New Zealand’s ultimate business event set to deliver millions

Conference and incentive business worth tens of millions of dollars will be contracted at New Zealand’s national business events trade expo MEETINGS next month in Auckland.

The annual event run by Conventions and Incentives New Zealand (CINZ) generated more than $50 million in business for New Zealand industry suppliers during its two days last year.

CINZ Chief Executive Sue Sullivan says over 190 exhibitors from 19 regions of New Zealand will be at Auckland’s ASB Showgrounds to do business with more than 500 New Zealand and international event organisers.

Luxperience Upgrades Experience

Luxperience is pleased to announce the introduction of a series of thought provoking professional development seminars exclusively for the attending buyers during the exhibition from 19-21 September, 2016.

The seminars on technology, wellness/mindfulness and styling will focus on current trends influencing the business world and will be given by renowned experts such as style guru Henry Weinreich Roth, social media master Annabelle Smith and hotelier Anne Biging. Each day will feature a different seminar program and will be included within flexible registration options offered to corporate, leisure and meetings travel specialists attending Luxperience this year

TV personality and brand authority Henry Weinreich Roth, former style mentor on Project Runway Australia and US TV series Style Court, will host interactive and innovative sessions on personal and professional styling and branding. He will reveal secret tips and trends garnered from his extensive black book of contacts.

Melbourne’s South Wharf precinct set to expand

Preliminary works started this week on the planned expansion of the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) and broader South Wharf precinct.

Acting Premier of Victoria James Merlino joined Plenary Group Chairman John O’Rourke and MCEC Chief Executive Peter King to announce the start of the more than $300 million project that includes an expansion of MCEC, a new 331-room hotel and multi-storey car park.

Leading infrastructure investor, developer and manager, Plenary Group, is sponsor, investor and financial arranger for the project, with Plenary and partners investing more than $100 million.

Flagship Property Holdings is Plenary’s development partner responsible for the new hotel.

Plenary Group Chairman John O’Rourke said he was pleased to see the commencement of works after they were first announced nearly two years ago.

“This expansion was planned-for during the design stage of the first Melbourne Convention Centre development we completed in 2009, so it is great to be finally realising what we envisaged back then,” O’Rourke said.

Urban Events Venues & Catering at Royal Botanic Gardens during Vivid

Urban Events Venues & Catering, a division of Australia’s largest dining and entertainment business Urban Purveyor Group, has been commissioned as the food and exclusive beverage supplier for the Royal Botanic Gardens during Vivid 2016.

This coveted partnership will see Urban Events’ custom-styled pop-up kitchens cater to crowds that are expected to reach 80,000 to 100,000 people on Friday and Saturday nights during the festival, which coincides with the Royal Botanic Gardens’ 200^th birthday celebrations.

The licensed Busby’s Bar will offer a range of beer, cider, spirts, Tyrrell’s Wines, ‘Botanic 200’ wines that have been bottled to celebrate the Royal Botanic Gardens’ momentous anniversary, and mulled wine. The accompanying Busby’s Bites pop-up will serve a range of cheese and charcuterie boxes, as well as churros with salted caramel dip.

Cairns welcomes USANA 2016 delegates

The Cairns & Great Barrier Reef region has welcomed more than 900 Asian delegates for the USANA Asia Pacific Growth Incentive from May 26 to June 1.

Managed by cievents, the incentive delegates will visit Port Douglas and Daintree to experience the region’s twin World Heritage areas of the Great Barrier Reef and Wet Tropics Rainforest and enjoy Indigenous and wildlife activities.

Director of Business & Tourism Events Rosie Douglas said the region was thrilled to host to such a high-profile event which would bring significant economic benefits to the local tourism industry.

“The seven-day program exceeded event organisers’ expectations on all fronts and resulted in an increase in delegate numbers from 400 to more than 900,” Douglas said.

“Cairns & Great Barrier Reef will be rolling out the red carpet to make delegates feel at home and ensure they return with the memories of a lifetime.”

USANA is a direct sales company manufacturing nutritional supplements and health care products on a global scale.

Tasmanian Government Backs Business Events

The State Government has today announced in its 2016-17 budget, an additional $600,000 in funding over four years to increase Tasmania’s share of the high yielding business events market.

Following the announcement, Business Events Tasmania (BET) Chief Executive Officer Stuart Nettlefold said, “this significant investment shows that State Government has great confidence in the business events sector in Tasmania, representing a 23% increase to core funding provided annually to BET”.

“The additional $150,000 pa will take our annual State Government funding over to $790,000 pa.

“It’s great to see the potential of our sector is being recognised at this level and it demonstrates the current strength of the industry in Tasmania.

“The business event delegate is the highest spending in the visitor economy, a fact that hasn’t been lost on the State Government in their push to see targeted growth in the sector.