| NEWSLETTER Vol 36, 10/2007 |  |
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Hello, In early September I had the privilege to host a small group of IACC (International Association of Conference Centres) members from the UK, USA and Europe on a 5-day study tour of conference centres in and around Melbourne. It would appear that the conference and meetings industry is very much the same all over the world in terms of the size of groups venues host and the variety of out of town specialist conference centres. If you'd like to learn more have a look at their website at www.iacconline.org. Travelling is all the go with our Business Events Management team returning from organising a 4 day event in Shanghai. Pam and Mark are off to Beijing next week to look after one of our corporate groups annual sales conference; our team have arranged all flights and transfers and put together a great program for their conference. I know we all have bad days from time to time but I have been surprised by the lack of service standards and professionalism we have experienced in the last month. Sales staff in some of the organisations we deal with seem to have just lost the plot. I know most do a fantastic job but for the errant few what does it take to be kind and courteous on the phone and get back to people as promised. We are after all in a "service" industry and your lack of service reflects badly on your venue. Pam scooped the pool in our footy tipping competition collecting the cash and the bragging rights until next year. Congratulations to all the Geelong fans who are no doubt still celebrating their terrific win. For the rest of us there is always next year. I'm looking forward to the weather getting warmer and the return of daylight saving to pick up on some more sailing. Regards, Jim |
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VENUES
This purpose built conference centre on 274 acres in the foothills of the Macedon Ranges has 71 accommodation rooms for 130 delegates. The property is situated roughly half way between the golf courses at Kilmore and Lancefield. There are several wineries in the area, Hanging Rock and Mt Macedon. An exceptional learning environment for all delegates with 5 versatile meeting rooms, ergonomic chairs, full technical and business facilities, natural lighting, outdoor access and private syndicate spaces for brainstorming. Great spaces for large or small groups - crackling open fires, comfortable sofas along with panoramic views to inspire. Recreational facilities onsite include an outdoor swimming pool, gym, sauna, tennis courts with lights for night tennis, two beach volleyball courts, croquet lawn, canoeing, pitch and putt golf, cricket facilities, mountain bikes, fun & fitness track and bush walking. Indoor recreation areas are equipped with pool table, table tennis, carpet bowls and an extensive range of games, newspapers, books and magazines. You can expect warm, country hospitality and service along with fresh local ingredients that feature in the variety of menus planned by the Executive Chef and served in your own private dining room. Choose from an extensive wine list especially designed to suit a variety of palates and depending on the weather you can dine indoors or out. Flexible meal breaks to suit your requirements and schedules, themed dinners and all dietary requirements catered for with care and expertise. This dedicated conference centre venue is only 1 hour from Melbourne CBD and only 40 minutes (45kms) from Tullamarine Airport, but a world away from the hustle and bustle of the city and your office. Find out more from Sue Wall +613 9870 4611
Dockside is a stunning modern venue for training, entertaining, inspiring and celebrating. Affording panoramic views of Cockle Bay Wharf and Darling Harbour, Dockside boasts one of Sydney's most dazzling locations. At Dockside, floor to ceiling windows mean you're welcomed by a flood of natural light. You can enjoy the fabulous views from inside, or relax with morning tea or afternoon cocktails on the covered, wrap-around balcony. Dockside can be anything you want it to be, from an expansive room to intimate space for a small group. It's ideal for any style of event; a conference, gala dinner, awards night, seminar, function or an exhibition. Most importantly, all of Dockside's staff are dedicated to making your event a success. You will enjoy high levels of personalised service and attention. Catering is outstanding at every level; from snacks at a seminar to a formal dinner, you can look forward to restaurant-quality food carefully prepared to your specifications. At Dockside you can even enjoy an unconventional break. Just step outside to enjoy the attractions of Cockle Bay and Darling Harbour. Find out more from Tricia Durrant +613 9870 4611. Copthorne Hotel Wellington, Oriental Bay
A recent $10 million refurbishment along with its prime waterfront position overlooking one of the most beautiful harbours in the world, will see the Copthorne Hotel Wellington, Oriental Bay as one of the most luxurious accommodation experiences in Wellington. The hotel offers a complete luxurious experience with contemporary decor, exceptional dining options, heated indoor swimming pool and state of the art technology. Each room incorporates design cues from the surrounding natural environment, and feature all the convenient home comforts you would expect from a modern city hotel such as broadband internet, modem points, and a large wall mounted LCD television. The choice of accommodation includes 4 spacious luxury suites, 55 superior plus rooms, 17 superior rooms and 42 standard rooms. Each of the 118 superbly appointed guest rooms has it's own private balcony offering scenic harbour or city views. Wellington is known for its amazing culinary options, and the Copthorne Hotel Wellington, Oriental Bay is no exception having three top quality dining outlets. Three conference and function rooms offer natural light and harbour views, there are plenty of balcony areas; modern conference equipment such as video conferencing offer state of the art convenience with themed event options and extensive catering for groups from 10 to 130 people. Find out more from Lisa Moloney +613 9870 4611.
- Joseph Addison
JOIN AUSTRALIA'S LEADING COMPANIES Join Australia's leading companies that are taking advantage of the free venue-finding service Key Conference Solutions offers. Transurban, Deloitte Australia, Victoria Police, KPMG, Genesys Laboratories Australia, Origin Energy, Australian Bureau of Statistics, Nokia Siemens Network, APESMA, GE Infrastructure, Carers Victoria, Stihl, Tyco International Pty Limited, Bendigo Bank, Optus, Bovis Lend Lease, Wizard Home Loans, Victorain WorkCover Authority, Bluestone Group, Hagemeyer, Australian Scholarships Group, The Leadership Consortium Inc, Maunsell Australia Pty Ltd, NAB, CSL Limited, Ansvar Insurance, Thales Australia, CSIRO, Rodwells & Co Pty Ltd and Bristol-Meyers Squibb are just some of the organisations who have chosen Key Conference Solutions to source venues throughout Australia, New Zealand and overseas for their upcoming business meetings and conferences.
- Oscar Wilde
Members of our team have been out and about in August and September personally visiting... Stonelea Country Estate, Langham Hotel Melbourne, Crown Towers, Crown Promenade, Sofitel Hotel Melbourne, The Royce, Lindenderry at Red Hill, Oaks on Market, MCG, Park Hyatt Melbourne, Deakin Management Centre, Vue Grand Queenscliff, The Grange at Portsea Village, Doherty Ballarat Lodge, Pacific International Apartments Southbank, The Stables Conference Centre at Red Hill, Peppers Moonah Links Resort, Melbourne Business School Mt Eliza, Sheraton Noosa Resort & Spa and The Sebel Albert Park.
- Gracian
"Many thanks to the team at Conference Solutions for sourcing yet another excellent venue
for our VIP event. I was asked by several attendees about my choice of a perfect venue
(again) to which I replied that I rely on the expert advice of Key Conference Solutions. So
thanks for your continued assistance and selection of appropriate and impressive venues. Look
forward to working with you on my next project." "Key Conference Solutions made my job a whole lot easier. I got exactly what I was looking for
in a venue and all the hardwork of searching for a venue was done for me." "Outstanding. Above & Beyond. Excellent!" "Lisa & Nicola are fantastic. So understanding and very helpful." "Excellent service, very satisfied, will certainly use you again – saved me so much time!"
- George Will
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HAPPENINGS SPA TIME Crowne Plaza Hunter Valley's Tea Tree Spa will open in October 2007 and has a range of treatments and Spa Ritual packages that will suit conference delegates. The Tea Tree Spa incorporates both a pampering and wellness approach to treatments so you can look good and feel good as well. This is perfect for conference groups to inspire your staff and aid them in recharging their energy levels for better work performance. Australian companies with reports of promising associations between wellbeing programs, staff health and job performance have long embraced workplace wellbeing. Tea Tree Spa can cater for up to 17 people at any time. A list of suggested spa treatments for conference groups is currently being designed but all packages will be tailored to the individual requirements whether it is in the conference room or in the spa itself. PROGRAM LAUNCHED Show organisers for this years MEETING MART trade show in Melbourne have launched a revamped and re energized program! The day's program is action filled with highlights including: showcase events, hosted breakfast and luncheon along with the Cocktail event and educational programs. With a record number of exhibitors, including over 30 from Regional Victoria, this is a show that you cannot afford to miss if you are involved in organizing conferences, events, functions or dinners of any size from 10 to 2500. You can source venues, products & services all under one roof at your leisure, even with a complimentary glass of wine from 4.30pm. The best part is that entry to the exhibition at Melbourne Park Function Centre on 30 October 2007 is complimentary. Register now at Conference Works AWARD WINNER Ballarat Convention & Exhibition Centre was an award winner at the CGU Commerce Ballarat Business Excellence Awards in August. It won the coveted Telstra Country Wide Hospitality and Accommodation Award in these prestigious awards that celebrate the success of local industry and business leaders in the Ballarat region. The Ballarat Convention & Exhibition Centre, which incorporates Doherty Ballarat Lodge, is regional Victoria's largest independently-owned conference centre with a 1000 person capacity and was the venue for the evening's event, which was attended by over 600 business people including local and state dignitaries. Stephen Wills, General Manager in accepting the award said, "Our team is the real winner. There have been moments when we've enjoyed major challenges and the learning curve has been steep." OUTRIGGER ANNOUNCES Just days since announcing it would manage Noosa's 5-star $300 million Viridian Resort & Spa, Hawaii's Outrigger Hotels & Resorts has entered into a second deal with the iconic Twin Towns Services Club on the Queensland / New South Wales border. Rebranded Outrigger Twin Towns Resort, Outrigger will manage the 4.5 star resort's two highrise hotel towers comprising the 12-month-old Harbour Tower of 197-suites and the original Ocean Tower with 116 hotel rooms and approximately 30 suites. EVENT EFFECTS Event Effects are the sole Australian importers and wholesalers for Acolyte lighting products, and offer a range of products, including Floralytes, that will certainly bring all your events to life. Lighting is one of the most underrated components of event design. Without effective lighting, anything else you have in the room can be completely lost and meaningless. They now have the products that will allow you to produce simply stunning, yet cost effective events. The applications for these products are only limited by your imagination. You can now be as creative as you wish. No wires, no searching for power sources. Place the lights anywhere you wish, including submersing them in water. These are disposable, wireless, miniature, lightweight, cool-to-the-touch, self-powered lighting units. Let your creative juices flow and have fun with this exciting range of products, including Balloominators (Balloon Lights) for your next event. For more information visit their website at Event Effects SHARING THE KNOWLEDGE 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 throughout Australia and overseas. Been in to see us and update us on their venues include Nicole Franklin - Radisson Plaza Hotel Sydney, Susan Yap - Crowne Plaza Mutiara Kuala Lumpur, Bernard Rickenbach - InterContinental Tahiti, Moorea & Bora Bora, Mandy Chan - InterContinental Sydney, Chutima Chitpitak - InterContinental Bangkok, Jo Pankhurst & Nikki Carter - St Kilda Rd Parkview Hotel, Dianne Hall - One Four Nelson, Leigh Lewis - Waipuna Hotel & Conference Centre, Emma Parker Langham Hotel Melbourne, Michelle Anderson - Langham Hotel Auckland, Maeve Chomphunut & El Kwang - Venues of Australia, Janice King-Smith - Novotel Forest Resort Creswick, Eunice Alarcon - SMC Sydney, Jessica Hymet - Punt Hill Apartment Hotels, Deanna Cannon - Mirvac Hotels & Resorts, Amanda Patience - The Sebel Pier One Sydney, Stephen Levickis - Telstra Dome, Pipiana Whiston - Millennium Hotel Rotorua, John Clarke - Millennium Hotel Queenstown, Jane Tanti - Millennium Hotels & Resorts, Rebecca Wiles - Starwood Hotels, Helene Moraud - LeMeridien Nouvelle Caledonie, Richard Ackland - Amora Hotel Jamison Sydney, Grace Lessig - Sheraton Noosa Resort & Spa, Sarah Di Berardino - Amora Hotel Riverwalk Melbourne, Christopher Kang - Rasa Sentosa Resort Singapore, Jacqueline Allen Shangri-La Hotel Sydney, Colette Tobin - RACV Club, Edwina Mason - Crowne Plaza Royal Pines Resort, Joanne Camilleri - Solution Red, Sally Moyes & Carey Norton - Heritage Hotel Queenstown, Kellie Goodwin - Skyline Queenstown NZ and from Port Douglas, Megan Bell & Sam Coniglio – Quicksilver Group, Angela Freeman - Hartley's Crocodile Adventures, Kirsten Taylor – CAPTA Group, Abbie McCrisken & Nick Millis – Off Site Connections, Regina White – Sea Temple Resort & Spa, Natalie Shearer – Flames of the Forest and Karen Turner – Down Under Tours.
- Harriet Woods
CONTACT US: Phone: +613 9870 4611
- James M Barrie
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