Dip in conference visitors

Convention or conference arrivals in Australia for the year ended June 30 totalled 166,800, a drop of 9 per cent year-on-year, the latest Australian Bureau of Statistics figures show. Overall business arrivals fell 10 per cent to 766,200, while total arrivals dipped 2 per cent to 5.5 million. The 30,800 convention or conference arrivals during the three months ended June 30 was down 26 per cent, while the 10,200 delegates for June was a 20 per cent drop.

Fresh brand for Australia ' essential'

BECA welcomes the Federal Government’s decision to establish a fresh international brand for Australia, which it regards as essential for the nation’s business profile. Chairman Geoff Donaghy says it is important Australia develops a brand that moves beyond simply attracting international holidaymakers. “The international business events industry is fiercely competitive and Australia has been losing market share over recent years,” he says. “We need a new image for our country that will make people want to hold their international meetings here and do business with us.”

Tropical North Queensland invites buyers

A full program of touring, fine dining and networking is offered fully hosted buyers at Sell TNQ 2009, in Palm Cove, near Cairns, from November 6 to 9. Applications are now being taken for the event, which promotes venues, accommodation and touring options for C&I groups. An initiative of Business Events Cairns & Great Barrier Reef (formerly Cairns & Region Convention Bureau), the event includes a Workshop Day of one-on-one meetings with key business tourism product representatives. There will be optional post touring from November 9 until 11 in Cairns and Port Douglas.

A  look at conferences of the future

What will a conference look like in 2020? When Martin Lack of ConferenceIT, based in Queensland, tackled this subject at the Tourism Futures conference on the Gold Coast, he had 79 virtual delegates join his live video Ustream. The participants were encouraged to seek further information and join the Twitter stream at www.search.twitter.com (enter “#confit”).

Australia targeting Kiwi business

Business Events Australia will target more corporate business travel from New Zealand with an expanded presence at the 2009 Pacific Area Incentives & Conferences Expo at SkyCity Auckland Convention Centre on September 8, which attracts more than 200 qualified buyers. As major sponsor, Business Events Australia will host a lunch as well as morning and afternoon teas, and for the first time at PAICE will have a special booth for interviews for both hosted and day buyers. Forty-four Australian companies have confirmed participation, and the show will also serve to introduce new Business Events Australia trade and events executive Amanda Hall. 

Making a fresh start with mud balls

Having a ball in the name of corporate responsibility are the management, staff and guests of Shangri-La’s Tanjung Aru Resort & Spa at Kota Kinabalu in Sabah. They are throwing EM (effective micro-organism) bokashi mud balls into drains in a bid to clean them. The balls are a mixture of clay, bokashi and EM that slowly break down in water to inhibit the growth of algae and break down sludge and silt. Led by resort general manager Andrew Steele, the group threw the mud balls into two drains, and the resort plans to continue this activity once a fortnight with guests being invited to participate. The hotel is working with its adopted schools to make 5000 mud balls to throw in the Sembulan River.
 

Internet message service introduced

A video service for the C&I industry has been introduced by Verve Creative Australia, using a broadcast-quality video studio in the Sydney CBD. The VCTV service offers same-day production for video messages, particularly for the internet, says Verve Creative’s Rob Frank (see the one-minute CIM interview). Frank says the service is ideal for promoting conferences and for incentive updates, among other uses. Several messages can be shot in one sitting, with the use of an Autocue. Graphics and backgrounds can be added.

Instant venue - just add carpet

Within four days, a restaurant at Sheraton on the Park in Sydney has been converted into a meeting venue – with a conference booked in for its first day. When the lease on the restaurant contract expired, the hotel moved swiftly to create a new venue with views over Hyde Park and complete with a bar and open kitchen (both of which can be screened off). When a CIM journalist passed by last week carpet-layers were busy at work on the eve of the scheduled conference, but managing director Sean Hunt was not flustered: “They’ll be finished on time.”

Award finalists to be revealed

In response to industry feedback, the names of the finalists in the inaugural Australian Event Awards will be released this month, enabling them to promote their success by using a special logo in their email footers and marketing material. The finalist list and other updates will be available online, with the awards being presented at The Westin Sydney on October 8.

Incentive to enrol - it's free

Registrations have opened for free entry to the third annual Incentive Show at Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre on September 29 and 30. The event covers program rewards, corporate gifts, promotional prizes, sales and marketing programs, and motivational events and programs.

Hotel programs for meeting professionals

Marriott International has introduced a free training program to help meeting professionals in their dealings with the hotel industry. Regional director Avril Northridge says it is a self-paced online course of three modules leading to certification as a Marriott Meeting Professional. Graduates of the Meetings Excellence! program are eligible for the hotel’s discounted Plan-Tastic familiarisation rates starting at $44 at more than 3200 hotels internationally (valid through to December 31). They also qualify for other exclusive benefits including continuing education units towards CMP certification and recertification, and can receive special promotions and offers from Marriott. The program, in which all countries had input (Northridge tells CIM she was able to forward suggestions) is available in English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Chinese, Japanese and Turkish.

It's easier being green.....

New tools have been included in the latest Melbourne Planner’s Guide to help identify products and services for green business events. Melbourne Convention + Visitors Bureau spokesperson Hayley Blumenthal says the guide includes a new green logo to identify suppliers committed to sustainability. The Incentive section has also been expanded to include Victoria’s sustainable products, services and activities. A digital version of the free guide is available.