Daily News & Opinion

Between October 18 and 20, the Bon Fromage Cheese Festivel will take place at Carriageworks in Sydney. Entry to the festival is free and more than 1000 kilograms of European cheeses will be there for the taking. The festival will also feature free masterclasses where participants will learn about matching cheese to wine, beer and gin; and a whole lot of shopping options.

One of Australia’s largest murals will soon adorn the façade of the Club Wyndham Sydney building, with a 14-storey artwork announced for the inner city hotel. It will feature the faces of a man and woman from the 1940s, as a nod to the World War II news reels and movies from Hollywood that were first screened at the nearby Surry Hills Paramount Theatre before they were released into the Australian market.

The skilful mixologists over at QT Sydney have refreshed their cocktail menu, giving well-loved classics a playful punch. Most notably, the hotel’s signature Negroni – which features Bulldog Gin, Campari and orange wheels and has been sold more than 6000 times – is now available in a fountain for groups to share. Other additions include Papal Apple, the house apple martini; and Dirty Dick’s Fruit Disco, which heavily features Midori.

Representatives from Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre are set to fly the city’s flag at a number of major events in the coming weeks. These include IMEX America in Las Vegas, the Association Forum’s Going Global Summit in Chicago, the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) Asia Pacific Chapter Business Workshop in Melbourne and the Australasian Society of Association Executives (AuSAE) conference in Napier. General manager Ross Steele said attending the events is essential to promote the venue to key industry players.

Chef Michael ‘Miko’ Aspiras has been appointed executive pastry chef at Hilton Sydney. Chef Miko began his career more than 12 years ago at EDSA Shangri-la Hotel, before progressing to roles at Raffles and Fairmont Hotels. He has claimed titles such as ‘chef of the year’ by Esquire Philippines and was named in Asia’s Forbes 30 under 30. His passion is in creating dessert and world-class pastries, and he said he is excited to share this with visitors from all over Australia.

In order to align with its new goals, the NT Convention Bureau has changed its name to Northern Territory Business Events. The change comes after research which suggested that association, corporate and trade planners often search for terms such as ‘conferences’ and ‘business events’ when seeking information on potential destinations. The government unit will formally launch its new brand at AIME 2020, including a refreshed logo and a tagline – ‘Different in every sense’.

In a first for Australia, Sydney will host the 16th International Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine (ISPRM) World Congress in 2022. The event will bring together the best minds from around the globe to create better health services to improve the lives of people with a disability. It is predicted that the event will attract 1800 delegates and pump $9.6 million into the NSW economy.

Yesterday Tourism Australia confirmed the appointment of Phillipa Harrison as the organisation’s new managing director. Ms Harrison was previously Tourism Australia’s executive general manager international, and her promotion sees her become the organisation’s first ever female lead. On her appointment, Tourism Australia chairman Bob East said: “Phillipa has made an enormous contribution in her three years at Tourism Australia.  She has great support in the industry and I am confident that Tourism Australia is in the best of hands.”