Of the grand order of folio leviathans, the Sperm Whale and the Right Whale are by far the most noteworthy. They are the only whales regularly hunted by man. To the Nantucketer, they present the two extremes of all the known varieties of the whale. As the external difference between them is mainly observable in their heads; and as a head of each is this moment hanging from the Pequod's side.
Type and hit ENTER
Be Yourself. Be Happy.
Stay Positive. Always.
Of the grand order of folio leviathans, the Sperm Whale and the Right Whale are by far the most noteworthy. They are the only whales regularly hunted by man. To the Nantucketer, they present the two extremes of all the known varieties of the whale. As the external difference between them is mainly observable in their heads; and as a head of each is this moment hanging from the Pequod's side.
Get Local is going ahead as planned on 15th, 16th February 2022 and co-owner Donna Kessler has a message for the …
January 21, 2022
Posted by Trevor Connell
January 21, 2022
Read More →
Mark McGowan’s announcement last night should come as no surprise as it reflects his whole way of operating for the last …
January 21, 2022
Posted by Gary Fitz-Roy
January 21, 2022
Read More →
Save Victorian Events has released the results of a snap survey of Victoria’s Event Industry. This is the fourth survey we …
January 20, 2022
Posted by Save Victorian Events
January 20, 2022
Read More →
“Australian Open is more important than any one player” – Rafael Nadal Couldn’t have said it any better myself. OK, it …
January 17, 2022
Posted by Peter Jones
January 17, 2022
Read More →Australia’s biggest summer sporting event has been getting plenty of coverage this week thanks to Novak. Meanwhile the Sydney Festival has …
January 14, 2022
Posted by Trevor Connell
January 14, 2022
Read More →
The big issues affecting festivals at the moment will also impact expos and conferences – which usually do not kick in …
January 14, 2022
Posted by Trevor Connell
January 14, 2022
Read More →
Mark McGowan’s announcement last night should come as no surprise as it reflects his whole way of operating for the last two years. However the impact on the events sector in WA will be great and the sector could fall five years behind the East Coast in the recovery process. It’s ironic that the 2022 lamb advert called it when they asked will WA ever be part of Australia …
Save Victorian Events has released the results of a snap survey of Victoria’s Event Industry. This is the fourth survey we have done of the event industry in the last year. We’ve had over 400 responses. The purpose of these surveys is to get solid data that we can all use to brief governments, media and others about the real situation in the Event industry, and so we can …
“Australian Open is more important than any one player” – Rafael Nadal Couldn’t have said it any better myself. OK, it is all done and dusted and we know who has left the building. Now one of Melbourne’s major events can finally get underway. As part of the ongoing discussion over the last week, one of the surprising areas has been the supposed irreparable damage to Victorian’s ongoing Major …
Australia’s biggest summer sporting event has been getting plenty of coverage this week thanks to Novak. Meanwhile the Sydney Festival has been targeted by political activists. Unfortunately these activists have taken aim at individual performers rather than government or funding bodies. Now I’m not taking sides on the issue but seriously, haven’t the artists suffered enough with their livelihood snatched from them over the past two years. Why pick …
The big issues affecting festivals at the moment will also impact expos and conferences – which usually do not kick in again until February. So it’s worthwhile having a look at the impact. And how religious festivals are open slather. Cancellation Insurance – there have been many calls for a national COVID cancellation insurance scheme that the federal government has steadfastly refused to back. And the only state to …
Victoria is the only state so far to launch an insurance package for the broader event industry. However there are numerous aspects that question whether it is just a political stunt to look like they are supporting the sector as opposed to really providing a safety net and ensuring the longevity of the industry. It can be distilled down to two main aspects. Who is actually able apply for …
With out-of-control COVID numbers, future testing requirement uncertainty, plus the ethical need to close the conference if any delegate, staff person or onsite supplier tests positive at any stage during the three-day and night event, it is with a very heavy heart that we have no choice but to postpone the 2022 Art of Attraction Tourism Summit.The conference was planned for the Sunshine Coast in early March.Conference Director Liz …
After a decade in exhibitions, Doug is now CFO at Scalabrini, a NFP organisation that manages six aged care villages in NSW Like many I am no longer working in the Events and Exhibitions space having left an Industry I loved and was passionate about since I was lucky enough to get a job in it in 2010. Events and Exhibitions have a way of infecting the soul with …
Almost all of Australia’s Convention Bureaux will be participating in AIME 2022, taking place on 21–23 March in person and 28 March–1 April online. With 17 Convention Bureaux confirmed, sights are set on connecting with quality buyers and the AIME community to help drive business for their local regions, as well as showcasing their unique destinations on the world stage. Owner of AIME, the Melbourne Convention Bureau is …
Although I live in western Sydney where gangland shootings are too common (the latest was about 2K from where I live) that is not the bullets I’m referring to. I am of course talking about COVID. Almost every day now I am receiving an alert related to a venue I have visited – including my local supermarket, Officeworks and West HQ where I saw The Little Prince this week. …
It sounds like Groundhog Day. The threat of covid spreading faster than a brush fire and again creating uncertainty and lack of confidence around events. This has certainly been emphasised by the diminished attendance at Christmas and New Year Events. Even the crowds at the post-Christmas sales were down considerably. Has the pent up demand waned or is everyone just being super cautious? It is clear that governments, both …
As we kick off 2022 the event industry has been delivered a new ball game and one that offers less certainty and support than the last two years and indeed makes the last two years look far better than the current 2022 outlook! Its clear governments are committed to keeping things open and whilst this was one of the hurdles last year, and something the industry pushed and advocated …
The Little Prince is a fantasy book written by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry and published in 1943 and is one of the best-selling and most translated books ever published. A stage production opened at The Coliseum in Rooty Hill last night. So what can the event industry learn from this production? In essence, don’t expect people to turn up for your event. Despite (or because of) the fact that there are currently no …
As we say goodbye to 2021 we must ask “are we heading to freedom or disaster?” First an explanation about the lack of posts via ASE over the past three weeks. Quite simply, I’ve been too busy. In 2020 the advertising revenue dried up and I kept ASE going via my own resources. This year I changed the format from running media releases to encouraging commentary and opinion. I’m …
The AIME Insider is excited to reveal some industry whispers from buyers attending the 2022 event. What piques their interest I hear you ask? Well, we sat down with renowned Australian event leaders to find out more. Virginia Loyola, Senior Business Development Manager at Arinex says, “I’m most excited to connect with clients and our industry colleagues given the roller coaster of the last two years – we all …
ASE asked some of our contributors to sum up the year, look forward, or just make a comment. Here is what they had to say. Peter Jones – Peter Jones Special Events In the last month alone, we’ve gone from 0 to 70km an hour and many are struggling to keep up – primarily due to staff issues and short lead times. From what I’m seeing, we then jump …
Ruth Lilian has been managing The VERVE Symposium for many years. The 2021 event was her most challenging yet. Each year I manage an annual conference – The VERVE Symposium – at ICC in the first week of December – we usual have over 500 attending and, following the cancellation of the 2020 conference, the end of the NSW lockdown this year and, with just on six weeks to …
The Victorian events community closed the door on what has been a terrible 20 months for the Exhibition and Event industry as a result of the COVID19 pandemic. At a gathering of key industry stakeholders, the Victorian Events community came together to reunite and reconnect with their peers, saying goodbye to almost two years of inactivity for the sector. Industry leaders gathered at Harry the hirer’s Head Office in …
This weekend, Sydney Showground returned to pre-pandemic bliss, welcoming two consumer events, Expertise Event’s Oz Comic-Con Homegrown (OZCC) and the Sydney Disability Expo, to the venue. Injecting life back into Sydney Olympic Park, NSW Minister for Jobs, Investment and Tourism, Stuart Ayres highlighted the exciting return of events by officially opening OZCC Homegrown and mingling with guests and stand holders across The Dome and Hall 2A. Over two days, the event …
There is a saying that goes along these lines, “judge your friends during the tough times as this is when their true colours will show, because in the good times it’s easy”. This is another story around the lessons from the last 18 months. To take on what has come out of it and learn from it as some people seem delusional or have simply defaulted to the head …
Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment, the Hon Dan Tehan, has today released a proposed strategy for the visitor economy, THRIVE 2030 (The Re-Imagined Visitor Economy). Austrade is seeking stakeholder views on the draft with submissions closing 23rd December 2021.The strategy will be the national long-term plan to rebuild and return the visitor economy to long-term sustainable growth. It includes actions for governments and industry. “We are pleased to see the release of the anticipated Reimagining …
So, I needed a calculator to work it out but it’s a scary number. It has been 616 days since the Melbourne Grand Prix was cancelled on the 13th March 2020 to last week’s announcement where we Victorian’s are basically back to what we do best – vertical consumption and dancing at the same time! Peter Jones Sounds like a flashback to an 80s themed party and surely the …
The events sector across Australia has experienced considerable collateral damage as a result of COVID-19. However, with high vaccination rates being reached across the country and with borders opening up we can look forward to resumption in demand for face-to-face meetings. This will provide a much needed boost to the industry in 2022. State borders will hopefully all be opened up in early 2022 and the domestic market will …
OK, so they have been back in other states for quite some time now but NSW and Vic where the hardest hit by the Bondi virus outbreak, so in Sydney and Melbourne we have reason to celebrate. Interpretation of the health rules however is still inconsistent – I worked in two major Sydney venues this month – while both required masks for hospitality staff, one had no requirement for …
While business events are not expected to return until March, Sydney Showground and the MCEC will be buzzing with costumed fans over the first two weekends of December as consumer events return. Readers would be aware that regular contributor Gary Fitz-Roy is the owner of Expertise Events who own Oz Comic Con. ASE asked Gary to share what went on behind the scenes to get this consumer event on …
We are happy to be able to share that today the Victorian Government has finally announced a $230 million Covid-19 event cancellation insurance scheme. Save Victorian Events began campaigning on this issue back in August 2020. Back then we were a pretty lonely voice on this critical issue. Most told us it would never happen and we shouldn’t bother (and have kept telling us!). As part of the …
This week I ask what our industry can learn from the demise of the professional photography industry association. James Bartold on how sports sponsorship has been affected by COVID and what they need to do get back in the game. Gary Fitz-Roy compares WA and China (carefully). And BECA have talks with the federal opposition. A federal parliamentary committee have released a National Cultural Plan. Another plan for Scotty …
I’ve been a long time member of the Australian Institute of Professional Photographers (AIPP). This association has a lot in common with our own industry associations. In both instances members are professionals operating in their field but are not required to be licenced. These associations are run by members who make up a governing board (national) with state branches. They make their money from memberships and conferences (with expos). …
James Bartold, Group Director Brand Partnerships Bastion Experience responds to the question – How does sponsorship play its role in driving brands and events back to consumers? Bartold recently joined Bastion Experience from the North Melbourne Football Club where he was Head of Sponsorship, Events and Commercial Strategy. Prior to the Kangaroos, James worked as a management consultant across private and public sector clients, and has held roles as …
I love the line in Crocodile Dundee where Paul Hogan talks about a problem and he says to Linda Kozlowski, “I tell Wal and he tells everyone and the problem goes away” I am sure this story will be controversial for some, but it’s the current reality of the situation playing out and without change will continue to impact the Business Events sector in Australia. So don’t shoot the …
This week, representatives of the Business Events Council of Australia (BECA) including Deputy Chair Geoff Donaghy (ICC Sydney), Kate Smith (Waldron Smith Management), Matt Pearce (Talk2 Media & Events) and Andrew Hiebl (Association of Australian Convention Bureaux), met online with Senator the Hon Don Farrell, Shadow Minister for Sport and Tourism, and the Hon Tony Burke MP, Shadow Minister for the Arts. The conversation focused on BECA’s three key priorities of …
NSW and Victoria reopening. Currently the vaccination rate in Australia’s two biggest states is lagging far behind the two most populous ones and that has repercussions for the event industry. Although the number of infections in NSW and Vic is higher than the other states they have been able to reopen earlier because the rate of vaccination is protecting the residents of those states. While events have continued in …
On the 10th September, following a number of phone calls to get access to an email address that worked, I wrote to the NSW Health Minister regarding the then recently announced NSW Roadmap to Recovery with some specific questions relating to the event industry. I received a response from the NSW Health Department on 2nd November, over seven weeks later and on the day the new Premier announced that …
There is no doubt that the global COVID-19 pandemic has changed the world. It has changed the way people live their lives and has also caused the corporate world to rethink how business is conducted and transacted. Along the way, it has made people realise even more, the importance and value of friendships, personal contact and, most of all, a smile on someone’s face! BC (before COVID) the notion …
NSW Premier Perrottet’s reopening of the state of NSW has been met with jubilation whilst also underscoring the extreme shortage of trained hospitality staff. International borders remain locked for tourists, skilled workers, and migrants. The NAVARRA solution is a ‘train to retain,’ approach minimising staff shortfalls, with the creation of their in situ, certified, specialised Event Coordination and Styling course to provide training, a minimum of 40 hours work …
Sunday 31 October marked the final night of the Australian Event Awards 12-day celebration of the best events and most innovative achievements in Australia’s Events Industry since 1 July 2020. Despite the effects of Covid-19, the Event Awards persevered with an online ceremony format in 2021 that served to highlight the achievements and resilience of individuals and organisations in the Industry. Each evening between 20 – 31 October, short …
Over the past few weeks our focus has been on business recovery in NSW. Now the focus is on Victoria. Last Sunday Dan Andrews announced the recovery roadmap for Victoria that has been broadly supported. In announcing the benefits to business events, the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events, Martin Pakula chose to credit the advocacy of the Business Events Reference Group (made up of representatives from MEA, …
Asia Pacific Incentives and Meetings Event (AIME) has announced CENTREPIECE at Melbourne Park will host its 2022 Welcome Event, to be held on 21 March 2022. Located only minutes from Melbourne’s CBD, the new venue will welcome domestic delegates (from across Australia and New Zealand) with an experiential event like no other – designed to fuel meaningful connections and re-energise the business events and tourism industry. With plans …
The Victorian Government is backing the return of a packed calendar of crowd-pleasing public events in regional and rural areas in 2022, bringing thousands of visitors and creating local jobs. The $20 million Regional Events Fund will open for applications on Monday, with organisers of festivals, sports events, exhibitions and other attractions encouraged to consider making an application for support. Funding is available for the attraction, development, marketing and …
Arinex’ Incentives and Special Events team is readying for the return of international travellers, launching a new destination website and exhibiting at IMEX America. The team has designed the new website to inspire incentive hosts on places and activities in Australia, New Zealand and Fiji when borders reopen as part of the respective governments’ roadmaps. International organisers will also be able to learn more about the team at the …
On Sunday the Victorian Premier, Dan Andrews announced the process for coming out of Victoria’s lockdown. The announcement was welcomed by the representative group for business events in Victoria – the Business Events Reference Group, which is made up of representation from MEA, EEAA and VTIC. Business Events Reference Group welcomes Victorian Roadmap to Recovery The work of the Business Events Reference Group was acknowledged by Martin Pakula the …
The hard work is only just starting and the reform being discussed falls way short to what we really need. I raised back on the 8th October that the re-opening of NSW should put a skip in our step and its clear that with the exception of WA (in case you have missed it the Premier in WA has announced the border will remain closed until Easter) the rest …
It has been a very long, hard and frustrating road for Victoria’s event industry to get to the point where we are today – where there is finally a roadmap out of this crisis. The roadmap isn’t perfect, but the main thing is that there is one now and we know where we stand. We can start planning. We have worked incredibly hard behind the scenes to push all …
The Business Events Reference Group today welcomed the announcement by the Victorian Government of its roadmap to recovery for the state’s $13 billion business events sector. After nearly two years of Covid-hibernation, the announcement today gives this critical sector in the state’s visitor economy the confidence it needs to plan for 2022 and beyond. The Business Events Reference Group was formed in early 2021 with senior representation from the …
The big news this week for businesses in NSW was the announcement of a $530m funding package for tourism and events that premier Dominic Perrottet said “would bring back tourists and supercharge the businesses and attractions that contribute $38 billion to our economy, making the state one of the world’s most popular destinations.” NSW government announce recovery package for events More than $530 million will be invested in reviving …
Victorian artists are set to take centre stage for close to 4,000 gig-goers as the joy of live music returns to the Sidney Myer Music Bowl as part of the Victorian Government’s vaccinated economy trial. Minister for Creative Industries Danny Pearson confirmed local talent including King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Baker Boy, Amyl and the Sniffers, Grace Cummings and Vika and Linda Bull will entertain music lovers at …
Food, tourism, hospitality and events industries have a reason to celebrate with specialist training provider William Angliss Institute named the Large Training Provider of the Year at the Victorian Training Awards. Despite a year that was anything but ‘business as usual’, the team at William Angliss Institute continued delivery throughout restrictions that necessitated remote learning, maintaining student opportunities and improving processes. The benefits will be felt by the industries …
Yesterday’s announcement by the NSW government promising to “turbocharge the recovery of tourism and events” has been generally welcomed by the event industry; however, as usual, the devil will be in the detail. The big question will be how long this funding will be available for. Events are planned months and years in advance. Regular festivals such as Bluesfest, Sydney Festival, Vivid, Royal Easter Show, etc start planning their …
This joint statement by theatres in Sydney acknowledges the significant and specific impacts that COVID-19 pandemic has had on the performing arts industry around the world, and specifically in Sydney during extended periods of lockdown. This impact extends to our artists, audiences, employees, partners, donors, funders and other stakeholders. We are committed to re-opening and operating to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all our stakeholders. We are committed to the development and …
Today’s launch of the ‘COVID-19 Economic Recovery Plan’ by the NSW Government will play a significant role in rebuilding business confidence and incentivising event organisers to book their in-person meeting, according to the state’s global bidding specialists BESydney. The more than $530 million support package includes $6 million for business events, conferences and conventions across Greater Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong, as part of a major COVID-19 recovery package designed …
Starting tonight, and continuing until 31 October, short video broadcasts, announcing the Finalists and National Winner of each category, will be published on the Awards’ YouTube channel each evening. Tonight, the broadcasts will kick off with three category announcements: Best Live or Hybrid Corporate Event at 6pm (AEDT), Best Online Event Delivery Platform at 7pm (AEDT) & Best Virtual Small Event at 8pm (AEDT). The remainder of October will …
More than $530 million will be invested in reviving events across the state and getting tourism back on track as part of the NSW Government’s COVID-19 Economic Recovery Plan. The tourism and events recovery package includes: $250 million for the expanded Stay & Rediscover scheme providing a $50 voucher to all NSW adults to redeem at accommodation premises across NSW.$150 million to support the recovery of major event activity …
Loud, joyous wedding bells tolling throughout NSW is the sound that echoed from NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet’s announcement that weddings no longer will be capped now the state has reached 80% vaccination rates. “It’s this amazing feeling of joy that we all get here at Navarra venues as we hit each milestone the government has put on the roadmap to recovery. Firstly it was a 50 cap, increased to …
Artists, musicians, theatres, venues, festivals and cultural organisations in NSW will be supported with $86 million in funding from the NSW Government to reopen with confidence and welcome back audiences. Treasurer Matt Kean said the stimulus would support individuals and businesses to bounce back quickly and reignite the economy through their cultural offerings. “We have all been champing at the bit to see films in cinemas, our local bands …
It seems we can’t take a trick, over the weekend it has been announced live performance theatre shows, music and arts all have funding and support along with Agriculture based field days YET Business Events are once again excluded or simply forgotten! $86 million injection to kickstart arts, screen and culture in NSW Gary Fitz-Roy It really feels like we are deliberately being left out of any support whilst …
A late wrap this week – I went out for lunch today for an actual face to face business meeting. The new NSW premier is determined to make his mark and is certainly more gung ho than Gladys. Dom had this to say on future lockdowns Look, our intention is not to go backwards. But as you say, there will be challenges that come our way which we may …
Federal Agriculture Minister, David Littleproud was in Brisbane on Tuesday to announce a second round of funding to support agricultural shows and field days around the country. “The Federal Government today is committing $25 million towards agricultural shows across this country – to those shows that have been shut down by COVID. Twelve million will go to the rural shows here in the Ekka, Canberra, Melbourne, and Adelaide, to …
There has been a lot of chatter about bars and restaurants reopening in Sydney this week, but how are things looking at Sydney’s biggest venue? ASE checked in with ICC Sydney CEO, Geoff Donaghy. With such high vaccination rates in the community now, we are expecting that confidence to return to face to face event settings will continue to grow. Client enquiries for local events have been strongest to …
Regional Arts NSW is thrilled with the recent announcement of $3.4 million in funding from the NSW Government for the Regional Arts Network after campaigning for increased funding over many years. Regional Arts Development Organisations (RADOs) across the state will now receive $200,000 per annum each for 2021/22. This is an increase from $168,000 in core operational funds in 2020/21. The boost in core funding for RADOs has been …
There has been quite a bit of talk about a shortage of casual workers in hospitality (in particular, along with cleaners and security) as Sydney retail reopens. ‘Hunger Games’ as Sydney hospitality venues scramble for staff ahead of reopening day So what does this mean for Sydney’s event venues? ICC Sydney is the city’s largest venue and CEO Geoff Donaghy told ASE, “Emerging from the Delta lockdown in Sydney …
The resilience of exhibitions and events cannot be under estimated. It wasn’t so long ago the sector’s long term existence was in question when the internet and various social media platforms were touted as cost effective replacements for all traditional media, and exhibitions were certainly singled out . There was one aspect at the core of exhibitions that seemed to be overlooked, humans crave face to face interaction and …
I don’t want to flood your inbox. Sometimes I post a number of stories in a day but I don’t send an email link to all of them. However, all posted articles are shared on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn and I’m limiting the email notifications to one a day. This weekly wrap is designed to link to all the articles posted during the week along, with links to articles …
The Hospitality Industry as a whole had to do a double take on NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet’s recent roadmap to freedom announcement as we come out of lockdown next Monday, October 11. Senior Managing Partner of Navarra Venues, Giovannino Navarra said, “All along I have been saying throughout this pandemic that these rules and restrictions do not make sense for our industry. I cannot see the difference with constant …
The announcements by the new NSW Premier should put a skip in every event company step whether a venue, organiser or supplier! Like many I have been conflicted with the change in premier for NSW but I give him credit to step up and be prepared to make changes to move things going. Whether it be the simple, like the press briefing at 9am, to a raft of positive …
Since Dominic Perrottet took over as premier there have been a few minor tweaks to the NSW restrictions roadmap. All roadmap freedoms at 70% and 80% will continue to be for fully vaccinated people only. Currently the density limit at both 70% and 80% is one person per 4 sqm Here is the update for 70% – effective next Monday Restaurants and hospitality Hospitality reopens with density limit for …
The Association of Australian Convention Bureaux (AACB) is collaborating with Meetings & Events Australia (MEA), Exhibition and Event Association of Australasia (EEAA) and its member convention bureaux network to support small tourism and events business owners across Australia. Through a partnership with Beyond Blue led by AACB, the collective will promote support available through the NewAccess for Small Business Owners (NASBO) program to the business events industry, offering free …
After extensive consultation with the Industry, and in the face of ongoing travel restrictions and uncertainty, the Event Awards decided to turn October into a month-long, online celebration of their entrants, finalists and winners. To kick it off, entrant highlights, depicting an overview of the achievements and resilience of every Awards entrant and a few of the individuals that were integral to the operation, have begun on the Event …
Peter Jones looks at the associations issue. Before I start, I will declare my interests. I am a member of MEA, VTIC and a long suffering Demon’s supporter. It’s a very good question and one that has been discussed regularly but always dependent on one’s belief of what it expects from being a member. Key issues seem to dominate the discussion so in no particular order here is my …
The Covid pandemic has had a profound impact on everyone in Victoria over the last 18 months. It has taken a huge toll on people, organisations and communities. Communities are disconnected. Organisations are struggling with the biggest changes they have ever faced while also having their teams and stakeholders apart. Everyone is struggling to see the future and how we can get there. We have lost confidence as a …
Over the past four months I’ve been critical of Gladys’ handling of the latest COVID outbreak in Sydney, which has since spread to the rest of NSW, Victoria, ACT and Queensland. However I have admired how she has turned up almost every day to face the media (like Dan Andrews). OK she avoided answering some questions and gave very longwinded answers to others. But that is what politicians do …
The hardest bit first. Who are we? We all do things that inform, provoke, and make people feel. We help to change their perception of something. Sounds ‘lofty’, but it is true. The Entertainment sector entertains and makes people feel something. Whether it is happy, sad, excited, or anxious, people leave an event having experienced emotions. The Business Event sector informs and promotes thought and discussion. People, hopefully, leave …
On the 28th I posted an article around Making every day count. In it I raised awards, not surprisingly I had a large number of emails and calls saying its good it’s been called out. Some people were at very least disappointed that these proceeded at all when there could have been the same energy put into, say, a mental wellness campaign or something that benefits the whole sector, …
At the beginning of this year I took ASE in a new direction – no more press releases from companies that just want to flog their latest offering , and a focus on comment and opinion – not just mine. Last year I was researching and collating whatever information was out there that affected our industry in coping with COVID in particular, then to publish this as a resource …
The Business Events Council of Australia (BECA) is deeply concerned and disappointed with the Federal Treasurer’s announcement yesterday to withdraw COVID-19 Disaster Payments in line with vaccination targets being reached by states and territories, without any indication of a targeted replacement lifeline. This decision does not consider the nature of the business events industry and the restrictions we are still facing, even when states come out of lockdowns.The industry …
As New South Wales heads towards a 70 per cent vaccination rate by October 11, Sydney Showground is preparing to resume operations and deliver events this side of Christmas following the release of the NSW Government’s ‘roadmap to recovery’.With marks already on the board, the venue will again lead the charge bringing Expertise Events, Oz Comic-Con Homegrown to Sydney from December 4 – 5 after proving its ability to …
The NSW Government has announced that venues can reopen on Monday 11th October at one person per 4 sqm and that limit will be increased to 2 sqm on 1st December. ASE approached a venue owner and a venue user for their feedback on this announcement. First Hilton Cohn, CEO of The Venue Alexandria ASE: How practical is it for you to open at 4 sqm The Venue Alexandria …
The NSW hospitality industry is preparing to surge back to some sort of normality following the tight lockdown restrictions this year, although it is a half-hearted cheer as restrictions still carry a ball and chain with the Premier’s announcement. Most in the hospitality industry are gearing towards opening with a 1 person per 4 sqm rule as we hit the 70% target and as we bridge the gap hitting …
Once again the federal government has delivered a smackdown to workers in the events sector. Over the last three months many event businesses have managed to keep staff on with assistance from the state governments in NSW, ACT and Victoria. Meanwhile casual workers have been able to draw on the federal income support payments that replaced JobKeeper. Today the feds have announced that are turning off that emergency financial …
Gary Fitz-Roy on staffing, associations and the future. We all know that planning and preparation are the cornerstones to effective performance, and there are several things you can do to increase your chances of being more successful when connecting with clients and prospects, the question for many in our industry is have we used our time wisely? Seeing this bigger picture allowed you to plan ahead and identify the …
Talking to venue managers about the reopening in Sydney and a big concern is how to manage unvaccinated people wanting to enter venues when they reopen. There are two issues – first, the promised integration of the “vaccination passport” with the QR check-in system will not be ready when venues reopen on October 11th and no guidelines have yet been issued on how this process has to be managed. …
Providing the public health risk of Covid-19 remains relatively stable over the next two weeks, ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr said lockdown would end as planned on October 15th with the jurisdiction then transitioning to medium-level public health restrictions. From 15th October The first stage sees venues able to reopen with max guests limited to 25 pax indoors or 50 pax outdoors The following activities can operate with capacity …
55% of respondents to the NZ Event Associations latest survey stated that the recent COVID-19 response has had a considerable financial impact on their organisation, whilst a further 23% stated that it had a moderate financial impact. The organisations that were willing to share their financial impact reported losses of up to $2 million dollars each with an average loss of $167 thousand per organisation, and total losses of $17.5 …
The NSW Premier today announced the three stage roadmap to lifting restrictions. However, once again, the announcement was short on detail. So here is what we know regarding events. Stage 1: October 11th – 70% vaccination target achieved As previously announced venues can reopen to fully vaccinated guests with the following restrictions Up to 20 people can gather in outdoor settings. Hospitality venues can reopen subject to one person per …
Spare a thought for Melbourne’s best known event producer and AFL tragic. In the podcast I did with Peter Jones he told me about being born into the Melbourne Football Club, he attended his first game around 1966, two years after they last won an AFL flag. Then he has produced the entertainment for 13 AFL Grand Finals and Melbourne featured in none of them (the only two finals …
While city events get the most notice, regional events are often ignored. However events are for more important to the regional towns and cities than they are in capitals. ASE reached out to Vanessa Briody Co-Director of Oregional Collective and a member of the Australian Regional Events Alliance for a take on how they are faring. Vanessa Briody When and why AREA was formed? The Australian Regional Events Alliance (AREA) was …
Brett Bower has been involved in the event industry for a long time – both on the production side and performing as a cartoonist and sand artist. Brett Bower Brett is running a FREE Zoom drawing workshop this evening 7pm – 8pm (Friday 24th) We will be drawing an Australian bush landscape step by step. No special skill is required. It’s an opportunity to relax with a glass of wine, …
Meetings & Events Australia is pleased to announce the winners of the 2020 MEA State & Territory and National Awards at the 2020 MEA Awards Night held at Scene Change Studios. Reflecting on a particularly challenging year, these Awards recognise the innovation and exceptional work done by organisations and individuals in the events sector throughout 2020. This was the second time that the state and national awards were concurrently …
Isn’t it funny how we come to miss something only after we no longer have it? I raise the point because it reflects the sentiments of exhibitors who have come to realise how important and enjoyable it is actually meeting with clients. It’s all about ‘personal contact’ which is not the same online or over the telephone. They miss it! We know that from experience because each time we …
Ruth is an organiser. She became one of Australia’s first In-house PCOs through her work as a Practice Manager for a group of doctors then went on to manage a number of medical associations. Ruth went on to run numerous medical meetings on her own before joining ICMS Australia and then Pharma Events. But Ruth is also a traveller and a journalist – these, and many more attributes, she …
I grew up in a country town of around 8,000 people; there was a small airport near the town. In 2001 Gander, Newfoundland had a population of around 10,500; and an international airport. Come From Away tells the story of how on Tuesday, September 11th 2001 the airspace over the USA was closed and 38 planes heading to the US from the UK and Europe were ordered to land …
Here is a summary of the Victorian Roadmap as it affects events and entertainment Hospitality Phase A: Hospitality businesses can offer takeaway services only. Phase B: Hospitality businesses will be able to reopen to fully-vaccinated customers, for seated, outdoor service only. A maximum of 50 customers will be allowed at a time, with a density cap of one person per four square metres. Phase C: Food and drink businesses …
A story of the pandemic roadmaps – with apologies to Charles Dickens Chapter I – The Period It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring …
Peter Jones assesses the Victorian Roadmap Hope for the best but expect the worst. The proverb kind of sums up the Victorian roadmap released yesterday when it comes to events. About the only mention of something resembling an event were weddings and funerals and I really can’t see a rush on October 26 – certainly nothing before then – for an outdoor only wedding for 50 people at one …
Regional areas across the country are at risk of not only huge economic losses, but Australian Regional Tourism warns recovery for many is no more than a pipe dream. The industry previously worth $138 billion and attributing to one in 12 jobs nationally, and closer to one in six jobs in some regions, has been hardest hit by the COVID downturn. There is no doubt the country faces the largest …
Today marks 12 weeks that Sydney has been in lockdown – 3 bloody months – now we know how Victorians feel. But let’s celebrate! The MEA Awards will be presented on Wednesday night, so pull out a bottle of bubbly and settle down in front of the screen and share your comments via #MEAawards – book your ticket now Australian Event Awards to go online The ceremony will be …
The Australian Festival Industry Conference (AFIC) has postponed its 2021 conference to Tuesday 30 August – Thursday 1 September 2022, due to the ongoing national covid-19 crisis. “It is with great sadness that we announce our decision to postpone the conference yet again. With the situation worsening in NSW, VIC and ACT, it makes it impossible for us to deliver the event as originally planned in November 2021”, says …
Experiential agency George P. Johnson Australia & New Zealand (GPJ A/NZ) announces the upcoming departure of Managing Director Caleb Bush as he takes on the role of Executive Vice President of GPJ Europe, overseeing its offices London, Stuttgart, Oslow, Paris and Brussels. Bush has been a long-term fixture of GPJ A/NZ, starting with the agency in 2009 and has held several roles during his tenure – including Producer, General …
Arinex’ Digital Conference Organising (DCO) team is celebrating a busy first year in operation, marked by a spate of virtual events and successful client outcomes. The DCO team has produced 29 virtual events in the last 12 months, providing professional advice to a myriad of clients across a range of industries. These events have attracted a total of 7113 attendees from around the world, led to 58,480 sponsor interactions …
International Convention Centre Sydney has welcomed the industry’s inclusion in the New South Wales government’s roadmap to reopen and is preparing to welcome in person events back to the venue from mid-October. According to the NSW Government Gazetted Health Order, 10 September 2021, conferences and exhibitions at ICC Sydney can return at one person per four square metres and entertainment events can return at 75% of their fixed seating capacity. …
Now you might remember that the federal treasurer, Josh Frydenberg, said it would be up to businesses to decide if they let unvaccinated patrons into their premises. Well, it looks like in NSW, at least at the 70% vaccination level; this will not be the case. From today’s presser: Gladys Berjiklian: At 70% we’ve been extremely clear and extremely black and white. There is no doubt as to what we said when we …
After extensive consultation with the Industry, the Event Awards 2021 Ceremony will join the long list of 2021 events to move online due to effects of Covid-19. In a perhaps unusual move, the ceremony will be delivered as a series of bite sized broadcasts delivered each evening over 12 days from October 20 – 31 capping off a month-long Industry celebration during which the work of every entrant will …
By Nicole Walker, CEO Arinex As we look for ways to rebuild our industry while Australians line up to get vaccinated, it is clear our industry also needs a shot in the arm. While we are fortunate to still have a full events calendar this month, we have had the expected drop-off of events as the lockdowns continue in our two biggest states and I know we are not …
Andrew Walsh is a storyteller who has produced some of the biggest events in Australia and the world. In this wide ranging interview we cover how Andrew started in theatre in Melbourne while still at school then worked on various theatre productions including the original production of Rocky Horror in Melbourne. After moving to Sydney, Andrew worked for David Beal at Audience Motivation which at the time was the …
The NSW Roadmap to Freedom for the fully vaccinated has a serious discrepancy regarding weddings and funerals To quote relevant sections from the media release Hospitality venues can reopen subject to one person per 4sqm inside and one person per 2sqm outside, with standing while drinking permitted outside.Indoor entertainment and information facilities including cinemas, theatres, music halls, museums and galleries can reopen with one person per 4sqm or 75 …
So, NSW has a plan as to how events will look once we get to the magical vaccination rates. Lots of influencing factors that may impact it, but I give them a 10 out of 10 for at least having something that the industry can work to. The ironical thing for us under the proposed plan is that theoretically, we will be able to do an event in Sydney …
The NSW Roadmap to Freedom was finally released this week and when you come down to it, despite the cries of “we always take the health advice”, this was a political decision based on commerce more than health. After her disastrous decision to not lock down Bondi and Sydney’s eastern suburbs when the current outbreak first emerged (cheered on by Scotty from Marketing), the NSW government and businesses have …
There has been a lot of reaction to the release of the NSW “Roadmap to Freedom” so here are some links to coverage that I think is relevant to the event industry. Why check-in apps can’t become vaccine passports – AFR Vaccine passports will need much tougher security layers than existing check-in apps offer, say technology experts as the race to develop an appropriate system heats up. This is …
With the anticipation of the NSW road map announcement the events industry was waiting in the hope we may be able to stick a few events in before the year end. But the announcement didn’t provide any real clarity and had so many conditions you couldn’t but think it’s the opening you have when you don’t have an opening! Gary Fitz-Roy Given the talk about the Sydney Business Events …
The Exhibition and Event Association of Australasia (EEAA) is delivering an important program of events for Q4, as part of its strategy responding to the ongoing COVID-19 lockdowns and pathway to recovery. Claudia Sagripanti, EEAA Chief Executive said “In these turbulent times due to the pandemic, the EEAA recognises the critical importance of remaining connected with our members and the broader business events community. The series of free-of-charge Expert …
The Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry has released a recovery roadmap that they want the Victorian Government to adopt. The framework calls for events and entertainment to start returning to normal once 70% fully vaccinated rates are achieved. Victoria is expected to reach 70% second dose around 10th November and 80% around 1st December. Launching the roadmap the Chamber Chief Executive Paul Guerra said, Paul Guerra “It is time to get …
I’m sure that most people involved in events in Sydney watched the premier’s presser this morning. Here is the gist of what the “Roadmap to freedom” looks like – I’ve picked out the information that is relevant to events. Activation Date Restrictions will ease on the Monday after NSW passes the 70 per cent double vaccination target. That milestone is expected to be reached in mid-October. Restrictions for events …
Over the last week Info Salons have advised clients they are closing their Australian operation. Info Salons was founded by Jo-Anne Kellaway in 1990 and pioneered event registration software and data capture as business events in Australia grew following the opening of the SCEC in 1988. Info Salons grew into Australia’s largest trade registration company and was bought in 2018 by the Freeman Group out of the USA. Kellaway …
Dr Jerry Schwartz, owner of one of Australia’s most popular family resorts, Paradise Resort Gold Coast, will make vaccinations mandatory for hotel staff to ensure staff and guests – particularly children – are protected. Dr Schwartz is the largest private owner of hotels in Australia and already his hotels that provide quarantine services for travellers require vaccination for staff members, but Paradise Resort Gold Coast will be the first …
A move to a more restricted Level 2 for regions outside of Auckland will make additional support crucial for the business events industry, says Business Events Industry Aotearoa (BEIA). Under Level 2 from Wednesday 8 September, gatherings outside of Auckland will need to be under 50 persons in a defined space, down from 100 in previous Level 2 guidelines, mask wearing will be mandatory and all attendees will need …
The Consumer Technology Association (CTA)® has announced that CES® 2022, the world’s most influential technology event, will require in-person attendees to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination. CES 2022 will take place in Las Vegas on January 5-8, 2022. For those who may be unable to travel to Las Vegas, CTA will again create a digital event that will run in parallel with the in-person program. Digital audiences will have the opportunity to share the spirit of the in-person event. “Based on today’s science, we understand vaccines offer …
The Business Visits & Events Partnership (BVEP), the umbrella body and advocacy group representing the UK events sector, has today published its Shape of Events Report. The report was compiled using responses from over 300 professionals and organisations from across the UK events sector and authored by Richard Smith from Team Tourism Consulting and John Gallery, Chair of the BVEP’s Research Group. The report was sponsored by brand communications …
It’s time for a reset. The one thing we have learnt with covid over the last 18 months is how quickly things can change and the importance of being fluid. The focus needs to move beyond insurance schemes, which I believe are not the solution, and focus on the main game rather than grasping at band-aids. Last week Qantas set the agenda and we need to follow their path. …
This week we revisit the interview with Johnny Allen We start with Johnny’s career running music venues in Sydney and the 1973 Aquarius Festival in Nimbin. Then a year in New York and London as part of the arts and music scenes – especially the emerging punk movement (hanging out with The Ramones and the Sex Pistols among others). Back to Sydney and the thriving cabaret scene including the …
It has been another hell of a week with COVID cases spiralling in NSW and Victoria and a big push from industry groups calling on the state governments to actually come up with a plan for how events will restart. And because it is the “official” first day of spring (3 weeks before the rest of the world) I thought I would share a photo from Canberra’s Floriade, which …
Visions in Style owner, Michael Cartwright has developed a rapid antigen testing system for events and business. Covid-19 has absolutely devastated the meetings and events industry and restricted leading businesses and their teams by not allowing their staff to engage confidently and safely within the work place. And heaven forbid dealing with an active covid case in the work place or venue and then dealing with the ramifications and …
Sydney’s business events industry is calling for a NSW Government plan to safely restart its operations for fully vaccinated people and warns inaction threatens the survival of jobs across the city and regions. Representatives of Sydney’s business events industry have joined with the Committee for Sydney and Business Sydney as the Sydney Business Events Coalition to call on the NSW Government to pave a pathway for the return of …
The PM and Premiers are promising things will be very different when we reach 70% and 80% fully vaccinated. But how will we get there? Weddings are allowed again in NSW from today but with restrictions on numbers depending on where you live (11 at the most). Funerals are also very restricted and of course all venues are closed. Based on the stages we went through following previous lockdowns …
We can all remember waiting for each of the COVID restrictions to end and then we knew it was a four to five week lag before we got back to the manageable 1 per 2 square metre rule which allowed many events to happen. And some did. But now that’s a thing of the past. Even if we theoretically did get back to that position, there is no way …
This week Save Victorian Events released the top line results from our second detailed survey of the Event Industry. We had a very strong response to the survey from right across the industry. All of us in the event industry already know how difficult things are, so we don’t need a survey to remind us. Hence we were apprehensive about even sharing the results – as we’ve all already …
New Zealand’s Business Events Industry Aotearoa (BEIA) Conference 2021 will be going ahead, three weeks later than planned, in Hawke’s Bay from 1 to 3 November. BEIA Chief Executive, Lisa Hopkins says now more than ever, meeting face-to-face is important for the industry after a period of lockdown. “Our members are telling us they are keen to go ahead, and we have been fortunate to work with our partners …
Following the Victorian Premier’s presser yesterday the Victorian Chamber Chief Executive, Paul Guerra wrote to his members. Some of his comments are relevant to Victorian event industry business owners. Today’s announcement was never going to be easy with the number of active cases in the state. Victorians all have a role to play, but every business needs hope. Today we got a plan to have a plan when what …
This week started off with the promise that we would get a better idea of what will happen when NSW and Victoria get to 70% and 80% vaccination rates, but sadly that information was not forthcoming at today’s press conferences. The premiers keep talking about the “national plan” but I have already pointed out, that plan has no guidelines on how and when events can restart. The PM and …
The team at Sydney based Event Management Company, Lateral Events, have united over a common cause – to get vaccinated and to do their bit to get the events industry back on track. CEO, Simon Baggs, led the way and was the first of the team to be vaccinated. Whilst there was no company policy to mandate vaccines for staff, the communication lines have remained open between staff and …
Di Henry’s first parade involved 1000 sheep and a bullock train trundling through the Sydney CBD to promote the Royal Easter Show, and she brought out Robosauraus to the RES. From that she went on to Mardi Gras parades and then the 2000 Sydney Olympic torch relay followed by a dozen more Olympics, Commonwealth and Asian Games relays. Di spent 2012 in England organising events for the City of …
The industry have been so focused on various aspects of recovery, namely insurance and a road map to re-open. However, it’s important that we also maintain effort on a third pillar – reminding clients why events and exhibitions really deliver. We are pleased to release a new “sticker” we encourage the industry to adopt and use on all material from print to online. The new campaign is designed to …
Event Producers and suppliers work across business events, public events, private events, festivals and entertainment. They can be broadly split into two camps – those who work locally and those who work in multiple locations (including overseas). Although the majority of the producers and suppliers are based in Sydney and Melbourne there are plenty of local operators around the country along with many who produce national events from a …
It is a very challenging time in Australia’s Event Industry with two states in extended lockdown, many border closures, and a huge amount of uncertainty. Please complete the survey Today we are encouraging people and businesses from right across the Event Industry to complete this national survey to help quantify the difficult situation in our Event Industry: Our February survey was pivotal in starting to get the real situation …
Up until late June, there seemed to be a path back for the events industry, but now uncertainty prevails again despite the Prime Minister and the NSW Premier both stating that we need to push through whilst other states posture and take a different position. It will be a test to see if the PM has the backbone to back his position once vaccination rate targets are hit and …
For those of us living in NSW or Victoria some light relief was certainly needed and last night we could sit back and enjoy the somewhat kooky Paralympics Opening Ceremony. Once again the Tokyo Olympic Stadium featured eerily empty seats as the Paras opening played out for a television audience. Like the Olympics ceremonies this one also featured pre-recorded pieces and projection technology, because without masses of athletes and …
I’ve been following Ian Whitworth’s blog “Motivation for Sceptics” since he started it as “Kill all MBAs”, but long before that I followed the antics of his marketing stunts starting with the MEA conference in Hobart in 2007, which I reported at the time… Launching Scene Change in Hobart In a very cheeky move Hobart’s new AV company Scene Change managed to attract plenty of attention at the MEA …
To coincide with this week’s Tokyo Paralympics here is the second half of the interview with Sandy Hollway where he reflects on the highlights of the Sydney Olympics (including that heart stopping cauldron moment). Post Olympics, Sandy kept in touch with the event industry as a head of the judging panel for the Australian Event Awards and has maintained his passion for indigenous issues and indigenous arts in particular. …
So we can put our own situation into perspective here is a quick roundup of COVID news around the world thanks to The Guardian These reports are from Sunday 22nd August The UK reported 33,904 cases of Covid, with the weekly tally standing at 211,238, a 7% increase on the previous week. There were 111 deaths within 28 days of a positive test, with 655 over the past week, an 8% …
MORE than 80 per cent of people support both domestic and international vaccine passports to open a return more rapidly to business travel, according to polling results just released by the corporate arms of the Flight Centre Travel Group (FCM, Corporate Traveller, Flight Centre Business Travel, and Stage and Screen).Over 1,750 people across the LinkedIn channels of the four brands responded, with 81 per cent in favour of a …
What a week – COVID is now rampant throughout NSW, ACT and Victoria and we are still getting mixed messages from Gladys Berejiklian and Scott Morrison. Scott Morrison has issued an implicit warning to state and territory leaders that they must ease restrictions when vaccination rates reach 70% and 80%. He said today: “The national plan is a deal with Australians – we’ve said you’re persevering lockdowns, taking instructions, getting …
As founder of the National Events Alliance, Gary Fitz-Roy welcomes the recent meeting of BECA with Minister Tehan. Their language is now in line with how others in the industry have been talking for some time and how other associations are following suit. However the recovery of our industry still remains at the state level, not at the federal. The one thing not addressed, and remains unanswered, is the …
John O’Brien has a go at dissecting the Victorian Inquiry John has professional experience within many areas of AV (control, lighting, video, audio) and construction (planning, management, on the tools) but many of my jobs have relied more upon broader life skills than granular specialist knowledge. John O’Brien One Tuesday in early August 2021, I received several messages about the release of the following Victorian report: “Inquiry into the …
Meetings and Events Australia (MEA) today announced the difficult decision has been made to defer its annual conference ‘Evolve’ to 2022. The continuing challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, necessitated decisive leadership and action on MEA’s part. The primary factor for this decision is the uncertainty around border restrictions right across the country and the limitations it poses on travel to attend events in-person. MEA CEO Peter McDonald said, …
Yesterday, representatives of the Business Events Council of Australia (BECA) met online with the Hon Dan Tehan MP, Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment to plead for targeted support for businesses reliant upon income from business events. BECA Deputy Chair, Geoff Donaghy stated, “Survival of the complete visitor and events supply chain is our number one priority, along with maintaining their skilled workforce. If we are to be match fit for …
Libbie Ray left school at 15 to become an apprentice chef in her father’s restaurant. Today she is co-owner of AV24/7 and expanding the business in the time of COVID. Join Libbie on her journey from growing up on the Hawkesbury River, via restaurants and venues, to television studios and then into the event industry. At one stage Libbie decided to try her hand a sales – turns out …
Over the past few days I’ve been talking to a number of people in the industry about their planning for the rest of this year. The common story in Sydney and Melbourne is that due to uncertainly most events have now been postponed to 2022. And watching today’s pressers by the NSW and Vic state premiers I’m now convinced that events will not recommence this year in Sydney and …
Last year the Australian Government put out a 3 STEP FRAMEWORK FOR A COVIDSAFE AUSTRALIA. This framework spelt out how each industry sector would progress from Step 1 to 2 to 3 For example the section covering Entertainment & Amusement Venues stipulated that in step 1 all venues must remain closed. Step 2 some indoor venues may have up to 20 patrons while pubs, clubs, nightclubs, etc are to …
Sydney Showground has announced Darryl Jeffrey as its newly appointed General Manager following the retirement of Peter Thorpe in early July. Darryl Jeffrey As the venue’s Chief Operating Officer, Mr Jeffrey has been with the Royal Agricultural Society of NSW (RAS) and Sydney Showground since 2012 and boasts over thirteen years’ experience within the event industry and nineteen years in the Australian Army, making the transition into the role …
University of Melbourne epidemiologist Antony Blakely has told the state parliament inquiry into the NSW government’s response to the pandemic that Sydney may need to stay in a form of lockdown until November. As reported in SMH “There’s no way NSW is going to be able to go back to a stage one [of restrictions] … any time between now and November at the earliest,” Professor Blakely says. “We’re …
There is a lot being written and reported about the vaccine rollout and how that will get us out of the current lockdowns. Gary Fitz-Roy thinks there are some fundamental points missed and he must have missed a page from the memo! Gary Fitz-Roy Let’s assume that the national vaccination target of 70 – 80% needs to be achieved before expos and major events can reopen and freely accept …
With the conclusion of the 2020ne Tokyo Olympics it seems like a good time to revisit the interview I did with Sandy Hollway During his career in the Australian Public Service, Sandy served in the DFAT in postings as diverse as Pakistan, Germany, Canada and USA. As PM Bob Hawke’s Chief of Staff he was at the centre of one of the most progressive times of Australian political life. …
The Tokyo Olympics showed large sporting events could safely be held in a pandemic and challenged policy makers to show why such events should not be held – rather than asking why they should, veteran Games administrator Sandy Holloway told The Australian Financial Review. The two-week tournament that wound up on Sunday after safely allowing competitors from over 200 countries to compete set a standard for assessing other events, the …
The Tokyo Olympics closing ceremony was even more downbeat then the opening. Which was disappointing because they actually had plenty to celebrate – they pulled off an event that was worth celebrating. The sporting events provided many memorable moments and a lift to the millions watching on TV in Japan and around the world. The success of these games was due to the athletes being protected within a very …
This week’s slew of information regarding lockdowns, vaccinations and much more took a bit of deciphering – so here is a summary. The key message of the week is that lockdowns will end when we get to a vaccination rate of 80% of over 16s, which I tried to unpick from watching one of those classic medical presentations with unintelligible slides Making sense of the COVID transition plan and …
Peter Jones shares his reaction to the publication of the Victorian Events Industry Enquiry Peter Jones Well, we knew it was coming and we knew what it was going to say but that doesn’t change the fact that it is now laid out for everyone to see. The harsh reality has really hit home. The report covers everything from border closures, restrictions on numbers, the potential use of vouchers, …
Venues NSW* is seeking government approval to require patrons to prove they have been vaccinated in order to attend events at their venues. Chairman Tony Shepherd told Ben Fordham on 2GB it’s a “sensible approach”.“Why should people who have been vaccinated be compromised by having to sit next to people who are unvaccinated?“I’m not forcing people to get vaccinated … if they want to watch the cricket they can …
Ever since the cancellation of Bluesfest in March the calls for COVID cancellation insurance for events has ramped up. The live music sector has been a leading voice but event industry associations have been pushing as well. The Victorian government inquiry in to the impact of COVID on tourism and events released their report this week and supported such a scheme. As discussed in Chapter 5, a major ongoing …
OK I’m going to try to unpick the federal government’s National Plan to transition Australia’s National COVID-19 Response We keep hearing about the transition from Phase A to Phase B happening at 70% vaccination and then to Phase C at 80% vaccination. First up what are those vaccination rates and how do they compare to overseas? Once again I defer to Dr Norman Swan. The rate referred to …
BECA supports Australia’s urgent COVID-19 vaccination rollout to #GiveBEaShot.BECA and its network of industry association members continue to advocate for business events to federal and state governments, seeking industry and business support.BECA formalises its relationship with the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry to enhance government engagement cut-through. The Business Events Council of Australia (BECA) is supporting the call for the industry and broader community to get vaccinated as …
Today saw the final report of the Victorian Parliamentary inquiry into the impact of COVID-19 on Victoria’s tourism and events sectors tabled in parliament. Save Victorian Events worked really hard to get this Inquiry to happen, provided a huge amount of detailed information about our industry, and encouraged many event people to put in submissions and to testify at the hearings. We understand this is the first government inquiry …
In a move that has left many in the event industry questioning a double standard, Gary Fitz-Roy asks why the Federal Government has extended special funding for Qantas to the tune of $100 million while the event sector has been left holding losses from events cancelled due to border closures and staff resources continuing to exit the sector. Gary Fitz-Roy Qantas’ annual turnover pre covid was around $10.6 billion …
Born in the north of England Karen came to Australia as a ten pound Pom. Karen Bollinger takes to the stage for the AIME “Strictly Melbourne” event Karen remembers that her school reports mentioned that she talked too much in class, really. Studying German, French and Japanese at school certainly came in useful in her later corporate life. Following high school Karen went to Ryde Catering College with the …
Dull and boring are a couple of descriptors I’ve heard, however I want to go a little deeper. If I had to use one word it would be “sparse”. Normally what we see is a massed spectacle designed for television. This time we had a TV event with some elements presented live. As a TV event it was not only sparse, but slow as well, in fact it lacked …
I’ve previously blogged about events in Sydney not recommencing until after Christmas. Unfortunately today’s developments reinforce that view. First, yesterday’s statement by PM Scott Morrison that lockdowns would become a thing of the past once the vaccine rollout is complete, and that he believes the rollout will be essentially complete by the end of the year. As we know, until lockdowns become a thing of the past the event …
Until lockdowns “become a thing of the past” the event industry cannot plan ahead without the government providing cancellation insurance. PM Morrison said today that he believes the vaccine rollout will be essentially complete by the end of the year. “By the end of the year we will be in that position, where everybody who has had the opportunity will have had it,” he says. This means lockdowns will …
As expected the lockdown in Sydney is to be extended for another four weeks. I figured that now is a good time to reflect on how we got to this point. Not how Golden Gladys didn’t shut down Sydney’s eastern suburbs when this outbreak started spreading, but how the virus got there in the first place. As event managers we always work on risk analysis and contingency plans. So …
Arinex Incentives and Corporate Events Senior Account Manager Leonie Ferris-Tonge shares why you should consider a travel reward program to motivate your staff. Leonie Ferris-Tonge Staff are unlikely to talk about their cash bonuses However exciting it might be to get financially renumerated for a job well done, most people will not share that good news with people beyond their immediate family. Incentives are designed to positively impact the …
As we are back into lockdown I’ve taken the opportunity to get some more interviews completed. The new interviews will be dropped each four weeks with repeats from last year in between. Darryl Lovegrove is a singer and an entrepreneur. His singing career started in the school choir – he featured as a soloist on a recording made by the choir. Darryl went on to be a pop singer …
I’ve listened to and read a lot of commentary and concerns from within the event industry over the past year or so and I want to sum up the key points. NB I’m using “event industry” to describe business events (B2B), consumer events (B2C) and festivals. The event industry is always in the first round of shutdowns and the last to reopen. Next in line is travel and tourism. …
The experiments are both on humans. Experiment #1 commenced on Monday – Boris Johnson’s so called Freedom Day. ASE checked what this meant for the event industry in the UK. The UK Government guidelines for events and visitor attractions covers – indoor and outdoor attractions, performing arts venues, Indoor and outdoor events of any size Complete a health and safety risk assessment that includes risks from COVID-19Turn people with …
Entertainer James Bustar has compiled a heart rending video in which members of the arts community tell of the devastation of the pandemic on lives and livelihoods and the need for further government income support to be extended to the arts.In the emotion-charged 10-minute video, prominent artists from a wide range of disciplines speak of the loneliness and despair combined with deepening concern that the arts are being overlooked.They tell of having bookings and income in their gig-to-gig industry cut to …
The construction industry is up in arms because they have finally been shut down. Welcome to lockdown boys and be thankful that you do not work in sectors that have been affected far more seriously than you. The arts, events, entertainment and festivals sectors have been the first to be shut down and the last to reopen. Since 13th March 2020 these sectors have been shut down for longer …
Part two of the interview with Roslyn Mcleod looks a the Olympics and the 21st century
Over the past few weeks I’ve been observing the tradies working on building sites as I go for my morning walk. This morning those sites were quiet. Welcome to lockdown guys. Like all politicians Gladys Berejiklian loves donning the hi-viz and hard hat for a photo op, so it must have been galling for her to announce the shutdown of construction in Sydney, however… Ms Berejiklian announced on Saturday …
Hi Melbourne – we really didn’t want to stuff it up for you again, and we feel for you. And just putting it out there – I reckon the Sydney lockdown will tighten this weekend. “Dictator Dan” was decisive yesterday while “Gold Standard Gladys” is still dithering. However, the language at this morning’s presser from both the NSW Premier and Dr Chant is certainly pointing to a harder lockdown …
Weekly Wrap – 21st January
Get Local is going ahead as planned on 15th, 16th February 2022 and co-owner Donna Kessler has a message for the industry. “We as an industry need to change the language. If we cancel this event it sends the wrong message. We need to demonstrate how to run a safe event to encourage others to do so. COVID is here to stay, distractions will continue to occur, and we …