You know that things are moving along swimmingly when the mainstream media stops writing about you. And that’s exactly what’s happening in greater Sydney, especially in the Homebush and Sydney Olympic Park region where business has never looked better.
Further afield, in Parramatta, there is also plenty afoot, with the western suburbs’ city set to undergo a multi-million dollar transformation with new high-rise office and apartment developments, extended shopping precincts, and an expanded restaurant strip all in the pipeline.
North of Parramatta, development is also strong. The Norwest Business Park is releasing its final land for businesses, and continues to experience strong demand from the “big boys” in the Sydney CBD. Likewise around Sydney Olympic Park, where it is anticipated by 2025 the precinct will be supporting more than 25,000 workers each day.
Sydney Olympic Park is currently home to close to 100 businesses including Orlando Wyndham, Dairy Farmers, QBE, BP Solar and Eveready. The Commonwealth Bank is relocating thousands of employees to the precinct (5000 staff by 2009), joining others including ANZ, the NAB and Macquarie Bank.
Venues at Sydney Olympic Park, including Sydney Showground, have not failed to recognise the potentially lucrative flow-on effects that additional businesses will bring to the precinct and greater Sydney generally.
In 2007 Sydney Showground officially launched its refurbished Badgery Pavilion after undergoing a $1 million transformation. New carpet, furnishings, and state-of-the-art air-conditioning, were included in the refresh program.
Significantly it was recognised by none other than Premier Morris Iemma, who stressed the importance of western Sydney’s development to the NSW economy as a whole at the official re-launch.
As Sydney Showground general manager event sales, Kim-Laura Paterson, said, Sydney Showground was continuously investing in infrastructure to meet the steady growth of the area.
“Western Sydney is the third largest economy in Australia,” she said.
“The Badgery Pavilion upgrade is one of many steps Sydney Showground is taking to ensure businesses in the region have access to more than 20 world-class event venues and facilities.”
And the importance of the Sydney Olympic Park precinct as a whole hasn’t been lost on hoteliers either. Already operating the Novotel and Hotel Ibis at Sydney Olympic Park, Accor late last year announced it would be introducing the first Pullman brand to Australia when it opens the five-star Pullman Sydney Olympic Park in August this year.
Accor is also opening a Formule 1 hotel at Sydney Olympic Park in 2008, which will bring the number of rooms operated by Accor at Sydney Olympic Park to more than 600 (see story page 130).
Rosehill Gardens will host a Grand Royale launch night on April 9, which organisers are saying promises to be an event unrivalled in Australia.
The Grand Royale will be a night full of glamour, high fashion, celebrities, unveilings, surprise and intrigue. Featuring first-class catering and entertainment that will showcase the venue in all its glory, this will be a night you will not want to miss.
General manager of Twentyfour-7 Event Solutions, Joan Lowensohn, said she was thrilled and excited to partner with the Rosehill Gardens Event Centre for the launch of the Grand Pavilion at Rosehill Gardens Racecourse.
“To be partnering in the opening of this incredible new space in Sydney is an opportunity that allows us as an event management company to showcase the potential of this new space,” she said.
“With the use of our creative, technical and overall event management expertise we intend to wow the guests with new and innovative concepts never before seen in the Sydney marketplace.
“In conjunction with the team at Rosehill Gardens the guests will experience a night with food and beverage, entertainment and technical components never before seen at an event of this calibre. We bring to the Grand Pavilion the latest in new-age technology, a room that will be dressed to impress.”
The $30 million double storey Grand Pavilion will accommodate up to 2000 seated guests plus 3300 sqm of ground floor exhibition space, with numerous high profile clients already excitedly booking in their next event.
Famil sessions will be organised post-launch, allowing all industry participants an up close and personal look at the new facilities. Look out for more information in upcoming editions of mice.net.
 Axis Events called on Moreton Hire to assist with the launch and tree-planting ceremony at Daikin’s Chipping Norton factory with an unusual brief in 2007.
The brief requested unique visual impact and quality product to be installed at the construction site of the new premises.
Moreton Hire delivered this by utilising the distinctive German-engineered Arcum, the only one of its type in Australia, with a unique curved roofline, solid moulded walls, glass façade and glass swinging doors.
The combination of design and functionality created a light-filled high impact environment for the three separate function requirements which included two VIP meeting areas for the guests and international VIPs, an auditorium with staging and seating for a presentation to launch the new facilities to 200 guests, and a refreshments area that overlooked the tree-planting ceremony.
Guests were welcomed to what many believed was a permanent structure. The entrance featured a quality timber finish and 200 square metres of superbly finished custom-built decking and stairs with sail covering, creating a comfortable viewing area for the tree planting ceremony. Structure and walling were constructed over the restroom and back-of-house facilities.
The Moreton Hire design team were required to reflect Daikin’s identity and style and created a stylish and slick professional look with the internal walling dressing the interior areas, eye-catching furniture and effects.
Accor claims the Pullman Sydney Olympic Park will be the only five-star hotel to open in Sydney this decade, and will be western Sydney’s first five-star hotel.
Pullman Sydney Olympic Park is being developed by Tourism Asset Holdings Limited (TAHL), Australia’s largest hotel ownership company, of which Accor is a minor shareholder. The total development cost of the hotel is in excess of AUD$50 million.
Pullman is best known for its association with the luxurious railway carriages that changed the face of overnight accommodation on trains in America, the UK and Europe in the 19th and 20th centuries. Accor acquired the brand name in the early 1990s as part of its purchase of the Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits.
Accor is using the Pullman name for a new five-star hotel brand that will be positioned between the newly upgraded Sofitel luxury brand and the well-established four-star Novotel brand.
The Pullman brand is principally aimed at corporate and meetings business, which makes it ideal for the Sydney Olympic Park destination. The contemporary 18 storey, 212-room Pullman will include 14 suites, 340 square metres of conference space plus pre-function areas (for up to 220 delegates), a boardroom, Pullman executive floor and lounge, lobby “chill out” area, 24 hour gym, business centre, 24 hour IT solutions manager, restaurant and bar, and underground car parking with 130 spaces.
According to Accor, the new Pullman will use 40 per cent less energy than most equivalent five-star hotels, with solar panels on the rooftop supplementing power consumption. A specific focus in the hotel construction has been on the selection of natural materials, with priority on building products with recyclable and recycled materials.
Accor Asia Pacific managing director, Michael Issenberg, said the new hotel highlighted the success of Sydney Olympic Park and the vision behind the development of the precinct.
“Sydney Olympic Park has been an outstanding success, despite some initial scepticism about the precinct’s viability after the Olympics,” Mr Issenberg said.
“By the year 2025 it is anticipated that Sydney Olympic Park will support a daily population of over 20,000 workers, so the launch of the Pullman will play an important role in supporting this rapid growth.
“The region has had no new hotel for over seven years and demand for top-end accommodation is particularly strong.”
 
Sydney Showground’s signature venue, The Dome, has recently undergone a transformation into a spectacular 21st century gladiator arena.
The Gladiators show is coming to Channel Seven soon and The Dome is being utilised as the venue for the huge production.
Gladiators has been re-born after an extended hiatus with new characters, personalities and no doubt plenty of action-packed fun.
The Dome, an architecturally dynamic backdrop for any event, is sure to light up the screen for the Gladiators series.
Said Tom Williams, who co-hosts Gladiators, the arena on which the series will be based “feels like a modern day Colosseum and it has a mighty atmosphere to match the explosive games being played between Gladiator and challenger.”
Gladiators pictured above include from the back row: Tank - man of action; Olympia - regal and graceful; Outlaw - born to be wild; Viper - slitheringly hypnotic; Kouta - the Greek god; Nitro - speedy and explosive; Hunter - stealthy and precise; and in the front row: Nomad – dynamic and noble; Bionica - disciplined and focused; Angel – flying and furious; Thunder – earth-shattering strength; Scar – fearless warrior; Amazon – tribal legend and beauty; and Destiny – all-knowing and fiery.
Easter Show offer
The Sydney Showground is presently offering clients a special discount to the Royal Easter Show this year running from March 20 to April 2.
When you purchase 20 or more ShowLink tickets to the show you'll receive up to 25 per cent off. Plus, for every 50 tickets purchased, you'll receive one complimentary ticket.
To find out more and for bookings contact Pamela McMillan on (02) 9704 1141 or email pmcmillan@rasnsw.com.au.
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