Travel, Tourism & Events

ICC Sydney innovates Feeding Your Performance business program

INTERNATIONAL Convention Centre Sydney’s (ICC Sydney) Feeding Your Performance program is being hailed as a blueprint for innovation, delivering economic, social and environmental advances for Sydney and New South Wales (NSW).

Research released by University of Technology Sydney (UTS), reviewing ICC Sydney’s all-encompassing Feeding Your Performance (FYP) program, commended the approach and said it was a supply chain blueprint for other Australian venues and businesses. 

Embedded across ICC Sydney’s operations, the FYP program strives to ‘feed the performance’ of ICC Sydney delegates and visitors, team members, and the local economy, through a unique New South Wales-focused supply chain, a progressive sustainability approach and an industry-first Legacy Program.

The UTS report noted ICC Sydney delivered a total of $8.3 million to the NSW economy in 2017 through its food and wine purchases alone. This represented a direct investment of more than $4.3 million in a network of more than 85 NSW producers and farmers.

Overall, delegates attending events at ICC Sydney generated $785 million in direct expenditure for the state in the centre’s first year of operation.

NSW Minister for Primary Industries, Regional Water, Trade and Industry, Niall Blair applauded ICC Sydney’s approach and said the research reinforced “the venue’s reputation for innovation and excellence across the board”.

“ICC Sydney is pioneering a commercial model which is driving a triple bottom line, delivering significant economic, social and environmental gains for New South Wales, and establishing a benchmark for best practice across sectors.

“For example, ICC Sydney’s approach to working hand-in-hand with local suppliers could be adopted by other venues to provide financial security for farmers and producers, driving employment and growth opportunities in regional areas,” Mr Blair said.

“The culinary aspect of the FYP program is also showcasing the state’s outstanding produce on the global stage and creating new markets for agriculture and tourism,” he said.

ICC Sydney CEO, Geoff Donaghy said it was vitally important that convention centres measure the full impact they have on their supply chain.

“We are immensely proud to be looking beyond the borders of Sydney to feed the business performance of our suppliers as well as the communities in which they’re located,” Mr Donaghy said.

“As urbanisation increases, cities and their convention centres have a role to play in supporting the regional areas that feed them and support their event delivery. If our success is underpinned by delivering restaurant-quality produce, then we have an important role to play in supporting the supply chain that enables this.”

According to the research, other key benefits of ICC Sydney’s FYP program included supporting NSW producers and regional development; providing demand for seasonal, fresh produce that counters market volatility inherent in the food industry; driving employment growth opportunities; increasing cash flow for farmers and producers, boosting production and supporting improvements to infrastructure. 

The FYP program is also having an impact on environmental sustainability.

Mr Donaghy said ICC Sydney was able to support local producers in alignment with state government sustainability strategies, while endorsing CSR and stewardship. The program reduced ‘food miles’ and made a smaller carbon footprint while improving efficiencies. The ICC is also partnering with OzHarvest to donate unused excess food to disadvantaged members of the community – and with Sydney Water to save 775,000 plastic bottles from use, indirectly reducing gas emissions by 400 tonnes. ICC Sydney is also focusing on recycling, reduced use of chemicals, reduced waste and effective waste management. 

According to UTS there were major community benefits stemming from the FYP program.

UTS identified that it encouraged awareness and concerns for farmers and local communities; and it supported farmers to grow high quality, sustainable, and new and speciality produce.

The program proved strong at building staff morale with an inclusive recruitment program, while it also supported local and diverse communities, including First Nations peoples and businesses.

ICC Sydney’s unique multi-streamed Legacy Program provided event organisers with opportunities to partner with local organisations through four diverse streams: Innovators and Entrepreneurs, Generation Next, First Australians and Sustainable Events. 

Mr Donaghy said key to the venue’s ongoing success would be driving continuous improvement.

“In the years to come, we are committed to continuing as we’ve started, supporting further investment in agritourism, building job opportunities and facilitating growth within our network of suppliers and beyond,” Mr Donaghy said.

“This includes continuing to track impact across all sectors of the business and our supply chain so that the NSW community continues to thrive.”

www.iccsydney.com

ends

Bleisure: a new thing that’s always been a thing?

BLEISURE TRAVEL – or adding a leisure portion of travel to a business trip – is a highly popular way to make the most out of business travel, according to research by  International SOS and CAPA Centre for Aviation.

A regional survey of 106 organisations based in Australia and New Zealand, regarding their views on business-leisure (bleisure) travel found about with 68 percentof business travellers globally took at least one bleisure trip per year.

The Bleisure Travel Trends 2018 report by International SOS and CAPA found that nine out of 10 people believe the responsibility for the leisure portion of business travel falls to the traveller. 

One in four organisations have not considered bleisure in their travel policy and of the six in 10 organisations that allow bleisure, only two looked into the risk rating of the leisure travel destination before approving.

The report also found that one in four bleisure trips included an aspect of adventure or exploration – and senior executives and managers were most likely to add leisure travel to a business trip.

The big question raised by the report is, who holds the responsibility for bleisure travel?

“Bleisure is something that many companies allow, and perhaps feel they have to do in return for the long hours and intensity business travel can often incur,” CAPA executive chairman Peter Harbison said.

“Quite frequently there is much less consideration given to the issues of duty of care, the extent to which that applies, and what companies are doing to mitigate the risks that come with bleisure.

“The fact is, this is a legal and insurance minefield.”

Despite the overwhelming majority (91%) of people believing the responsibility for the leisure portion of business travel falls to the traveller, organisations need to understand the potential risks they face regarding bleisure travel, Mr Harbison said.

“While there is a duty of care during employment, often there is not a clear line on when that duty of care is no longer applicable,” HWL Ebsworth Lawyers partner Tim Ainsworth said.

“You might think that when someone has gone on the holiday portion of their trip that they are no longer in the course of their employment. However, due to corporate policies or a sense that there might be an inducement or encouragement from the employer to engage in the leisure activity, it’s not quite so black and white.”

CREATING POLICY

An organisation’s encouragement and travel policy needs to align in a way that clearly states when and how they are willing to support bleisure travel, according to the report.

For companies which have not determined their stance on bleisure travel, it’s important to understand the decision is not a simple yes or no statement, Mr Harbison warned. Many stakeholders need to be involved in the decision process, including HR, insurance, risk management and legal departments, he said.

“In our experience, many companies’ current travel policies talk from a financial or insurance perspective,” International SOS regional security director for Australasia, Sally Napper said.

“What we like to see is a strong inclusion of a risk-based approach as well. This enables travellers and managers to make a risk-based decision about where and when they’re sending people overseas.”

Understanding destination and activity risks is an often overlooked aspect of bleisure travel approval. Only 37 percent of organisations that allow bleisure travel look into the risk rating of the leisure travel destination before approving the leisure portion, according to the report.

Along with the wide variety of global destination risks, activities vary on the risk spectrum as well. A quarter of bleisure trips include an aspect of adventure or exploration, which most likely changes the risk accepted in the business portion of the trip.

“A new location or activity can dramatically change the risk exposure in a trip,” International SOS group senior manager for risnk management and insuirance, Kelvin Wu said.

“Companies need to clearly communicate that these risks picked up by the employee on their own accord during the leisure portion of their travel might not be covered in the Group Business Travel arrangement in terms of the insurance coverage.”

Supporting bleisure travel is one way employers can attract and attain talent, the report noted. Updating travel policies to reflect this trend includes not only duty of care responsibilities but also creates a culture of care.

Access the full webinar panel discussion here.

www.learn.internationalsos.com

ends

Melbourne seeking bright minds and big ideas for Knowledge Week

THE CITY of Melbourne is already seeking inspiring knowledge leaders and organisations to energise and take part in Melbourne Knowledge Week 2019.

Knowledge Week is Melbourne’s annual celebration of the city’s best and brightest, as the community explores smart, innovative and unique solutions to improve the world’s most liveable city.

Deputy chair of the Knowledge City portfolio, Councillor Rohan Leppert, said expressions of interest are now open for event partners, organisations and speakers for the 2019 event, which will be staged between Monday, May 20 and Sunday, May 26. 

“Melbourne Knowledge Week is the city’s premier knowledge event, designed to tackle the biggest challenges and opportunities presented by our changing world,” Cr Leppert said.

“This year’s festival in May saw over 100 events entice more than 22,000 inquisitive minds to engage in a week-long showcase of incredible experiences, including everyone from universities and major corporations to start-ups, entrepreneurs and local community groups.

“In 2019 we’re looking to make Melbourne Knowledge Week even more exciting, giving everyone in our community the chance to be inspired about the future of city living, technology, food, work, health, sports and art, and to celebrate Melbourne’s most ambitious innovators, creators and problems solvers.

“We are looking for submissions for a range of special events, workshops, dinners and performances, while this year, for the first time, we’re also asking for speakers to submit their interest in participating,” Cr Leppert said.

“Knowledge Week embodies the vision of sharing and exploring our city’s world class research, technology and data, helping empower citizens and industries to unite to solve Melbourne’s future challenges together.”

Applications for organisations, event partners and speakers keen to take part in Melbourne Knowledge Week 2019 will be accepted until September 20, 2018.

A series of information sessions will be held at Melbourne Town Hall in August and September.

Cr Leppert said there were limited spaces available for Melbourne Knowledge Week, and all applicants would be assessed based on the quality and calibre of their submissions as well as their alignment with the festival’s goals.

“As Melbourne continues to grow we must take up the challenge to evolve and innovate so that we don’t get left behind,” Cr Leppert said.

“This is why we want to hear from those people whose research, thoughts and innovations are already sparking the big ideas which will have a major impact on the future of our city.”

www.melbourne.vic.gov.au

ends

Qantas's 'Myriad Air' 747 flies in world-leading investors, scientists and entrepreneurs

HUNDREDS of entrepreneurs, investors and changemakers from San Francisco will board the special Qantas charter “Myriad Air” to attend Australia’s leading technology and innovation festival in Brisbane from May 16-18.

Myriad Air was created through a partnership with the Queensland Government and uses a chartered Qantas Boeing 747 to link Silicon Valley, the world’s epicentre for technology, startups and venture capital with Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley, home of the 2018 Myriad Festival.

Myriad CEO Martin Talvari said some of Silicon Valley’s smartest thinkers and most connected people would be travelling on Myriad Air, coming to Australia for the first time in a professional capacity. Mr Talvari said before they even arrive, "they will have had 14 hours to connect with Australian entrepreneurs at 30,000 feet".

“There’s a real excitement in the San Francisco community and a bit of FOMO about Myriad,” Mr Talvari said. 

“The key here is about some of these heavy hitters discovering Australia as more than a holiday destination. Some of the best research and IP (intellectual property)  in the world comes out of Australia and there is so much unrealised potential here. I have been blown away by what I have found and I want other people to see it for themselves.”

Last year’s inaugural Myriad festival resulted in some life-changing experiences, whether it was a new career opportunity, a deal or a moment of epiphany. One delegate, Mikhara Ramsing, quit her job within days of attending and is now the founder of two social ventures. She will be returning this year as a speaker.

“We have heard of a dozen or so deals and start-ups happening from last year and cannot wait to see what brilliant ideas and connections this year’s mix of 2,000 delegates and 100 speakers will spark,” Mr Talvari said.

The themes speakers and panels will be tackling at Myriad 2018 include the future of food, health, culture, play, work, cities and money, with a focus on finding technological and other solutions to some of the biggest challenges facing the world today.

Visiting presenters include former Olympic ski champion Jeremy Bloom who founded marketing software company Integrate; Kelly Watkins the global marketing head of Slack; Tony Conrad, a partner at True and a board member of the Tony Hawk Foundation; Kara Ballard Williams is the CEO and founder of Ying; Jonathan Trent, a lead scientist at NASA; Vicki Suanders the founder of Canadian not-for-profit SheEO; Google AI specialist Anil Sabharwal; former CIA officer Yaël Eisentat; Vishal Vasishth the co-foudner of force-for-good technology company Obvious Ventures; and Naveen Jain, the founder of Viome and Moon Express.

The Queensland Government is a strategic partner of Myriad, with a three-year sponsorship agreement with Myriad Live to host annual events from 2017 to 2019. 

Myriad Air is supported by Qantas, Bank of Queensland, BlueSky Alternative Investments, Gadens, Greater Springfield and Bond University.

HEADLINE SPEAKERS

Jeremy Bloom is a two-time Olympian, three-time World Champion and 11-time World Cup Gold Medallist skier, pro-NFL player, philanthropist, founder and CEO of marketing software company Integrate, which raised US$42 million in venture capital. He is also a V host, and the author of Fueled by Failure: Using Detours and Defeats to Power Progress. To say he is a high achiever at the age 36, is a huge understatement but Mr Bloom also understands failure and will be bringing unique insights to Myriad.

Kelly Watkins is the Head of Global Marketing at Slack, where she oversees brand, product, platform, and growth marketing, as well as advertising, events, and editorial. Prior to Slack, Ms Watkins was the vice president of marketing at Bugsnag, where she established the company as a leader in a growing product category.

Tony Conrad, partner at True, co-founded both about.me and Sphere. Mr Conrad is a board member of the Tony Hawk Foundation, an advisor to San Francisco-based Noise Pop and he was previously national co-chair of technology for US President Barack Obama. With a passion for good coffee that, he said, Australian coffee snobs would be proud of, Mr Conrad was the first investor to back the artisans at Blue Bottle Coffee through True. Investment by Fidelity Ventures, Google Ventures, JP Morgan and Morgan Stanley followed and the company expanded internationally before being acquired by Nestlé last year.

Karla Ballard Williams is the CEO and founder of YING, which allows people to earn and exchange “time credits”. Members bank time helping each other and can spend the earned credits with others in the community for business resources, help at home, companionship, or any other service. Formerly a senirol vice president at Participant Media, Ms Ballard Williams is also an appointee to the United States Federal Communication Committee on Diversity in a Digital Age and managed the national Broadband Opportunity Coalition.

Jonathan Trent, the project lead scientist for OMEGA, NASA, works at NASA’s nanotechnology department, where he builds microscopic devices out of proteins from extremophiles -- bacteria that live in the world’s harshest environments. It isn’t the logical place to start a biofuel project. But in 2008, after watching enzymes chomp through plant cells, Mr Trent started thinking about biofuels. Because he has a background in marine biology, he started thinking about algae and the oceans. Thus was born OMEGA, or the Offshore Membrane Enclosure for Growing Algae. This technology aims at re-using the wastewater of coastal cities that is currently piped out and disposed into the seas.

Serial entrepreneur Vicki Saunders is the founder of Toronto-based non-profit SheEO, which raises funds to back women entrepreneurs, who often find it harder to raise capital.  Less than four percent of venture capital goes to women and 90 percent of funding decisions are made by men. Ms Saunders realised the extent of the issue when she launched NRG Group, a business incubator she took public 18 years ago. Of the first 400 funding applications they received, only three came from women. Since then she says the situation is even worse.

Anil Sabharwal, vice president of product for Google, lives at the intersection of AI and consumer products. He leads Google’s global engineering and product efforts across a wide range of consumer applications, reporting to the CEO. Most recently Mr Sabharwal launched Google Photos, heralded as one of Google finest examples of Machine Learning solving real world problems. It already has over half a billion active users. Now based in Sydney, rumour has it Mr Sabharwal could be making a big announcement at Myriad.

Yaël Eisentat is a former CIA officer, national security advisor to Vice President Joe Biden and diplomat turned public advocate. She has spent 17 years working at the intersection of political, social and security issues and focuses now on helping those outside of government contribute to solutions for many of the same kinds of challenges.

Vishal Vasishth is the co-founder of Obvious Ventures (the company behind Twitter and Medium with Evan Williams and James Joaquin). Obvious Ventures invests in world positive technology companies across three themes: Sustainable Systems, Healthy Living and People Power.

Naveen Jain is the founder of Viome and Moon Express, which is working to expand Earth’s economic and social sphere to “our 8th continent”, the Moon.

www.advance.qld.gov.au

 

Atlassian runs its Code Lab at CeBIT to drive job futures

ATLASSIAN, the business collaboration software developer currently regarded as Australia’s most successful technology company, will feature its Atlassian Code Lab at CeBIT Australia 2018 in Sydney from May 15-17.

The Atlassian Code Lab will be run by Atlassian experts during CeBIT Australia, guiding attendees to learn the basics of coding. The showcase Code Lab will be working from Google's CS-First curriculum, which uses the block coding language Scratch to  manage 'conditional statements, loops and events'. 

In an exclusive event for CeBIT Australia 2018 attendees, Mike Cannon-Brookes, Atlassian co-founder and co-CEO, will lead a VIP ‘how to code’ class on May 15. A limited number of attendees at CeBIT Australia 2018 will have the chance to learn from Australia’s ‘tech master’ himself, with more details to be announced shortly.

The Code Lab will be open for all CeBIT attendees and classes are designed for participants with limited coding experience.

One of Australia’s most successful entrepreneurs, MrCannon-Brookes is a fierce advocate for a greater emphasis on STEM education in Australian schools.

“Technology is already the biggest industry in the world, and if we want to maintain and grow our slice of that pie we need to increase investment in STEM education at all levels.

“Every single company is becoming - or already is - a software company," Mr Cannon-Brookes said. "Which means more and more jobs are becoming technology jobs. We need more graduates with technology skills in almost every discipline, from computer science to medicine, to help us become a leading innovation nation.”

According to a recent study by Deloitte, by the year 2030, Australian workers will spend 77 percent more time using science and mathematical skills.

NSW Deputy Premier and Minister for Skills, John Barilaro said NSW success stories, such as Atlassian, "perfectly demonstrate the incredible opportunities available to young people with the right skills".

“As Minister for Skills and Small Business, I want to do all I can to encourage more people and business owners to embrace the idea of up-skilling, especially in the areas of science, technology and engineering, because we know that’s where so many jobs of the future will be," Mr Barilaro said.

“The Atlassian Code Lab at CeBIT Australia will be a fantastic platform to promote the importance of skills, including coding, that today’s job-seekers will need to compete in our growing digital economy,” he said.

A volunteer initiative of the Atlassian employees, which is focused on teaching students aged 8-12 -- and teachers -- the basics of code using Google CS First, sees staff currently visit schools across NSW as part of a program called Comp Sci Kids.

The Atlassian Code Lab classes will each be one-hour long, on the show floor at CeBIT Australia 2018, with three classes on Tuesday May 15, and four classes on both the Wednesday and Thursday (May 16 and 17). Coding class allocations will be available for attendees who register before  May 1, 2018.

CeBIT Australia, the largest and longest running business technology conference in the Asia Pacific, will take place at the International Convention Centre Sydney, Darling Harbour.

cebit.com.au

ends

Historic venue Customs House accustomed to wedding diversity

FOLLOWING months of preparation, Brisbane’s historic CBD riverside venue Customs House has witnessed a steady rise in enquires for same-sex marriages, accelerating since legislation late last year.

“The community is still cautious, however pent-up demand from the LGBTIQ community will certainly drive gains across hospitality, arts and recreation, retail and professional services in the first half of this year,” Customs House director Brian Roberts predicted. 

According to Mr Roberts, Customs House’s staging of the upcoming Wedding Showcase on February 7 is part of its celebration of LGBTIQ diversity in the wedding industry. 

“Customs House not only offers traditional charm but also creativity and flexibility as our point of difference with weddings for all committed couples,” Mr Roberts said.

 “We have seen a growing trend for individuality and creativity as an early trend with enquiries from same-sex weddings so far.

“Smaller guest lists, more intimate affairs – selective and spoilt – that is certainly a hot trend for 2018,” Mr Roberts said.

“The average guest list has been between 110 and 130 guests for a reception and we’re starting to see guest counts closer to 70-90 guests.

“Couples are opting to invite fewer guests and spend those extra dollars on more personal touches and unique experience for their guests,” Mr Roberts said.

Bracing for the demand in individuality and creativity for all couples considering an upcoming wedding, Customs House will stage The One – which he described as “a refreshing alternative to the traditional wedding expo” – showcasing a handpicked collection of sought-after vendors from the wedding industry participating in an exclusive bells-and-whistles soiree at Customs House.

The annual Wedding Showcase on February 7 from 5.30pm to 8pm, is designed to offer a unique opportunity for all wedding parties including brides, grooms and same-sex couples to celebrate marriage equality. Guests will be able to sample wines and canapes, meet experts of the industry and view current trends and styles of catering.

“The wedding industry needs to adjust to avoid putting off potential clients and coming across as an inclusive industry,” Mr Roberts said. 

ends

Rise of Alipay’s importance for Australian tourism

CHINA is now Australia’s largest inbound tourism market – plus a major outbound and business travel market – so the rise of mobile payments platform Alipay cannot be understated. Alipay is now bigger than PayPal.

Alipay is now promoting what it calls ‘smart tourism’ with global partners and Australia is hardly in the mix, although this is expected to change with Jack Ma’s Alibaba Australia now established.

The Alipay smart tourism platform connects merchants and partners from across the world with Alipay users, allowing merchants to reach potential clients at lower cost with higher conversion rates. 

Already there have been agreements struck with official authorities in Finland, Sweden, Norway and Singapore.

Alipay, known as Zhifubao in Chinese and operated by Ant Financial, already claims to be the world’s largest online and mobile payment platform. The platform connects Chinese tourists with merchants, airports, travel agencies and other Alipay partners, giving users access to local offers and services, and merchants the ability to target potential clients.

“With 98 percent of outbound Chinese tourists owning a smartphone, there is a clear opportunity for a mobile-based ecosystem to deliver a truly 21st Century travel experience,” Ant Financial vice president Carl Su said at the recent 2017 Global Smart Tourism Ecosystem Summit in Beijing.

“Alipay’s smart tourist service platform connects all kinds of overseas merchants with the right Chinese tourists, even before they depart. Merchants find that our digital platform lowers marketing cost and improves conversion rate, while tourists find that access to local services and products is easier than ever before.”

Alipay’s outbound service platform allows users to download merchants’ coupons before or during their trip. Over 160,000 coupons are downloaded by users every day, among which 60 percent are redeemed when users pay via Alipay overseas.

Based on analysis of user preferences, Alipay recommends nearby merchants and even tips on itineraries. By paying with Alipay, users gain Alipay membership points that can access better exchange rates and discount rates – even VIP lounge access at the airport. 

The outbound tourism service platform also allows merchants and travel agencies to keep in touch with their customers online after the trip.

SINGAPORE, NORDIC EXPANSION

Alipay continues to expand its merchant network to provide better services for Chinese tourists wherever they travel. The payment platform is now accepted by more than 10 million merchants across China and by bricks-and-mortar shops in 33 countries and territories.

In September, Alipay signed Memorandums of Understanding with Finpro, Svensk Handel, and Scandinavian Tourist Board to promote Alipay’s smart tourism solutions to local merchants across the highly cashless Nordic countries.

Alipay and the Singapore Tourism Board have also started to cooperate in the areas of data, marketing, service and products, which will deliver benefits to both Chinese tourists and local merchants in the near future.

In Singapore and Finland, Chinese tourists can now enjoy local experiences by relying only on their smart phones. More than 80 percent of Singapore’s taxis provide Alipay as a payment option. Alipay is also accepted at more than 2,000 merchants, including Wildlife Reserves Singapore, Universal Studios Singapore, Resorts World Sentosa, Singapore Zoo, department stores under Metro and Robinsons, and a series of hawker centres. Instant tax refunds via Alipay will soon also be available at Changi Airport.

In Finland, Chinese tourists can use Alipay to shop in-flight, on cruises, and pay for saunas. The payment convenience starts when a Chinese tourist books his or her flight ticket and hotel room online, and continues with shopping on Finnair flights between China and Helsinki. On the ground in Finland, Chinese tourists can access everything from bus trips and sightseeing in Helsinki to shopping, dining, and even meet the Moomin in Naantali or Santa Claus up in Lapland. In-cabin sales on Finnair flights between China and Helsinki have doubled since Alipay’s service was launched in January 2017.

Launched in 2004, Alipay currently has more than 520 million active users and over 450 financial institution partners globally. Operated by ant Financial Services, Alipay has evolved from a digital wallet to a lifestyle enabler.

Users can hail a taxi, book a hotel, buy movie tickets, pay utility bills, make appointments with doctors, or purchase wealth management products directly from within the app. In addition to online payments, Alipay is expanding to in-store offline payments both inside and outside of China.

Alipay’s in-store payment service is covering more than 30 countries across the world, and tax reimbursement via Alipay is supported in 24 countries and regions. Alipay works with more than 250 overseas financial institutions and payment solution providers to enable cross-border payments for Chinese travelling overseas and overseas customers who purchase products from Chinese e-commerce sites. Alipay currently supports 27 currencies.

www.alipay.com

ends

More Articles ...

Contact Us

 

PO Box 2144
MANSFIELD QLD 4122