Experienced professional conference organisers and exhibition planners understand that to create effective meetings and events you need a venue that is not only experienced in delivery but offers a variety of spaces and know-how to do so. Dedicated convention and exhibition centres, or those that have a proven track record in creating events with aplomb, are paramount to success. Some of the following venues offer all this and much more.
Australia’s newest icon
In revealing the design concept for Australia’s newest icon, the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre says its new convention centre will emulate its city namesake. The new centre is part of a $1.1 billion project between the Victorian Government and Plenary Group. It will revitalise the last crucial section of the Yarra River’s edge, linking South Bank to Docklands.
As well as housing what will be Australia’s largest combined convention and exhibition facility, the project includes a Hilton hotel, a new maritime museum, a lifestyle retail precinct and 60,000 square metres of shopping. It opens for business in 2009.
Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre chief executive Leigh Harry says the convention centre will be an important architectural landmark for Melbourne, and will emulate what the city stands for.
“Not only will it be visually striking, but it will leave those who enter the space feeling like they have experienced Melbourne, from its maritime history, to its art and culture and sporting ethos,” he says.
Plenary Group’s architects on the convention centre project, Nik Karalis from Woods Bagot, and Hamish Lyon from NH Architecture, say they’ve done this in a variety of ways using wall motifs, Australian timber and making the plenary hall feel like a ‘real’ theatre experience.
And it doesn’t end there – even the majority of the food and wine to be served at conferences is sourced from local specialised food producers and vineyards. Hamish Lyon says the locality also offers a unique ‘Melbourne’ experience.
“Most convention centres are like being in a black box. In the new Melbourne convention centre, you can stand in front of an 18-metre glass façade looking out to the Yarra River and feel like you could touch the city – you’re that close to the city centre.”
Nik Karalis says another key feature of the design is the flexibility of the plenary hall. It will transform from full plenary, to grand theatre, to intimate theatres, to small conference, to cabaret, or to flat floor banquet.
“Put simply, the range of options for event organisers is unparalleled. The design is also particularly unique,” he says.
“It was designed as the ‘spirit’ of the building and will appear to glow to those looking in through the glass façade. Once inside any of its smaller configurations, you would never know it could possibly accommodate 5000 people. Every theatre is an experience in itself and every service has been considered from the side walls to the ceiling.”
Its fan-shape design means all delegates will have an unobstructed view, no matter what the convention mode - something no other centre in the world can do. He says the area around the plenary hall has also been carefully designed.
“It’s an open, uncluttered space and oozes simplicity. When standing inside, you can see all aspects of the building, the stairs and meeting areas.”
AAMI Stadium
Those seeking a venue in South Australia for their important meeting or event should look no further than AAMI Stadium, one of the state’s premier sporting centres.
Imagine hosting pre-dinner drinks on the oval where champions have played, or cocktails in the refurbished change rooms. AAMI Stadium Function Complex has numerous function rooms which range in size and style and can cater for an array of events such as dinners, conferences, cocktail parties, meetings or weddings.
The catering company behind the venue, Encore Group, has produced a range of contemporary and innovative menus certain to satisfy. Their food is of the highest quality, representing the finest of fresh ingredients combined with culinary passion, complimenting any occasion. AAMI Stadium offers a wide range of meeting and event venues to choose from including:
The Magarey Room, a versatile and pillar-free, offering 670 square metres of open floor space with an abundance of natural daylight or the option to black out. This room has the capacity to cater for 620 guests banquet or theatre-style, or 700 guests for a cocktail party. It is ideal for breakout rooms as it can be divided into five separate sections of up to 120 guests.
The SANFL Suite presents an aerial view of the oval. Seating 32 guests banquet-style the suite offers a peaceful ambience and is the perfect location for intimate breakfast meetings, cocktail parties or dinners.
The League Room is located in the heart of AAMI Stadium. Offering a boardroom setting for 14 people and surrounded by honour boards of historic football memorabilia, this room is the ideal office getaway.
The Stadium Room offers glass frontage boasting panoramic views of the nationally renowned oval at AAMI Stadium. This self sufficient room seats up to 220 guests banquet-style or can be divided into two smaller rooms making it ideal for conferencing. The picturesque view and flexibility of this room lends itself to a wide variety of events.
Situated in the Northern Grandstand the Park Café offers seclusion from the main function areas, natural light and a seating capacity of 100 guests banquet style. It is an ideal room for workshops, conferences or as an additional breakout area.
Suntec Singapore
The Suntec Singapore International Convention & Exhibition Centre is undoubtedly one of Asia’s best facilities, continually providing top-rate service and cuisine with first-rate facilities.
The past year has been a super one for Suntec Singapore and 2007 is already shaping up to be the best on record. In 2007 Suntec Singapore anticipates welcoming back all shows that had to be shifted to different dates when the centre played host to the IMF-World Bank Annual Meetings in September 2006.
Since 2001 Suntec Singapore has spearheaded an active and very successful marketing alliance with eight other partners - Conrad Centennial, Marina Mandarin Singapore, Swissôtel The Stamford, The Oriental Singapore, The Pan Pacific Singapore, a leading destination management company Pacific World Singapore, the national carrier Singapore Airlines and the Singapore Exhibition & Convention Bureau. The alliance markets the precinct around Suntec Singapore as Asia’s Convention City as an unparalleled convention city in the heart of Marina Bay. Between Suntec Singapore and the five other venues in the alliance the group boasts 75,000 square metres of meeting space, 5200 five-star hotel rooms, access to 500 restaurants and 1500 shops in six malls, and all this within 15 minutes walk.
Some international conventions lined up for 2007 include the International Epilepsy Congress 2007, July 8-12 for 2000 pax; the AIGS World Glaucoma Congress 2007, July 18-21 2007 for 2000 pax; WONCA 2007 (World Organisation of National Colleges, Academies and Academic Association of General Practitioners/Family Physicians) July 24-27 for 2500 pax; and the International Bar Association Conference 2007, October 14-19. The gathering of about 2500 legal professionals will provide a unique platform for professional development and legal education, networking and strategy for world law.
Suntec Singapore recently appointed executive Chef Edmund Toh, to head up the F&B team. He has had 26 years of culinary expertise in five-star properties in the Ritz-Carlton, Westin and Shangri-La Group, in Singapore, Shanghai, Beijing, Korea and Egypt. Suntec Singapore’s team of chefs can cater to both small dinner parties as well as lavish corporate events. With halls large enough to accommodate up to 6000 people in one banquet sitting, the venue’s experienced team of kitchen and banquet service staff can attend to all details meticulously, from preparing sumptuous feasts to creating lush decorations to providing impeccable service standards.
National Convention Centre
With less than 200 days remaining, the National Convention Centre’s $30 million refurbishment is on track to be completed on time and is already generating significant interest.
The builders are expected to ‘hand back the keys’ at the end of September, with Canberra’s key conference asset scheduled to host its first “post-refurbishment” event in mid-October.
The centre is well on its way to being transformed into an iconic and unique meetings and event facility, and works completed so far include:
• Exterior of the centre painted;
• Porte cochere and kitchen demolished;
• Carpet, redundant walls and ceilings removed;
• Sprinklers installed in Gallery Rooms, Theatrettes and Royal Theatre;
• Car park handrails modified; and
• Emergency warning indication system installed.
A presentation to the centre’s Canberra-based clients and stakeholders was held last month to relay the refurbishment progress, and hard hat tours are planned to be scheduled from late July onwards – once all the heavier works have been completed and the centre nears completion.
To celebrate the major works the venue is offering some great incentives for new bookings. Book any event of $20,000 or more and receive a $1000 bonus. Choose between $1000 in meetings extras or receive a $1000 escape. Alternatively, book any event of $50,000 or more and receive a $2500 bonus. Choose between $2500 in meetings extras or receive a $2500 escape. To find out more call (02) 6257 4905 or email sales@nccc.com.au. This offer is valid for events booked and held between January 1, 2008 and December 31, 2008 with a minimum actualised spend of $20,000/50,000 excluding third party suppliers. Terms and conditions apply.
<< Top |