ASydney’s event calendar kicked off this year with Amway China bringing 15,000 of its best sellers for business sessions and an incentive to top all incentives. And it’s not expected to stop, with the first half of the year dense with large-scale events worth more than $150 million in economic revenue.
Business Events Sydney CEO Jon Hutchison says this year and the next few years to come will be big ones for the harbour city. And he has welcomed the NSW Government’s announcement to expand convention space at Darling Harbour.
The New South Wales Government has released a master plan for a new Sydney Multifunctional Convention and Entertainment Centre (SMCEC) at Darling Harbour.
Minister for Lands Tony Kelly said adding this new centre to the city’s existing convention facilities means Sydney will have more convention and exhibition space than any other city in Australia.
“The cutting-edge facility will create in excess of 20,000 square metres of new floor space, which will ensure Sydney remains the premier city for international meetings and gatherings in the Asia-Pacific market,” he said.
“This major rejuvenation of Darling Harbour south will deliver more than $600 million in economic benefits to NSW over the next 20 years and create more than 400 ongoing jobs.”
Mr Hutchison said business events play a key role in the state’s economic success, and the new facilities will aid in Sydney’s convention bid endeavours.
“We have 99 events confirmed for Sydney right up until 2017, representing $497 million for the city. With more capacity and leading edge facilities in the pipeline, we are confident of winning even more business,” he said.
Mr Kelly said when complete, the SMCEC will combine with the existing facilities at Darling Harbour to provide conference capacity of 16,400 seats, and the capability to cater for six separate events simultaneously.
According to Mr Kelly this new centre will open up development opportunities for the whole meetings and convention industry.
“Redevelopment of the Sydney Entertainment Centre site will allow the creation of development sites along Harbour Street, including opportunities for hotel developments to be integrated with the SMCEC.
So how much is this costing? The New South Wales Government will invest $5 million this year initially for a concept plan, report on procurement options and preparation of a final business case.
“The project will require private sector investment and cost to government will depend on the final procurement options selected,” Mr Kelly said.
According to Mr Hutchison, any investment from the state government will be well spent in ROI with a flood of business events to the city.
He said this facility will be the largest convention venue in the country and will help not only Sydney but Australia compete on an international level against cities like Singapore and Seoul that have significant convention infrastructure.
“Destination selection for these business events happens years in advance. Hence it is important that Sydney is well prepared to bid for major events and be able to compete effectively at both domestic and international fronts,” he said.
Indeed, from International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) statistics, Sydney already has a significant share in meetings held in Australia with 36 percent. And no doubt with more convention space this margin is bound to only grow.
 
The new facilities will include:
• A dedicated conference and entertainment auditorium.
• Space for 12,000 delegates with fixed seating for 6000.
• The auditorium can be divided into three separate conference halls with individual capacities of 1500 to 2500 pax.
• Capable of hosting a range of entertainment events from large scale rock concerts to smaller classical recitals.
• Designed to suit sporting events including basketball, tennis and boxing with 17 corporate boxes ideal for business events.
• A multipurpose hall with 12,000 square metres of space ideal for exhibitions, banquets and sporting functions.
• Pre-function and large circulation space, meeting rooms and hospitality suites.
SOS – Your Sydney contacts
Business Events Sydney
Phone: +61 2 9331 4045
Website: www.businesseventssydney.com.au/
Email: info@BESydney.com.au
Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre
Phone: +61 2 9282 5000
Email: info@scec.com.au
Website: www.scec.com.au
We’ve scoured the city and found some spectacular spots to seclude with your group.
Room with a view
Considered one of the best restaurants in Sydney, and famous for executive chef Peter Gilmore’s Master Chef challenges, this is definitely one to keep on your luxury list. It’s ranked 27 on the coveted S.Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurant’s list. Quay offers a range of private dining options, the most exclusive of which is the Upper Tower. This space can cater for 32 guests, who no doubt will be blown away with the Sydney Harbour views from the floor-to-ceiling-glass windows, not to mention the exquisite food.
There is a minimum spend requirement for exclusive use of the Upper Tower from $1500 for lunch and from $4000 for dinner. The November/December lunch rate is $3000 and the dinner rate is $5000.
For more information go to www.quay.com.au.
Located at Jones Bay Wharf, this well established Sydney restaurant has been constructed from an original heritage wharf site and blends a contemporary mix of design highlights to deliver a new and unique Sydney dining experience. This restaurant specialises in an inspiring menu filled with the best local produce and seafood.
The restaurant offers two private dining spaces, The Wine Room and The Arcadia Room. The Wine Room is a two-level loft space and can seat 30 guests on its lower level with the privacy of frosted glass walls. The Arcadia Room can seat 20 and is situated on the lower level of the restaurant and is the perfect place to entertain in privacy and style.
For more information go to www.flyingfish.com.au.
Renowned for creating culinary masterpieces with the finest Australian seafood, this buzzing a la carte restaurant is a historic converted boathouse in Blackwattle Bay with views of Sydney Harbour.
Owners Tony Papas and Robert Smallbone opened the restaurant in 1997, and were inspired to create a Parisian style brassiere, where seafood is delivered to diners in pristine condition.
The restaurant offers a semi-private space for groups of 11 to 32 and is the perfect blend of seclusion, while not completely removing your group from the ambience of the eatery.
For more information go to www.boathouse.net.au.
 In the lap of luxury
In 2010 Marque was recognised with the Breakthrough Award at the World’s Best 50 Restaurant Awards, and was named Restaurant of the Year at the Sydney Good Food Guide Awards. With these accolades it’s no secret the food here is spectacularly impressive.
Marque’s private dining room seats a maximum of 14, and guests in this room are only served a specialised degustation menu.
For more information go to www.marquerestaurant.com.au.
Located close to the CBD, Longrain’s private dining room is hidden behind a slatted wooden wall, and provides the perfect secluded spot to enjoy the restaurant’s renowned Thai fare.
The private room can comfortably seat a group of a maximum of 18 and must be booked well in advance.
Longrain chef Martin Boetz’s specially designed private dining menu includes a range of his signature high-end Thai dishes like betel leaf topped with prawn, peanuts, roasted coconut and ginger.
The set menu can also be matched with wine chosen by Longrain’s sommelier, or guests can choose to select wine from the comprehensive wine list.
For more information go to www.longrain.com.au.
Sepia Restaurant and Wine Bar is the partnership of two of Sydney’s food identities – the renowned seafood wholesaler George Costi of De Costi Seafoods and British born Sydney chef Martin Benn, previously executive chef at Tetsuya’s.
Sepia offers a semi-private dining room and can comfortably seat up to 16 guests on one long table. The area is an alcove at the rear of the restaurant and can be screened off if required.
There are also two other areas of the restaurant that
can be offered exclusively – the North Dining Room which seats up to 35 guests, or a maximum of 26 guests seated on one long table, and the South Dining Room which seats up to 45 guests.
For more information go to www.sepiarestaurant.com.au.
Renowned chef Luke Mangan’s restaurant Glass has been a favourite with corporate groups for years and offers French-style cuisine.
For private dining the restaurant offers The Kitchen Table, ideal for four to eight guests who want to be amongst all the action of the kitchen, or a Private Dining Table which is bordered by a magnificent wine wall on one side and views of the Queen Victoria Building on the other.
For more information go to www.glassbrasserie.com.au.
  Luna Park Sydney has been recognised at the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions Brass Ring Awards in Florida late last year.
The theme park and Sydney icon took home the award for ‘Most Innovative Program’ which honoured outstanding excellence for its staff training initiative.
The Luna Park Superhero Training Program was recognised by the association as a creative and innovative approach to presenting information which reinforces the park’s culture, branding, images and themes.
The training and mentoring program was developed by Luna Park manager Brad Loxley, and beat Universal Studios, Sea World USA, Legoland and the new Ferrari World in the UAE.
 
Luna Park MD Peter Hearne said he was thrilled that the park won such a prestigious industry award against tough competition.
“The Superhero Training Program offers an extremely high attention to detail when it comes to guest satisfaction which is unprecedented amongst more mainstream attractions,” he said.
Captain Cook Cruises was chosen to host TV Queen Oprah Winfrey’s 350 audience members for a cruise from Circular Quay to Taronga.
And after hosting Oprah’s audience on an extravagant cruise on Sydney Harbour, the cruising experts spent half a million dollars on a refurbishment of its most popular charter boat, Matilda 3.
The boat has had a complete makeover including new walls, ceilings, dance floor, railings, carpets and toilets. It now features a state-of-the-art AV setup, strobe flash lighting and new round tables and chairs imported from Italy.
Captain Cook Cruises has also been busy after winning the bid for the Amway China Incentive group. This saw its flagship vessel, MV Sydney 2000 host waves of thousands of delegates throughout January. Captain Cook Cruises hosted seven lunches over two weeks, which featured customised menus with Asian and Australian flavours.
The word is out that Swiss-Grand Resort & Spa, Bondi Beach will be trading well into 2011, and is already contending with a filling events calendar.
GM Richard Holt said there have been rumours that the property is closing, which couldn’t be further from the truth, with business on the books well into 2011 for the four-and-a-half star property.
For more information on meeting space available go to www.swissgrand.com.au.
 
YOUR NAME: Helen Radic
YOUR POSITION: Director of sales & marketing, Sydney Harbour Marriott Circular Quay. WHAT YOU LIKE BEST ABOUT SYDNEY: The amazing variety of cafes and restaurants to choose from. BEST THING TO DO IN SYDNEY: Pack a gourmet picnic, filled with cheese, bread and wine and head to the Botanic Gardens with family and friends for a long lunch in the sun watching Sydney Harbour. WHAT HAVEN’T YOU DONE BUT HAVE HEARD IS GREAT: Climbing Sydney Harbour Bridge. The view is supposed to be spectacular. FAVOURITE BAR OR PUB: Customs House Bar. FAVOURITE RESTAURANT: Icons Brassiere. THE ONE THING THAT A VISITOR SHOULDN’T MISS: A trip on the ferry on a sunny day - breathtaking. WHAT’S OVER-RATED: Bondi Beach. ANYTHING UNDERATED: Centennial Park. WHAT WOULD YOUR IDEAL SUNDAY ENTAIL: Food, family and sunshine. WHAT’S THE BEST EVENT YOU’VE BEEN TO IN SYDNEY AND WHY: City of Sydney New Year’s Eve. You are in a VIP section, right underneath Sydney Harbour Bridge watching a world-class fireworks display celebrating the past year and thinking of the possibilities for the year to come.
After watching the Oprah Winfrey specials that aired in mid-January it’s not hard to understand why Rodney Cambridge and his team should feel proud of delivering the vision that Oprah, her production company Harpo, Tourism NSW and Tourism Australia wanted for the welcome party for Oprah’s “ultimate viewers” and special guests.
Donna Hay was brought into the project by Harpo as the stylist to the event and food coordinator, with Cambridge Events charged with collaborating with Hay and making her vision a reality, at the same time delivering on the very important requirements (and expected outcomes) of the key stakeholders.
As Rodney Cambridge explains, there were three design elements of the event at work:
• City Glamour – focusing on what a glamorous place Sydney is, with the main focus for this being the clear marquee which was positioned at Fleet Steps in The Royal Botanic Gardens.
• Country Retreat – with the theme of the genteel and refined Southern Highlands.
• Coastal Chic – highlighting the casual elegance of Palm Beach.
These two event themes were revealed to guests as the evening unfolded.
“The whole concept was to showcase New South Wales – the food, the wine, and the look and feel of Sydney and New South Wales in a very slick and contemporary and stylish but also relaxed fashion,” Mr Cambridge explains.
“The real important part of this whole event was that in addition to it needing to be a great live event it also had to work for television. Everything that was created and designed, food stations, the location, etc, had to work as an event and also had to work for television.
“Often one [element] can take over from the other – but it didn’t in this case. The feedback we received was that the attendees were incredibly happy, and the response we got from Tourism NSW and Tourism Australia was very good, and Harpo said they got some amazing footage.
“I really think as an event it delivered on so many levels – it was entertaining but not over the top – it was quintessentially Sydney, New South Wales and Australia.
Celebrity chefs including Justin North of Becasse, David O’Brien of Merivale’s ivy, and Pete Evans, and Gelato Messina and Belinda Franks Catering, all assisted in the successful delivery of the event.
Among many highlights was, as has been well-publicised, the reveal of the O on the Harbour Bridge.
“We had a great piece of music that built, and we took the guests outside so they were taking in the full view of the harbour bridge. [There was a] magical fireworks display with two barges that then took everyone’s attention towards the bridge, and then the big moment – a magical moment for Oprah and her audience.”
Guy Sebastian then performed a set back in the marquee with Oprah reportedly dancing the whole time.
Mr Cambridge said it was a privilege to have worked on such an event, a feeling shared by all the suppliers and chefs.
“There was a real energy and enthusiasm from everybody.
“What [also] amazed me on the night was listening to Oprah’s speech and hearing how she genuinely loves Australia and New South Wales. It was very special to be a part of.”
PHOTOS ABOVE – Copyright: All Rights Reserved/George Burns/Harpo, Inc.
Without a passport or forking out 1000 bucks for a plane ticket, Bistro Felix is the quickest way to get to Paris. The team at Merivale have done an uncanny job of transplanting an authentic French bistro into its already heaving spread of restaurants and bars. Oh, and who can forget that sparkling roof top pool?
Since it opened Felix has been abuzz, even on a Monday night. With a spectacular seafood station and oyster bar, an authentic-yet-not-kitsch menu it’s no wonder people are busting through the doors.
Head chef Lauren Murdoch, who previously headed up the Ash Street Cellar and Lotus, has been feeding the masses at the French-inspired eatery since it opened late in 2010.
The modern Asian eatery is located in Potts Point and is dishing up some cheeky fare.
With 621 in glowing neon lights on the wall of Ms G’s it’s clear the restaurant’s name is a pun on MSG. But fear not friendly diner, there’s no toxic additives here; it’s all authentic, grass roots cuisine.
With a communal table, graffiti walls and a courtyard vegetable garden and the restaurant serves a very unique selection of dishes. The menu features things like fried baby chicken, kimchi mayonnaise and ‘stoner’s delight’ which is banana ice-cream with chocolate, rice bubbles, pretzels, peanut brittle and marshmallow. This eatery is definitely one of a kind.
For more information on all of these restaurants go to www.merivale.com.
 
BACKGROUND: A 20 year history exists with the LGSA and the Wentworth Hotel - and more recently the Sofitel Sydney Wentworth. Over the last few years with the Sofitel’s French touch and staff, it has made these conferences stand out.
The Sofitel team make a point of welcoming LGSA guests and remembering many repeat guests by name.
WHAT YOU DID: The classroom-style plenary room was converted into a full stage Broadway production of ‘The Candy Man’ in less than three hours for the gala dinner.
The Sofitel team’s expertise, flexibility and attention to detail made sure the dream Broadway production was flawless. This was particularly important with the gala dinner being a most important component of the conference.
SPECIAL TOUCHES: The full production of The Candy Man was matched to the theming of the event, such as red and white striped tablecloths, oversized lolly filled martini glasses as table centres, themed lolly bags, menu cards and lighting. Entertainment was provided by Wayne Scott Kermond’s Candy Man staged at the Theatre Royal, and included dancers and an 11 piece band. The Wentworth Ballroom was transformed from a learning centre to a creative experience. LGSA worked with Hollywood for Hire to create the knock-out theming.
OVERCOMING CHALLENGES:
• Equipment bumped in and stored prior to the conference.
• Staff from all departments of the hotel made available to assist with set up.
• Worked with the production company to ensure a quality production of The Candy Man, with considerably less space.
• Creativity focus from the hotel – operationally to maximise delegate numbers and dance floor space. Chef’s menu concept to recognise sponsors and present a unique culinary experience for repeat conference delegates.
CLIENT’S COMMENT: One of the things that really impressed me with the Sofitel was their staff, who worked with LGSA to make the conference interesting, unique and to exceed expectations. This is difficult when the conference is held in the same venue each year. Sofitel staff know how to ensure both client and delegates have a wonderful experience; their flexibility and attention to detail is second to none and has been integral to the success of this conference over the last few years.
– Meg Fisher, Manager Events and Protocol, Local Government and Shires Association of NSW, Immediate Past President ISES Sydney.
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