The Future is Bright for Business Events in Sydney

Business Events Sydney (BESydney), in partnership 12 co-exhibitors, will shine the spotlight on Sydney’s spectacularly bright future at this month’s Asia-Pacific Incentives and Meetings Expos (AIME).

Held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre from 26-27 February, AIME is the Asia-Pacific region’s must-attend event for the meetings and events industry.

Sydney and NSW’s world-class venues and suppliers will fly the flag for NSW at the Destination Sydney stand (#1522), showcasing the scope of the state’s unique opportunities for event planners.

The harbour city will also be showing off Australia’s largest convention and exhibition facilities – an exciting development that will bolster the city’s already stellar reputation as one of the world’s favourite places to do business.

The International Convention Centre Sydney (ICC Sydney) will have its own stand (#1422), where AIME visitors will be able to see a model of the current design and talk to the consortium that will build and operate the facilities when they open in late 2016.

Other new developments on show include The Star’s recently opened Event Centre, a multi-purpose venue designed to host A-list acts, conferences, exhibitions and awards functions, and Royal Randwicks’ $150 million redevelopment (opening in August), which includes a four-star hotel, ballroom and outdoor amphitheatre, as fantastic locations for upcoming business events.

Construction is also currently underway at Barangaroo, a 22-hectare former container port that is being transformed into a $6 billion extension of the city and which will include office space, residential apartments, public parks and event space, and a hotel, cafes and shops.

Lyn Lewis-Smith, CEO of BESydney, says that Sydney is open for business, and industries, government and communities are working together like never before.

“The venue options are abundant in Sydney and the redevelopment of Darling Harbour is the perfect opportunity for the city to showcase its diverse venues and the agility and flexibility of its suppliers,” Ms Lewis-Smith says.

“Also, many national conferences are literally getting out of town and benefitting from the unique activities and specialised knowledge hubs in regional NSW locations such as the Hunter Valley and Wollongong,” Ms Lewis-Smith said.

“NSW welcomes almost half of all international business arrivals to Australia. We are, and will continue to be, the country’s premier business events destination, now and in the future.”

Destination Presentations will be held at the Destination Sydney stand on Tuesday February 26 at 11.35 am and Wednesday February 27 at 1.15 pm. Register at www.aime.com.au  to attend.

One Great City

One Great City

Three Great Hotels

Metro Hotel on Pitt    

Metro Hotel Sydney Central 

                                 

Aspire Hotel Sydney

Are you a………………

•     Professional conference organiser?
•     Event Management company?
•     National or State Association / Institute?
•     Not-for-profit organisation?
•     Private enterprise?
•     Government department?

And, do you need to book hotel accommodation from time to time for………………

•     Conferences & seminars
•     Training workshops
•     Annual General Meetings
•     Special events
•     Staff functions
•     Sales meetings

…..or any other event?

If you do then the Metro Hotels would like you to consider our two flagship properties located in Sydney’s central business district:-

1.    Metro Hotel on Pitt <embed link to property page on our web site>
2.    Metro Hotel Sydney Central <embed link to property page on our web site>
3.    Aspire Hotel Sydney <embed link to property page on our web site>

Each property offers convenient and quality accommodation at an affordable price.

Metro Hotel Sydney Central and Aspire Hotel Sydney also offer meeting facilities ideal for hosting small to medium events.

The Metro Hotel on Pitt is centrally located near the corner of Bathurst and Pitt Streets and is only a 2 minute walk to Sydney Town Hall. This property has undergone a soft refurbishment over the past twelve months and it is now seen by many organisations as an ideal accommodation venue for their events.

The Metro Hotel Sydney Central has recently completed major refurbishment of 88 rooms with the remaining 132 rooms confirmed for refurbishment by April 2013. Located on the corner of Bathurst and Pitt Streets (directly opposite the iconic Capitol Theatre) this 220 room hotel offers a convenient and affordable accommodation alternative for many organisations.

The Aspire Hotel Sydney provides ideal hotel Accommodation for travellers attending events at the Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre and Sydney Entertainment Centre or escaping to Sydney for a short getaway.
Aspire Hotel Sydney offers guest's the best Sydney has to offer like the Powerhouse Museum, Chinatown, IMAX Theatre, Star City Casino, Paddy's Markets, Sydney Aquarium and Sydney Entertainment Centre; all within walking distance of the hotel.

Further details can also be obtained by logging on to our website www.MetroHotels.com.au and clicking on the relevant hotel.

And if you’re still not completely convinced, then why not come and have a look for yourself. As the saying goes “Seeing is Believing” and we would be only too happy to show you around either or both properties.

Do you need more information or want us to quote on your next event or group accommodation needs?

Simply contact: Mr. Richard Amour
            Business Development Manager
            Tel: (02) 9211 1499
            Email: ramour@metrohg.com

Do you need more information or want us to quote on your next function or meeting requirements?

Simply contact: Mr. Div Grover
            Business Development Manager
            Tel: (02) 9282 0140
            Email: dgrover@metrohg.com

SICEEP to ‘Blow Away’ MCEC

THE NSW Tourism Minister has declared the redeveloped Sydney Convention + Exhibition Centre (SCEC) will not just rival that of Victoria’s prime conference venue, but “blow Melbourne out of the water” when it opens by 2017. Speaking with BEN, George Souris - who is also the Minister for Major Events - referred to the size of the project as “humongous”, enabling Sydney to offer greater competition to the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. 

“It’s going to be a long year, but we are building something twice the size of what we were initially planning,” Souris said. Facilities include what’s billed as Australia’s largest exhibition space, at 40,000sqm, and the country’s biggest convention hall capacity for 10,000 people over four different spaces. While the Sydney International Convention, Exhibition & Entertainment Precinct’s design is still to be finalised, the Minister confirmed the project was likely to result in events being turned away during the rebuild stage.

Questioned if the substitute Glebe Island facility - along with other alternative venues across the city - would result in conferences being hosted intrastate, Souris said “I’d say so.” “We’re hoping to make sure we cover the bases, but there will be events that will say ‘We’ll be back in a years time”. He said the SICEEP would take the better part of two years to construct, with the existing SCEC closing from Dec next year. Classed for all intents and purposes as a ‘pull down, start again’ project, Souris believes the SICEEP design will integrate some of the existing halls of the SCEC during its redevelopment.

Within the project is a brand new build hotel for Sydney, sitting just below the 5-star standard. Souris was unable to comment on which hotel group was linked to the project, but confirmed it would not compete against The Star’s ‘6-star’, The Darling. As detailed in the November update on the SICEEP website, a “hotel use” site is earmarked for the Northern Sector of the precinct near the water at the existing Convention Centre. 

Two groups of companies have submitted bids to design, plan and operate the new facilities, Destination Sydney and VeNuSW. Among VeNuSW’s partners (via a joint venture with Plenary Group) is Hilton Worldwide. Back in June, Hilton Worldwide announced plans to debut its DoubleTree by Hilton brand in the Australian market with a new build property in Karratha, WA, saying at the time the DoubleTree brand has potential growth prospects in Australasia.

Entertainment Centre Loses 4000 Seats

A plan to build a 12,000-seat stadium to replace the Sydney Entertainment Centre has been dumped in favour of an 8000-seater arena.
Infrastructure NSW is due to present its plans for the new Sydney Convention site to cabinet for approval after receiving proposals from two private consortiums.
Defending the decision to downgrade the ageing Darling Harbour venue, an INSW spokeswoman claims that Sydney already has Allphones Arena at Homebush, which seats 13,500, for bigger concerts.
“It is proposed the new entertainment venue at Darling Harbour will have a minimum seating capacity of 8000 people,” the INSW spokeswoman said.
In the past decade, only a handful of events at the Entertainment Centre were for 8000 people or more.
“While the existing Sydney Entertainment Centre has a capacity of 12,000 people in sports mode, it seats 10,000 people in concert mode,” the spokeswoman said.
Tourism and Transport Forum chief executive John Lee said there was an argument that with The Star casino opening a 4000-seat complex and the Allphones Arena housing 13,500, there needed to be a mid-sized venue.

Source: The Daily Telegraph Friday 23 November 2012 Page 9

MEA Awards Open 25th National Conference Sydney

The MEA Industry Awards that recognise excellence and best business practice in the Meetings & Events Industry, are now open. The awards encourage industry professionals to excel in the achievement of their business and personal goals, and reward those who achieve outstanding results. Winners enjoy considerable profile within the meetings industry and with the general buying public.

In all but Individual Awards, members self-nominate for an Award by addressing a range of criteria that are relevant to the particular category or categories they are entering.

Candidates for MEA Individual Awards are nominated by a third party such as an employer, client, supplier or colleague who is responsible for completing the written application.

All Award submissions must be submitted on official award submission templates. The submissions are then judged by a panel of industry and independent judges. Short-listed candidates are interviewed by telephone to determine the category winner. Applications close 18 January 2013.

(Source: Business Events News, 7th November 2012)

The Office Christmas Party — Traps for the Unwary

Ensuring appropriate standards of behaviour and safety at the work Christmas party will assist in avoiding legal claims, but will also ensure that the party is enjoyed by all who attend.

Christmas is a time of year when many people look forward to winding down at work and to parties, celebrations and holidays. Many employers reward their staff for their efforts during the year by throwing a Christmas party, either on the premises or at an outside venue. The Christmas party provides employees with an opportunity to relax and socialise together before the Christmas break.

Sexual harassment

For a number of employers every year, the Christmas party brings more than just a hangover. The New Year often sees an increase in the number of sexual harassment claims by employees resulting from inappropriate sexual conduct at the Christmas party by a co-worker or co-workers. Employees whose behaviour may be exemplary throughout the year may behave inappropriately at the Christmas party, usually because they have consumed too much alcohol.

An employer will be liable for unlawful sexual harassment engaged in by employees or agents at the Christmas party unless it can show that it took all reasonable steps to prevent the unlawful behaviour. In one case, a director of the employer made unwanted sexual advances towards a young probationary employee when they were alone together after the Christmas party. The employee lodged a sexual harassment claim against both the company and the director. The employee was awarded a total of $21,840 damages (see: Dobrovska v A R Jamison Pty Ltd & Anor (1996) EOC 92-794).

Unfair dismissal claims

Sexual harassment claims are not the only legal risks that can arise from inappropriate behaviour at the work Christmas party. If the employer decides to terminate an employee because of his or her inappropriate behaviour at the party, the employee may bring an unfair dismissal claim. In one case, the employee was alleged to have engaged in the following behaviours at the work Christmas party:

• slurred speech, stumbling around the venue, being loud and obnoxious
• flirtatious behaviour, such as sitting on one representative’s knee and laying back onto another employee with legs in the air
• revealing her undergarments
• disclosing a tattoo near her groin area.

The employer conducted an investigation into the allegation and dismissed the employee. The employee lodged an unfair dismissal claim in the Australian Industrial Relations Commission (AIRC) and was successful. The Commission found that the investigation was carried out in an unfair manner, and the company's procedures had not been adhered to. It was found that the behaviour towards the other employees was not conduct of a sexual nature. The employee denied knowingly revealing her underwear, and while she did show her tattoo to a female colleague, this was not done in the manner alleged.

The Commission found that there existed a significant problem in relation to the consumption of alcohol and associated behaviour at company functions, which was exacerbated by the ready provision of alcohol by the company. While the company had attempted to address this problem through its Discrimination Free Workplace Policy, the problem still remained, with the company having a culture of ‘working hard in the day and playing hard at night’.

The Commission found that the termination of the employee was harsh, unjust and unreasonable and awarded the applicant $28,745 compensation (see: Palmer v Nestle Confectionary, AIRC, U No 30525 of 1999, 7 March 2000).

Safety of employees

Ensuring the safety of employees at the Christmas party and on their journey home is also the responsibility of the employer (as long as the employee does not break the journey home). Employees who are injured at the Christmas party or on their journey home may lodge workers compensation claims or common law claims for personal injury.

Steps to avoid risks

Employers can take steps that will assist in preventing legal claims arising out of the work Christmas party. These include:

• Reminding employees of the standard of behaviour that is expected of them before the party, for example, by redistributing the Workplace Harassment Policy, or raising the matter at a staff meeting.
• Managers should circulate during the party to ensure that no inappropriate behaviour is taking place and model appropriate behaviour themselves.
• Where inappropriate behaviour is observed by a manager, immediate steps should be taken to stop the behaviour. This may necessitate sending the offending employee home, in a taxi if necessary. Disciplinary action may be warranted on the employee's return to work, depending on the circumstances. Any such disciplinary action should be taken in accordance with the employer's discipline and termination policies and procedures.
• If an employee becomes too intoxicated he or she should be sent home in a taxi or driven home by a work colleague.
• The employer should place limits on the supply of alcohol at the party. One way of doing this is to provide each employee with a voucher entitling them to a limited number of alcoholic drinks.
• The employer should provide soft drinks, light alcoholic drinks and preferably serve food at the party.
• The employer could have facilities at the party to enable employees to test their blood alcohol level.
• If the venue for the party is off-site, the employer should provide transport to the site and back to the workplace after the party.
• The employer could ask for volunteers for non-drinking drivers and arrange carpools for the purposes of transporting employees home.

Source: Australian Business Limited.

INTRODUCING BUSINESS TRAVEL AT AIME

Now in its 21st year, the Asia-Pacific Incentives & Meetings Expo (AIME) is recognised as a leading event in the Asia-Pacific region for event organisers and more recently, corporate travel managers.

Industry professionals and exhibitors from all over the world will meet in Melbourne for AIME 2013 and will experience two days of business connections, valuable networking and an extensive Education Program.

Showcasing destinations, airlines, venues and a wide range of products and services from all parts of Australia, the Asia-Pacific and internationally, AIME 2012 welcomed close to 800 exhibitors from 44 different countries and held close to 13,000 business appointments over the two days.

Benefits to exhibiting:

• Meet with over 550 qualified Hosted Buyers and over 3,300 industry visitors
• Over 13,000 pre-arranged meetings between exhibitors and Hosted Buyers take place over two days
• Join over 800 exhibitors from around the world
• Attend the high level ACTE conference co-located at AIME
• 42% of Hosted Buyers organise Business Travel

For more information click on http://www.aime.com.au/businesstravel