Zealand (CINZ) chief executive Sue Sullivan says the new convention centre will be an invaluable addition to meet growing demand from international conference organisers.

“The opening of this hotel symbolises the positive aspects of our city’s recovery and helps to increase the sense of momentum which I know we are feeling at the moment,” she said.

Hotel facilities include unique “pod-style rooms” as well as the addition of high quality traditional hotel rooms located on the top floor executive level. There is an interactive Café/Restaurant and Bar; breakfast room, guest lounge; conference room catering for up to 80 people and two boardroom style

meeting spaces with capacity for 20 people.

“New Zealand can now compete on the world stage, challenging Australia and South East Asia for lucrative convention business,” she said.

Breakfree on Cashel general manager Graeme Back said the hotel “adds vital room numbers to Christchurch’s accommodation offering for both the leisure and business market”.

“We look forward to seeing this purposebuilt facility get underway very soon.

With space for more than 3000 delegates it will allow New Zealand to stage conferences of a size not seen here before.”

Energising the learning environment Keeping your attendees engaged and energised for two to three days takes some doing. In the quest to find the right recipe I’ve scanned blogs, searched websites, listened to webinars and been privileged to experience PCMA’s conferences as they experiment with formats with the same aim in mind.

I’ve picked up tips and tricks along the way and been able to encourage clients to implement some of these, but it wasn’t until I came to organise the first of IAPCO’s new EDGE seminars that I could do some experimenting of my own.

I knew right away that I wanted a venue which had daylight not just on one side of the room but on both. I gave everyone

permission to move to the lounge seating at the back to the room when they needed to attend to emails and got the chef’s agreement to deliver light and tasty food.

Some attendees took advantage of standing at high bars from time to time during sessions and those who stepped out with a guide at lunchtime said how energised they felt after walking and talking.

While we had a mix of presentation formats it was revealing to note that, along with those that addressed the challenges of our industry in the future, the ones with a personal development emphasis were particularly well received.

In the interests of delivering professional development we can sometimes forget the importance of that personal side.

None of these initiatives are new, but it seems that it was the sum of the parts that made the difference.

I’m so pleased I used the opportunity to experiment and rediscover some home truths about the delegate experience.

The next time I host a seminar I will focus even more on engagement, energy levels and environment.

Jan Tonkin is founder and managing director of New Zealand PCO The Conference Company. She is also vicepresident of IAPCO and vice-chair of the IAPCO Training Academy, which administers the Association’s international education programme.

www.cimmagazine.com Convention & Incentive Marketing, September 2015 9

COVER STORY

Travelling to and from Australia’s capital is set to become a whole lot more comfortable and convenient with the opening of an exciting new Vibe Hotel from leading hotel group, TFE Hotels.

Part of Canberra Airport’s $2 billion redevelopment that will bring a whole new wave of both domestic and international travellers to the city, the stylish Vibe Hotel Canberra Airport, located just 50 metres from the terminal entrance, opens its doors in November 2015.

With sweeping views of the city on one side and Lake Burley Griffin on the other, guests can take in the spectacular Canberra sights before they even step out of their room – and those looking

the rooms to the local produce on the menu in its restaurant, Helix Bar & Dining. Offering a modern European style bistro, with culinary delights sourced from the ACT, the menu has been exclusively curated by executive chef Michael Chatto.

Additionally, the offering of Vibe Fit, one of the signature offerings from the new Vibe Hotel brand, is ideal for the healthy traveller, as it includes healthy menu options, local running maps and an in-room yoga channel to help guests stay on track with any health and fitness goals.

With onsite conference facilities including six fully adaptable conference and event spaces catering for up to 200 guests, which include everything from audio-visual hire, to the hotel’s signature creative conferencing extras, the space is suitable for both local businesses in the nearby Brindabella and Majura Business Park, and those coming from further afield, either interstate or internationally.

Canberra’s new Vibe This November sees the new Vibe Hotel Canberra Airport open its doors signalling a new chapter in the nation’s capital as a leading meetings and events destination.

For more information visit www.tfehotels.com/vibe

for convenient connections and central stopovers, who don’t want to compromise on relaxing surroundings, now get the best of both worlds being moments from the airport, and just 10 minutes from the city centre.

There are 191 stylish soundproof rooms, equipped with all of the mod cons expected of a modernday luxury hotel. Sample premium, with First Class rooms allocated alongside the one- and two-bedroom apartments which all centre round a soaring atrium, which is also host to the spacious ground floor reception area.

The “next generation” Vibe Hotel has been designed with the locale in mind from artwork in

10 Convention & Incentive Marketing, September 2015 www.cimmagazine.com

TFE Hotels group director of marketing Emma Fraser says Vibe Hotel Canberra Airport is everything the Group has been working towards with the roll-out of its next generation Vibe Hotels.

“It has connection at its core to the local area through our Vibe hosts and local partnerships, to the social hubs of the lobby space where people can meet, work and feel inspired,” she says.

“We’ve combined those core values with the convenience of a central location, both to the airport and the civic, and we’re sure that guests will find this hotel a valuable addition to the nation’s capital.”

NEW ZEALAND

Growing market Australia is still the number one market for New Zealand with more Aussies crossing the ditch than ever before to take advantage of the country’s diverse offerings, writes Kathy Ombler.

Australia continues to be a strong business events market for New Zealand, accounting for 65 percent of all international business arrivals for the past year. And the number is growing – with Australians expressing keen interest in adding a pre or post stay to their work event.

Sharon Auld, Conference and Incentives New Zealand (CINZ) Australia manager, says for the year-end to June 30, 2015, just over 38,000 Australian delegates had crossed the Tasman for a business event in

New Zealand. This was up 6.3 per cent on the previous year, and recent research indicates this will continue to rise.

time – only three hours from the eastern seaboard,” she says.

Delegates surveyed at the Associations Forum National Conference, in Adelaide in July, helped the 100% Pure New Zealand team understand what is motivating Australians to choose New Zealand for their next conference.

The survey returned positive results: 64 per cent of those whose organisation had run an event in New Zealand say it had exceeded their expectations as an event destination, and a 100 per cent who had previously run a conference in New Zealand say they would most likely return.

“We found they are excited by the idea of combining a work conference with a New Zealand holiday, and by the short flying

CINZ continues to be fully engaged in famil programmes for Australian PCOs, says Auld.

“In June, 91 Australian hosted

buyers and media joined us for CINZ Meetings 2015, a week of fact finding and discovery of the wonders New Zealand has to offer business event organisers, which was held in Auckland.

Many participated in the prefamiliarisation programme, where seven regions were showcased.

“We are now in planning mode on a new famil programme for 2015/2016 to allow more Australian decision-makers to experience New Zealand – so watch this space.”

Queenstown.

12 Convention & Incentive Marketing, September 2015 www.cimmagazine.com

Auckland aims high Auckland’s business events industry is growing from strength to strength and the city is fast becoming a premier business events destination, says Auckland Convention Bureau (ACB) manager Anna Hayward.

“The Auckland Convention Bureau is focused on growing the volume and value of the industry and through our Auckland Business Events Plan we have set a goal to increase the value of the industry from NZ$236 million to NZ$430 million by 2023,” she says.

She says because of its close proximity, and with more than 22 million annual business event participants, Australia presents a huge opportunity for Auckland.

“Having an ACB representative in Australia (Melbourne-based

Left and above: The harbour plays an important part in Auckland’s appeal.

Edwina Fitzsimon) has meant we’ve been able to strengthen our networks and respond more quickly to enquiries and opportunities,” she says.

“We’re also seeing some great results from increasing our focus on bidding for more international business events and over the last 12 months have supported

37 international bids and in addition won 17 international bids during the year worth NZ$12 million.”

Another sign of the confidence in the sector is the progress of the New Zealand International Convention Centre (NZICC). In May, after months of budgetrelated delays, SkyCity (the

convention centre developer) and the Crown reached agreement on the preliminary design. SkyCity is now awaiting the final resource consent decision, expected to be finalised by independent commissioners within months, so that construction can begin.

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www.cimmagazine.com Convention & Incentive Marketing, September 2015 13

for 3000 plenary delegates, the NZICC will be the largest purpose-built convention centre in the country.

Left: Water activities are a must in Auckland.

“This is a positive step for the industry, Auckland and New Zealand and it will mean we will have the capacity to attract top level, large scale business events,” says Hayward.

Another new initiative for Auckland this year has been the Auckland Advocate Alliance.

“This is the first of its kind for New Zealand, where we have 14 thought leaders working collaboratively with ACB to bid for international events,” she says. “The advocates have a proven track record and collectively have already secured $8.5 million worth of business events to Auckland since 2011.”

Hayward says the programme has already proven successful, with advocate Liz Coulter, University of Auckland’s ITS director, helping ACB to secure hosting rights to The Higher Education Technology Agenda in 2017.

“Around 600 practitioners and senior decision makers from Australia and New Zealand are

expected to attend and this is estimated to be worth around NZ$826,000 to Auckland’s regional GDP,” says Hayward.

Another advocate is Alan Ovens, of the School of Curriculum and Pedagogy, The University of Auckland. Speaking with firsthand knowledge of past events, he says Auckland delivers world class experiences at every level.

“I feel incredibly proud to be able to share our culture, sustainability, our clean and green environment and the scholars and academic societies we have here,” he says. “There is a synergy and momentum in Auckland that is difficult to reproduce making it stand out as a world class business event destination.”

Hamilton & Waikato gets creative gems – this diversity and our central and accessible location makes the Hamilton & Waikato region an attractive option for event managers.”

The Millhouse at Hobbiton.

Offering such diversity as the Hobbiton movie set, caving challenges at Waitomo, an organic tea plantation, a centre for world-leading agricultural science and research and world-class, high performance rowing and cycling facilities, the Hamilton & Waikato region continues to be a busy destination for business events, says convention bureau manager Lynn Briggs.

“We have seen a surge in enquiries over the past couple of months – for everything from a gala dinner, top-secret executive strategy meeting and teambuilding day to large multi-day conferences,” she says.

“We are fortunate that our region is home to world-class venues and attractions, wellknown accommodation brands, and lots of creative, hidden

Creativity is the key at Hobbiton, famous movie set for Lord of the Rings and Hobbit blockbusters. The latest feature is The Millhouse, specifically designed for private events (60 cocktail-style) and due to open in the heart of The Shire in November. The Millhouse will be fully themed, with vintage Sandymans flour sacks and exposed cogs that drive the waterwheel, creating a Middle Earth atmosphere with an industrial twist. Other options already popular at the movie set, located less than an hour’s drive from Hamilton, include exclusive evening tours, banquet dinners in the Green Dragon Inn and customised events.

14 Convention & Incentive Marketing, September 2015 www.cimmagazine.com

Another new venue about to open is at Zealong Tea Plantation, just 15 minutes’ drive from Hamilton. Touted as producing the “purest tea in the world” and a supplier to Harrods and royalty, Zealong is now turning to hosting VIP groups.

The plantation and café already has a small function centre, and is about to open is a second, stylish, purpose built facility for around 200 guests. Included will be a VIP tasting area and library.

Meanwhile a major transformation is taking place at Mystery Creek Event Centre, home of the annual Fieldays, the largest agricultural show in the southern hemisphere.

A host of event venues, pavilions and a museum and heritage centre, set across 88 hectares of farm park, can accommodate a variety of events, from banquet dinners to conferences to concerts. A multi-million dollar overhaul is currently underway to upgrade and remodel exhibition space, in particular to make facilities more accessible for large conference business.

Rotorua gets serious Left: A traditional welcome in Rotorua.

A greater focus on business events marketing is planned for Rotorua, with the establishment of a new Destination Rotorua Business Events role.

Destination Rotorua general manager Oscar Nathan says that business events had been neglected for the past few years and the organisation is now “righting the ship”. He says the new role will have a dual

focus; working in partnership with destination partners plus sales promotion for the Rotorua Energy Events Centre.

Meanwhile big news in Rotorua is the announcement of a new international spa and wellness centre and 5-star hotel development, by World Spa Ltd and the Pukeroa Oruawhata Group.

World Spa director Peter Sharplin

says the finished development would spread across 11 hectares of prime waterfront property and be unlike any other spa seen to date.

“The aim is to develop an entirely new format of spa offering that complements, rather than necessarily competes with existing spas," he says.

The New Zealand government is contributing from its Tourism Growth Partnerships fund towards investigating the proposal, which is expected to open in stages starting from 2017.

Rotorua, already known for its spa therapies, geothermal attractions and Maori culture, has more recently developed an international reputation for mountain biking, an asset proving great for team building, break outs and pre- or post-holiday fun.

A taste of New Zealand

The city’s major venue, the Rotorua Energy Events Centre, has been extremely busy throughout 2015, hosting significant domestic and international conference business, including New Zealand’s annual tourism tradeshow TRENZ (1000 buyers, exhibitors and media), says sales manager Warren Harvey.

“We are working with Tourism New Zealand and CINZ on potential international conference business from Australia, Asian Pacific and further afield, for as far out at 2019,” he says. “Attending the Associations Forum conference in Adelaide also generated some excellent conference and incentives leads, as did the successful Meetings 2015 tradeshow in Auckland in June.”

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Left: Huka Lodge.

Below: The Blue Lake at Tongariro National Park.

Great Lake Taupo does luxe For the Australian market main push is the region’s absolutely incentives and corporate retreats, according to Karen Rainbow, business events and trade manager at Destination Great Lake Taupo.

“We have the product and we are really starting to get traction with this kind of business,” she says.

“Meetings 2015 was great; there was a lot of interest from people looking for a new destination.

Taupo with its volcano mountains, lake and forest landscapes, international golf courses and outdoor adventure activity, coupled with geothermal regions and health spas, offers a lot that people are looking for.

“We have so many luxury, boutique offerings; Huka Lodge, the new Kinloch Lodge and Villas opening in October, Tongariro Lodge, which is getting traction at the southern end of the lake, plus we have the high end hotels, Hilton Lake Taupo and Millennium Hotel & Resort Manuels.

“As far as news goes, most exciting is the imminent opening of The Lodge and Villas at Kinloch, luxury accommodation on the Kinloch Golf Course, rated as New Zealand’s top course

by New Zealand PGA Golf Professionals.”

The designer’s brief for Kinloch was to emulate a version of a Scottish castle, albeit with a modern 21st century design concept. The main lodge encompasses a central courtyard with outdoor fireplace and reflecting pool, the baronialstyle Great Room, The Dining Room, The Bar and The Den. Carbon neutral fireplaces, oak floors and handmade New Zealand rugs feature in the two bedroom villas and one bedroom junior suites, along with huge views of the golf course and Lake Taupo.

Rainbow says the new lodge also offers an inspiring environment for executive retreats, product launches

and team building. Delegate numbers can range from 10 to banquets for 90. The Jack Nicklaus-designed golf course, a classic links course, is available for private tournaments including on-course sponsorship for day events.

driving experience at Taupo Motorsport Park.

Golf is a major Taupo attraction, headed by Kinloch and Wairakei Golf and Sanctuary (an international rated course set in a wildlife reserve). There are also the highly rated Turangi Golf Club and Taupo Golf Club.

“The beauty of the Taupo club is that it has two, 18 hole courses, so groups can completely take over one course, plus there is an excellent club house,” says Rainbow.

Kai Waho is the wilderness/ hunting/fishing/indigenous cultural experience offered by Tom Loughlin, the man who taught Bear Grylls how to catch eels on lines with no hooks.

Executive groups, travelling either by 4WD, mountain bike, horse or helicopter to a bush camp in the foothills of the Kaweka Ranges, get right back to basics and learn to live off the land, with Loughlin.

As well as golf, Rainbow says the activities most popular with corporates and incentives could be described as a “blokes’ weekend”.

“Activities can include fishing (on the lake or in the region’s rivers), white water rafting, clay target shooting, and a V8

And for adding a bit of activity fun, Taupo Kayaking Adventures have introduced motorized kayaks, which are already popular with our corporate groups. Also new, at Wairakei Tourist Park, is the development of an all-weather golf driving range.

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“People also like the fact that everyone works together in Taupo and that they can get something different, for example Kai Waho, which is an amazing experience.”

New relationships in Wellington Left: Frank Kitts Lagoon.

Below: Weta Cave Museum.

Wellington’s business events sector is faring well says Jessica Beyeler, events and partnerships manager at Positively Wellington Tourism.

“I would say we are back to pre GFC times, whereby organisations and groups are booking larger groups with longer lead times,” she says.

“Business confidence is well and truly back. Venues and operators in the region are optimistic and forward bookings as far out as 2020 are strong for larger scale business events.”

The Australian market remains very important, she adds. “We are really focused on uncovering new relationships and business, and working closely with our partners in Australia, in particular with Tourism New Zealand.”

Meanwhile the new Wellington Regional Economic Development Agency (WREDA) has appointed Chris Whelan as inaugural chief executive. Current organisations Positively Wellington Tourism and Positively Wellington Venues will join economic development agencies in the new WREDA, which has already made a bold launch, announcing its Statement of Intent for the future of

Wellington as: “A pathway towards creating Australasia’s most prosperous, vibrant, and liveable region”.

an elegant makeover while innovative Wellington coffee company, Mojo Coffee Cartel, is

developing a stylish new foyer presence, taking the place of the former Jimmy Café.

A city council announcement on the development of a new Wellington Convention Centre is expected before the year’s end.

The city continues with its busy events programme. If booking an event in Wellington in 2016, worth considering is the timing to link with events such as the Royal Edinburgh Tattoo, which kicks off the biennial International Festival of the Arts in February, the foodie extravaganza Visa Wellington on a Plate in August and the World of Wearable Arts Show, in September.

Positively Wellington Venues, which manages seven major city venues, has continued its refurbishment programme, in particular bringing back the grandeur of the city’s historic theatres. Restoring the proscenium arch of the 1914 Opera House has been followed by refurbishment of the hospitality boxes and re-doing the plastered gilt work on the ceiling of the foyer. In the 1912 St James Theatre the hospitality suite, a popular cocktail space (150 pax) has been given www.cimmagazine.com Convention & Incentive Marketing, September 2015 17

The elegant St James, one of the country’s top performance theatres and home of the New Zealand Ballet Company, is also a sought after conference venue.

In hotel news, the luxury and quirky Museum Art Hotel has been purchased by Australian company Amalgamated Holdings Ltd, and will eventually rebrand to a QT Hotel. New general manager is Steven Oakley, formerly of QT Port Douglas.

Rydges Hotels, also part of the AHL Group, have added a second property to their Wellington stable, taking on management of The Thorndon Hotel, near Parliament. The company is also involved with the development of a new-build airport hotel, part of a $250 million dollar expansion currently underway at Wellington International Airport.

InterContinental Hotel Wellington

is earning kudos for the new audio visual technology installed in the hotel’s meeting rooms following a major refurbishment completed earlier this year.

Sales director Geoff Naumann, says PCOs have been hugely impressed, in particular with the new interactive whiteboards.

The meeting rooms upgrade was the final stage of a multi-million dollar makeover of the entire hotel, which transformed guest rooms, the Club Lounge, foyer bar and reception and hotel restaurant, Chameleon.

chief executive Steve Sanderson says construction of a 120-room, 4-star hotel should begin in 2016 and be completed in 2017, while a terminal expansion and new, eight-level car park will be built over the next five years.

“Having airport accommodation will be great, with new services such as Fiji Airways, and new regional services announced by Jetstar and Origin that will pull more people into Wellington,” he says.

“Business confidence is well and truly back.”

The city’s newest luxury property, the 130 room Sofitel Wellington, is expected to open in late 2015.

Wellington International Airport

Meanwhile, creative ideas for conference groups just keep on developing. From creating fake blood to making “chainmaille”, to turning your chief executive into a dwarf with the use of prosthetics; anything goes at movie technology and design moguls Weta Workshops. Groups

can be entertained and educated by the designers and technicians of the multi Oscar Award winning Weta team, experience exclusive Weta Workshop tours, meet in the Weta boardroom (where those Oscars and Baftas are displayed) or have a Weta technician visit their event with a bespoke programme.

For a new team development challenge and fully authentic cultural experience groups can now learn the paddling protocols of a Maori waka (canoe) at Te Wharewaka o Poneke, or “canoe house”, right on the CBD waterfront. It’s just one of many options offered at Te Wharewaka, a contemporary building fused with elements of traditional design, which encompasses the canoe house, plus a purpose-built conference and function centre and café. Guided cultural and history tours, hosted by the local Maori iwi (tribal group) are also on offer.

Nelson’s world class offering Left: Abel Tasman National Park.

The popular holiday and wine region at the top of the South Island is flexing its muscles into international business events. In July, Nelson hosted more than 100 national and international digital marketing and branding

gurus to the first ever iMedia Brand Summit to be held in New Zealand. Event organiser Jan Barthlelemy, of DMG Events, says Nelson was deliberately chosen for its easy accessibility and for the wealth of food, wine

and activities on offer. The summit was hosted at the Rutherford Hotel Nelson, a Heritage Hotel, and an offsite “Wine and Art Experience” was enjoyed at Mahana Estate, which the networking delegates described as “world class”.

Barthelemy says post-summit feedback had been extremely positive, with delegates requesting invitations to next year’s event.

As well as the Rutherford, the city’s major conference hotel,

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smaller boutique venues in the Nelson region include Grand Mercure Monaco Resort, Abel Tasman Marahau Lodge and luxury lodge Stonefly. Walking, kayaking, picnic and cruise excursions to the forest-lined, golden beaches of Abel Tasman National Park have long been popular with conference groups in Nelson. Also building momentum now is biking the new Great Taste Trail, easy riding that explores the region’s beaches, orchards, art galleries, vineyards and villages, and can be ridden in short sections or as one multi-day expedition.

Several specialist companies organise bespoke packages for conference groups.

Christchurch plays to its strengths Out of the earthquake rubble a brave new Christchurch is beginning to emerge, and conference organisers are getting interested. Heritage, community, contemporary design and reflection are strong re-build themes, as lovinglyrestored old buildings open alongside startling new designs with wavy glass and other architectural gestures to the seismic upheaval that shocked the South Island city in 2011.

“For business events, we are looking ahead with a welldefined focus about what we offer,” says Caroline Blanchfield, Christchurch & Canterbury Convention Bureau manager, adding they are going back into the Australian market.

“There was a huge amount of

interest at Meetings 2015 and Australian buyers are coming to Convene South this year, for the first time. We are also re-building our trade show presence, returning to AIME in 2016, the PCO Conference and Associations Forum. We have overwhelming interest and we need to articulate to the Australian market what we now have.”

This means playing to its strengths in terms of what makes Christchurch interesting for conferences, she says. “We know organisations want to learn about earth sciences, geo-technology, health science, medical expertise and building technologies and we have a wealth of experience to share in this field. For example, Christchurch will host around 300 world steel building experts

Left: Cashel Mall.

Below: Avon River.

to the 2018 Steel Structures in Seismic Areas (STESSA) international conference.”

It’s not just about the city and rebuild experience, she adds. “Canterbury also has a strong agri-science proposition.

Plus we have our ‘hub and spoke’ concept. Christchurch is the gateway to the regions of Canterbury, which offer outstanding opportunity

for small conferences and management getaways; thermal springs and wineries to the north, the Canterbury high country experience to the west, and to the south west the glaciers, lakes and alps of World Heritage-listed Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park.”

Back in town, a huge inner city block has been cleared in readiness for construction of

When it comes to conferencing you know your stuff – and we’re proud to say we do too. The talented team here at Claudelands have done business around the globe, each bringing their own layer of knowledge and experience. That’s part of the reason EVANZ named us New Zealand’s Supreme Venue of the Year.

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Contact us today on +64 7 958 5950 or info@claudelands.co.nz, or visit claudelands.co.nz

Where every detail is the single most important detail

www.cimmagazine.com Convention & Incentive Marketing, September 2015 19

the proposed new Christchurch Convention Centre, one of the anchor projects of the postearthquake re-build. A major hotel and restaurant and retail centre will be part of the development. Blanchfield says the latest, official word from the government is that the new convention centre will be completed by the end of 2018.

The recent council decision to restore the earthquake-damaged Christchurch Town Hall is also good news for the business events sector says Darren Burden, general manager of Vbase, which manages major city venues. “Restoring such an iconic venue is another step in returning something back to the city,” he says.

“This will give us a long-term interest in large, international conferences of around 1500 delegates,” she says. “In the medium-term we are focused on smaller New Zealand and Australian business; around 250 to 350 delegates is a perfect fit.”

A total of NZ$127.5 million has been set aside for the restoration, which is expected to be completed by mid-2018. Once again, the Town Hall will become a magnet for entertainment, and cultural, community and business events, says Burden.

One much-loved heritage space already restored to its original, Edwardian glory is the Isaac Theatre Royal. The 1300 seat theatre is once again hosting performance, movie festivals, stage dinners, conference plenaries and functions.

Function possibilities are endless, says Nathalie Van Dort of 360 Degree Events, which manages theatre bookings and events. “We could have perhaps have food stations placed throughout the threelevel theatre for a large event, or cater an intimate, private dinner or dance in the Grand Circle foyer or new Gloucester

Room, which opens into the dress circle foyer (80 banquet),” she adds.

Innovative architecture and the practicalities of multi-purpose buildings are notable themes in several new Christchurch constructions. These new buildings are symbols of what Christchurch is becoming, says Blanchfield. “Often it’s a modern take on traditional ideas, thinking about the space it’s in, what it’s going to be used for and reflecting that in the design. Increasingly they are multi-use spaces, so they’re never empty,” she says.

Exploring a new side of Dunedin Heritage, literature and new age technology are coming together in Dunedin, attracting top technology innovators and creating interesting theming experiences, says Enterprise Dunedin business events specialist Kerry Buchan.

Above: Dunedin’s street art is only one part of its cultural and creative offering.

Being named New Zealand’s “Gigatown” last year, resulting in the city acquiring the Southern Hemisphere’s fastest internet (ultrafast 1Gbps broadband plus funding for NZ$700,000 worth of UFB related initiatives) has brought world-wide attention.

“Our Gigatown has attracted a range of technology innovators, IT software experts and animated research technicians to Dunedin,” she says. “These include YouTube co-founder, Chad Hurley, who is establishing his innovative video sharing enterprise, MixBit, in the city.”

Hand in hand with the technology is the recent redevelopment of Dunedin’s heritage precincts, including much of the 1800s Victorian and Edwardian architecture the city is known for, along with a burgeoning cultural environment that includes street art by international artists, invited to the city to create their

works. Meanwhile the recent designation as a UNESCO City of Literature will add focus to Dunedin’s reputation as a university town of research and learning, adds Buchan.

“Conferences and events thrive within an environment of creativity,” she says. “Dunedin has an extremely accessible cultural community and café society that is surrounded by street art, a revitalised warehouse precinct, sculpture, museums and art galleries, reinforcing the city as a vibrant hub that business visitors want to visit and explore.”

The City is proud of its venue portfolio, she adds. “From large state-of-the-art venues that can host thousands of guests to intimate heritage spaces, for example as New Zealand’s oldest art gallery, the stunning art deco former Railway Station foyer, or the Southern Hemisphere’s only authentic Chinese garden (built in China and reassembled in Dunedin), we have them all.”

The major conference and performance venue, Dunedin Centre and Town Hall, has been busy since its recent

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NZ$43 million refurbishment, says Dunedin Venues business development manager Kim Dodd. “Bookings have been excellent throughout 2015 and right through to 2017,” she says.

“In particular we’re attracting a lot of association business, for conferences of up to 600, since the renovation.

“A big thing we’re doing is combining technology with our heritage venues, creating theming experiences, for example mapping and projecting images onto tables and walls, it’s all quite exciting.”

Other Dunedin developments include the NZ$45 million upgrade of Toitu Otago Settlers Museum, with new meeting and function space, while a museum annexe and planetarium development are underway.

The much-awaited Distinction Hotel Dunedin is due to open in October. The New Zealandowned, Distinction Hotels Group is transforming the 1930s former Chief Post Office into a 4.5-star hotel, with 121 suites and studio rooms, restaurants, bar and conference facilities catering for up to 80 delegates.

Queenstown builds on strong confidence

Left: Mixing business and pleasure.

Above: Exploring the glaciers by helicopter.

Queenstown continues to be in demand for business events, says Queenstown Convention Bureau manager Regan Pearce.

indoor karting, a laser tag arena, obstacle course and horizontal bungy), an appealing addition for group-focused activities.

“Local operators and DMCs are reporting solid demand, with significant forward bookings for the next two years,” he says. “An important part of this business is coming from the domestic market. The Australian and North American markets are also particularly strong with high levels of conference bookings over the next one to two years.

The Asian market is showing strong interest in Queenstown, particularly as an incentive destination.”

Connecting to nature is the theme at the just-opened Sherwood Manor Hotel, with lake and mountain views. Guest rooms include suites, studios, shared bunk rooms and the two bedroomed Loft. “Soul food”, free Pilates and yoga are also on offer.

Pearce says that Queenstown’s appeal for business events is driven not only by the awe inspiring landscapes but also by the range of activities, accommodation and venues available to groups.

“Queenstown is an energetic and vibrant destination with a strong spirit of innovation and development,” he says.

“This is reflected in the region’s constantly evolving and wide range of products and services.”

New attractions include indoor entertainment centre Game Over Queenstown (with Grand Prix

and events than is currently possible, he adds.

Air connectivity into Queenstown continues to go from strength to strength, with airlines increasing their schedules and the recent opening of an international terminal extension at Queenstown Airport. Queenstown offers direct, three-hour flights from Sydney, Melbourne, Coolangatta and Brisbane.

“Queenstown is an energetic and vibrant destination...”

Meanwhile Pearce says planning for a new convention centre on the Lakeview site in downtown Queenstown is continuing. “The proposal passed a significant milestone in June when it was adopted as a project in the council’s local long term plan, subject to funding options being secured,” he says.

“A second, private, convention centre proposal at Remarkables Park is also progressing, with consent hoped for by the end of 2015.” While capacity numbers are yet to be finalised, both developments will give Queenstown the ability to accommodate larger conferences

On the accommodation front, the 175room Heritage Queenstown has experienced a doubling in demand for exclusive hire by incentive and conference groups in recent months, says Shelley Eastwood, group conference and incentive sales manager.

“We are charting a big increase in groups wanting extra privacy and exclusivity for their guests,” she says.

AccorHotels is also investing in its properties in Queenstown.

The Hotel St Moritz Queenstown (an MGallery Collection) has had a full bathroom refurbishment,

At Mercure Queenstown, 82 lake view rooms have been fully refurbished. Looking ahead, Novotel Queenstown is undergoing a full refurbishment, due for completion in July next year, while Sofitel Queenstown’s spa will be converted to a So Spa in September.

The Lorraine Lea Leaders Retreat, a recent incentive event hosted by Hotel St Moritz, exemplifies just why Queenstown and its high end properties are becoming so popular with incentive organisers.

This was not only the first time the Australian company had ventured offshore, the Queenstown retreat has been considered one of the best, says Lorraine Lea’s Anne Petracca.

“We chose Queenstown as we wanted the experience of an overseas destination without the cost and travel time, and we wanted variety,” she says. “Our itinerary needed to be a mixture of business learning and development, unforgettable tours and adventures and unique dining and pampering experiences.

We were easily able to organise group flights out of Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, all arriving at similar times.”

www.cimmagazine.com Convention & Incentive Marketing, September 2015 21

CONVENTION CENTRES

Right: Chefs in the kitchen at the MCEC. Below: Canapes at SMC.

Culinary journey Food is now the centre of attention. With client expectations increasing, the demands of locality and creativity have encouraged chefs to step out into the forefront, writes Anastasia Prikhodko.

For an event to be successful and memorable, it is no longer just about the venue but rather about what’s on the plate.

As guests now expect to be whisked away on a surprise culinary journey through the different regions.

“You could be having a function anywhere in the world but the food is what makes the difference,” says Athol Wark, executive chef at Lasseters Centre of Entertainment in Alice Springs.

“You can have eggs benedict for breakfast anywhere and if you closed your eyes you wouldn’t know where you were. But if you

added lemon myrtle to the flavourings you’d have a completely different product.”

Wark has been with the Centre since 2001 and says that 65,000 years of indigenous flavours is the inspiration behind his dishes.

“It’s about incorporating indigenous flavours into modern Australian interpretations and destinationalising the food of the region,” he says.

Although there is increasing competition to keep up with trends and serve food that keeps the customers guessing, Wark says that it shouldn’t be a race to the bottom and

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intends to stick to seasonality and freshness.

Situated in the foodie destination of Hobart is the Hobart Convention & Exhibition Centre, part of the Hotel Grand Chancellor.

“In Tasmania the concept of food miles becomes more a matter of food metres,” says Jean Michel Brunet, the executive chef.

“One of our seafood suppliers is located at the wharf directly across the road from the hotel. We see the fishing boats leave in the early hours of the morning and come back with the catch that will be on your table.”

He also says that when catering for business

Left: Dancing shrimp with golden salted eggs at KLCC. Below: Function at Cairns Convention Centre. Right: Satay at KLCC.

Above: Food at GCCEC. Right: Hard at work in the GCCEC kitchen.

events for over 1000 delegates molecular gastronomy, although being a great idea in theory, is impractical. The food now needs to showcase the destination and tell the story of the region.

“More requests are coming through for the actual producer to be at the event,” he says.

“Delegates love speaking to the cheese maker, the oyster farmer or the wine maker and this has seen an increase in cocktail style functions where attendees can just graze whilst speaking to local suppliers.”

With catering upping the quality of their food, Brunet says that people will soon “want to eat at a function what they ate in a small high end restaurant”.

Gavin Robertson, the executive chef at the Adelaide Convention Centre, says that the expectation of function catering has risen.

“This is good for the industry and brings function catering operations closer to their restaurant counterparts,” says Robertson. His goal for the Centre is to “bring more restaurant catering methods into a kitchen, which can cater for 2000 or 3000 at a single event”.

Recently having developed the new Soils and Seasons menu for the Centre, Robertson explains that each dish tells

a story of farmers, fishers and growers, who’ve “battled and bettered nature for new generations”.

Less formal dining with share plates, tapas style eating, and experiential catering, where guests are involved in the food experience are sought after trends for events at the Centre.

“This has also included ice cream made on the spot using liquid nitrogen, large blocks of chocolate where guests chisel off sections or a roving cheese trolley,” he says.

A change Robertson has picked up on is the integration of kitchen teams and front of house staff to create a complete experience for guests with “the food, theming, technology and entertainment working together at an event rather than in isolation”.

Sharyn Antl, executive chef at the Cairns Convention Centre, says the quality of food has become a measure of success for events.

“Delegates now have much higher expectations of conference catering than in the last decade,” she says.

With paddock to plate being the most sought after trend by both delegates and chefs, Antl says that it is important to talk to the growers and producers and take every opportunity to work with local suppliers.

Garry Kindred, executive chef at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre, says that catering has become a vital part to the overall experience because “we are now a generation of food-savvy consumers”.

Paleo, vegan, vegetarian, gluten free are only some of the dietary choices dominating the culinary sphere. Catering to these, Kindred says is a challenge both logistically and creatively.

“We have seen these requirements skyrocket in recent years, so much so that we have a dedicated chef specialising in tweaking ingredients and components to meet such needs. The volume and complexity has increased and quite often we are challenged to create dishes on the go because they are unplanned.”

Consumer engagement with the cooking process has prompted the demand of live chef stations where the chef becomes the storyteller. “Interactive style of catering stimulates all five senses – sight, hearing, taste, smell, and touch,” Kindred says.

DIY and create your own food stations where guests are encouraged to customise their meals or watch as chefs apply the finishing touches are also on the rise.

www.cimmagazine.com Convention & Incentive Marketing, September 2015 23

Favourite regional ingredients “Black garlic. The molasses-like richness and tangy garlic undertones are not only flavoursome but make for a perfect accompaniment to many dishes.”

– Garry Kindred, executive chef, Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre.

“French black truffles, Poachers Pantry smoked duck and smoked salmon from Pialligo Estate Farm.”

– Nikhil Jain (pictured above, right), head chef, the National Convention Centre Canberra.

“Coriander. I believe it is the most versatile herb in the world. Coriander is simply unrivalled in its ability to blend into a huge range of dishes. Just this week I prepared a beautiful, coriander pesto-crumbed barramundi.”

– Paul Kavanagh, head chef, SMC Conference & Function Centre.

“Seafood. It is fresh and available most of the year.” – Phil Pope, function and event sous chef at the Adelaide Oval.

“Koo Wee Rup asparagus. It’s home-grown, quality Melbourne seasonal produce and it’s exported all over the world.”

– Peter Haycroft, executive chef, Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.

“Instead of using basil, thyme and rosemary I use lemon myrtle, bush tomato and other native herbs and spices to create a wild food cuisine.”

– Athol Wark, executive chef, Lasseters Centre of Entertainment in Alice Springs.

“Products from Queensland and The Lockyer Valley.”

– Sean Cummings (pictured left), executive chef, The Royal International Convention Centre.

“Lamb. In South Australia, we’re lucky to have some of the best lamb in the world, with good quality grazing, clean air, water and soil.”

– Garry Robertson, executive chef, Adelaide Convention Centre.

The Royal International Convention Centre in Brisbane selects much of its food and wine from some of the nation’s top competitions including its beef, lamb, dairy, wine and ice-cream.

Executive chef Sean Cummings says one big change he has noticed is that of breakfast choice. As a result of heightened expectations the once beloved bacon and eggs is no longer the number one go to.

Cummings says that the Centre is making a move away from the traditional and going towards fusion inspired breakfasts like Asian

and Mexican.

The harshest food critics of them all, children, are also getting a say in what food they choose to consume. Cummings explains that with more parents bringing their children to functions, they want food that is both healthy and tasty.

“Children have become more food savvy and now everybody is a restaurateur,” he says.

A trend that has travelled across the nation has arrived at the Centre. “We have a lot of events where clients actually want to have a food and truck experience,” he says.

Along with bringing the chef to the front of house, the food truck also offers a more casual approach to dining. This way, the chef is able to interact with the guests, as well as showing and telling the story behind the meal.

“Multi-sensory gastronomy is really popular now, it’s about how our senses react to food,” says Cummings. “You might have a buffet lunch where there is a stir fry but instead of making it back of house we will set up a live station and do it in front of guests, so by the time people actually get to eat it they’ve been bombarded with these senses.”

Convention centre size… Hotel service w: www.hcecgrandchancellor.com e: cesmsales@hgchobart.com.au

24 Convention & Incentive Marketing, September 2015 www.cimmagazine.com

Functions and events are also losing their sense of formality with more clients wanting a casual experience with good food. Cummings says that now it is about “informal indulgence; you might have a high end event but everything about it is casual”.

Whether catering for an intimate group of 10 or a group of 1000, chefs now have to be wary of providing alternative meal choices.

“Over the last 10 years, there has been at least a 50 per cent increase in dietary requirements and one of the biggest areas of

growth in that sector has not so much been medical but lifestyle related,” says Cummings.

“If we do an event for 1000 people at least 10 per cent of those will have a dietary requirement.”

The Centre has started to incorporate some of those dietary requirements by serving gluten free entrée and main courses. As expectations intensify and the budget decreases, it is proving to be a constant challenge for chefs to cater to the current food fads and diet.

Paul Kavanagh, head chef at SMC Conference & Function Centre in Sydney, says that the evolution of strict dietary requirements has effected costs as more time, money and planning is needed in ensuring that there is no cross contamination between foods.

“The most notable change in the last five years has been the simple fact that event budgets are decreasing while expectations continue rise,” says Kavanagh.

Food with a wow factor encourages conversation between guests; add in social

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Serious Business in Australia’s Most Stunning Location 26 Convention & Incentive Marketing, September 2015 www.cimmagazine.com

Opposite page from left: Event at MCEC; Coffee smoked duck breast from GCCEC; canapes at SMC; Moreton bug tail with mango & salad at Royal ICC; Biryani Hydrabad served at KLCC; Kangaroo tagliatelle at Lasseters.

media and food becomes the focal point of an event.

“We know food has to be Instagram worthy and it’s about more than the quality of ingredients or cooking demonstrated on the plate, the menu and service style also needs to exceed expectations,” he says.

“I also think donut bars will take the dessert bar up to the next level. Barely a week goes by that we don’t see someone announce their new spin on the once humble donut.”

The Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) recently undertook market research indicating that food and beverage generates 40 per cent of the venue’s revenue.

Research further showed that consumers are driving the need for locally sourced produce, supporting local suppliers and reducing the carbon footprint and that fashionable food has become an important part of the customer experience.

As a result MCEC launched a revised menu

planning guide with more than 20 per cent of its catering menu items recreated based on current food trends and lifestyle preferences, including a new High Tea concept and MCEC’s live cooking station menus.

The recently appointed executive chef at MCEC, Peter Haycroft, says that the newly introduced menus will reflect Melbourne’s food scene of fresh, tasty food, “without the ponce and frippery”.

“It is about destination dinning, utilising highquality produce, cleaner presentation and bigger, bolder flavours and taste,” he says.

The chef says that the biggest challenge in catering for events and functions is making sure that the food maintains priority. “A great tasting meal can make all the difference in delivering a successful event,” he says.

The function of catering is expanding, as more companies become innovative and strive for ingenuity.

Head chef Nikhil Jain, from the National Convention Centre in Canberra, says that

food has become critical to events and will only continue to grow.

“There are more tastes to be had with lots of bite sized portions, fabulous presentation, interaction with the chefs, more regional produce and delivering delegates a destination experience,” says Jain.

As a result of food technology, food science and the internet, function catering has continued to evolve and become more diversified.

With the chef no longer being confined to the kitchen space, the traditional sit down dinners and buffets are out and interactive experiences are in.

“There is an increased interactive food experience and creative visual presentation to delight the delegates and create memorable experiences,” says Jain.

To stay on the forefront of trends, Martin Latter, executive chef at Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre, says the Centre has introduced a culinary theatre for guests to watch.

www.cimmagazine.com Convention & Incentive Marketing, September 2015 27

From left: Wattle seed and bush tomato damper at Lasseters; the MCEC kitchen; canapes at MCEC.

With the combination of food and service now being as critically important as choosing the venue, chefs are embracing to more innovative ways of catering for business events.

It’s all about fresh ingredients, variety, health and special dietary requirements at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre in Malaysia. The

executive chef, Richmond Lim, says that the old days of events serving one menu of cuisine are gone.

“Malaysia’s multi-cultural cuisine affords us the opportunity to factor in elements and composition of ingredients to offer dishes that are distinct from the standard fare,” says Lim.

Additionally, the cuisine served at events has become the break it or make it element.

Lim says that if the food is not up to a high standard it has the power to spoil the entire event.

“For many food is seen as providing the energy and vibe that supports the event’s journey,” says Lim.

MEET WHERE WORLD LEADERS MEET T 07 3308 3063 E sales@bcec.com.au W www.bcec.com.au

BrisBanE ConvEnTion & ExhiBiTion CEnTrE host venue for the successful 2014 G20 Leaders summit

28 Convention & Incentive Marketing, September 2015 www.cimmagazine.com

Q&A

Orange is the new black Rhonda Sear moved from Sydney to Orange to head up Brand Orange. She spoke with CIM about bringing a taste of regional New South Wales to Sydney and beyond through its Taste Orange food and wine events.

Q: How long have the festivals been running?

we partner up throughout the year. Other than the showcases we try and grow our presence in Sydney and try to see more Orange region wines on wine lists.

A: This will be the Taste Orange @ Sydney festival's fourth year, however we are in our 10th year of the Orange Wine Festival.

Q: Why diversify so much?

Q: What did you bring to the role?

A: We get a following for our event in Martin Place but it is important that we do go into other areas of Sydney. To bring a showcase down from Orange is a very expensive exercise so we need to make sure it is worthwhile. It is something we treat very seriously and need to make sure it will be productive not only for Orange but also whoever we may be partnering with in Sydney.

A: I think the most important thing was coming from Sydney and not having the awareness that I possibly should have had about what the Orange region had to offer as such a strong food and wine producing area. I felt that message needed to be a lot louder in Sydney and that we really needed to grow our presence there. It was looking at the marketing from a push pull process as opposed to just being driven by our in-region events. It was about educating people, and encouraging them to come and visit Orange.

The commitment they [Orange stakeholders] make is huge because they either have to shut down their business to participate or pay someone else while they are away. But they do see an opportunity that we have to take a collaborative approach to marketing Orange because it’s a win win for all parties. Secondly they also see it as an opportunity to piggy back off an event or the media coverage with their own business name. There is very strong collaboration and belief in promoting the Orange region as one big story that they will all benefit from.

They had Taste Orange at Bondi for five years [previously] so it was already happening but it was about taking it to another level.

It was also about introducing a new look and feel to these events, which is a sophisticated country polo look. We are not just a dusty country town, we are a country city and we have wine bars and hatted restaurants that you would think only find in a city.

Q: What other events do you organise?

A: We have Taste Orange at Watsons Bay in addition to Taste Orange at Martin Place, and we also partner up with Wahroonga Food + Wine Festival in October. We go to Sydney Cellar Door (part of NSW Food and Wine Festival) as the Orange region and we are also looking at another inner city site to grow our presence.

We actually had a fantastic event with Chiswick Restaurant [showcasing Orange food and wine] before the Taste Orange at Martin Place and we do that with a number of restaurants where

Q: How do you measure the ROI post event?

A: We request a sample size of businesses in Orange to collect data on visitors to their place of business. If their customers’ place of residence is Sydney, they are then asked did they attend Taste Orange@Sydney. We know in the last four years that we are meeting more people that have either been to another Orange event or have been to Orange itself. Whereas four years ago we are struggling to find those people.

www.cimmagazine.com Convention & Incentive Marketing, September 2015 29

SARAWAK

Upcoming conferences • Congress of the Asian-Australasian Association of Animal Production Societies 2018, approximately 1200 delegates.

• The 29th World Congress of the International Association for Suicide Prevention 2017, approximately 1300 delegates.

• Asian Confederation for Physiotherapy 2016, approximately 600 delegates.

• The 13th Asia Pacific Orchid Conference and Show – APOC 2019, approximately 600 delegates.

• The 55th General Assembly of the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA 2016), approximately 750 delegates.

From left: Bako National Park; a group of event organisers get a taste of Sarawak on a recent famil; Semenggoh Wildlife Centre.

Business in the tropics With its jungles, 130 million year old tropical rainforests, orangutans, rich culture and traditional delights, Sarawak is breaking through the business events market, writes Anastasia Prikhodko.

The recent launch of Business Events Sarawak (BESarawak) by Sarawak Convention Bureau (SCB) is set to drive the Malaysian state further in the international and national business events markets.

increase its resource allocation, promotional activities and sales calls to the national market, which will create a domino effect to attract more international business to Sarawak.”

“With BESarawak, I am confident that Sarawak’s ICCA ranking as a business events destination will continue to rise from its current position at 101st in the world,” says Dr. Muhammad Leo Michael Toyad Abdullah, chairman of SCB.

Outside convention and meeting hours, SCB offers incentive programmes, team-building, and pre- and post-tours to enable delegates to absorb what Sarawak is all about.

With an 86 per cent bid success rate, equating to an average of 1.2 bid wins per week, SCB has surpassed its targeted bid wins. Sarawak will host 60 conferences between 2015 and 2017, recording an estimated RM31 million ($10 million) in direct delegate expenditure.

BESarawak aims to educate and mentor its partners and suppliers on the global-industry best-practices needed to attract business events from around the world.

Mike Cannon, managing director of SCB, says the programme will help the business events sector and prepare Sarawak for any meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions.

“As a one-off strategy, SCB required an element of freshness to make its marketing more effective,” he says. “We took the opportunity to

Experience the unique wildlife of proboscis monkeys perched on treetops, whilst kayaking through river mouths and out into the South China Sea. Otherwise for those with curious tastebuds be part of MasterChef Sarawak, where a local chef gives each team a master class in the traditional foods of Iban, Bidayuh, or Orang Ulu. Other activities include golf, bike building and visiting the national parks and caves.

“Most business destinations would have the same or greater infrastructure than Kuching, but the physical sights and sounds, as in the natural scenery and the historic culture, the fantastic food and I must stress this, the friendliness of its people, I believe delegates would appreciate such experience better and would find their journey to Sarawak valuable to the extreme,” says Cannon.

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TALKING POINT

The event horizon

Gone are the days where you simply sell space, give customers the key and wish them well for their event. Now, more than ever, venues need to offer significant value-adds and evolve their business to meet the growing needs of customers now and in the future, says Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre chief executive Peter King.

“We’ve heard it many times over, the customer is king,” says Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre (MCEC) chief executive Peter King.

Becoming a truly customer-centric organisation is part of MCEC’s strategic direction, but it wasn’t until recently, when it took a step back and looked at the journey customers take when doing business with the Centre that it had a clear picture of how their needs have changed and put the steps in place to make sure their customers are at the heart of everything they do.

“Events have moved to a 24/7 operation and to keep ahead of the game and global competition, we need to predict what the customer will want in 10 years and this is where our recent customer journey research comes in,” he says.

The Centre commissioned external research that looked at a whole range of event organiser personas and the types of events they host. It showed the interactions and experiences customers have with MCEC each and every step of the event process.

“We recognise that customer segments have different needs dependent on the type

of event they’re organising,” he says. “The research revealed that our customers want greater flexibility and streamlined business processes, and ultimately delivering them a seamless customer experience at every level.

These needs have been considered in the MCEC’s expansion design, offering even greater flexibility, including indoor-outdoor spaces, and all integrated with the broader South Wharf precinct.

“The research also reiterated the need to focus even more on innovation in what we deliver, from interactive meeting and event spaces, to leading technology and creative food and beverage.”

“This demand for flexibility ties in with increased requests for creative and interactive networking spaces too, including bars, furniture and pop-ups, and based on these requests we’ve started to implement these offerings at MCEC in recent years,” he says.

Creating business models that deliver what customers want, developing new capabilities, and offering additional value is a central focus for the Centre to ensure it continues to create new business opportunities and events for Melbourne.

“There’s no such thing as a stand-alone event these days,” says King. “We’re seeing more organisers plan hybrid events, for example planning a conference with an exhibition component.

“Where we may have had 1000 people attending plenary sessions and breaking into four rooms with 200 people in each.

Now we might have customers requesting 250 spaces with four people in each, and we need to adapt our business for these needs.”

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“From a customer perspective there is a need for new and engaging event content.

Attendees are being swamped with content, so event organisers will need to look at different ways to engage their audiences’ attention pre, during and post event.”

Technology plays a vital role in delivering successful outcomes, but King remains confident face-to-face meetings will remain as important as ever.

“Although technology has opened up a new world, and is a valuable and important addition, I don’t believe it will be a replacement for physical meetings.”

EVENT REPORT

Setting the benchmark Event Inception, a showcase organised by Australian Technology Park and Decorative Events & Exhibitions, was a night of surprise, glitz and pure imagination, writes Anastasia Prikhodko.

Event Inception, held on August 20, was a co-ordinated effort between the venue and suppliers, who took their guests on a journey through time with dining and design.

Held at ATP’s industrial Exhibition Hall, Event Inception kept 300 of Sydney’s event planners in awe, with innovative décor, lighting, technical support, entertainment, pyrotechnics, food, wine and styling.

“Innovation is at the forefront of what we do, so we were excited to host Event Inception,” says Ruby Chronis, Australian Technology Park (ATP) director of sales and marketing.

From a fire lined entrance and pyrotechnics from Howard & Sons to a quick pamper of hair, make-up and nails from Pure Chica and entertainment from Miss Bird Sings, The Rat Pack Reloaded and The Diamonds, the guests continued to experience the element of surprise throughout the night.

Supported by event staff supplier Clifford Wallace, guests were treated to three different dining experiences from Sydney’s caterers Bayleaf, Laissez-Faire and Fresh Catering.

The caterers served an entrée, main and dessert amongst three of the latest styling collections from Decorative Events & Exhibitions: Miss Antoinette’s Masquerade, Jungle Funk and Future Lines Collective. Alongside the dishes were Angove Family Winemakers’ drinks, including their 15-year-old XO Brandy.

The evening was all about embracing the events community, showcasing what ATP and Sydney’s most creative suppliers could provide, and how one space could be the perfect canvas for three different looks.

“ATP was very appreciative of the suppliers who collaborated on the idea and presentation of an outstanding showcase,” Chronis adds.

The immersive dining and theatrical experience emphasised the ability for event planners to hit new heights in event production.

Decorative Events & Exhibitions managing director Mark Magennis also says that the team wanted the 300 guests to take away something from the event.

“The event landscape is always evolving, and the Event Inception collaborators knew we had to show how we’re going above and beyond the need to be innovative and cutting-edge,” says Chronis.

“Whether it be a new styling design, fresh menu concept, the next level of hospitality and service, the best AV technology and pyrotechnics or a new dazzling performance idea all while enjoying the party.”

www.cimmagazine.com Convention & Incentive Marketing, September 2015 33

VENUE UPDATE

Spicers Balfour Hotel Spicers Balfour Hotel in New Farm, Brisbane, has expanded to include eight additional luxe, art deco suites, and a function room to be housed in the adjacent Georgian style “Simla” building. The new suites have a combination of private lounge rooms, with separate bedrooms and large ensuites. The new function room can accommodate up to 60 people for cocktail events and 45 people seated.

News in brief Novotel Sydney Olympic Park’s new Lounge The Novotel has introduced The Lounge, a redesigned space suitable for mixing business with leisure. The renovated area on level 17 includes a flat screen TV, fireplace, lounge area, self-service bar and large dinner table – which can also be used as a board room table.

Crown Promenade Perth Crown Promenade Perth has recently undergone a room refurbishment of each of its 291 rooms. Peter Crinis, CEO of Crown Hotels, said that the refurbishment was an integral step in Crown’s development and journey.

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Ramada Hotel Hope Harbour The Ramada Hotel Hope Harbour in Queensland has unveiled its $2.5 million refurbishment of 70 rooms, common areas, conference and event facilities accommodating up to 300 guests. The hotel is preparing to open a new restaurant in the coming months.

The Sebel Kirkton Park Hunter Valley The Sebel Kirkton Park Hunter Valley is undergoing an extensive refurbishment which will see all of its rooms completely transformed. Set for completion in November 2015, all of the resort’s 70 guestrooms will receive a complete makeover along with the lobby and a new restaurant, wine lounge and bar.

Oaks Elan Darwin Oaks Hotels & Resorts have announced the opening of Oaks Elan Darwin, formerly Elan Soho Suites. Oaks Hotels & Resorts acquired the 319-room property in a deal worth $57.1 million.

Oaks Elan Darwin offers a conferencing precinct on the mezzanine level, with the choice of six separate, well-appointed spaces available in a range of configurations, from banquet to theatre and cocktail style and catering up to 410 guests.

The Mercure Perth The Mercure Perth hotel has re-launched its Beccaria Bar and Restaurant, showcasing a new finish and revised menu of classic Italian using local West Australian produce.

Holiday Inn Cairns Harbourside The Holiday Inn Cairns Harbourside, previously the Mercure Cairns Harbourside, has opened.

The hotel has recently undergone a refurbishment, with facilities including a swimming pool and Teshi’s restaurant.

Pullman Magenta Shores Pullman Magenta Shores Resort has unveiled its new Shallows Bar overlooking the golf course. The fully renovated space features all new furnishings and lounges including a wood fired pizza oven on the outdoor terrace.

www.cimmagazine.com Convention & Incentive Marketing, September 2015 35

REVIEW

Adelaide Convention Centre Go west

rooms surrounded by light filled extended foyers offering views of the river.

The opening of the Adelaide Convention Centre’s new West Building, the first stage in a $400 million expansion, has put the Centre in the spotlight both nationally and internationally, with reported record interest from professional conference organisers around the world.

On the lower level, the Riverbank Rooms feature three meeting rooms which can be sub-divided or opened up into one large meeting room. The expansive Riverbank

Since opening in March, the new West Building has hosted approximately six major conferences and exhibitions per month. These include the Associations Forum (July 14-15), and will also host the PCO Conference (Nov 29 - Dec 1, 2015) and Dreamtime (December 6-9, 2015).

event solution.

Even the West Building’s jewel in the crown, the Panorama Ballroom, has operable walls to provide the flexibility for the space to be subdivided into three smaller meeting spaces.

Finally, Halls LMNO also provide a multifunctional space that can be sub-divided into six different configurations and retractable lighting grids allow ceiling heights to be adjusted and shaped for each event.

Soils and seasons

Riverbank revitalisation The Adelaide Convention Centre sits at the heart of the Riverbank Precinct – acting as a gateway to the Riverbank’s key precincts which are creating a must see destination and centrepiece for the city of Adelaide.

Encompassing 380 hectares of land around the River Torrens, the precinct is the city’s new hub for culture, sport, business, entertainment and health, home to many of Adelaide’s most significant buildings and spaces.

Flexibility, the key The West Building’s flexibility is proving popular with South Australian businesses and organisations hosting meetings, seminars, exhibitions and training events.

The building has been designed to incorporate clusters of combinable meeting

foyer opens up directly onto the Riverbank Promenade.

Alternatively, the City Rooms offer a series of interconnecting meeting rooms with its own foyer space, registration areas and set-backs and an outdoor terrace overlooking North Terrace and the city.

For meetings of up to 300 people, which incorporate a plenary plus breakout meeting component and exhibition of up to 12 booths, the Centre is finding organisers using these cluster areas and having an exhibition/trade element in the foyers – in direct proximity to the meeting sessions. This provides organisers with dedicated space to enhance networking opportunities for their delegates at the same time as creating a cost effective

You’ll find stories of South Australia in every dish listed on the Adelaide Convention Centre’s Soils & Seasons menu. Developed by recently appointed executive chef Gavin Robertson the Soils and Seasons menu has been crafted around the stories of local farmers, fishers and growers.

Be it breakfast for 35, canapés for 350, or a banquet for 3500 – take your pick from the menu and taste the soil, the season, the sea and the region.

Eastern promise The new East Building, which will house the 3500 seat Plenary, is well underway with demolition of the original building complete and the steelwork for the new building now going into place. The East Building is on-track for completion in 2017 and the Centre is already managing 50 conference and exhibition enquiries for the new building.

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MEETING PEOPLE

Brenton Castiglio has been appointed as the new director of sales for cievents Australia.

Whilst at Corporate Traveller, Brenton has won awards such as the Corporate Traveller Outstanding Achievement Award, Top BDM in NSW and Top Novice BDM in Australia.

AccorHotels has appointed Danesh Bamji as general manger franchise Australia.

Bamji is now based in AccorHotels Sydney corporate office and has over 20 year’s hospitality experience with his most recent roles including general manager of the Pullman Sydney Hyde Park, Novotel Sydney Brighton Beach and Novotel Sydney Central.

AVIAREPS has announced Emilie Groleau as its new general manager for Australia and New Zealand.

Groleau has held business development, change management and account management responsibilities at the company’s offices in Amsterdam, Munich, Dubai and Milan before arriving at AVIAREPS’ Oceania office in Sydney.

Hilton Worldwide has announced the appointment of Fiona Pryde as general manager of Hilton Surfers Paradise. In her new role, Pryde will take responsibility for the 419 room combined hotel and residences property on Queensland's Gold Coast, and has over 19 years of experience in the hospitality industry.

Sofitel Melbourne on Collins has appointed Shane Douglas to director of sales and marketing.

With more than 20 years’ experience in sales and marketing within 5 star hotels around Australia, Douglas will bring a wealth of knowledge and leadership skills to Sofitel Melbourne On Collins.

Elements of Byron has appointed Leon Pink as the general manager of the beachfront resort set to open in February 2016.

Pink’s hotel career spans more than 20 years, having managed luxury and boutique hotels and resorts in Europe, Australia, Asia and the Pacific. Recently he was general manager for Ayers Rock Resort’s flagship hotel Sails in the Desert.

Sofitel Fiji Resort & Spa has appointed Luke Groves in the role of Waitui Beach Club manager.

He is taking on the newly created roles at the resort with Waitui Beach Club, adults’ only area having recently opened on July 31.

Robert Miletic has been appointed as the new area director of sales and marketing, South Pacific.

With over 25 years of experience in the hospitality industry.

Miletic will be responsible for overseeing a portfolio of three properties – the InterContinental Fiji, Holiday Inn Suva and the Holiday Inn Vanuatu.

Metro Hospitality Group has appointed Paul Rogers to general manager at the Metro Hotel in Perth. Rogers brings with him 25 years of international and domestic experience in the hospitality industry.

Rogers is responsible for daily property management, as well as identifying and capitalising on opportunities to grow the hotel’s leisure and corporate business.

Rydges Hotels and Resorts has appointed Joel Day as general manager of Rydges Plaza Cairns. Day began his career in hospitality while still at school in Far North Queensland and went on to managerial roles across several island resorts in the region before transferring to Melbourne.

IHG has promoted Ruwan Peiris, previously the regional general manager of NSW, to director of operations, Australia. This promotion comes at a strategic time of growth for the hotel. In his new role, Ruwan will oversee the operational performance of all managed hotels in Australia.

Graeme Barnett, who is the senior exhibition director for ibtm world, has been appointed as interim event director for AIME 2016. He will be responsible for the delivery of the trade show AIME 2016 alongside the new event director, a role that is still being fielded.

Central Coast Tourism has appointed Jo Marks as MICE manager. She brings over 10 years of industry experience to the role, including roles at Townsville North Queensland Convention Bureau.

www.cimmagazine.com Convention & Incentive Marketing, September 2015 37

PCO ASSOCIATION

To tweet or not to tweet – is that really the question?

Marketer and social media expert Jonathan Crossfield shares some of his insights into social media as an effective tool for event organisers.

Q: Should you generate all your own content or are retweets and reposts as effective?

conversations and show that there is a human behind your account and not just a robot.

A: There needs to be a balance. Retweeting other users and reposting content from other sources shows you are part of the wider conversation, willing to share interesting, informative and entertaining content regardless of whether it’s your own or not.

Q: Will you get new business via social media marketing?

Also, if you retweet and repost the content of other influential people within your industry, you increase the chances that they may value you as part of their network, pay more attention to you, and hopefully reciprocate when you share your own content.

Q: What is the most important thing to measure in social media?

A: There are far too many marketers that obsess over what have become known as “vanity metrics”. What will a lot of Twitter followers achieve for your business? Do Facebook “Likes” even matter? Understanding how and why people are sharing your content can often be far more valuable than just tracking the number of shares.

Would you rather 10,000 “likes” or followers from people who may never buy your product, or do you want 300 highly active followers who enjoy your content and have the potential to become high value customers?

Ultimately, what you measure depends on your strategy – and yes, there should always be a clear, documented strategy. Otherwise any attempt to determine the success or failure of your social media will be too subjective.

If you want to drive awareness of a particular event, then maybe you would focus on the number of clicks from social media to your event website. If your intention was to foster discussion around a certain topic to garner feedback or useful insight the business can use, then the number of comments would be far more important than the number of shares.

Q: Is it ok to share the same content across different platforms?

A: It depends. Each network attracts

A: Well, I have. Social media helped me to build my personal brand, while demonstrating my ideas and expertise. This has undoubtedly led to people following me and my content, and a few have then gone on to become clients.

different people. And even the same people will behave differently in each network. So while your target customers may be active in both Facebook and LinkedIn, they will most likely respond to different content in each.

It ultimately comes down to understanding the audience, and spending some time watching the types of content and the sorts of topics they prefer to share in each network.

Q: Do certain types of content work better on different social media?

A: Again, the answer is “it depends”. Some content formats do share well in multiple platforms. Many blog posts can do well in Twitter, LinkedIn, even Pinterest, assuming the topic is right for the audience. But sometimes your content will benefit from some customisation.

Q: What's the best way to schedule posts, and does this really save time or just make it more complicated?

A: Scheduling some posts is massively useful – if only to spread out your activities across the day or week without spending too much time there. Tools such as Buffer and CoSchedule can make this task a lot easier.

But, as always, have a plan. If you’ve planned your social media activities on a marketing calendar, then you can prepare and schedule in advance and be far more efficient.

Of course, scheduling cannot replace all of your real-time interaction. Someone still needs to go in and reply to other users, join

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But this is never a quick sell. Blatant pitching and calls to action don’t work nearly as well as just good old fashioned networking.

They’re called social networks, after all. If you’ve ever been to networking events, swapping business cards and making small talk to meet people and nurture leads, then this can be no different. Just don’t force it!

Q: Do you need to be on every platform?

A: Spend some time mastering one or two networks really well instead of spreading yourself across five or more poorly. It makes a really bad impression if you have social media accounts that just don’t do very much or never seem to respond quickly enough. Your followers don’t care that you lack the time.

You’ve got to turn up!

Q: How do you best promote a blog post and ultimately drive traffic to your website?

A: Firstly, the blog post does most of the heavy lifting here. Is the content any good?

So start there. Publish great content.

Publish unmissable, essential, entertaining, informative, useful and exclusive content.

Once you have a great blog post, then schedule it to be shared to each of your chosen social media channels at the times your research says are most likely to attract the right eyeballs. Where possible, use images. Twitter allows you to attach images to tweets, and both Facebook and LinkedIn will grab an image from the post.

Jonathan Crossfield is a keynote speaker at the 8th Annual PCOA Conference & Exhibition.

Shift into gear Is there a difference between an event planner and professional conference organiser?

The conference and events industry is not straightforward. Whether you own the business or have a working role within a company, understanding every aspect is essential. What is needed of course is energy, effort and ongoing enthusiasm to succeed.

Now what is the event planner? The event planner specifically pulls all components together from meeting the client, taking the brief, building the concept and then, working to bring that vision into reality.

This of course is achieved through instructive meetings with contractors,

concept creation to meet clients’ objective, meticulous detailing, precise production, team coaching with the focus on financial/ budget management. That, is the definition of the event planner.

Now what of the professional conference organiser? Is there a difference? There certainly is. Added to the event planner’s checklist you can include travel arrangements, the booking of accommodation, program design, promotional marketing, specific registrations, partner programs, multiple events over two three or four days, contracts, evaluation, plus more.

So what does it all mean? On one level it means that the width and breadth of any celebration is immeasurable. As a conference organiser or event planner it means that your clientele is vast and the number of potential conference attendees or corporate guests infinite.

Today the fact of the matter is that this business holds a cold bottom line like no other, therefore three points must remain a constant: strive to improve the way you are managing by regularly reviewing your operation; strive to seek new ways to be more effective and coach your team to perform at a higher level and finally; strive to bullet proof your business against failure.

Lena Malouf will presenting the “Shift into Gear workshop” at The 8th Annual PCOA Conference and Exhibition.

How to harness the power of an idea Entrepreneur and humanitarian Stuart Robertson is creating a global conversation with a ripple effect with his project Peace in 10,000 Hands.

Using the visual language of art and photography Stuart Robertson takes full advantage of the phenomenal power of modern social networks and instant borderless communication, dissolving prejudice and making humankind more connected than at any other time in our history.

Robertson has over 300,000 followers online, is a TEDx speaker and featured as the lead story on 60 Minutes in late 2014.

He has published a book, directed a film and launched many successful businesses.

Robertson is also the founder and director of The Orange Group, 10 dynamic companies specialising in incentive travel hospitality and delivering global activations and event solutions to the likes of Rugby World Cup, Cricket World Cup and FiFA under 20s.

Robertson's stories of adventure and travel are thought provoking and entertaining from around the globe including Iraq and Antarctica. His content is garnered from spending time with some of the world's most iconic leaders and celebrities, such as The Dalai Lama and Demi Moore and also from his successes in business.

Stuart Robertson will delivering “The Power of an Idea” at The 8th Annual PCOA Conference and Exhibition.

PCO ASSOCIATION NEWS Stamford Hotels and Resorts will be the Silver Sponsor for the PCO Association Annual Conference & Exhibition to be held at the Adelaide Convention Centre between November 29 and December 1, 2015.

"We would like to thank Stamford Hotels and Resorts in advance

for their $11,000 investment in the association’s 8th Annual Conference & Exhibition, attracting Australia and New Zealand’s largest gathering of conference managers,” says Barry Neame, PCO Association president.

www.cimmagazine.com Convention & Incentive Marketing, September 2015 39

MEETINGS & EVENTS

PARKROYAL ON PICKERING, A PARKROYAL COLLECTION HOTEL LOCATED IN SINGAPORE

“memorable for all the right reasons”

Four outstanding venues in Australia, with over 60 meeting and event spaces, and generous inclusions to ensure that your guests remember your event for all the right reasons; and you do too.

HOLD AN EVENT WITH US AND YOU COULD A LUXURIOUS TRIP FOR TWO TO SINGAPORE

WIN

For details visit pphg.com/meetings

Connect with our Australian Hotels Pan Pacific Perth | PARKROYAL Darling Harbour, Sydney | PARKROYAL Parramatta PARKROYAL Melbourne Airport Terms and Conditions: Authorised under NSW PN LTPS/15/02908, VIC PN 15/818, ACT PN TP 15/05538. 1. Event must be held at one of the four Australian properties and held prior to the 11/11/2015. 2. Entrants must be over 18 years and have a valid email address. 3. One entry per person. 4. Winner will be drawn on the 4/12/2015 and be advised by email, mail or telephone. 5. Accommodation package valid at PARKROYAL on Pickering only. 6. Accommodation package is for a 5 night stay in a standard room and includes two business class flights with Singapore Airlines.

7. Accommodation is subject to availability and excludes special events and blackout period. 8. By entering this competition you consent to further contact from Pan Pacific Hotels Group via newsletters or mail. 9. Event value must be over AUD5,000.