Walk around Melbourne’s streets right now and you’re bound to see someone with a nail gun in hand and a hardhat on. Reflective orange is the new black, scaffolding is the latest building art, and everyone is dancing to the sounds of jigsaw trills against a jackhammer beat.
Ok, that might be a silly exaggeration, because the city is far from becoming one big construction site. However, with all the infrastructure developments going on in town at the moment, there’s no surprise that it might come across that way on paper.
Already home to Australia’s biggest exhibition space, 15,000 hotel rooms within the city, and an upcoming convention and exhibition precinct that will cater for 5000 in plenary seating, surely Melbourne has little else to do but sit back and watch the events business come flooding through the gates.
But Melbourne is a city on a mission, setting its sights on becoming Australia’s number one C&I destination, and focusing on the continuous improvement of the city’s existing infrastructure. And there is a lot going on by way of development in the city as a result. Hotels are upping their room numbers and refurbishing their facilities, new venues are opening their doors and existing spots are expanding beyond the leisure market and into the C&I space.
And with the recent announcement that Melbourne Airport has been chosen as the Australian headquarters for low-cost Asian carrier Tiger Airways, the city is in a position to access even more inexpensive flights and increased flight paths on both a domestic and an international level.
So it really is happening in the city of food, fine dining, festivals and fashion. Is it possible that this style-setting spot is marking the way for other Australian locations to follow?
Just over one year after its opening in July 2005, the RACV City Club commenced a significant expansion project to further improve the facilities and services available at the CBD-based venue. Due to be completed by early 2008, the expansion includes the gymnasium on the ground level, the fitness centre and One Spa on the ground level mezzanine, the relocation and revamp of the Henty Room Services and squash courts on level one, plus an additional dining room. These additions will compliment existing facilities including a 31-seat theatrette, pillarless conference room on level 17, six meeting rooms on level two, 112 guest rooms and eight restaurants and bars.
Citigate Albert Park Melbourne and The Sebel Albert Park Melbourne have recently joined Mirvac Hotels & Resorts’ portfolio of properties. Formerly Carlton Crest hotels, the newly acquired four-and-a-half and four-star properties will undergo an immediate and significant refurbishment program which will enable them to fall in line with the well-established Sebel and Citigate brands. The newly-acquired property has been co-branded to offer two levels of accommodation under the Citigate and Sebel brands. With a prime location close to the CBD, Chapel Street and St Kilda Beach, the hotel overlooks Albert Park Lane and offers 242 Sebel rooms and 132 Citigate standard rooms, plus a conference centre with 30 function rooms and capacity for up to 1700.
A refurbishment program has also commenced at the nearby The Sebel Melbourne. The property is receiving a $1.2 million soft refurbishment of its guestrooms from mid-May this year, with a prototype room being trialled by guests in the months leading up to the commencement of the makeover and their ideas and feedback have been included in the plans. Formerly the Bank of Australasia, the building was originally constructed in 1875, and has undergone several refurbishments in previous years. Set on Collins Street in the centre of Melbourne, the hotel offers 115 deluxe studio guestrooms, one- and two-bedroom suites, and two-storey loft suites.
Located on Melbourne’s famous boulevard, St Kilda Road, The Royce Hotel has recently completed a multi-million dollar refurbishment and extension, and now offers 100 accommodation rooms and suites. A strong demand for an increase in rooms led to the construction of two additional levels of accommodation for the five-star hotel. The refurbishment also extended to some of the existing accommodation rooms as well as the hotel’s ballroom, restaurant and bar. To coincide with the refurbishment of the ballroom, which can cater for up to 300, The Royce Hotel has released a special day conference package, which starts from $66 per delegate, per day. It includes arrival coffee and tea, morning tea (inclusive of muffins and assorted pastries), lunch, afternoon tea, room hire plus selected conference equipment. The package is valid until July 31, 2007. Minimum delegate numbers apply, and room hire may be applicable dependant upon the conference room booked and number of delegates.
There’s a fresh face at the Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre (MECC), with award-winning chef Mark McInnes recently joining the team as executive chef. Taking over from Frank Burger who was appointed food and beverage manager a few months back, South Australian-born Mr McInnes said he was excited to join the company at such a challenging time, with construction underway on the new Melbourne Convention Centre due to open in 2009. The new centre will be Australia’s largest combined convention and exhibition facility.
Bedouin Freeform Tents and Canopies has succumbed to demand and is now offering its distinctive range of tents and canopies for Victorian customers. Initially established in Sydney, the freeform marquee and tent specialist has now opened a second business arm operating out of Melbourne.
Melbourne branch manager, Natalie Flint, who joined Bedouin Freeform Tents in November 2006, is excited about the opportunity of introducing the company’s eye-catching products to Victoria.
Unlike traditional marquees, freeform tents can be installed to fit almost any space and can be easily integrated around obstructions such as buildings, trees or stairs. As freestanding structures, freeform tents provide a welcome departure from the traditional white PVC marquees or shade structures. The canopies can be applied to awkwardly-shaped outdoor areas with surprising ease, providing a distinctive structure that also protects guests from the elements. Aside from being versatile, the fabric is waterproof, easy to transport and can be erected relatively quickly.
 
Sofitel Melbourne’s annual Eat Street charity event took on superhero proportions when it was held in May. The largest fundraising gala evening the hotel had ever had, the superhero themed event aimed to raise $250,000 for the Australian Childhood Foundation, a charity that works to prevent child abuse through its ‘Become a Childhood Hero’ program.
Sofitel Melbourne’s ballroom was transformed into Gotham City where Batman and Robin were joined by over 30 leading Melbourne restaurants and wineries. Chefs from Cecconi’s, MoVida, Verge, The Press Club, Café La and Ezard restaurants and wineries such as Chalon, Babich, Mornington Estate and Clairult treated guests to a selection of superb signature dishes and tastings.
Leading designers and celebrities including Alice McCall, Scanlan & Theodore, Willow, Anthony LaPaglia and Jamie Durie donated spectacular, one-of-a-kind capes that were showcased on the night with a price tag of $1000 each. Dr Sally “Feelgood” Cockburn returned as MC with her unique Wonder Woman-style banter along with roving musicians The Wacky’s and Dirty Laundry.
Sofitel’s Eat Street is one of the culinary highlights of the year in a city that prides itself on its food culture and has raised more than $800,000 for children’s charities since its inception in 2000. The event is sponsored by ADT Security with all Sofitel Melbourne staff, restaurants, chefs, wineries, suppliers and those associated with this event generously donating their time, products and services free-of-charge to ensure a maximum return for the charity.
 A group of 50 musically-clueless CEOs, human resource and organisational development managers were turned into musicians in a matter of one hour when a new team-building corporate culture experience for businesses was launched in April this year.
An Australian creation, the Orchestra team-building experience was launched at the Regent Theatre in Melbourne, as part of an event organised by Marriner Theatres Events, Fusion Marketing and Business Retreats Australia. The experience aims to transform participants into a dynamic group of performers, creating lasting memories of the results that can be achieved through teamwork.
Conceived by the head of public relations organisation, Richard Lazar and created over the last three years by Australian musician and composer Glenn Reither, Orchestra has been refined to ensure that in one hour of show-stopping entertainment groups of individuals can be brought together as one team.
At the launch, Mind Gallery, a creative facilitator of organisational development and a partner in Orchestra, issued each of the 50 corporates with a xylophone musical chord, and then a highly-entertaining conductor taught each member of the team how to strike a note. At the end of the hour, the entire group had been transformed into a symphonic powerhouse, playing right through Beethoven’s Ninth.
“Orchestra proves itself to be a very productive way to enable people to interact and learn,” said Mind Gallery director, Trish Elkington. “Unlike outdoor experiential learning it is easy to organise and can be functionally delivered in any conference environment.”
Following a $108 million redevelopment, the Melbourne Showgrounds has been transformed into a world-class venue, and is now on full-view for event organisers.
The city’s newest venue, recently opened its doors to key industry players in April to showcase its facilities. The Melbourne Showgrounds, which has hosted some of Victoria’s biggest events since 1880, now not only restored heritage-listed buildings across a 19-hectare site, but also brand new state-of-the-art facilities and amenities. These include an indoor and outdoor exhibition and event space, 60,000 square metres of exhibition space across 15 pavilions, and the centrepiece for the Melbourne Showgrounds, the Grand Pavilion. Featuring an impressive ‘big top’, the pavilion is 10,000 square metres of covered exhibition space with the capacity to seat 4500 people.
Within the first three months of opening, the redeveloped venue hosted major events including an innovative car launch for Ford, rehearsals for the highly anticipated “Walking with Dinosaurs” show, “Show” family days, a bridal exhibition and several concerts. Many major exhibitions, corporate events and conferences have already been scheduled for what is shaping up to be a healthy 2007.
Mark O’Sullivan, CEO, Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria, said the Melbourne Showground venue is already exceeding expectations, kick-started by a very successful 2006 Royal Melbourne Show.
“The Melbourne Showgrounds offers a team that is prepared to go the extra mile to maximise any event experience,” he said.
“The team strives to provide each and every customer with a unique solution by bringing fresh ideas to life. This results in engaging experiences for our customers and their guests, along with providing unforgettable moments.”
Located less than half an hour from Melbourne’s International Airport and situated 10 kilometres from the CBD, the showgrounds are fully serviced by public transport including trains, buses and trams.
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