Packed event schedule highlights Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre's Success

The Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre will next year welcome more than a million people through its doors in one of its biggest periods for conferences, incentives and exhibitions in recent years.

More than 120 events are already confirmed in 2013, including international conferences like the World Congress on Lung Cancer for 5000 delegates in October, the World Congress on Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynaecology for 1500 delegates in October, the International Red Cross General Assembly for 1300 delegates in November and the Congress of the International Liver Transplant Society for 1000 delegates in June.

Major corporate and incentive bookings next year include a 3500-delegate event for the Perfect China direct-sell group in July.

The Centre will also become part of public celebrations across Sydney Harbour when it hosts the Pacific2013 International Maritime Exposition and Seapower naval conference for 1000 delegates in October, coinciding with the spectacle of an international fleet review to mark the 100th anniversary of the Royal Australian Navy’s first arrival in Sydney.

Centre Chief Executive Ton van Amerongen said it was fitting for Sydney to host a packed calendar of events at a time when it was preparing for a redevelopment of its convention and entertainment precinct at Darling Harbour.

“The success of the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre has brought us to the point where we now look to bigger and more advanced facilities, and nothing demonstrates our achievements more than the busy schedule of events we have in 2013,” Mr van Amerongen said. “Sydney undoubtedly has a new impetus behind its events sector and the Centre is dedicating more energy than ever to the success of our upcoming events.”

Mr van Amerongen said it was encouraging to welcome corporate events like the US-based Teradata software company which will bring 800 delegates to Sydney in February, indicating a renewed confidence from the US corporate market.  At the same time, large Asian delegations like the Perfect China event pointed to Sydney’s ongoing appeal as an incentive destination.

The New South Wales Government has announced a A$1 billion redevelopment of the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre and neighbouring Sydney Entertainment Centre, creating the largest and most advanced facilities in Australia.
Packed event schedule highlights Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre's Success

More Top Speakers for ANZPHIC

Two more global leaders, Azran Osman-Rani, chief executive officer of AirAsia X and Iqbal Jumabhoy, chief executive officer of SilverNeedle Hospitality will join the unprecedented cast of international, regional and local hotel and tourism luminaries at the Australia, New Zealand and Pacific Hotel Industry Conference in at the Hilton Sydney on 26-27 July.

This follows the earlier announcement that Eric Danziger, president & chief executive officer of Wyndham Hotel Group and Ho Kwon Ping, executive chairman of Banyan Tree Holdings will headline the cast of speakers at the conference.

Mr Jumabhoy's 25 years of real estate development and hospitality experience includes most recently heading up Rendezvous Hospitality prior to joining SilverNeedle earlier this year. SilverNeedle manages over 4000 keys in the Asia-Pacific region and aims to expand its network to over 10,000 keys by 2016.

Mr Osman-Rani joined AirAsia X in 2007 to lead the start up team for this Malaysian based airline that is focused on providing long-haul low-cost services to twelve destinations including Sydney, Gold Coast and Perth.

ANZPHIC 2012 chair and CEO of Horwath HTL Australia John Smith said that Mr Osman-Rani and Mr Jumabhoy would provide the audience with a further depth of understanding as to the changing nature of the hotel and tourism markets in the region and their drivers.

Announcements about the other 70 speakers for ANZPHIC 2012 and its pre-event, the Serviced Apartments Summit will be made shortly.

Further details on ANZPHIC 2012, the Summit and Megameet 2012 can found at www.anzphic.com

(Source: Accommnews.com.au)

More Top Speakers for ANZPHIC

Metro Hotels Exhibits at BTTB

Metro Hotels exhibits at BTTB

Over the past few years, travel managers and suppliers have had to contend with dramatic and often unpredictable changes in the business environment. Natural disasters, financial crisis, political turmoil and civil unrest made travel planning difficult and put pressures not only on travellers, but also on their managers.

With so much uncertainty surrounding their roles, travel managers need as much information as possible about the aspects they can control, and this year’s BTTB Australia conference aimed to provide vital insights into the travel supply chain. From pricing trends to global best practice, the conference content aimed to draw on the best information out there and apply it to the demands of Australasian travel management.

Over two days, delegates heard from leading experts as well as learnt from their peers in a conference programme that addressed the key issues of the day.

Now in its 13th year, also included the region’s biggest business travel trade show where leading suppliers such as Metro Hotels were on hand to demonstrate their products, services and solutions and discuss developments in their particular field.

Metro Hotels Hammers Out a Great Idea for Trade Shows

What started as a simple idea for a low cost give-away has turned into a piece of marketing magic for Metro Hotels.

The sales department at Metro Hotels were looking for a low cost item that they could give-away to delegates who attended the many business trade shows the company exhibited at. "We looked at the usual stress balls and similar sorts of things and then we came across the stress hammer," according Metro Hotels Business Development Manager Richard Amour. "It was quirky, unique and had a certain attraction that we couldn't pass up," he explained.

The stress hammers have proven so popular that the sales staff receive emails from trade show delegates months after attending a particular event, requesting if they could be sent more hammers for their colleagues, children, nieces and nephews etc.

According to Mr. Amour the stress hammers are a great conversation starter and everyone and anyone who works in the travel, tourism and hospitality industry can relate to stress.

"We have had a few politically correct people try to tell us that they are de-stress hammers but we are sticking with the majority opinion and therefore they will always be referred to as stress hammers." he explained.

But what does a hammer have to do with hotel or serviced apartment accommodation?

"Absolutely nothing," said Mr Amour, "and we think that is part of the attraction."

In fact, Metro Hotels staff were getting asked so often what a hammer had to do with their business that they started to ask their clients the exact same question - and listed below are just some of the answers/ideas that they could safely publish:-

* Hammer out a deal at Metro Hotels

* Get hammered at Metro Hotels

* Metro Hotels - building relationships

* I nailed a great deal with Metro Hotels

* Metro Hotels are hammering down prices

The only problem the sales team at Metro Hotels have now is ........... what do they come up with next?

"The success of the Stress Hammers has been so huge that we are really scratching our heads to find something that will surpass the success of the Stress Hammers." Said Mr Amour.

HOTEL HOSPITALITY + DESIGN RETURNS TO SYDNEY IN 2012

HHD is the largest hotel refurbishment and design event in the southern hemisphere, bringing together the best in the hospitality industry over three days.

The show brings together every facet of the hospitality supply and service network, catering to 3-5 star hotels, motels, resorts, spas, luxury hotels and the hotel pub sectors under the one roof.
   
Date:                Monday 14th May - Wednesday 16th May
Venue:             Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre

Please click here for further details.

HHD is the largest hotel refurbishment and design event in the southern hemisphere, bringing together the best in the hospitality industry over three days.

The show brings together every facet of the hospitality supply and service network, catering to 3-5 star hotels, motels, resorts, spas, luxury hotels and the hotel pub sectors under the one roof.

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Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre Wins National Environmental Award

Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre wins national environmental award For the fourth year running, the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre has won the Best Green Initiative category at the national Exhibition and Events Association of Australasia’s Annual Awards.
Announced at a gala dinner in Sydney last night, the award recognises the ongoing emphasis that the venue places on its environmental practices as well as its role as an industry leader on sustainability issues.

Centre Chief Executive Ton van Amerongen said he was extremely proud of the achievement, which reflected the passion and enthusiasm of the Centre’s team.

“The fact that the Centre has won this award every year since it was first launched in 2008 recognises the commitment of our team,” Mr van Amerongen said.

“They are focussed on creating a more sustainable events industry and are always looking for new ways to improve our environmental performance.”

The award comes at the end of a year which has seen the Centre win more than 10 major industry accolades, including C&IT’s Worldwide Convention Centre Team of the Year , Australasia’s Leading Meetings and Conference Centre in the 2011 World Travel Awards and Best Meeting Venue for 500 delegates or more in the Meetings & Events Australia (MEA) National Awards.

The Centre’s submission for the national EEAA awards highlighted its continued improvements in its environmental measures, overseen by its own Ecowise team, as well as work this year to create a long-term strategic plan for the venue which identifies new waste management targets for the period 2011 to 2015.

In the past year, the Centre’s green initiatives have earnt it a number of industry awards. It has also been recognised as a Green Globe (Silver) Benchmarked Convention Centre, a Bronze Partner of the NSW Government’s Sustainability Advantage program and received the Earthcheck Silver Certification and ISO 14001:2004 Standard for Environmental Management Systems.

Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre Wins National Environmental Award