 The 2006 Clubs NSW Gala Theme Dinner for 1600 was the social and entertainment finale of the four-day conference held to inspire and educate NSW clubs. A kaleidoscope of quality suppliers transformed the arena at the Gold Coast Convention & Exhibition Centre from floor to ceiling into a sensory experience simply titled, “The Jungle Room”.
The room started with a base of 14 scenic backdrops stretching more than 104 linear metres around the venue. The detail and dimension in the backdrops were brought to life with more than 3000 fresh palms and foliage. From above, a truss rigging system supported a flowing jungle fabric ceiling canopy creating a cascading canvas for the moving and colour-changing lights.
On stage, a floor-to-ceiling LED star drape stretched along the entire wall accompanied by a giant three-dimensional arched stage set. Tables featured rustic hessian cloths, colourful tropical centerpieces and a variety of interactive drums, rattles and sponsor souvenirs. As the lights dimmed to show mode and the jungle soundtrack rolled, guests trekked in for a night of jungle adventure.
The two day load-in was split into segments as half of the arena was being used for the conference plenary while the central rooms were utilised for lunch service until noon on show day. More than 6000 fabric runs at varying heights were hung above the tables for the event taking eight hours to install and 45 minutes to remove. The event ended at 1am and was turned around to a theme-free breakfast by 8am the following morning.
If you’re anything like me, when the opportunity finally arises you don’t let it pass without tasting anything and everything on offer, moving from course to course as though it were a test of your will and determination (and digestive powers!).
On my recent trip to Townsville, I was fortunate enough to be part of a famil group treated to a delightful feast cooked up by the chef at the Mercure Hotel Townsville. With stomachs grumbling, our group arrived at the resort-style property to be greeted by general manager Peter Richardson, who led us away from the restaurant, where we thought we would be dining, to an impressive poolside marquee.
The setup came complete with a chef, standing behind an outdoor BBQ and wok burner, accompanied by two wait staff ready and waiting to pour us a few glasses of wine. We joined Peter in taking our seats. Our chef, Lindsay Wood, the Mercure Hotel Townsville’s resident chef for the last eight months, took a moment to introduce himself and then took us through the menu step by step using Jamie-Oliver-like descriptions of how each course would be cooked and served. We counted the courses – there would be half a dozen in total. Lindsay said: “For this dinner the general manager said to me, “Do something special!” So I scratched my noggin’, thinking of what I could do, and I came up with a Thai-style degustation menu showcasing local produce and seafood.”
Mouths watering, we eyed off each dish as they were brought over: the seared leader prawns which Lindsay had obtained from the trawler Babirusa (which scouts through the Gulf of Carpenteria); the local-to-Townsville coral trout and crimson snapper, barbequed and finished with broccolini and preserved lemon; and the local beef fillet lightly smoked over bourbon and red wine wood chips and seared to perfection. As if that wasn’t enough, we also had our very own magician on hand, who visited our table between courses, dazzling us with his mixed bag of magic tricks. After we finished the last drops of dessert wine we virtually rolled ourselves out of the hotel.
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