May 27, 2021 | By Bronwen Largier
The Sydney venues group unveiled its “blank canvas” at a delicious launch event for industry last night which showed off the potential of the harbourside heritage-listed precinct.
The three-storey building underwent multi-million-dollar restoration and remediation works in 2018 and has two floors of event space with a growing collection of restaurants occupying the bottom floor – currently two are open, 6Head and Harbourfront Seafood Restaurant, with more to come.
The whole precinct, including the forecourt right up to the water’s edge of the Harbour – hence the new name – can be hired for events of 50 to 5,000. The versatility of the venue spaces was on show last night and there is a track record to back it up – it has already hosted a Louis Vuitton catwalk, conferences, car launches and the Ministry of Sound music festival.
“You might think, what’s so special about this place? Well, it’s a blank canvas in an absolutely spectacular breath-taking location,” said the group’s Director of Business Development, Tina Eggers, a very recent recruit (back) to The Venues Collection – she’s 15 days in after spending the last six-and-a-bit years at ICC Sydney – in the opening speeches to the assembled industry last night.
“Collectively, our work is dedicated to delivering successful business events and experiences. It’s all about ROE these days.
“We know that you need unique spaces in order to house these events and so tonight we launch this extraordinary space for you to bring life to.
“Let you imaginations run wild.
“You guys are the ones that add all of the colour to these spaces,” she said.
And when she warned us that the resident chefs had “cooked up a storm” she wasn’t understating it. From a pasta bar to an impressive charcuterie spread, oysters, sushi and some serious aesthetics in the dessert department, the culinary offering displayed variety matched by the beverages – there were whiskey and sake bars and cocktails and mocktails made to order.
A telling moment for what lies ahead for the precinct could be found in an interaction with one of the fresh-faced sushi chefs who had excellent knife skills and an obvious passion for his produce – all Australian seafood of course – who told me he will soon be heading up the kitchen in a Japanese seafood restaurant opening on the ground floor.
His excitement for the future and his ease in an event environment was a heart-warming reminder of what the venue will offer to its employees and clients alike.