Daily News & Opinion

The National Wine Centre of Australia, which is based in Adelaide, was named ‘Best Meetings and Events Venue – Specialist and Accommodation’ at the Australian Hotel Association of SA Awards last week. The accolade comes off the back of the venue being awarded the Innovation and Pivot Award at the South Australian Restaurant and Catering Association’s 2020 Awards Ceremony and being named the Best Venue (capacity under 500) at the Meetings and Events Australia (MEA) National Awards in 2020.

Well, whadda ya know? Brisbane now reportedly holds the title of the Australian city with the biggest ballroom. According to its own website, Fortitude Music Hall, which opened in 2019, is “the largest ballroom/theatre styled venue in Australia”, with a 3000-person standing capacity, and a 1100-person sitting capacity. The space is reportedly inspired by some of the world’s most famous live music venues, from classic Art Deco theatres to larger clubs, while paying homage to the iconic venues of Brisbane’s past.

Event agency The Conference Room was last week awarded the highest global accolade in the incentive travel industry, the Society for Incentive Travel Excellence (SITE) Crystal Award 2020 for Excellence in Incentive Travel, Europe. The SITE Crystal Awards recognise creative, unique, and memorable incentive programs that motivate and drive business results and improve the bottom line.

Between January 22 and 24, 2021, the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) hosted the Hong Kong International Dental Expo and Symposium (HKIDEAS). Average daily attendance for the event was 3000, and it was the first trade exhibition to be hosted in Hong Kong since the fourth wave of Covid-19 hit the city in November 2020. HKIDEAS is an annual recurrent event at the HKCEC and the August 2020 version was postponed due to the pandemic.

Last week Hyatt returned to Queensland with the opening of the 292-room Hyatt Regency Brisbane. The hotel is located at the Next Hotel site, and is set to undergo a refurbishment of its guest rooms, public areas, event spaces and dining venues within the coming months. Hyatt Regency Sydney boasts an all-day restaurant and more than 100 sqm of flexible function space. The hotel is just a 15-minute walk from the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre (BCEC).

Last year Silent Seminars – one of the UK’s leading suppliers of wireless headset technology for events – launched a mobile audio app allowing delegates to access content from an event floor using their own headsets. The company has now expanded upon this Covid-safe initiative, offering a live language translation and interpretation function for use across virtual and hybrid events. The feature is available on the mobile app, as well as via a desktop platform which can be integrated with any virtual event platform.

Reed Exhibitions has announced that Richard Prentice has been appointed sales analytics manager of its new global group sales analytics team. His role will be to lead a new team of specialists to support the company’s face-to-face business and the rapidly increasing use of digital products. He will do this by leveraging sales and marketing data analytics to create value and efficiency for customers.

The Gold Coast hosted a 1400-pax wedding expo on January 31, 2021. The Your Local Wedding Guide Bridal Expo was held at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre (GCCEC) and was the venue’s first public event of the year. The exhibition was held across two halls under the venue’s Site Specific Covid Safe Plan. Current regulations necessitated an adjusted floor plan, allowing for two sqm per person, and asiles that were wider than usual to allow for social distancing.