SICEEP to ‘Blow Away’ MCEC

THE NSW Tourism Minister has declared the redeveloped Sydney Convention + Exhibition Centre (SCEC) will not just rival that of Victoria’s prime conference venue, but “blow Melbourne out of the water” when it opens by 2017. Speaking with BEN, George Souris - who is also the Minister for Major Events - referred to the size of the project as “humongous”, enabling Sydney to offer greater competition to the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. 

“It’s going to be a long year, but we are building something twice the size of what we were initially planning,” Souris said. Facilities include what’s billed as Australia’s largest exhibition space, at 40,000sqm, and the country’s biggest convention hall capacity for 10,000 people over four different spaces. While the Sydney International Convention, Exhibition & Entertainment Precinct’s design is still to be finalised, the Minister confirmed the project was likely to result in events being turned away during the rebuild stage.

Questioned if the substitute Glebe Island facility - along with other alternative venues across the city - would result in conferences being hosted intrastate, Souris said “I’d say so.” “We’re hoping to make sure we cover the bases, but there will be events that will say ‘We’ll be back in a years time”. He said the SICEEP would take the better part of two years to construct, with the existing SCEC closing from Dec next year. Classed for all intents and purposes as a ‘pull down, start again’ project, Souris believes the SICEEP design will integrate some of the existing halls of the SCEC during its redevelopment.

Within the project is a brand new build hotel for Sydney, sitting just below the 5-star standard. Souris was unable to comment on which hotel group was linked to the project, but confirmed it would not compete against The Star’s ‘6-star’, The Darling. As detailed in the November update on the SICEEP website, a “hotel use” site is earmarked for the Northern Sector of the precinct near the water at the existing Convention Centre. 

Two groups of companies have submitted bids to design, plan and operate the new facilities, Destination Sydney and VeNuSW. Among VeNuSW’s partners (via a joint venture with Plenary Group) is Hilton Worldwide. Back in June, Hilton Worldwide announced plans to debut its DoubleTree by Hilton brand in the Australian market with a new build property in Karratha, WA, saying at the time the DoubleTree brand has potential growth prospects in Australasia.

(Source: Business Events News 5/12/12)

MEA Awards Open 25th National Conference Sydney

The MEA Industry Awards that recognise excellence and best business practice in the Meetings & Events Industry, are now open. The awards encourage industry professionals to excel in the achievement of their business and personal goals, and reward those who achieve outstanding results. Winners enjoy considerable profile within the meetings industry and with the general buying public.

In all but Individual Awards, members self-nominate for an Award by addressing a range of criteria that are relevant to the particular category or categories they are entering.

Candidates for MEA Individual Awards are nominated by a third party such as an employer, client, supplier or colleague who is responsible for completing the written application.

All Award submissions must be submitted on official award submission templates. The submissions are then judged by a panel of industry and independent judges. Short-listed candidates are interviewed by telephone to determine the category winner. Applications close 18 January 2013.

(Source: Business Events News, 7th November 2012)

BESydney to Manage Bookings for Glebe Island Expo and SICEEP

Business Events Sydney (BESydney) will take on broader responsibility and manage booking enquiries for the Sydney International Convention, Exhibition and Entertainment Precinct (SICEEP) and Glebe Island Expo until operators of the new facilities are appointed.

Glebe Island Expo is the interim facility that will house Sydney's major public exhibitions and trade shows during the development of the 20-hectare Darling Harbour site that will be home to SICEEP - a world-class meeting place for the future. 

Infrastructure NSW, which is delivering SICEEP for the NSW Government, will recommend the successful proponent in December 2012 and the operator for the interim facility is scheduled to be announced in March 2013.

Infrastructure NSW Project Director, Tim Parker commented, "BESydney's team has extensive knowledge of the events market and the expertise to oversee both the enquiry and booking process for both Glebe Island Expo and SICEEP. Our aim is to make the enquiry and booking processes as streamlined and user-friendly as possible. BESydney is already bidding on events for 2017 and beyond that will take place in the new facilities. The company is well placed to manage enquiries."

Lyn Lewis-Smith, CEO of BESydney comments, "The team is pleased to be taking on these new responsibilities. BESydney will be a one-stop shop for business events. Glebe Island Expo is part of the Sydney-wide interim solution that will enable Sydney to remain a vibrant hub for business events whilst SICEEP is constructed. The new facilities will deliver great opportunities for business events in the city, both now and in the future, and the team is looking forward to working closely with the industry to ensure their success."

"We already have a dedicated Event Delivery department that assists clients with sourcing venue options for their events. BESydney has been working closely over the past months to re-home the conferences and congresses it secured for Sydney that will be affected by the SICEEP development. This team will be expanded and will have dedicated staff to take on the responsibilities of the Glebe Island Expo and SICEEP." 

Exhibitions that will be affected by the SICEEP development will have first right of refusal for bookings for the interim facility. It is anticipated there will also be scope for additional events to be secured for Glebe Island Expo.
BESydney's Event Delivery team will manage the bookings and Robyn Johnson, General Manager Event Delivery, comments, "Our first priorities will be making sure that planned exhibitions have a home and ensuring that event organisers know Sydney will continue to deliver a world-class event experience during the development period."
Expressions of interest for bookings can be submitted online at www.glebeislandexpo.com. All enquiries should be emailed to bookings@besydney.com.au or call 1300 141 583.  

Glebe Island Expo was announced yesterday by Minister for Planning and Infrastructure, Brad Hazzard and Minister for Tourism, Major Events, Hospitality and Racing, George Souris. Infrastructure NSW will soon issue a Request for Proposals (RFP) to companies interested in designing, building, operating and then removing the interim facility. Detailed designs have yet to be developed, yet it is aimed Glebe Island Expo will provide:

• Pavilion-style exhibition space of 15,000 square metres in a high quality, air-conditioned, fully serviced interim facility
• An adjacent flat space of 10,000 square metres for exhibitors to temporarily expand the space for larger public exhibitions and trade shows
• A weather-proofed and climate controlled environment
• Flexible space that can create reception areas and meeting rooms
• Close proximity to the CBD and a unique location on Sydney Harbour
• Availability for the entire construction period
• Event-related food and beverage facilities, such as pop-up cafes and restaurants
• Full 'back of house' facilities, such as loading-dock, external storage and waste management facilities. 

For further information: 

Rebecca Mills, Marketing and Communications Manager
Business Events Sydney
rmills@besydney.com.au
Tel: +61 2 9332 5218
Mob: +61 420 960 108

ACTE's Australasia Education Conference - Sydney

The Association of Corporate Travel Executives’ (ACTE) is pleased to announce its 1st Australasia Educational Conference being held in
Sydney Australia, 5-6 December 2012.
 

We understand that the procurement and management of a travel program is not a simple task. Comprising many components, travel interacts with most areas of an organisation, has increasing duty of care responsibilities and is constantly under pressure to extract greater value.

ACTE’s much anticipated 1 ½ day educational conference will bring the region’s business travel community together to provide you with real strategies to tackle these challenges and assist you with running a reliable, streamlined and cost effective travel program that is well matched to your organisation’s culture, requirements and legislative responsibilities.

Conference Highlights Include:
»	Participate in education sessions focused on key business travel matters. Sessions posted shortly!
»	Listen to thought provoking speakers who will share their insights and ideas about the direction of business travel and how this can potentially assist your travel program objectives and its travellers.
»	Connect with professionals who share similar challenges and who too are trying to find solutions to their travel requirements.
»	Enjoy the exclusive après sessions which will maximize the delights of the host city’s beautiful Harbour during the warm daylight-saving December temperatures.

Steering Committee:

• Rebecca Bellamy, Senior Relationship Manager - Procurement PricewaterhouseCoopers
• Michelle Crutcher, Vice President - Strategic Sourcing and Category Management Citigroup 
• Simon Dodd, Manager Sales Strategy & Government QBT 
• Georgie Farmer, Global Service Delivery Manager Microsoft
• Elizabeth Ford, Director of Corporate Sales - Australia Accor
• Stuart Hunter, Director, Account Manager Egencia 
• Brian Jeffreys, Group Procurement Manager - ICT Boral
• Aileen London, Senior Manager Global Meeting Services APAC Oracle 
• Doug Marcotte, Global Lead - Travel & Corporate Card Macquarie Group
• Lachlan McEwen, Director Customer Value APAC ConTgo 
• Kenneth Phua, Business Development Manager Flightworld American Express 
• Phil Robinson, Head of Sales Diners Club Australia
• Michael Thorburn, Director of Sales & Marketing Serko  

Sydney Jewellery Fair Piquing Interest

Sydney International Jewellery Fair organiser Expertise Events is predicting a mixture of some returning old faces and exciting new initiatives will lead to a busy fair next week.

JAA International Jewellery Fair (IJF) organiser Gary Fitz-Roy said he’s a little surprised at the level of interest in the year’s fair. “Given that most people are saying that retail trading conditions are tough at the moment, we are seeing a noticeable increase in first-time visitors or people who have not attended [the Sydney fair] for three or four years.”

Fitz-Roy said that there has been an increase in the number of phone and email enquiries but also, “We are seeing an increase this year in visitors who have not attended for a few years. We can say that because they [visitors] must renew their photo ID badge every three years for security reasons so our staff have been more busy this year renewing old ID cards.”

Fitz-Roy was confident of a good turn out this year even if retail trading was tough and said visitors could expect some new sights and initiatives at the fair. “Maybe it’s because things are tough that people are saying I need to get proactive and get out there and look for new and interesting things.

“We've got a whole new look foyer and registration area, we've upgraded the graphics and look and feel of the fair when you come in,” he said. “I felt that it needed to happen. When times are tough you need to be putting it out there that you're still relevant, and show you're investing in the product because you believe in it,” Fitz-Roy

He added that another reason for the increased interest could be due to there being 60 new exhibitors.

Fitz-Roy explained that there is a new registration option this year. Retailers who missed the deadline for online preregistration can now preregister in-person on Saturday afternoon from 2:30 to 5:30pm at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre.

“Retailers can come in, register and get cards on Saturday, and that means on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday they'll have automatic access,” Fitz-Roy said.

Buying Groups
 
Nationwide Jewellers managing director Colin Pocklington reports that he’s expecting to at least equal last year’s numbers. “We already have 130 stores registered, and at this stage we expect to equal last year’s figures. In 2011, we registered over 500 people from 203 stores. However another 60 members who had buyer cards, and had not registered via us also attended” he said.

“In anticipation of a similar turnout we have enlarged our seminar room for this year,” Pocklington added.

Leading Edge Jewellers director Josh Zarb also said there had been a “good response” from Leading Edge members.

“Most attendees from our annual conference [which runs from this Thursday until Saturday in Sydney] will stay on and go to the fair,” Zarb said. “We’re expecting about 75 members to be at the fair. It’s slightly down on last year, but I think that’s due to a combination of things, not necessarily a downturn. Some of our members just have other things on.”

Associations
Jeweller has reported extensively on the slew of new products and services that will be launched at the fair, but some of the trade associations also have exciting offerings for visitors.

The Jewellers Association of Australia (JAA) has put together a group of expert business consultants to provide members with free advice and answer questions and concerns. Patrick Ferguson from Goldrick Farrell Mullan will be available to discuss legal topics, including company registration and shareholder agreements, partnership agreements, consumer complaints, debt recovery and more.

Leasing Information Services will be offering demonstrations of its online platform and answering questions about retail leasing, while Finance for Life will be present to discuss superannuation, investments, business and personal loans. RISQ and OzForex will also be on hand to discuss risk insurance and foreign exchange services with members.

The National Council of Jewellery Valuers (NCJV) plans to make education a focal point at its stand too. National education officer Graham Easy told Jeweller he would be at the fair to provide advice to visitors interested in jewellery valuation and support for current members.

"We go to the trade fair to assist members that come with questions, problems, or procedural matters, and people having problems with valuations,” he said. “We are also there to promote the principles of valuing, and talk about the educational process with people interested in becoming valuers.”

Easy said the NCJV was getting close to finalising a new government accredited course, the Diploma of Applied Gemmology (Valuation), which has been in development for several years. He said he would be available to take any questions potential students had about it, while the stand would also provide short courses for valuers, helping them learn about new industry issues.

“We run a small educational section at the stand,” Easy explained. “It’s something there for valuers, a five-minute education, it’s a mini class. In the past we’ve discussed fake watches and led-filled rubies. To be a valuer, you have to do so many update points a year, this helps gain some of those points very quickly.”

The Gemmological Association of Australia (GAA) will also be promoting express learning with its new online courses. The GAA, in collaboration with the JAA, is offering a collection of short, web-only courses aimed at newcomers to the jewellery industry. The course list includes ‘Introduction to retail jewellery sales’, ‘Introduction to daily jewellery retail business’, and ‘Introduction to coloured gemstones’.

Terry Coldham, chairman Gem-Ed, a sub-committee of the GAA, will be at the fair and said early feedback about the courses was positive. “We're getting some excellent reviews on them,” he said. “At the fair we will use a computer setup to show visitors how they work.”

Coldham said he would also be giving a talk to Nationwide members on coloured gemstones, in an effort to ”instil some interest and excitement in working and selling coloured gemstones in jewellery”.

Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre Wins International Award For Showcase Event

The Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre’s creativity and innovation in event delivery has again been recognised internationally, with the venue winning a prestigious International Special Events Society (ISES) Esprit Award.

Announced in Dallas in the United States on the weekend (August 4), the Best Event Design and Decor award acknowledges the Centre’s achievement in staging a spectacular Unconventional Evening in November 2011. 

The Unconventional Evening demonstrated the Centre’s talents and creative flair to more than 80 identities from the arts, media, wine and food industries.  The event was inspired by a painting from the Centre’s Australian art collection, the fiery nine-metre landscape, Point to Point, by renowned artist Tim Storrier. 

With Storrier in attendance as guest of honour, the Centre’s Executive Chef Uwe Habermehl added fire to ice to deliver a succession of theatrical dishes highlighting the finest local produce. 

Meanwhile, the Centre’s production team transformed the cityview Bayside Terrace into a shimmering interpretation of the evening’s theme, with hundreds of tiered candles and a massive projection of another Storrier painting, Landscape which spectacularly morphed into Point to Point.

Centre Chief Executive Ton van Amerongen said the venue was thrilled to win such a prestigious international accolade.

“The Centre is about to celebrate 25 years of delivering great events so it is wonderful to win an award of this calibre as we approach a landmark anniversary in 2013,” Mr van Amerongen.

“This award is not just about the Centre’s skill in delivering a seamless event, it’s also about the creativity and passion which our teams have demonstrated since our doors first opened. I congratulate them all for their world-class performance.”

Sydney's Event Showcase - Promises A Sensory Special Event

With less than three weeks until opening, the team behind Sydney's Event Showcase 2012 released numerous new show features today, as they ramp up their strategy to engage event buyers to the show floor.


Event Director Rowan Marchingo has tapped into his event production expertise to design and deliver an exhibition experience that will stimulate the five senses.  


"Sydney's Event Showcase 2012 will become what it promotes, a special event that delivers serious business returns for all involved. 


"We've ramped up the on-the-show floor experiences this year to showcase the best ideas and inspiration for those who manage, buy and deliver events of all shapes and sizes. 


"This year's Showcase will be an exhibition like no other," said Mr Marchingo. 
Visitor's taste buds will take delight in the brand new feature - Interactive Kitchen - where team building gurus Cheeky Food Group, Taste Food Tours and many others will lead a communal cooking class, whilst the best caterers in town will share samples of their food creations via the roving Bite Tastings. 


Visitors will be encouraged to touch and feel all the new products at the 180 exhibitor stands, and get up close and personal with industry influencers at the Party After Dark - the networking night of nights, this year to be held at Cargo Bar. For the first time ever, visitors will be able to purchase tickets to attend the event industry networking event of the year. 


The Entertainment Showcase has completely transformed the corporate entertainment on show at the exhibition. With famous Australian headliners on the bill, visitors will hear and see the ultimate in event entertainment. Additional entertainers will be also roving the isles adding an element of surprise to the Showcase. 


An interactive and informative smart phone app will be available for exhibitors and visitors to the show. Provided by ShowGizmo, it will include the full details of all the exhibitors on board, and calendarise all events occurring at the show. 


Visitors will hear from international keynote speakers Andrea Michaels and Corbin Ball at the all new, exciting program: Australia's Event Master Class Seminars, which will bring a whole host of domestic and international industry leaders together for the first time. 


Central - the heartbeat of the Showcase is still 'the place to be'. Keynote speakers from Australia's Event Master Class Seminars will congregate here to talk one-on-one with those wanting more insights into their knowledge and skills. 


A full schedule of events is available at the website
Registration is free; however it is strongly advised to register online before the Expo to avoid the queues at the door.
Catch the latest news and details at the events social media sites Facebook & Twitter

See the Events Connect site for additonal Info