Daily News & Opinion

Even with the region in lockdown, Business Events Geelong is making moves to build its future business pipeline, offering a $50 per delegate incentive to attract conferences and events up to the end of 2023.

The offer is a partnership between the bureau, Regional Development Victoria and Great Ocean Road Regional Tourism and aims to bring business events to the Barwon South West region, including the towns of Geelong, Aireys Inlet, Apollo Bay, Camperdown, Colac, Hamilton, Lorne, Port Campbell, Port Fairy, Queenscliff, Portland, Torquay and Warrnambool. Read more

It appears many organisations are not investing in the delegate experience for virtual events. There is a risk that if the experience doesn’t move away from talking heads and pictures in boxes, the events themselves won’t survive as there will be a lack of interest to attend.

I was sharing my thoughts with an industry stalwart who suggested I check out event management company Synergy Effect. He said “their e:volve event service is unique, there’s nothing like it in online events in Australia”. Read more

A marketing campaign run between lockdowns proved to Business Events Geelong that, less than an hour from Melbourne, it was in demand for corporate and small group meetings of 20 to 30. 

And then the region went back into lockdown this week.

Mark Day, Manager of Business Events for the region and Chair of Business Events Victoria said it was an issue facing many regions which still feel the weight of Melbourne’s tough lockdown restrictions despite the government announcing its roadmap on the weekend. Read more

Luke Mangan will expand his presence in Sydney’s luxury hotels, with the famous Australian restaurateur and chef set to open the next iteration of Luke’s Kitchen in the lobby of the first Kimpton hotel in Australia, in central Sydney.

Kimpton Sydney is taking over what was Primus Hotel Sydney, located in a heritage-listed 1930s Art Deco building on Pitt Street, just 12 minutes’ walk from ICC Sydney. Read more

It may have been delayed due to the pandemic, but Doltone House will soon debut its signature style, service and menu offerings at Club Marconi in Western Sydney.

With a partnership agreed in 2019 and originally scheduled to open in 2020, Doltone House has confirmed event venues under the Doltone House brand will open in Bossley Park this year, with bookings being taken for November onwards. Read more

The USA will allow fully vaccinated travellers from around the world to enter the country from November without the need to quarantine, in a major change to its visitation policies.

Until now, several countries, including the UK and the whole of the EU, South Africa, China and India, were prevented from entering the States indefinitely, due to concerns about the COVID-19 situation in those countries and the rise of the Delta variant. Read more

Victoria’s roadmap to emerge from lockdown was announced by the state’s Premier Daniel Andrews on Sunday and it simultaneously offers more and fewer freedoms to the community and a more restrictive environment for events than the plan unveiled by New South Wales a couple of weeks ago. Read more

Managing Director of George P Johnson for Australia and New Zealand Caleb Bush is departing the local arm of the international experience agency, having been appointed as Executive Vice President for GPJ in Europe. Read more