Crowne Plaza Geelong’s first GM appointed
Ahead of the opening of the Crowne Plaza Geelong in the convention centre precinct next year, John Dickson has been appointed general manager of the 200-room hotel.
Dickson was previously general manager of Novotel Geelong, in addition to holding various other hotel GM roles. He has also worked in sales and marketing for AV company Audio Visual Dynamics.
Overall, Dickson has more than 30 years of experience in the hotel and event sectors.
“It’s an honour to be tasked with building a talented team of locals that can provide guests with the premium experience that Crowne Plaza is famous for around the world,” he said.
“This is a marquee investment in Geelong, and I want to ensure we get it right – bringing in the best people to provide the best service to locals and visitors.”
The hotel is owned by Plenary Group, which is one of the partners in the consortium that is bringing the Nyaal Banyul Geelong Convention and Event Centre to life. The new convention centre is also slated to open in 2026.
New GM for Suncorp Stadium
Darren Burden will be the next general manager for Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane.
Burden will move to Brisbane from Hong Kong where he has been the executive director of Kai Tak Sports Park, which opened in March.
Both Kai Tak Sports Park and Suncorp Stadium are managed by ASM Global, who also look after various convention centres across Australia and New Zealand, including in Sydney, Cairns, Darwin and Christchurch. ASM Global was acquired by Legends last year.
“Darren will lead our Suncorp Stadium management team commencing later this year after having successfully operated Kai Tak Sports Park, a US$4 billion multi-venue development in Hong Kong,” said Legends ASM Global’s chair and CEO for APAC and MENA, Harvey Lister AM.
“Since 2019, Darren has led the commercial and operations functions of the precinct through design development and pre-opening periods and into the operation stage, including conducting extensive test events before opening with the Hong Kong Sevens tournament, followed by four sellouts with Coldplay and most recently a capacity crowd for the first international football match.
“On a global scale, Suncorp Stadium is one of the busiest stadiums in the world regularly hosting 60 events a year of rectangular football, major stadium concerts and other spectaculars.
“Darren has successfully delivered the ‘latest stadium’ in the world, in Hong Kong, and will now assume responsibility for what is universally recognised as the greatest Rugby League Stadium in the world, in Brisbane, and is looking forward to bringing his broad experience and innovative ideas to Queensland’s much loved Suncorp Stadium,” said Lister.
In addition to hosting sports, Suncorp Stadium has indoor spaces for business events of up to 900 people standing. The venue will also be used for the Olympic Games in Brisbane in 2032.
“I very much look forward to leading the Legends ASM team at such an iconic venue and especially during an exciting period of time as Brisbane becomes the focal point in the green and gold runway to [the] Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games,” said Burden.
Burden has almost 19 years’ experience in stadium and venue management, including in stadium development to tight timeframes.
He will start his new role with Suncorp Stadium later in the year, following the retirement of the stadium’s current general manager, Alan Graham, who has led the venue for more than two decades.
Senior appointments at Langham Hospitality Group and The Langham, Gold Coast
Langham Hospitality Group has appointed a new chief operating officer, while The Langham, Gold Coast has a new director of marketing and communications.
Kevin Robinson has rejoined the Hong Kong headquartered hotel group as its COO.
Robinson has varied experience across the hotel sector, having worked for Four Seasons and Westin, as well as founding his own hotel group, Aparium Hotel Group. He also led the pre-opening team for The Langham, Chicago in 2011.
“Kevin’s industry expertise and proven ability to build relationships with hotel owners and create and implement new guest offerings make him the ideal leader to guide our operations,” said Langham Hospitality Group’s CEO, Bob van den Oord.
“His blend of corporate discipline and entrepreneurial agility aligns perfectly with our global growth strategy, which centres on increasing our managed property count to 100 hotels by 2040 while continuing to strengthen our ties with clients and deliver elevated hospitality experiences.”
Meanwhile, closer to home, Stacey Plaine has been appointed director of marketing and communications for The Langham, Gold Coast.
Plaine joined the Gold Coast property from Marriott International where her most recent role was as director of marketing for W Osaka.
Throughout her career Plaine has spent more than 12 non-consecutive years with Marriott International in various marketing roles and with various properties.
“We are thrilled to welcome Stacey to The Langham family,” said The Langham, Gold Coast’s director of sales and marketing, Nick Clarke.
“Her extensive global experience, creative leadership and passion for luxury brands will be invaluable as we continue to elevate our position as the premier luxury hotel on the Gold Coast.”
