 
Most airports around Australia are not only a fair distance from our densely populated and lively capital cities, but are also set out in the middle of nowhere, surrounded only by rugged bushland, rural countryside and/or industrial parks. As such, it’s easy to understand why the areas surrounding these grids of landing strips, hangars and passenger terminals are overlooked by meeting planners seeking an ideal location for an event or conference.
However, Sydney International Airport, and its surrounding area, is different. Unlike other airports around the country, its close proximity (around 12 kilometres) to Australia’s largest city alone makes it a serious contender as a suitable spot for conferences and events. Not to mention that there is a string of hotels with conference facilities set within minutes of the airport, including the Mercure Hotel Sydney Airport, Stamford Plaza Sydney Airport, Holiday Inn Sydney Airport, and Novotel Brighton Beach, plus the airport itself also has conference facilities.
When staging a conference or event within the area, you’re not just getting accessibility to the airport and the nearby CBD, but also to a range of attractions and activities for delegates to enjoy pre- or post-event or as part of a team-building program. There’s a plethora of open spaces to facilitate activities in, such as Cahill Park, an 18-hole golf course and a sizable sports oval. What’s more, as the airport is only five minutes from budding tourist destination, Brighton-le-Sands beach, delegates have access to dolphin-watching, beach sports, snorkelling, kayaking, surfing and beachside shopping.
“The area is full of pleasant surprises,” says Jack Baban, marketing and distribution executive, Mercure Hotel Sydney Airport. “Especially close to the airport the Cooks River and Wolli Creek Valley – the biggest green area in inner south west Sydney. Other close-by activities such as go-karting, indoor rock climbing, laser skirmish and ten-pin bowling offer a great selection for team-building.”
“We’re finding a growing interest from local companies who want to have a meeting and some team-building yet don’t have the time to leave Sydney or don’t want to spend a fortune on a resort. They’re also happy that the delegates can go back home to their families after the meeting.”
Mr Baban also points out that the area surrounding the airport is perfect for those delegates arriving from overseas or interstate who don’t want to waste valuable meeting time on the road.
“They can attend a full-day meeting and catch the next flight home,” he adds.
The area surrounding the Sydney International Airport is positively splattered with quality accommodation options and conference facilities for small to large-sized groups.
 One popular option for conferences is the Novotel Brighton Beach. Blessed with resort-style surroundings, this hotel is located opposite the beachfront, but is only four kilometres from the airport and a short drive to Sydney’s CBD. The hotel boasts 11 completely refurbished conference and meeting rooms, plus extended pre-function areas. Groups of up to 600 theatre-style can easily be catered for, and organisers won’t be able to pass up the opportunity of utilising the hotel’s new outdoor dining pavilion and terrace. The venue also offers 296 guest rooms, and is a stone’s throw from cosmopolitan restaurants and cafes.
Also in close proximity to the airport is the recently refurbished Mercure Hotel Sydney Airport, which offers 269 guest rooms and 11 conference and meeting rooms including a brand new grand ballroom able to accommodate up to 400. Only five minutes’ drive from the beach, the hotel is surrounded by a range of activities perfect for team-building, and to promote options nearby, it has developed an innovative interactive team-building map that will help conference and event organisers design interesting and active itineraries. To celebrate the launch of the map, the Mercure and its team-building partners have introduced a range of bonus offers which can be found on the hotel’s website.
Located within minutes from the international terminal and opposite the domestic terminal, Stamford Plaza Sydney Airport is possibly the closest accommodation you’ll get to the airport. However, despite its close proximity, the hotel offers quiet surroundings with sound resistant glass windows and resort-style facilities, including a rooftop lap pool, gymnasium, sauna and spa, and 313 guest rooms. It also has conference facilities, with 11 function rooms catering from four to 450 people.
Richard Holt, general manager at Novotel Brighton Beach picks out the area’s team-building highlights:
• Sample many of the excellent local cosmopolitan restaurants.
• Go cycling and exercising along the beautiful Botany Bay boardwalk.
• Play a round of golf (at either Eastlakes or Kogarah Golf Course).
• Learn to play beach volleyball at the training school across the road from Novotel Brighton Beach.
• Partake in a go-karting race at the Kartatak Raceway, Arncliffe.
• Pamper yourself at the Revive Day Spa at Novotel Brighton Beach.
• Visit the Bicentennial Monument in Cook Park on the Botany Bay foreshore that commemorates the arrival of the First Fleet in Botany Bay in 1788.
• Indulge in some of the best cakes in Sydney at Nick’s Cake Shop in Brighton-le-Sands.
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