Daily News & Opinion

One of Greater Melbourne’s fastest growing areas Epping is to benefit from a $70 million new build Mantra hotel development that will service the rapid increase of activity in Melbourne’s booming northern suburbs. The 214-room hotel is due to start in the latter part of 2017 with opening scheduled for mid-2019. Operating as Mantra Epping Hotel, it will feature both hotel rooms and apartments, a café/restaurant, brewhouse, conference and meeting facilities, gymnasium, and an open car park.  

The 10th Annual PCOA Conference and Exhibition themed ‘MEETING Beyond Tomorrow’, is to be held at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre from November 26 to 28.  Offering a program with a variety of expert speakers, it will cover topics from the latest technology and what impact it has on conferences to new ways to engage and influence audiences, both digitally and onsite.  The preliminary program will be released later this month. Discount flights are available through Virgin Airlines.    

Bringing unrivalled urban luxury to Sydney’s West, SKYE Hotel Suites Parramatta will open its doors on August 1. Comprising of 72 apartment-style suites with the finest bespoke furnishings and fittings, its luxury even to the extent that guests will have the unique ability to choose their own mattress firmness on each side of the bed. It also includes a state-of-the-art gymnasium, pool, sundeck, spa, sauna and new restaurant, Husk & Vine Kitchen and Bar, which opened at lobby level on July 1      

Australia’s premier policy event for small business representatives, government and industry leaders – the Vodafone National Small Business Summit, is to take place in Melbourne, August 23 – 25. Hosted by the Council of Small Business of Australia (COSBOA), the theme will be ‘Collaboration and Communities’ – building and strengthening partnerships between policy makers and industry leaders. This pinnacle gathering drives debate and discussion with a focus on supporting the future of more than two million small businesses across Australia.  

A new all-day destination dining concept, The Cliveden Bar & Dining is scheduled to open mid-August at the Pullman Melbourne on The Park. Part of the $6m transformation of the hotel’s ground floor interiors, it features an oversized bar and double sided fireplace with animated mixologists shaking cocktails. Hotel GM Erkin Aytekin said, “We have also maintained some features from the original mansion such as stained glass panelling and wood work that has been carefully restored in the new space.”    

Yesterday, Virgin Australia launched a direct route to Hong Kong from Melbourne, one expected to bring 71,500 additional seats each year. Welcoming the renewed competition and extra capacity, the Hong Kong Tourism Board regional director Andrew Clark said, “Last year, Hong Kong welcomed almost 576,000 total visitors from Australia (26% from Victoria) who spent, on average, a total of HK$3.9 billion (approx A$662m) from January to December 2016. The tourism board expects these numbers to increase in 2017.        

A hidden gem in Sydney’s Seaforth – Balgowlah RSL – has announced a host of new and redesigned restaurants and bars. Their recently renovated Function Centre can cater from small, intimate groups, to large cocktail events for up to 300 people. The club’s Wine Room takes up to 80 for a private dinner and 120 for a cocktail party. They also have a fully equipped stage, which comes complete with sound and lighting equipment.        

For the first time Melbourne’s North Wharf precinct will be utilised as a pop up event space when C2 Melbourne, founded by the creators of Cirque De Soleil transform the neglected car park precinct for a special business event. Incorporating the heritage No. 5 Goods Shed, it takes place on November 30 and December 1 2017. Melbourne Convention Bureau CEO Karen Bolinger said the day has arrived that a business event can be added to Melbourne’s arsenal of major events.