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VENUE REVIEWS
WINE & GOLF
The Yarra Valley, home to grape and now golf, has
long awaited the advent of a luxury hotel and conference centre.
Just opened, the Sebel Lodge is the answer to the call. The 102
- room boutique hotel is an integral part of the prestigious Heritage
Golf and Country Club, the only private Jack Nicklaus signature
course in Australia.
A mere 40 minutes from Melbourne via the Eastern
Freeway this beautiful venue's superbly appointed and spacious guest
rooms (96) and suites (6) all have balconies or outdoor terraces
with a choice of either golf course or garden views. Some suites
also feature spa baths. Naturally one will receive sublime personalized
Sebel service in this relaxed atmosphere.
The highly flexible conference centre caters for
all styles of meeting and delegate numbers from 5 to 400. There
are extensive breakout and pre-function areas featuring natural
light and terraced patios.
Immediately adjacent to the Lodge and accessible
through a covered walkway flanked by cascading water features, is
the magnificent Heritage Golf and Country Club, the Clubhouse featuring
superb dining facilities and a world class Pro Shop.
The Jack Nicklaus 18 hole St John course is indeed
magnificent, and has been favorably compared with the famed Augusta
National Golf Course. Although membership to the Heritage Golf and
Country Club is exclusive, tee times may be reserved for guests
of The Sebel Lodge Yarra Valley.
To find out more about the conference and
meeting options and competitive pricing available at The Sebel Lodge
call Pam Conway on +613 9724 1800
TRANQUIL LAKESIDE
Just 90 minutes north of Sydney, on 35 lakeside
beside Lake Macquarie is Rafferty's Resort, the ideal venue for
your next conference or incentive getaway. The area surrounding
the resort was formerly named "Galgabba Creek" meaning
" a good place to rest" and this you could certainly do
- although you may choose to be more active and avail yourself of
the 3 tennis courts, golf at the nearby Belmont Golf Course or you
could try canoeing or fishing on the lake.
This 4 and a half star retreat offers a variety
of high standard accommodation styles, award-winning conference
facilities, fine food and wine choices to tempt the most jaded palate.
Rafferty's themed evening options including Arabian, 50's Sock Hop,
Academy Awards and Rafferty's Casino will long be remembered by
conference delegates.
The spectacular setting and unique positioning
of the resort provides an excellent conference environment. Rafferty's
caters for all types of business pursuits whether they are small
executive retreats of 10 delegates or annual conferences for up
to 160.
For further information regarding your conference
options at Rafferty's Resort contact Sue Wall +613 9724 1800
WATERFRONT REVIVAL
It was one of those typical Melbourne autumn days
sunny, warm with hardly a breath of wind, when I visited the Four
Points Sheraton Geelong situated in the heart of a rejuvenated waterfront
in Geelong. With its magnificent view across Corio Bay, the boats
at rest and gulls calling overhead, memories of my days spent sailing
here came flooding back …
Today Four Points Sheraton Geelong offers meeting
and conference facilities for any occasion with five flexible function
rooms. All meeting rooms including the Peninsula and Port Phillip
rooms which overlook Corio Bay, are located on the second floor.
Also on this level is the Business Centre which provides the necessary
conference support services.
The hotel has 109 rooms all with individually controlled
air conditioning and features which are regarded tody as a necessity
- internet access and voice mail. Leisure facilities include a heated
salt-water indoor pool and fitness centre.
With easy access to Melbourne CBD and Tullamarine
airport the Four Points Sheraton Geelong is a viable option when
looking for a venue with great partner activities as the Great Ocean
Road is right on the doorstep.
To find out more call Lou David on +613 9724 1800
VENUES AUSTRALIA-WIDE
Take advantage of the Australia-wide
conference venue finding service Key Conference Solutions offers
to our corporate clients.
Join companies like ANZ Banking
Group, Digiland Pty Ltd, BMG Associates, Mars Confectionery of Australia,
Carter Holt Harvey, Swann Insurance, Daimler Chrysler Australia/Pacific
and GE Capital Finance who have used our services to find conference
venues in Western Australia, Queensland, Regional Victoria and in
the CBD's of Melbourne and Sydney.
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CONFERENCE
TIPS
Conference room configuration
For the communication to be effective, the style or configuration
of the room will be dependant on the number of delegates and the
preferred style of the presenter. But there are certain limitations
to some of the room configurations.
To have open and active interaction between all delegates and the
presenter Boardroom, U-shape and Clusters are the most commonly
used or even just a circle of chairs with no desks. All are ideal
for groups up to about 60. Above 60, the communication style changes
because no matter what style of seating you use some delegates can
no longer see or communicate with some of the other delegates. Now
the communication is between the presenter and the delegates, with
very little effective communication between delegates as a group.
For groups over 60 Classroom, Theatre and Cluster configurations
are the most common.
One of the hot topics of discussion from time to time in our office
is the claims made by some venues on how many delegates they can
seat in a specific conference room. One of the main considerations
we look at, and so should you when conducting your site inspections,
is to ensure there is enough room in the conference room you have
been allocated to configure your delegate seating style with comfort.
Seeing the room set up is great but sometimes you need to see if
the venue can set up just a portion, like one table or mark out
the floor where the tables and chairs will be placed. This will
allow you to see that the room is not jammed up and delegates have
easy access into and out of their seats at all times.
The sorts of seat available and how comfortable
your delegates will be after 5 or 6 hours of sitting is critical.
Fidgeting delegates are not good listeners or willing participants.
Where possible avoid banquet chairs for conferences or meetings
that go for more than an hour or two. Most conference centres and
auditoriums have the appropriate seating but do check.
In terms of surface top, I prefer a hard surface not clothed. Tablecloths
on conference tables do offer modesty skirt protection if the conference
table does not have that feature.
You need to remember the conference room set up style you choose
is based upon the communication needs of your group and your presenter.
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QUOTABLE QUOTES
| Be master of your petty annoyances
and conserve your energies for the big, worthwhile things.
It isn't the mountain ahead that wears you out - it's
the grain of sand in your shoe. |
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| Quality is never an accident;
it is always the result of high intention, sincere effort,
intelligent direction and skillful execution; it represents
the wise choice of many alternatives. |
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| Keep your fears to yourself, but share
courage with others. |
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| The flower that follows the sun
does so even on cloudy days. |
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For more information please call
Pam Conway +613 9724 1800
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MEET CHRIS FALLON FROM
ON-SITE MASSAGE
There is nothing like a professional shoulder and back
massage. When performed by Chris and his team of professionally
-trained masseurs you will feel rejuvenated, energised and
quite possibly titanic!
This team has been providing massage services
to the corporate sector for the past 5 years both in the everyday
workplace and at conferences throughout Victoria.
At your chosen venue On-Site Massage can
provide a wonderful experience that makes your conference
truly memorable. They are able to create an environment that
assists delegates with relaxation and learning.
Chris and his On-site- Massage team have
worked at Sefton, Mt Macedon for the Fosters Brewing Group,
at the Arcadia Entertainments' corporate marquee at The Australian
Grand Prix and have recently spent time relaxing highly tuned
participants at the Baker Institute golf day and the BRW Corporate
triathlon.
To find out more on how to give your team
a professional corporate massage at your next business event
call Pam Conway on +613 9724 1800
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FREE "CONFERENCE
ORGANISERS" GUIDE
If you haven't already got a copy of our
comprehensive guide on the nuts and bolts of planning a conference,
you can get a free copy of our "How to organise a Successful
Conference" booklet by contacting us on +613 9724 1800.
We'll happily send you as many copies as you need to distribute
around your company with our compliments.
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YOUR
SAY
I would like to say thanks to the team
here at Key Conference Solutions. Your feedback tells us our
service is meeting and exceeding your expectations in finding
the right venue for your conference and meeting events.
" Your input, planning and coordination
of The Investigator-Corporate Fraud Conference made this event
an outstanding success for us and our 250 delegates. Once
again pass on our thanks to all your team members for their
excellent work."
Phil Peart - The Investigator
Magazine
"Sue, appreciate all your work. I must
say, you provide an outstanding service at Key Conference
Solutions- invaluable in fact for the time pressed …"
Paul Forsyth- Mars Confectionery
of Australia
"Thanks for organizing the venue for
our conference, I was so impressed with your professionalism
and high service levels. I have recommended your service and
passed your name on throughout the company."
Nicole Budiman- Toyota Australia
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CONTACT US:
Phone: +613 9724 1800
Sue Wall Sales Consultant
swall@conferencesolutions.com.au
Lou David Sales Consultant
ldavid@conferencesolutions.com.au
Pam Conway Industry Consultant
pconway@conferencesolutions.com.au
Click here to visit the Key Conference Solutions website
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