NAME: VeryGC Global Business Golf Challenge & VeryGC By the Sea welcome function.
TYPE: Golf day and welcome function.
CLIENT: Gold Coast Tourism
BY: SquareOne Events
NO. ON ORGANISING TEAM: Ten (10)
WHERE: Lakelands Golf Club & Dome Pavilion on the Beach, Gold Coast, Australia (with satellite seminar sessions in Asia and New Zealand)
PAX: 90 and 275 respectively.
BUDGET: Top secret
WHAT YOU DID: SquareOne Events was requested to organise a corporate golf day and a gala welcome party for delegates attending the Gold Coast’s inaugural VeryGC Global Business Insights (GBI) 2007. The two-day GBI event, with some of the biggest names in North America, South America and the UK on the speaker list, was designed to showcase the Gold Coast as a premier business tourism destination. It was targeted to an audience of senior corporate executives in the Asia Pacific region and included concurrent sessions on the Gold Coast as well as Singapore, Hong Kong and New Zealand, with more than 100 delegates attending in each location.
Both the golf tournament and the welcome party were held on the same day. The 18-hole golf tournament ran from 10am until 6pm, and the welcome cocktail party event commenced at 7pm.
The client, Gold Coast Tourism, required that both events have a significant “wow” factor and where possible incorporate cutting-edge technology in a never-been-done-before style of event. It was critical that both events showcased the assets of the Gold Coast and also introduce it as a premium business tourism destination.
SPECIAL TOUCHES: On the golf course, the opportunity to creatively showcase the VeryGC branding was undertaken wherever possible. The VeryGC and GBI logo was sprayed on the grass adjacent to the tees on the first and 10th holes; VeryGC flags marked the pin on all 18 holes of the course; all players were provided with a VeryGC-branded leather pouch in which to store valuables, and VeryGC signage was featured throughout the clubhouse. Rules sheets and score cards also featured both the VeryGC brand and the GBI logo.
World-renowned PGA Golf Tour professional Wayne Grady met with all players, joined them as they participated in an exclusive pre-round golf clinic and then played with each group for their first hole. John Noble, Australia’s current long-drive champion, also participated and joined players on another hole where his shot could be used as part of their overall score.
For the welcome party, the title “By the Sea” was chosen to highlight the VeryGC branding which has as its signature theme the catchy song “Beyond the Sea” by singer Bobby Darin. The venue was subsequently styled as a supper club with bar stools, scatter tables and low sleek black and white leather lounges throughout. This sophisticated look was enhanced by the hip and cool music provided by the five-piece swing band fronted by a “crooner-style” singer.
The dome-style pavilion used on the beach had never been previously erected in this format in any location in Australia and provided instant visual impact due to its size, shape, colour and location overlooking the Pacific Ocean at Broadbeach. The interior was carpeted and air-conditioned for guest comfort and featured clear walls along the beachside to maximise the outstanding ocean and coastal views. The beach area in front of the dome was floodlit to provide perspective when darkness fell, as the evening progressed. Other creative lighting effects included votive candles throughout the dome to provide ambient lighting, contemporary chandeliers which were placed over the bar areas, and alternate colour washes of orange, green, blue and mauve which bathed the entire pavilion in light throughout the evening.
High-tech staging effects such as huge screens and a soft LED curtain backdrop showcased the illustrations and images which are an integral part of the VeryGC campaign. SquareOne Events partnered with International Sound & Light (ISL) to provide the special lighting effects, the Soft LED video production, the latest in high-tech effects and the sophisticated entertainment production.
Glamorous dancers presented feature dance routines – these were performed to funky rhythms with roles such as Gold Coast Beach Girl, Adventure Girl and Business Tourism Executive highlighting the mix of business and leisure that the Gold Coast offers.
CHALLENGES: Lakelands, the course selected for the golf tournament, is Australia’s first Jack Nicklaus signature golf course. It is a semi-private club with membership and offers only limited access for the general public. As the golf day was held on a Sunday which was traditionally a members’ only play day, special permission was required to enable the corporate golf day to proceed.
An extra challenge arose when the course was sold two months prior to the event, bringing about a change in the management team and key contacts at the course with whom SquareOne had made all prior arrangements.
With both events being held on the one day and one concluding just prior to the next one commencing, considerable pressure was placed on the events team’s staffing resources. Tight adherence to the golf day schedule and program was also required to ensure golf participants were able to return to their accommodation with ample time to refresh and then attend the evening event.
With the title “By the Sea”, it was critical that the welcome party event took place in a spectacular ocean-side location. As this was public space, SquareOne Events was required to obtain a number of special permits from the council and local authorities for access to a never-been-done-before beachside site and the erection of a dome-style pavilion on the sands at Broadbeach. Such a unique setting in a public location combined with a six-day bump-in period for set-up necessitated the consideration and management of major logistical issues such as safety, security, weather contingencies, guest access and environmental safeguarding, to name but a few.
CLIENT’S COMMENT: “The welcome function was well-conceived and very well executed by SquareOne Events, an excellent demonstration of the high level of professional support services available on the Gold Coast.”
- Gold Coast Tourism CEO Pavan Bhatia
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