Last night at the launch of the Australian Event Awards, Sydney 2000 Olympic Chief, Sandy Hollway called on Government and Industry to instigate a deliberate, strategic expansion of the Australian events industry. Hollway, who is also Co-chair of the Event Awards Judging Panel, called the events industry a National Asset, saying: “Australians feel the ground [...]

by Trevor Connell By all accounts this year’s MEA conference was a great success.  The speakers ranged from good to great, the social events were a great hit and the venue staff went all out to impress. This is not intended to be a definitive appraisal of the conference but rather a collection of observations [...]

Sydney-based boutique events company Funktionality Events and Experiences formally launched their new warehouse and showroom recently- with somewhat of a bang! Report by Siobhan O’Hamlon, photos by Oneil Photographics Now situated in Marrickville, Funktionality are very excited to finally have their offices and all their stock located within the one building, just a stone’s throw [...]

ASE editor, Trevor Connell interviewed Brenda Bailey, sales and marketing manager of the Big Group, at AIME. ASE started by asking Brenda about the MCVB welcome function at the Myer Mural Hall on the Sunday night preceding AIME. BB:         Oh yes, true; that was a gorgeous night.  Sunday night was actually hosted by Melbourne Convention [...]

by Trevor Connell It all started on the red carpet – there to greet guests were Staging Connections’ stylist Anthony Del Col and Tanya Brown (National Business Development Manager) interviewing the arrivals for a direct webcast of the event.  Then red carpet photos by EventPix in front of the media wall, then off to the bubbly. SCEC [...]

The MEA conference opening night party was held at the Marquee nightclub at The Star.  The nightclub had opened just three weeks earlier. The journey from the conference centre to The Star was made through threatening rain with student volunteers guiding the way with light wands (and with umbrellas at the ready).  Then up the [...]

Recruiters share with ISES members the best ways to find and keep the best talent. Report and photos by Nate Cochran Even in a tight job market where talented staff are hard to find, a simple “thank you” may be enough on a daily basis to keep employees motivated and productive, delegates to ISES’ second [...]

The MEA SA awards dinner was a classy affair when guests gathered in the Crystal Room of the Stamford Plaza Adelaide. Highlight of the evening was the presentation of the Muriel Ellis Award for outstanding service to the meetings and events industry in SA to Rob Bulfield – a very popular recipient. Other awards went [...]

Almost 400 guests gathered at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) on Tuesday night for a glamorous evening of celebration at the venue’s signature event for the year. The grand banquet room was transformed into an opulent dinner setting, showcasing the adaptability of the space, the venue’s leading in-house audio-visual and unparalleled food and [...]

ISES Melbourne Chapter are thrilled that the annual ISES Student Conference, being held at the Sofitel Melbourne on Collins on Wednesday 23rd May, is once again heading for record breaking attendances. To be officially opened by Melbourne’s Lord Mayor, Robert Doyle, this year’s conference will explore the concept that “Only Live Gives You Five” – [...]

The Proposal That one of Australia’s capital cities should stage an Indigenous Arts Festival of world standing every two or four years, to honor and celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture, and indigenous cultures from around the world, as a major new visitor attraction. Rationale In a country in which indigenous culture has such [...]

(Address by Sandy Hollway to launch the 2012 Australian Event Awards and the 2012 Australian Event Symposium, 15 May 2012) I would like to thank you all for being with us this evening for the joint-launch of two of the most important fixtures on the calendar of the Australian events industry — the 2012 Australian [...]

Melbourne has officially been recognised as the number one city in Australia for conferences and congresses, Minister for Tourism and Major Events Louise Asher announced today. The Country and City Ranking Report 2011, produced by The International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA), saw Melbourne ranked ahead of any other Australian city at number 31 in [...]

The business core of the North Shore, Chatswood is Sydney’s third largest CBD and the home of many national and international business headquarters. Conveniently located 8.5 kilometres north of the Sydney CBD, Chatswood is easily accessible via public transport from anywhere in Sydney. Located in the heart of the Chatswood CBD, the Zenith Theatre and [...]

Construction has commenced on a $3 million state-of-the-art sports entertainment venue at the Pullman Reef Casino Hotel in Cairns. Located on the second level of the complex in the casino area, the sports “arena” will feature a $1 million theatre boasting the largest indoor LED screen in Queensland and tiered seating catering for more than [...]

As 2011 saw a burgeoning MICE market at Palazzo Versace, the haute hotel continues to lead the way in their corporate offerings in the new year. Palazzo Versace is offering speedy specials to further encourage their MICE market. This fast-paced booking initiative is offering those with quick confirmation, within two weeks of an issued proposal, [...]

With new facilities, new rooms and a winning mix of business and pleasure, Hyatt Regency Coolum Golf Resort and Spa has cemented its place as the Sunshine Coast’s leading events destination. Secluded within 150 hectares of sub-tropical bushland between a white sand beach and the dramatic outcrop of Mt Coolum, the resort offers world-class facilities [...]

Accor has launched a user-friendly interactive e-planner site that allows Professional Conference Organisers (PCOs) to find the perfect hotel for their next event quickly and easily from the comfort of their desk. With a choice of 1700 hotels across Australia, Asia, Oceania, Europe, Africa and the Middle East, this new e-planner is the ultimate tool [...]

South African Tourism is pleased to welcome Deborah Binder to their team, taking over the role as Marketing and Communications Manager for Australasia. Originally from the Canary Islands in Spain, Deborah brings a wealth of travel marketing and destination knowledge having worked in New York, Boston, Madrid and Windhoek. Initially beginning her career in advertising, [...]

An InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) employee has celebrated 40 years of service with the company, having worked across IHG’s Crowne Plaza and Holiday Inn brands during his tenure. 69-year-old Joachim “Joe” Bittner, breakfast chef at Crowne Plaza Melbourne, recently celebrated his gold anniversary with IHG and received special letters of appreciation from Jan Smits, CEO, [...]

Octanorm Australia today welcomed a familiar face back to the fold, announcing the return of Bill Bell to its team as National Sales Manager. In his new role, Mr Bell will cultivate sales across Australia through greater emphasis on business development and investigating potential new business areas for Octanorm products and services. Mr Bell brings [...]

The Melbourne Convention + Visitors Bureau’s (MCVB) Beverley Williamson has been named Business Development Person of the Year, as well as the coveted Meetings or Events Professional of the Year, at this year’s prestigious Meetings and Events Australia (MEA) National Awards. Announced on Tuesday night at the 25th MEA Annual Conference Awards in Sydney, Ms [...]

Holiday Inn Melbourne on Flinders has appointed Garry Beadel as the new hotel manager. Effective today, Garry will oversee the hotel’s operations, leveraging his experience in brand customer services and quality control. Prior to joining the Holiday Inn Melbourne on Flinders team, Garry was the executive assistant manager and rooms division manager of Crowne Plaza [...]