SPOTLIGHT ON TASMANIA As a guest of the Tasmanian Convention Bureau and Jetstar our very own Stephanie Conyers spent a very busy three days touring the apple isle visiting hotels, conference venues and a few of the sights. In Launceston the itinerary included visits to the Country Club Resort, Hotel Grand Chancellor, The Tasmanian Wood Design Centre, Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery, Cataract Gorge, Rosevears Estate Winery, Woolmers Estate and Moorilla Estate on their way to Hobart. In Hobart, visits to the Hotel Grand Chancellor, The Old Woolstore, Wrest Point and The Henry Jones Art Hotel. Also on the schedule was a trip to Peppermint Bay, Cascade Brewery, Bellerive Oval, Theatre Royal and Meadowbank Estate. So if your thinking about Tasmania for your next business event contact Pam on +61 3 9870 4611. HOBART Hotel Grand Chancellor Hobart   Situated on the waterfront in central Hobart and unique to Hotel Grand Chancellor Hobart is the Federation Concert Hall and Convention Centre which is located adjacent to the hotel. The Federation Concert Hall provides a state-of-the-art facility for meetings, exhibitions, conventions and concerts with magnificent tiered auditorium seating for up to 1,100 people. The Federation Ballroom offers banquet style facilities for up to 1,000 or theatre style for 1,650. This amazing room has no columns so the options available for layout and themes are wide and varied. Hotel Grand Chancellor Hobart offers a number of other function rooms that cater for all types of meetings, presentations, dinners or gala balls. Wrest Point   With absolute water frontage overlooking the sparkling Derwent River, Wrest Point provides first class accommodation with spectacular views, and a wide range of dining and entertainment options The conference facilities at Wrest Point are second to none and can cater from a handful of delegates to over one thousand. Many rooms can be joined together to increase capacity or be configured differently to change from cocktail style to theatre style to classroom. There's the huge Exhibition Foyer with its glorious harbour views which is ideal for displays and receptions, Plenary Hall with tiered seating for 600, the Wellington Room for smaller conferences, the Boardwalk Gallery overlooking the harbour, the Derwent Room and much more. The Henry Jones Art Hotel   The Henry Jones stands on Hobart's waterfront where Governor Collins first settled Hobart, a row of historic warehouses dating from the 1820's and a former IXL jam factory have been transformed into an enthralling first class hotel showcasing the work of Tasmania's finest visual and performing artists. From its original and beautifully crafted staircase to the restored machinery and the magnificent all-glass Atrium, The Henry Jones reflects the influences of its rich colonial past and early trading history. You'll be fascinated by the unexpected combination of the antique and the ultra modern. Ideal venue for the smaller product launches, exhibitions, trade shows and meetings.

LAUNCESTON Hotel Grand Chancellor Hotel Grand Chancellor Launceston, the city's premier 4 1/2 star hotel, offers superior accommodation, superb Tasmanian cuisine and extensive conference facilities in the centre of the northern capital of Tasmania.   Catering for the discerning corporate and leisure traveller, Hotel Grand Chancellor Launceston is only a short stroll from the main central business district, shopping mall in Brisbane Street and Yorktown Square. Hotel Grand Chancellor Launceston is the ideal base from which to explore the beauty and variety of the north east - the handsome Georgian architecture of the municipal buildings of Launceston, the heritage homesteads, the serenity of a cruise up the Cataract Gorge, or driving the beautiful Tamar Valley with its numerous vineyards including Tamar Ridge, Iron Pot Bay, Holm Oak, Rosevears Estate, St Matthias and Providence Vineyards. Country Club Resort and Villas   This luxurious resort, surrounded by natural bush, lakes and a championship golf course, is just five minutes from Launceston. It's also ideally located for visiting the acclaimed Tamar Valley vineyards and the historic Woolmer's Estate. What a location for a conference! You're in a quiet bushland setting yet you're only 5 minutes from Launceston, around 15 minutes from the renowned Tamar Valley Wineries. Delegates can also enjoy golf, horse-riding, tennis and other activities without leaving the resort. Country Club Resort conference rooms can cater from 10 to over 500 delegates and have a variety of configurations to suit varying needs. The Franklin, Entally and Clarendon Rooms can be set individually for small meetings or one large function room for trade shows, exhibitions and dinners. The Macquarie Room is ideal for groups of 15-50 while the Mount Pleasant Room can seat over 200 for dinner.

Our ongoing schedule of briefing sessions and venue inspections ensures our product knowledge is extensive and current which allows us to offer you, professional, authorative and independent advice on the conference and meeting venue scene Australia-wide.

BEEN IN TO SEE US INCLUDE

Been in to see us in last two months include Teresa Head & Kathy Preston – Lancemore Hill Conference Centre, Shannon Jamieson – Radisson Resort Gold Coast, Heidi Griggs – Stamford Plaza Melbourne, Brian Scales & Eliza Thornton – Glen Erin Vineyard Retreat, Andrew Oster – Hyatt Regency Sanctuary Cove, Rhonda Norman – Peppers Retreats & Resorts, Bev Robinson – Hyatt Regency Coolum, David Thomas – Ramada Melbourne, Sue Magi – Surfers Paradise Marriott Resort, Rebecca Wiles – Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Rachael O’Neil – Westin Melbourne, Janice King-Smith – Doherty’s Ballarat Lodge, Kate Ritchie – Telstra Dome, Justin Burt – Shangri-La Sydney, Nicole Woolfe – Sebel Heritage Yarra Valley, Annalisa Magnanini & Katrina McDonald – Rydges Carlton, Lisa Dove & Laura Hultgren – Stonelea Country Estate, Tish Black & Adrian Jarockyj – Cumberland Lorne Resort, Joanne Camilleri & Nadia Todaro – Peter Rowland Catering, Garry Marin – Carlton Hotel Parramatta, Sylvia Chintanasiri – Pacific World (Thailand), Richard Yap – Pacific World, Jennifer Thew – Le Meridien Sydney, Mary Jane Zacchei – Fusion Marketing, Amanda Balaam – Hotel Grand Chancellor, Janne Moore – Eltham Gateway, Keren Southgate, Kathy Dawson & Tamara Lowe – Carlton Crest Melbourne, Suzana Bishop and Bruce Peterson – reaching your Pinnacle, Debbie Joyce & Cameron Ward - Artistic.

Members of our team have been out and about in December and January personally visiting…
In Tasmania – Country Club Resort Launceston, Hotel Grand Chancellor Launceston, Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery, Tasmanian Wood Design Centre, Hotel Grand Chancellor Hobart, The Old Woolstore, Wrest Point Hobart and the Henry Jones Art Hotel.

In Victoria - Deakin Management Centre, Rydges Melbourne, Sebel Melbourne, Chateau Yering, The Botanical, Lancemore Hill Conference Centre, The Grange at Cleveland Winery, The Grange at Lancefield, The Continental - Phillip Island, Vibe Savoy Hotel Melbourne, Eltham Gateway, The Westin Melbourne, Melbourne Aquarium, Peppers Moonah Links, The Mansion Hotel at Werribee Park and The Flowerdale Estate Retreat.

In Queensland and NSW - Brisbane Marriott, Stamford Plaza Brisbane, Sofitel Brisbane, Hilton Brisbane, Hyatt Regency Sanctuary Cove, Couran Cove Resort, Hotel Watermark Brisbane, Surfers Paradise Marriott and Peppers Salt Resort & Spa, Kingscliff.

How to Select the Right Guest Speaker for your event?

Selecting the most appropriate speaker for your conference or event can sometimes seem like a daunting task. There are so many things to consider and quite often it is one of many tasks you need to complete in order to stage your event.

First and foremost you should seek the help of a reputable speakers bureau. Speakers bureaus offer unbiased advise about the most appropriate person for your event. A reputable speakers bureau will have years of experience and incredible amount of product (speaker) knowledge. They will listen to your brief and then walk you through suitable recommendations, explaining why each particular speaker is suited to your event.

So then how do you select the right speaker?

Below is a list of questions that a typical speakers bureau may ask you in order to assist with your enquiry?

Questions you should consider before making an enquiry with a bureau?

Q. What is the purpose of your event? i.e. is it a dinner, conference, awards night etc.

Q. What is the desired message or response you want to generate from your event? i.e. Do you want the audience to walk away with some key message, outcome or just have fun?

Q. Have you determined your budget? There are generally suitable speakers to suit most budgets however it helps in the decision making process if you can identify this early on.

Q. What is the venue like and will it be suitable for the speaker you are interested in? i.e. is the venue indoors/outdoors, will the audience be seated or standing.

Q. What are the demographics of the audience? Age, gender ratio, older, younger, senior management, production staff etc.

Questions to ask your bureau consultant

Q. What are the audiovisual or production requirements of the speaker? Do these fit within your budget?

Q. Who has the speaker worked for in the past? Do they have testimonials to support their profile?

Q. Can they tailor their talk to my brief?

Q . Can I speak with the speaker prior to making my decision?

If you can provide and receive answers to the above questions, you will be well on your way to selecting the right speaker for your next event.

Our thanks to Carson White of ICMI Speakers & Entertainers for providing this article.

Conference Tips
Printable versions of our Conference Tips are available in PDF format at our online resource centre at downloads

Lisa-Maree joined us back in December as a Consultant and brings to the team a highly client focused, relationship based, professional sales background having spent some 10 years in the recruitment industry intertwined with some years in conference sales. She believes the industries are very similar in understanding clearly the needs of the client and matching those needs with the right solution. Lisa-Maree leads a busy life with a son entering his teens and is actively involved in sport as an umpire with Indoor Netball and Superleague. A recent ankle strain should not keep her away from the sporting action for too long.

New Hotel for Sydney

The Accor group is to start work soon on western Sydney’s first five-star hotel, the Sofitel Sydney Olympic Park. The new hotel to be built opposite Accor’s existing Novotel and Ibis complex will be 18 storey’s and include 210 rooms with 14 suites, 340sqm of conference space and pre function areas, a boardroom, executive lounge, restaurant and bar. The hotel is expected to open in mid-2008.

Refurbishment in Auckland

The $12 million refurbishment of The Langham Hotel, Auckland is on track. The hotel is upgrading all 410 rooms and suites which will maintain modern luxuries in a traditional context. The hotel’s stunning new lobby will include a spectacular new gold leaf dome with ornate coving. The hotel’s award-winning signature restaurant, Partingtons Restaurant, is also undergoing a significant makeover both from a design and menu sense. The 2005 New Zealand Chef of the Year, Marc Soper, will head this restaurant and guests will be able to experience his innovative and modern menus from early February 2006.

Expansion on the Mornington Peninsula

Peppers Moonah Links has announced that they will open three new exclusive use lodges in April 2006. The three executive lodges have twelve suites in each, ideal for a board of directors or senior management group meeting. The lodges offer complete privacy and are ideal for groups of 12-24 as one lodge can be used for the conference while the other lodge for all their meals. Each lodge has a large open plan conference room that can hold 35-conference style and around 80-100 people for cocktails. The conference room totally opens onto a spacious deck area with separate outdoor wood fire and BBQ area. The launch of the new lodges significantly grows the room numbers at the property from 63 to 95.

Rebranding in Queenstown NZ

Parkroyal Queenstown was rebranded as Crowne Plaza Queenstown in January 2006. All the Crowne Plaza extra services and amenities have been implemented and the team are enthusiastic and totally prepared for the big change. Guests will be made welcome to the hotel via a fabulous new lobby and reception area. The interior fit sees a stunning new restaurant and bar facilities, which will be completed over the next few weeks.

Join Australia 's leading companies that are taking advantage of the free venue-finding service Key Conference Solutions offers.

Big W, Liberty Financial, BASF, Catalyst Recruitment Systems Ltd, Rio Tinto, Red Bull Australia, Fenwick Software, Zinifex Ltd, CSL Limited, Bang & Olufsen, GlaxoSmithKline Australia, Daimler Chrysler, Boston Consulting, Brown Forman Beverages, Westfarmers Insurance, PPB Chartered Accountants, Bunnings, ECS Instruments, Guild Insurance, GE Commercial Finance, Siltech International Pty Ltd, SCA Hygiene Australasia, Wesley College, Esanda Finance and ITL Healthcare are just some of the companies who have chosen Key Conference Solutions to source venues throughout Australia, New Zealand and overseas for their business events.

"Great, friendly service – made my job of organising our conference so much easier, thanks."
- Trudee Anderson

"I was very impressed with the service you provide given such a tight timeframe. I have already used your service again and many of my colleagues are using your service as well."
- Simone Munting

"The service you provided was immensely helpful – particularly as I required confirmation of a venue in a very short space of time, and had not been successful in locating one on my own."
- Claire Higgins

Phone: +61 3 9870 4611 - Fax: +61 3 9870 4622

Lisa Moloney: National Business Development Manager
lmoloney@conferencesolutions.com.au

Sue Wall: Sales Consultant
swall@conferencesolutions.com.au

Lisa-Maree Roberts: Sales Consultant
lmroberts@conferencesolutions.com.au

Emily Kirkpatrick: Sales Support
ekirkpatrick@conferencesolutions.com.au

Pam Conway: Industry Consultant
pconway@conferencesolutions.com.au

Like to see a previous edition?
Check out our news archives at our online library