NAME: 2007 Australia Day Lunch
TYPE: Corporate lunch
CLIENT: Australia Day Council of NSW
NO. ON ORGANISING TEAM: The production company was Cambridge Events, and the client was Australia Day Council of NSW. A team of four apprentices from the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre (SCEC) developed the menu.
PAX: 1500
WHAT YOU DID: The Australia Day Lunch is Australia’s largest annual corporate lunch. The guest list is a who’s who of leadership in government, business and the community. Attended by both the Governor and Premier of NSW, it marks the beginning of the coming corporate year.
SPECIAL TOUCHES: Organisers of this year’s Australia Day lunch took the 2007 theme of Celebrating Australian Excellence by enlisting a team of the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre’s talented apprentice chefs to design and plan the menu for 1500 guests. The team of four apprentices, ranging from first year to fully qualified, spent several weeks developing and creating the outstanding menu for the event held on January 25. The sumptuous menu was accompanied by stellar performances by David Campbell, Bangarra Dance Theatre, Richard Clapton, Tim Freedman and Jade MacRae.
CHALLENGES: Designing and coordinating a large-scale event takes an enormous amount of planning and the apprentices were applauded for the great skill and passion they showed. The young team managed every aspect of the lunch from start to finish including menu design, staffing schedules, budgeting, presentation and preparation, as well as the timing of each course to ensure everything ran smoothly.
OVERCOMING CHALLENGES: Managing approximately 50 kilograms of smoked salmon, 80 kilograms of fresh salmon, 110 kilograms of green asparagus, 300 kilograms of veal fillet and 23 kilograms of smoked mozzarella was no small task but the team rose to the challenge of this large-scale event. Between speeches from NSW Premier Morris Iemma and outstanding performances by singer David Campbell, the Australian Youth Choir and Bangarra Dance Theatre group, the team of four apprentices ensured that each of the three courses arrived on time within the tight two-and-a-half hour program. The event was held in the SCEC’s exhibition halls which required the set-up of six temporary serveries – each with its own chef, kitchen hands, floor supervisor and food and beverage staff. The apprentices’ exceptional achievements in helping organise this event reflect the centre’s commitment to excellence, and in developing the skills of its young and talented staff.
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