Managing director of the Sydney Convention & Visitors Bureau, Jon Hutchison, doesn’t pull any punches when he says Sydney doesn’t have an edge in infrastructure when competing for business events on the world stage.
“Much of the world has built new and grand and magnificent venues now,” he says.
“Everything’s new out there. We don’t have that edge. But we do have a very strong image or profile of Sydney, and that’s built up of the fact we’re considered to be nice people, we’re considered to have a spectacularly beautiful location, and that’s strong for us.
“But there are other aspects that are vitally important in this business, and these are having the professional ability to deliver events, and we do have some of the world experts in that.”
And what Mr Hutchison also readily argues is that Sydney is extremely price-competitive, and has a stable economic and political environment.
“If you’re an event organiser, and that event [you are working on] is vital to your organisation or association - where it’s often your main source of money - and you’re planning an event up to a decade in advance, you don’t want to pick a place that’s going to fall to pieces. You want one that’s consistent.
“Our track record as a country for a consistent environment and our track record for consistently delivering great events on time without any fuss and within budget is important.”
As far as the Sydney Convention & Visitors Bureau is concerned, when it comes to winning international events, big is definitely better.\
“It’s been, you might say, our success story for quite a long time since the early nineties when we became a world-leader in [attracting] medical and scientific events,” Mr Hutchinson says.
“As we deliver more of them successfully the world looks at us as a location for these events, and therefore we have a good opportunity to win more of these. Right now, that’s running at between 20 and 25 per cent of our business.
“The medical and scientific meetings business is probably the best business you can possibly have. You’re bringing people in the medical field who are largely influential, and generally they are the upper portion of the intellectual side of the world, and they’re quite well off.
“They bring partners and family more than any other group. They spend highly. More than 50 per cent of them will bring at least one person with them. They stay longer. Forty-five per cent of them will stay on after the event, or arrive earlier, to see Australia or New South Wales. And they contribute in many other ways.”
The Sydney Convention and Visitors Bureau has opened the new financial year with great results, achieving $47.1 million in new conference business in the first quarter.
At the SCVB’s AGM in late 2007, Mr Hutchison said the bureau was already on track for a prosperous 2007-08, having secured 13 major conferences and incentive events between July 1 and September 30.
Together the events will bring an additional 10,880 delegates to Sydney between now and 2011, representing an economic injection of A$47.1 million. The result is the bureau’s best opening quarter in five years and one of its best on record.
“[In 2007] Sydney has achieved a success rate of 65 per cent in bidding for business events – that’s quite an endorsement for the professionalism of Sydney’s events industry and the appeal of our city as an international destination.
“The research we’ve mounted internationally suggests the rest of the year holds many new bid opportunities for Sydney.”
Among events secured so far this financial year are an unnamed incentive group from China which visited in November (2200 delegates, estimated value $13.2 million), the Annual World Congress of the Human Proteome Organisation in 2010 (2000 delegates, $10.1 million) and an unnamed medical congress in 2011 (1500 delegates, $4.6 million).
Incentive groups from Asia were prominent among the bid wins, continuing a trend from last financial year when Asian business represented more than a third of events secured by the SCVB.
During 2006-07 the SCVB won bids for 30 new events, representing 24,960 delegates and economic value of more than $100 million.
“The number of bidding opportunities during 2006-07 was down on past years, though we still achieved a strong result and our success rate in bidding for events was very high at 68 per cent,” Mr Hutchison said.
“Given the cyclical nature of the international congress market, we expect to see considerably more bidding opportunities in 2008 and beyond, which bodes well for Sydney’s position among the Asia-Pacific region’s top business events destinations.”
The biggest event secured during 2006-07 was the 2012 International Symposium on Atherosclerosis, worth more than $17.5 million and expected to attract 4000 delegates. Other significant wins included the 6th World Congress of Pediatric Critical Care to be held in 2011 ($8.8 million, 2000 delegates), an unnamed national medical conference in 2009 ($8.6 million, 2000 delegates), the World Congress of the International Union of Angiology in 2014 ($6.9 million, 1500 delegates), and the Toastmasters International Convention in 2010 ($5.9 million, 2000 delegates).
Randwick Racecourse was selected as the venue for the Saturday evening Vigil, the sleep-out under the stars, and the Final Mass on the Sunday morning, meaning that there will be significant disruptions to the racing industry. Indeed, it has now been reported that racing at Randwick will be suspended for 10 weeks (from mid-June) to allow for preparations to be made for WYD08.
The event is believed to be costing taxpayers somewhere in the vicinity of $100 million but is expected to inject close to twice that amount into the local economy.
A five-person Vatican delegation joined by an international conference of 20 people inspected World Youth Day 2008 (WYD08) venues in October last year. Cardinal Stanislaw Rylko led the delegation from the Pontifical Council for the Laity (PCL), the body that oversees World Youth Day preparations and promotes the initiative around the world, and apparently the group was impressed with planning to date.
World Youth Day is the largest youth event in the world. Organised by the Catholic Church, World Youth Day gathers young people from around the world to build bridges of friendship and hope between continents, peoples and cultures. Sydney was chosen to host the XXIII World Youth Day in August 2005. The announcement was made by Pope Benedict XVI in Cologne at the conclusion of the XX World Youth Day.
General manager, marketing of the Sydney Convention & Visitors Bureau, Lyn Lewis-Smith says World Youth Day will be a boon for Sydney.
“World Youth Day will put Sydney on the world stage yet again and show why this city is so adept at managing spectacular events on a grand-scale,” Ms Lewis-Smith said.
“The economic impact of having hundreds of thousands of national and international visitors will be enormous and the worldwide exposure we’ll gain during the Pope’s visit will be invaluable.
“This is an incredible opportunity to demonstrate our expertise to the world and to remind the international community why Sydney is such a stand-out destination for events of all shapes and sizes.”
Michael Scott-Mitchell has been selected as set designer for the Stations of the Cross production, to be held on Friday, July 18, as part of World Youth Day festivities.
Mr Scott-Mitchell has been charged with designing 14 separate sets to depict the last stages of Jesus’ life, also known as The Passion of Christ.
According to organisers the 2002 Toronto World Youth Day Stations of the Cross event attracted more than one billion television viewers.
Mr Scott-Mitchell is probably best known for designing the cauldron and ceremonial stage at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. He also designed the cauldron and ceremonial stages at the 2006 Asian Games, and was the production designer of the opening ceremony of CHOGM 2002.
Three hours of touring around the high fashion streets of Paddington, Chic in the City Tours takes you on a journey filled with champagne, unique Australian designers and a taste of some exclusive handmade chocolates to boot.
Tour guide Siobhán Young has lived and shopped in Sydney for six years and says the experience was born out of a want to find the latest labels, cult buys and Australian designers that are one of a kind.
“Every designer on the tour is unique and won’t be found in any department stores or on the high street,” she said.
The walking tours take a maximum of six people, and our excursion started in a little café on Oxford Street, Paddington, where the group met and discussed what we would be doing over a lovely latte. From there the first port of call was Just William, a fine chocolate shop which only offers samples of their sweet works of art for participants on this custom-made trip.
From here our group strolled down William Street to meet Australian designer Adam Dixon where we were fortunate enough to try on some of his elegant frocks. From here we crossed the street to Sarah, a magnificent gem of a store, full of vintage jewellery. After trying on some sparkly rings and earrings we strolled further down the street and made our way to the Leona Edmiston boutique and were tempted by many of her super-feminine styles.
We then made our way back down Oxford Street and stopped off at another beautiful store, Vivacity, for a glass of champagne and to slip into some more gorgeous gowns. Our tour ended on Queen Street, where we farewelled our fellow tourers and continued to dream about the beautiful designs we had seen.
The walking tours are available three or four times a week and Siobhán says Saturdays are very popular for groups. There is also a chauffeured tour available where guests can shop for four hours with a tour that is tailored to their style. It would be great for a small delegate partners’ program or staff incentive, and especially good for an international group who are keen to leave our shores with a selection of unique Australian pieces.
Siobhán offers a personalised experience and also complements guests with styling tips. Indeed, she really has a knack of being able to find that perfect outfit for all her clients.
Don’t be discouraged by the thought of traipsing around the streets of Paddington for kilometres, as Siobhán takes you on a leisurely stroll that can even be done in heels!
Guests on the tour are also treated to discounts at many of the stores along the way.
For further information go to www.chicinthecitytours.com.au
Over the following pages we give readers a snapshot of some of the latest, greatest and newest experiences, services and product lines available to business event practitioners in Sydney.
GPO Sydney
When the GPO Sydney was launched in 1999 it was predominantly a food court offering casual dining and shopping. Fruit and veg stores, butchers and a small supermarket were all contained within the GPO Sydney.
In 2001 the venue underwent a management change and has since been transformed into a dining and culinary venue offering 14 separate spaces including a sushi-train restaurant, sports bar and fine dining steak-house restaurant called, Prime.
Today the entire venue can be bundled up and utilised as one large function space or divided into smaller areas. Small meetings can be held in dining rooms while for gala dinners a degustation-style menu utilising several venues can be created for between 250 and 400 people. Visit www.gposydney.com or email functions@gposydney.com for further details.
Crowne Plaza Coogee upgrade
The Crowne Plaza Coogee Beach Hotel has completed its multi-million dollar refurbishment with specific attention given to accommodation rooms. A total of 209 rooms have undergone redesign and refurbishment.
All rooms are fitted with the latest LCD 32 inch plasma televisions with swivel mount, allowing guests to manoeuvre to their specific requirement. Clever interior design with attention to detail ensures a clean line when entering the room maximising views and a sense of uncluttered space. Each design element was carefully chosen to enhance the beach and the magnificent landscape. All furniture, fabrics and carpets were custom designed for the hotel.
Large two metre ‘L’ shaped desks were designed for conference and meeting delegates in the king rooms with well-positioned connection outlets for electrical, data and communications. The work desk chairs were again specially made for comfort while maintaining design values. Visit www.crowneplaza.com.au for further details about the property.
Events with aplomb
Opera Point Events has replaced The Truffle Group and now manages The Utzon Room, The Summer Pavilion, Opera Point Marquee, the Southern Forecourt and the Northern Foyers of both the Opera Theatre and Concert Hall.
Opera Point Events and The Sydney Opera House offer unparalleled venues for conference and corporate events of most sizes. Their experienced staff will provide event planners with personalised service and a range of options from breakfasts or short meetings to all-day conferences and cocktail parties.
From menu options to magnificent break-out areas Opera Point Events can help plan events that will surely impress clients, staff and international guests. All events have at their disposal the Sydney Opera House’s state-of-the art internal sound and lighting equipment along with experienced technicians and operators, ensuring the highest production quality for any corporate event.
Visit www.operapointevents.com.au for further details.
Serious learning centre
Located in North Ryde the Macquarie Graduate School of Management has a variety of meeting rooms and theatres suitable for groups between 25 and 50. Its six tiered theatres feature work benches and ergonomic chairs. The school also has seven flat floor conference rooms of varying sizes catering for up to 40 delegates. The venue also offers more than 30 smaller rooms used for break-out sessions plus the school has access to some nearby Macquarie University facilities. There is also an on-site 40-room four-star hotel. MGSM has won the NSW MEA venue award for less than 500 delegates from 2001-2003 and the NSW MEA venue award for between 150 and 500 delegates in 2004 and 2005. For more information telephone (02) 9850 9322 or 1800 800 803, email conferences@mgsm.com.au or visit www.hotel.mgsm.com.au
Doltone House
Doltone House continues to be one of Sydney’s premier venues for events with a difference, and is looking forward to a busy 2008. It encompasses two Sydney venues, each with a quay-style theme to its décor or a location that overlooks the water. The original Doltone House venue located at Sylvania Waters was purpose built as a function centre in the late 1960s. The Doltone House name was established more than 35 years ago at this original site. The Sylvania Waters venue has three rooms, including the Monte Cristo lounge which can cater for up to 440 cocktail-style. Doltone House expanded to Pyrmont in 2000, revitalising the former casino site into an event venue. Doltone House Jones Bay Wharf is located on the upper deck of Jones Bay Wharf at Piers 19-21, Pyrmont Point (just a short distance from Darling Harbour). It offers a waterfront location on the foreshore of Sydney Harbour with views of the city and Harbour Bridge. For more information, visit www.doltonehouse.com.au.
 Gold dining on Sydney Harbour
Groups wanting to get out on the water in Sydney can treat their tastebuds to a fantastic dining experience with the five-star Sky Deck Gold Dinner aboard the MV Sydney 2000.
Guests are treated to priority boarding at 6.30pm followed by a welcome Captain’s Cocktail Reception and a personal invitation from the captain to visit the wheelhouse.
With Sky Deck seating offering panoramic views, you will then enjoy a deluxe seven-course degustation menu with specially selected vintage Australian wines served to compliment each course plus an open bar of house spirits, beer and soft drinks.
Sophisticated lounge entertainment with million dollar views will complete this Sydney Harbour dining experience.
For further information and bookings contact Captain Cook Cruises on (02) 9206 1111, email sydney@captaincook.com.au or visit www.captaincook.com.au.
Catering for any style
Respected industry professional, Brien Trippas, has joined forces with diversified hospitality operator, Australian International Hospitality Group (AIH). The move extends the AIH Group’s range of premier restaurants, cafes, venues and catering on Australia’s eastern seaboard. The AIH Group operates 360 BAR AND DINING, Sydney Tower Restaurant and Sky Lounge in Sydney Tower along with Liquidity Waterfront Restaurant, Bar & marquee at Rozelle, La Grillade in Crows Nest and Watt Modern Dining in Brisbane. The addition of Trippas White adds more iconic venues to the portfolio including the Art Gallery of NSW restaurant and café; the Pavilion restaurant and kiosk; Sydney Mint Cafe; Botanic Restaurant & Gardens Café; Centennial Parklands restaurant and kiosk Sydney; National Gallery of Australia, Canberra; and a range of catering venues and contracts including Emirates First and Business Class Lounges, Foxtel, Suncorp and News LTD. At the Restaurant & Catering NSW 2007 Awards for Excellence Trippas White was awarded Caterer of the Year, best Venue Caterer and winner of Site Contract Caterer for the second year in a row. From corporate catering or entertaining to small intimate events or large scale conferences there is a venue to suit all requirements. For enquiries contact the events team on (02) 8023 7600.
Swissotel appoints Avantage for AV and theming
Event services company Avantage has been chosen to partner with Sydney’s Swissotel to deliver in-house event services.
Swissôtel Sydney director of revenue & marketing, Wayne Horbach said the Avantage full-service solution, combining extensive industry experience in audio-visual and theming, coupled with state-of-the-art technology, complements the Swissôtel philosophy of seamless planning and the little extras that make an event. Avantage is jointly owned by Haycom and Solution RED.
New residents for ATP
Australian Technology Park is living up to its dynamic name, recently announcing that Global Television will be moving to the venue at the end of 2009. Global Television will join other tenants including Channel Seven and Pacific Magazines, ensuring that ATP hosts one of Australia’s most dynamic conference and media centres.
Global Television is the nation’s largest independent facilitator of broadcast television and creates more than 2000 hours of programming every year. Key productions include Australian Idol, Dancing with the Stars and Playhouse Disney.
The new “Green Event Ideas” brochure offers a collection of practical strategies across a range of areas from waste management to registration and catering.
Made available in electronic format to event planners who book with the centre, the seven-page booklet contains a series of checklists of environmentally-friendly strategies that can be implemented from the initial planning stages of an event right through to completion.
Tips include encouraging the use of public transport by delegates, limiting handouts and providing information electronically to reduce paper usage, ensuring natural light and energy efficiency lighting is used wherever possible, and promoting the use of custom stands that can be reused at other events.
Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre Chief Executive, Ton van Amerongen, said the creation of the brochure reflected the centre’s drive to encourage environmentally-friendly practices across the industry.
“We take our environmental responsibilities very seriously and encourage event planners involved with the centre to do the same,” he said.
“The new Green Event Ideas brochure is the perfect planning tool for those event planners striving to be more environmentally conscious.”
The brochure is the latest initiative from the centre’s innovative environmental program, Ecowise, introduced in 2004 to minimise waste from conventions and exhibitions and cut the venue’s energy usage.
It follows the centre’s success earlier this year in becoming one of the first convention centres in the world – and the only convention centre in Australia – to be awarded the Green Globe benchmark accreditation, an accolade which recognises the venue’s commitment to reducing its environmental impact through a variety of initiatives.
Contact the SCEC for further details by visiting www.scec.com.au
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