Daily News & Opinion

If you’re not all webinar-ed out, you might want to check out the one that the Society for Incentive Travel Excellence (SITE) is hosting tomorrow on how incentive travel professionals can adapt to the new normal. The webinar will involve a conversation between SITE’s chief marketing officer Pádraic Gilligan and Vice President, Strategy Consultant at Magid Dr Rick Garlick, who will collectively impart data, tips and strategies to help participants adapt to a post-COVID landscape.

Following the Western Australian state government’s relaxation of rules governing mass gatherings, Optus Stadium has announced that starting next month, it will welcome back full crowds. From July 18, the stadium will be able to operate at full capacity, with up to 60,000 guests allowed inside the venue. Over the past few months, the team at Optus Stadium has given the venue a deep clean, installed sanitising stations, sanitised all equipment and areas and upgraded security and CCTV systems.

Looks pretty swish, eh? This is AV1’s new hybrid event space, suitable for both live audiences and remote viewers. The space is a semi-permanent installation at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney, and offers views across the Sydney Harbour. Features include a dual-stage set-up with a harbour backdrop or high definition LED wall, and furniture and styling courtesy of Divine Events. Functions held in the space will also include refreshments by The Fresh Collective.

This week the Western Australian state government announced the removal of all venue capacity limits from July 18, which will allow for business events to resume. The Exhibition and Event Association of Australasia has welcomed the announcement, with chief executive Claudia Sagripanti saying that the news provides critical momentum towards re-starting the business events industry. “Western Australia is paving the way forward with Phase 4 COVID-19 restriction liftings starting from this Saturday,” she said.

General manager and co-owner of AV 24/7, Libbie Ray, has started what she describes as a “passion project” where she interviews people working globally in the event sector. The first series is focused on COVID-19 and what is happening in each country, with the first episode featuring an interview with Dillon Jearey about what’s happening in South Africa right now. Interviews are described as being raw, open and honest.

This Thursday at 3pm, event industry heavyweights will be debating the topic ‘nobody cares what your brand thinks’. The Great Debate will be filmed live in front of a COVID-19 safe studio audience, and broadcast online, with both audiences deciding upon the winner. Global general manager for cievents, Natalie Simmons, who will be the debate host, said that those who are wondering what the future looks like for brands in a post-pandemic landscape should take part in the event.

The Singapore Association of Convention and Exhibition Organisers and Suppliers, together with Singapore Tourism Board and Enterprise Singapore, has commenced work on an Industry Resilience Roadmap, which will serve as an “operational handbook” for the industry’s revival. The IRR will be revealed in stages and is focused on three strategic objectives: outlining a safe and sustainable operating environment; strengthening business capabilities around digital innovation and risk mitigation; developing new and certifiable workforce capabilities, and establishing a qualified list of industry players.

Rosehill Gardens and Royal Randwick racecourses now boast world-class, digital technology platforms. The Australian Turf Club (ATC) launched the $6.5 million technology transformation earlier this month, with features including: LED signage stretching 150m along the Rosehill Gardens and Royal Randwick home straights; winning post LED displays; advanced Wi-Fi and captive portal; and more. ATC executive general manager of commercial, Corina Black, said that the platform will allow for brands to connect directly with audiences during the live event experience.