New Zealand: Take your thinking somewhere new

A few weeks ago, Accor’s Asia Pacific CEO Simon McGrath was waxing lyrical about the importance of its people.

Now the largest hotel operator in Australia and New Zealand is putting its money where its mouth is, with the launch of a recruitment drive to find over 1,000 staff across nearly 400 properties.

“This is a rapidly returning sector and we are now recruiting for roles at most of our hotels, apartments and resorts across the Pacific,” said McGrath. Read more

Harvey Lister, the APAC Chairman and CEO for the worldwide venue management giant ASM Global has been recognised in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list.

With half a century’s experience in the events industry, Lister was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for services to the arts, tourism, sport and the venue management and events industries. Read more

One of outer Melbourne’s most awarded conference centres, Country Place, was already suffering from COVID-19 lockdowns and a massive insurance bill despite never making a claim in 30 years. Then last week a severe storm blacked out the venue and made it inaccessible by road.

Managing Director John Harris said he had to cancel a $3,5000 event for 90 people over the weekend because power was out and falling trees still blocked roads across the Dandenong Ranges. Read more

The return of the Sydney International Boat Show has been delayed until 2022 with a smaller Sydney Festival of Boating to take place in 2021 instead.

The festival is being presented by the Boating Industry Association (BIA) in place of the traditional mega event, which has not run since 2019.

The event will be held at ICC Sydney between July 29 and August 1 2021 across the upper-level exhibition halls and with undercover exhibitor displays on the rooftop Event Deck. Read more

Much has changed at Tourism Australia’s biggest tourism trade showcase, the Australian Tourism Exchange 2021.

After being cancelled in 2020 due to the pandemic, the format for the show’s 41st edition was totally redesigned for a pandemic-era return.

For the first time, ATE is being delivered as a hybrid event and stretched across two weeks, with ATE Live running between June 6 and 9 this week at ICC Sydney and ATE Online kicking off yesterday and running to June 17. Read more

Australia’s pandemic measures have boosted our global reputation according to The Economist Intelligence Unit’s latest Global Liveability Index.

For the first time in some years, there are four Australian cities in the top 10 – Adelaide at number three, Perth ranked sixth, Melbourne in eighth spot and Brisbane rounding out the top 10. Sydney is ranked 11th. Read more

For another seven days Melburnians cannot venture more than 25km from home, an edict that effectively shuts down the traditional Queen’s Birthday long weekend winter break for Victorians and for the struggling hospitality and tourism industries.

Last week the Victorian Tourism Industry Council, a peak body for the state’s tourism and events industries, surveyed members who reported that the majority expected to lose thousands of dollars in cancelled bookings over the long weekend. Read more

With continuing uncertainty in Melbourne – despite its hard lockdown set to lift tonight at midnight – Meetings & Events Australia (MEA) has postponed its national conference, Evolve, from July 1, 2021 until September 8.

The flagship live event hub for Evolve 2021 is Sofitel Melbourne on Collins, supported by satellite hubs in Sydney at Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour and in Brisbane at Sofitel Brisbane Central, alongside a virtual option for those who can’t join in person. Read more