Travel, Tourism & Events

Business Events Week is back in Melbourne

BUSINESS Events Week is being staged in Melbourne next week to promote the value and continued development of Australia’s business events industry.

Melbourne Convention Bureau (MCB) chief executive officer, Karen Bolinger said the inaugural Business Events Week took place in February 2013 and featured a week-long program of activities that illustrated the fundamental value of business events to the nation’s economy, knowledge base and tourism industry.

This year’s event will run all next week in Melbourne, with its central event being the Asia-Pacific Incentives and Meetings Expo (AIME) at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Ms Bolinger also announced that Australian Chief Scientist, Professor Ian Chubb is the official ambassador for Business Events Week 2014.

“Conferences span the entire business and knowledge sectors, providing a major platform to collaborate, innovate and educate,” Ms Bolinger said.

“The scientific community in particular is a major beneficiary of the legacies produced by conferences and who better to convey the significance of this than our Chief Scientist.

“Professor Chubb has provided a major contribution to our country and was appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia for service to higher education, including research and development policy and to the facilitation of a knowledge-based global economy.

“At the Melbourne Convention Bureau, we advocate that along with developing knowledge and research, business events are pivotal in terms of driving the economy and tourism sector.

“To put this into context, by 2020 the value of business events to the Australian economy will rise to $31 billion.

“In addition, business events create a positive flow on effect for small to medium businesses. In Victoria alone, between 2009 to 2013 delegate spend during MCB-secured business events is estimated at $100 million on hotels, $46 million on air travel, $23 million on sightseeing and tours, and $50 million on retail,” Ms Bolinger said.

“The significance of business events to the nation, and the jobs they provide, presents a strong argument for the ongoing investment into the industry.”

Professor Chubb said he was proud to be involved in Business Events Week.

“The long term economic benefits of business events are extremely valuable and varied; from attracting inward investment and generating knowledge economy jobs to securing research funding for academic institutions,” Prof. Chubb said.

“I am a firm believer in what business events can do to support the development of the research and knowledge sectors and am honoured to be involved in driving awareness via Business Events Week.”

AIME, from February 18-19, is now in its 22nd year of showcasing the best Australian, Asia-Pacific and international destinations, products and services to the meetings incentives, conventions and exhibitions markets..

Also confirmed to take place during the week is the annual Associations Forum CEO Symposium, where 100 to 120 senior decision makers from domestic and Asia-Pacific not-for-profit organisations will take part in business sessions, as well as a networking and social program.

Business Events Week will also see the return of Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre’s Open House – a public event showcasing innovation in the business events space. Open House will feature addresses from CSIRO Materials Science and Engineering chief, Cathy Foley; Cato Brand Partners chairman, Ken Cato; and ABC Television advertising and marketing program The Gruen Transfer’s Todd Sampson.

 

More than 60 events have been locked in for Business Events Week, with new additions to the calendar including Convergence 2014: The Promise of Precision Medicine on February 19.  

A half day event which is open to the public, Convergence 2014 brings together medical researchers, computer scientists, mathematicians, engineers and doctors to help transform healthcare. The philosophy behind Convergence is that collectively, healthcare can progress beyond standardised, one-size-fits-all medicines and medical treatments towards those that target specific types of patients.

 

The key note speaker for the event will be San Francisco’s University of California vice chancellor for research, executive vice dean of the School of Medicine and professor of cellular and molecular pharmacology, Keith Yamamoto.

 

http://www.melbournecb.com.au/

 

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Tourism industry leaders and luminaries awarded by Victoria

A GOLDMINE, a zoo, hot springs, winemakers, turf racing and a Space Hotel were among the winners at the 2013 RACV Victorian Tourism Awards presented this week.

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RACV's Inverloch Resort is now in the Hall of Fame.

 

"These awards represent the pinnacle of achievement in the Victorian tourism and events industry and they highlight the outstanding visitor experiences our state has to offer," said Victoria Tourism Industry Council (VTIC) chief executive Dianne Smith.

VTIC highlighted the versatility and calibre of Victoria's tourism product that the judges had to consider. Ms Smith congratulated winners of the Victorian Tourism Awards, announced at a gala ceremony at Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) on November 11.

VTIC particularly recognised industry stalwart Craig Opie, winner of the Qantas Award for Outstanding Contribution by an Individual. Mr Opie is a long-standing supporter and driver of tourism in Victoria, particularly through his work with a predecessor to VTIC, the Victorian Tourism Operators Association (VTOA).

"We are proud of all winners and nominees and the valuable contribution they make to our important sector," Ms Smith said.

"As well as attracting strategic investment and enhancing social wellbeing, the Victorian tourism industry contributes $19.1 billion to our state's economy each year and generates employment for more than 200,000 Victorians."

VTIC worked with Tourism Victoria to deliver preparatory workshops throughout the state, equipping tourism operators with knowledge of how best to prepare a nomination.

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Kryal Castle is a new adventure destination in Victoria.

 

"Pleasingly, 150 industry members attended this year's workshops, demonstrating the prestige of the Victorian Tourism Awards," Ms Smith said.

"VTIC also provided a Victorian Tourism Awards Mentor Program and acted as a judge in some of the 32 categories."

2013 RACV Victorian Tourism Award winners were:

Blue Moon Cottages - Standard Accommodation and inducted into the Victorian Tourism Awards Hall of Fame for winning its category for three consecutive years.

Melbourne Zoo - Major Tourist Attraction.

Peninsula Hot Springs - Tourist Attraction.

Victoria Racing Club - Major Festivals and Events.

Central Deborah Goldmine - Heritage and Cultural Tourism.

Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre - Business Tourism.

Leisure Options - Specialised Tourism Services.

Frankston Visitor Information Centre - Visitor Information and Services.

Grampians Tourism - Destination Marketing.

Searoad Ferries - Major Tour and/or Transport Operators.

Hilton Melbourne South Wharf - Luxury Accommodation.

The Enchanted Maze Garden - Adventure Tourism.

Kryal Castle Adventure Park and Resort - New Tourism Development.

Crown Melbourne - Tourism Education and Training.

Fowles Wine - Tourism Wineries, Distilleries and Breweries.

Space Hotel - Backpacker Accommodation.

Friends of Flagstaff Hill - Outstanding Contribution by Volunteers.

Brett Ince from Geelong Otway Tourism - Young Achiever Award.

RACV Cobram Resort - Tourist and Caravan Parks.

RACV Inverloch Resort - Deluxe Accommodation and inducted into the Victorian Tourism Awards Hall of Fame for winning its category for three consecutive years.

http://www.vtic.com.au/

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Australian tourism on track to boost visitor spend to $140billion by 2020

IN SPITE of the high Australian dollar, the Australian tourism industry seems to be on track to meet its aim of increasing overnight visitor spending to between $115 billion and $140 billion by 2020. 

That official assessment was relayed to the Australian Tourism Directions Conference in Canberra last week by Trade and Investment Minister Andrew Robb, who said the new Federal Government recognised the huge challenges the industry still faced, including cost-of-labour challenges compared with rival markets.

As part of its Tourism 2020 plan, last week the government launched its new Tourism Employment Plan Guide and a new Tourism Employment Plan Advisory Service.

Mr Robb also congratulated the industry on achieving an average international visitor spend that was already more than three times the global average.

Mr Robb announced plans to attract more international investment to the sector and said early government moves to scrap the Carbon Tax and freeze the Passenger Movement Charge were just the start in a range of initiatives that will ultimately make the tourism industry more competitive.

"The government is committed to creating the right operating environment for the tourism sector by freezing the Passenger Movement Charge, scrapping the Carbon Tax and helping employers find workers with the right skills," Mr Robb told the Australian Tourism Directions Conference.

"I plan to attract more international investment, create more jobs and strengthen Australia's prosperity.

"Our role in government is to support tourism businesses to do what they do best by creating the right operating environment," he said.

"Tourism is important to the Australian economy. It is worth $107 billion, directly employs more than half a million Australians and is our largest services industry export, earning $26 billion a year.

"Freezing the Passenger Movement Charge will provide certainty for the tourism industry and allow it to focus on developing new high quality products that will drive demand.

"Abolishing the Carbon Tax will save the industry money and provide tourism businesses with more capacity to develop more world class experiences," Mr Robb said.

To help industry overcome regional labour and skill shortages in tourism, the Federal Government launched the Tourism Employment Plan Guide and a new Tourism Employment Plan Advisory Service.

Mr Robb said the Tourism Employment Guide would provide regions with a blueprint for how to address their unique labour and skills issues, while the Tourism Employment Plan Advisory Service would ensure regions had enough support to help find solutions that work best for them.

http://www.tourism2020.gov.au/

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Creation theory for business innovation - two experts tell why

MOST of the rallying calls for Australian business progress right now mention the word ‘innovation'. There are scores of government department names that bear it; industry awards that reward it; buildings named after it; major organisations like Nissan, NEC and IBM  that catch-cry with it; and epic quantities of paper and megabyte research devoted to it.

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Dr Michael Rosemann of QUT's Information Systems School.

 

Yet innovation defies simple description - other than we know it when we see it - and most research acknowledges ‘innovation' as a form of commercial and industrial ‘creativity'.

This week's Innovation Series event in Brisbane on Wednesday (June 19) considers how the challenges of fostering innovation are similar to quests in ‘developing' creativity.

Headlining the event are Tania de Jong, founder of the Creativity Australia and Creative Universe business event series, and Dr Michael Rosemann, professor and head of the Information Systems School at Queensland University of Technology (QUT).

The Innovation Series theme, Creative Thinking as a Driver of Innovation? is highly topical in these challenging business times, in which organisations and individuals are seeking that innovative edge that will help them to develop and prosper.

In fact, creativity is a great strategic engine for business, according to Tania de Jong, AM, founder of Creativity Australia and Creative Universe. Her theme at the Innovation Series, Creativity: The Strategic Tool of the 21st Century, outlines why creativity has become what she calls Australia's "most endangered species". 

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Tania de Jong: business creativity an 'endangered species'.

 

Ms de Jong believes creativity is a lever for improved wellbeing, social inclusion, innovation, leadership, productivity and transformation. She will flesh out her experiences on why diversity is critical to unleashing the creative potential of individuals and organisations, and how Australia can develop a culture where creativity and innovation flourishes.

Those concepts have blossomed in the events she has created to bring this topic to the fore, including Creative Innovation Global's acclaimed Ci2010, Ci2011 and Ci2012 conferences.

Dr Michael Rosemann takes a different view, discussing the real value in the innovation process of what he calls 'ideation'. Dr Rosemann believes 'ideation' as part of innovation processes is often perceived as a 'miracle' - and few structured approaches beyond creativity techniques guide the derivation of innovative practices.

Dr Rosemann's presentation, Innovating without the need for creativity, will position ideation in the context of three drivers for innovation:  problems, constraints and opportunities. His focus is on how patterns, principles and evidence can be used in the idea generation process, proposing "inspiration as a service" as a possible pathway for the innovation community.

As the author and editor of seven books, more than 200 refereed papers, editorial board member of 10 international journals and co-inventor of US patents, Dr Rosemann's views are in demand at conferences across the globe - and his research projects have been funded by diverse industry partners including Accenture, Brisbane Airport, Infosys, Rio Tinto, the Queensland Government, SAP, Suncorp and Woolworths.

Innovation Series Brisbane events are managed by Zernike Australia and supported by the Australian Institute for Commercialisation, QUT, CSIRO, Hynes Legal and Business Acumen magazine. This week's event is at the Stamford Plaza Brisbane on Wednesday at 12 noon.

www.innovationseries.com.au

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State Library opens up the books on Qld business history

QUEENSLAND's State Library will host a symposium for historians, business leaders, educators and researchers, Navigating our business history, on June 19 in Brisbane.

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Queensland's State Library has a special event on June 19 charting the importance of the state's business history.

 

The event is the first time a forum has been convened to ‘open the books' on the state's diverse business history and will feature an open conversation with travel industry ‘game changer' Flight Centre's Graham ‘Skroo' Turner, along with keynote addresses from historians including Dr David Allison, the associate director for Curatorial Affairs at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History.

"The Navigating our business history symposium at State Library of Queensland on 19 June 2013 will explore why Queensland's business history matters," said State Librarian, Janette Wright.

The symposium will be an opportunity to open up discussion around the important role of Queensland business history in the broader historical context of Queensland and Australia.

The symposium will challenge participants to consider and discuss the impact and influence of Queensland's business history on Australia's cultural, economic and social landscape.

Designed for historians, business leaders, researchers, students, educators, librarians, and those working with their own business stories and heritage collections, the symposium will feature keynote addresses from Professor Geoffrey Bolton AO, distinguished Australian historian and author, and the Smithsonian's Dr Allison.

Both sessions are to be facilitated by award-winning Australian journalist and broadcaster Geraldine Doogue.

Navigating our business history is an initiative of the Queensland Business Leaders Hall of Fame, founded by the State Library of Queensland, Queensland Library Foundation, and QUT Business School. The event complements the highly successful Game Changers entrepreneur talk series that also kicked off this year through the State Library.

The day-long symposium will be followed by the final Game Changers series talk, In conversation with Graham ‘Skroo' Turner, being held at State Library of Queensland at 6pm.

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Flight Centre's Graham 'Skroo' Turner takes part in an evening 'conversation' at the symposium.

 

The Queensland Business Leaders Hall of Fame partnership recognises and extends understanding and access to information about the contribution Queensland businesses and business leaders have made to the development of the state. Each year the Queensland Business Leaders Hall of Fame recognises business leaders and organisations that have helped shape the disctinctive economic and social landscape of Queensland.

An invitation only masterclass for specialists working with historical collections will be delivered by Dr David Allison from the Smithsonian at State Library of Queensland the day after the symposium. It will focus on the use and interpretation of historical collections.

Executive manager for Queensland Memory, Louise Denoon said, "State Library's commitment to co-create Queensland's memory for future generations and to foster learning and engagement with State Library collections is manifest in the Queensland Business Leaders Hall of Fame initiative.

"We must embrace Queensland's business history and this symposium is an important step in ensuring we are recording, interpreting and inspiring use of this information to help us better understand our past and create our future," Ms Denoon said.

She said tickets for Navigating our business history are on sale for $120 for the entire event of $60 for the half-day sessions. (Tel: 07 3840 7979).

www.slq.eventbrite.com

Ticket giveaway!

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Singapore Airlines secures its Australian aviation platform with Virgin stake

THE Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB) is expected to approve the application by Singapore Airlines to increase its stake in Virgin Australia, while Virgin's own purchase of a controlling stake in budget carrier Tiger Airways Australia - itself largely owned and controlled by Singapore Airlines - is FIRB approved and set to proceed in July.

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Singapore Airlines Airbus A380s are popular among Australian business travellers.

 

Singapore Airlines has agreed to acquire another 9.9 percent of Virgin Australia in a move that will increase its stake to 19.9 percent. Singapore Airlines reported it would purchase 255.5 million shares at 48 Australian cents per share for a total consideration of A$122.6 million.

The strategic stake will be acquired through the purchase of shares held by Richard Branson's Virgin Group and will help secure Singapore Airline's long, steady approach to establishing Australia as its most important market after Singapore itself.

Apart from the commercial advantages of the move in tapping into a strong domestic travel market, it is expected to boost other related activities, such as the extensive Singapore Airlines pilot training and maintenance services conducted in association with Aeromil Pacific on the Sunshine Coast.

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... and no wonder, with suites like this onboard.

 

Last month the FIRB approved Virgin Australia Holdings Ltd's plan to take control of loss-making rival Tiger Airways Australia.

This will accelerate the battle for domestic budget air travellers with Qantas Airways' Jetstar unit, according to industry analysts, while Virgin Australia continues to upgrade its service offering to compete more directly with Qantas.

Virgin announced plans in October to buy 60 percent of Tiger Australia for $35 million and invest a further $62.5 million to increase the fleet size to 35 aircraft from 11 by 2018.

The moves by Virgin Australia and Singapore Airlines are also seen as a repositioning in response to Qantas establishing its global alliance with Emirates Airlines. Virgin has an alliance with United Arab Emirates rival and national carrier, Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways.

"Our partnership with Virgin Australia has been going from strength to strength, offering a wide range of consumer benefits," said Singapore Airlines CEO Goh Choon Phong.

"Increasing our stake in Virgin Australia is another example of Singapore Airlines' deep commitment to the important Australian market.

"It also demonstrates our support for the ongoing transformation of Virgin Australia, which has created a more competitive aviation market in Australia."

Singapore Airlines acquired 10 percent of Virgin Australia in late 2012 through an injection of funds in Virgin Australia Holdings.

The two airlines entered into a long-term partnership in 2011, encompassing code-sharing, reciprocal frequent flyer programme benefits and lounge access, co-ordinated schedules to provide seamless connections, and joint sales, marketing and distribution activities.

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Virgin Australia continues its ascendancy, with more SIA help.

 

Singapore Airlines is already Australia's largest foreign carrier and operates a total of 112 weekly services from Adelaide (10 Airbus A330 flights a week), Brisbane (three daily with Airbus A330s), Melbourne (three daily with A380s and Boeing 777s), Perth (four daily with A330s and B777s), Sydney (four daily with A380s and B777s), and Darwin (four weekly with Airbus A320s operated by subsidiary SilkAir).

Singapore Airlines and SilkAir are currently offering customers transiting through Changi Airport S$40 worth of vouchers to use at more than 450 retail outlets in the transit and public areas of Terminals 1, 2 and 3. The vouchers will be issued until June 30 and are valid for use through to March 31, 2014.

www.singaporeair.com

www.virginaustralia.com

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Queensland revels in last-minute Easter road holiday bookings

AN UNUSUAL ‘last minute rush' is being experienced by Queensland caravan and tourist parks for Easter.

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Caravanning Qld welcomes the last minute Eaqster rush: great lift for tourism industry. Image: TQ

 

Reports coming through today (March 28) from Caravanning Queensland reveal destinations fielding a flurry of last minute bookings and inquiries as a high number of holidaymakers are opting for a last-minute Easter escape.

Caravanning Queensland CEO Ron Chapman said current forecasts of warm and mostly-fine conditions had spurred a rush for the last remaining vacancies at tourist hot spots.  He said while many Queenslanders booked their Easter getaway months ago, others held off on making a decision because of the weather.

"Parks are saying their phones are running off the hook as last minute holidaymakers try to lock in their Easter plans," Mr Chapman said.

"Easter is traditionally one of the busiest times of the year for caravan and tourist parks as it is seen as the final fling before the arrival of winter. There are still some spots available for those still putting the finishing touches on their travel plans, but these are filling fast.

"The industry is expecting a big boost over Easter as road travellers finally get the chance to get out and enjoy some of Queensland's top destinations."

Mr Chapman said families make up about 60 percent of road travellers because of the flexibility, freedom and affordability of a holiday on the road.

"Queenslanders have always loved touring holidays and this popularity continues to grow," he said.

"Couples and families through to retirees are realising it is the best way to explore our own backyard without breaking the bank."

Mr Chapman said there are currently about 475,000 caravans, motorhomes and camper trailers registered in Australia, making it one of the world's most caravan-friendly countries. There are 115,000 registered in Queensland alone.

Thousands of road travel enthusiasts are also expected to converge on the Queensland Caravan, Camping and Touring Holiday Show, being staged in Brisbane from June 5-11 this year, Mr Chapman said.

"It will unveil new caravan, motorhome and RV models, and the latest road travel accessories."

http://www.caravanqld.com.au/

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