Dear Colleagues

David Addison, AMM Branch Chair

The Branch Committee appreciates the interest in the MEA/Business Events Australia Mentor Program that got off the ground recently with introductory training sessions for participants held in the MEA office. The pilot program, run only in NSW will conclude at the end of 08.

We encourage anyone interested in being more involved in MEA NSW to make your interest known to Anne Camenzind, Branch Manager at MEA or chat to a member of the NSW Branch Committee – details later in the newsletter. As a member of the Professional Development or Events sub-committees you can help guide and shape MEA programs and events to the benefit of the MEA membership.

If you are more inclined to be actively involved in the NSW Branch it is now time to make yourself heard! Nominations as a Branch Committee Member are due by 5pm on Monday 22 September. Don’t hesitate if you want to contribute to the association and be involved with a great team. If you have not received the nomination form, contact the MEA office for details.

The financial accounts for the end of financial year 2007 – 2008 for MEA NSW produced a surplus and exceeded total budget by 34%. It was a very pleasing result for NSW ending the year on a high and thanks are due to NSW committee and sub committee members and Anne Camenzind, NSW Manager assisted by Amanda Petrie, Event Coordinator for managing activities to this positive outcome. The success of the networking events has assisted greatly in this result. A big thank you to all those members who supported our activities and to sponsors, especially the Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre (sponsor of MEA NSW Professional Development programs) and AV1 Audiovisual Production (sponsor of the Student Scholarship) for their invaluable contribution.

We were also very close to achieving our new members projections for the year. We welcome all new members to MEA NSW and are particularly pleased to note the interest of in-house corporate meeting managers who have recently joined.

One of the recent successful PD sessions was a site inspection of the XXII International Congress of The Transplantation Society held at the Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre on 10 - 14 August 2008. It was a great opportunity to get behind the scenes of a large conference.

In NSW we are continuing to follow-up on initiatives created through dialogue and ‘meeting of the minds’ at the 2008 national conference in Alice Springs in the various sectors of our industry. We will keep you informed of developments.

We look forward to working with Business Events Sydney, as SCVB will be known, as it updates its constitution and changes its name as part of its continuing drive to win more business events for Sydney and NSW. We look forward to seeing great things from the combined effort of Events NSW, Access NSW and Business Events Sydney with the backing and support of the NSW Government.

Kindest regards,

David Addison, AMM
Branch Chair

Sir Stamford Circular Quay – Wednesday 18 June

The brilliant attendance for the June Club MEA dispelled the notion that we don’t venture out in winter. It may have been chilly outside but the warm welcome our hosts at the Sir Stamford Circular Quay provided coupled with the brightly burning open fire in the ambient bar and the delicious fare were all the ingredients necessary for a great networking event.

For further information regarding  Sir Stamford Circular Quay please contact Carol Gayagay on 02 8274 5432 or carolgayagay@sscq.stamford.com.au

The QVB Tea Room – Wednesday 27 August

The Tea Room is located in what was once the original grand ballroom in the landmark Queen Victoria Building. Renovated by Annette Park, this beautiful venue was a stunning backdrop for over 80 guests as they enjoyed delicious savoury and dessert canapés The Tea Room while meeting, greeting and catching up with one another.

For further information regarding The Tea Room QVB or upcoming new venue Sergeants' Mess, please contact Holly Orsman Smith on 02 9283 7279 or holly@sergeantsmess.com.au

Step into another world and experience the natural beauty, architecture and culture of one of the only authentic Chinese gardens outside of Asia. The Gardens were initiated twenty years ago by the local Chinese community to celebrate Australia’s Bicentenary. Coinciding with the Beijing Olympics makes this hidden oasis a perfect choice for the annual ClubMEA Spring Breakfast. Take a short stroll around the garden to discover some unique features and surprises before enjoying breakfast at the Tea House. 

MEA NSW in PINK for Breast Cancer

Lock this important date in – Thursday 30 October – as MEA NSW goes PINK to raise money for the National Breast Cancer Foundation. The Great Hall at The University of Sydney Venue Collection will be awash with a pink glow and also plays host for this worthwhile event and cause. MEA are calling for donations of prizes so please contact Amanda Petrie on 02 9929 5400 or apetrie@mea.org.au as soon as possible.

Site Inspection of an International Congress

On 12 August, over 40 members went behind the scenes of the largest congress coming to Sydney in 2008. Harbours Edge Events Centre was our first stop for a delicious light breakfast and to hear from key players who brought the event together, including Virginia Loyola, Bid Director at the Sydney Convention and Visitors Bureau (SCVB) who explained how the Congress was won for Sydney, Annabel Davis, Director of Sales International of the Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre on the key venue challenges faced during such a large congress and Karine Bulger, CEO of The Meeting Planners who provided insight into how a congress of this scale is managed. Following the briefing, staff from The Meeting Planners took members on a very enlightening guided site inspection of the Congress at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Articulated PD - Building Business Relationships

On 26 August, MEA NSW was excited with the success of its first Articulated PD topic – Learn how to Establish and Conduct Business Relationships - at Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre with speaker Jacqui Muir AFMEA, The Conference Manager. MEA is a Nationally Recognised Training organisation (RTO) and this session equates to a unit of competency included in a qualification that is accredited under the Australian Qualifications Framework. To gain the formal Certificate of Completion for this unit of competency an assessment must be successfully completed which incurs an additional fee. The formal Certificate of Completion can be used towards a Diploma of Event Management or Certificate IV in Tourism (Sales & Marketing).

Thanks to our PD sponsor Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre for their ongoing support.

PD Upcoming

Coming up MEA NSW will Demystify AV with the help of presenters Keith Wootton and Kealan Coleman from AV1 Audiovisual Production. Look out for more information regarding this PD coming soon.

YMEA National Sponsor

On 2 September, the NSW Y MEA young professionals joined together to learn how to create profitable business relationships through networking. Held at the beautiful, enchanting and newly restored Kings Cross Hotel, a venue steeped in fascinating history & old world charm, this latest Y MEA event was really a stand out.

Julia Palmer, Managing Director of BConsulted and a specialist in business relationships connected with the YMEA crowd as the special guest speaker, captivating them with her refreshing approach to creating and sustaining business relationships. The audience learnt how to disassociate the common stereotypes of networking and took away some valuable lessons. Gone are the days of the business card thrust at the first second of introduction, the dreaded question 'What do you do?' and the awkward 15 second summary that follows. The young professionals were welcomed to a new style of networking - simply engaging, amazing and inspirational, peers and soon to be friends in conversation. The equation for the evening - Networking = fun... who would've thought it!

After the inspiring talk in the exclusive event space, the Y MEAs put all of their new found skills into practise as they enjoyed a few drinks and some delectable canapés in the intimate lounge bar. The YMEA’s made the most of the opportunity to improve their corporate productivity by refining their business relationship strategies - at the same time creating friendships that will translate into their professional lives.

A brilliant activity designed to get the YMEA's talking combined with some fabulous incentives made the evening even more successful. William McCrea from The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners was the lucky winner of overnight accommodation in an Executive Harbour View Room at the 4.5 star Chifley Potts Point. Emma Wager, Constellation Hotel Group scored a $200 gift voucher to the exquisite boundary restaurant at The Kings Cross Hotel and four fabulous networkers (pictured below) walked away with their very own copy of Julia Palmers new book 'Buzz'.

Libbie Ray, Business Development Manager &
The Argyle, Promotions Manager

Currently working as Business Development Manager for the Bavarian Hospitality Group and Marketing Manager for The Argyle, I am provided with a non stop working life full of diversity and challenge. The Bavarian Hospitality Groups boasts in excess of 10 unique and enchanting venues in and around Sydney, including The Argyle, 5 Bavarian Bier Cafés and the Lowenbrau. We are also working on our 9th annual Careflight Oktoberfest charity event at EQ which is set to be one of our best yet.

Y MEA is an opportunity to partner with similar industry professionals and motivated young people to gain guidance & offer support. Through my involvement in Y MEA I have been able to broaden my knowledge of the industry and gained amazing new contacts & friends, which I’m sure will continue on with me as I grow in my career.

The Sydney International Boat Show has celebrated its 20th anniversary at Australia’s most popular meetings venue, the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre.

This year’s Boat Show drew bumper crowds of more than 70,000 visitors over six days from July 31 to August 5, taking its total number of visitors over the past 20 years to more than 1.5 million.

In recognition of the event’s long-standing partnership with the Centre, Boat Show organisers presented Centre Chief Executive Ton van Amerongen with a special trophy at the show’s opening.

President of the Boating Industry Association of NSW Doug Olding said while the Boat Show launched in Sydney in 1968, it had flourished since moving to its Darling Harbour site in 1989, the year after the Centre opened.

“This trophy recognises the assistance and guidance the Centre has given us to help make the Boat Show what it is today – the largest show of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere and the most important event on our industry’s calendar,” Mr Olding said.

“This show delivers more than 25 per cent of the NSW boating industry’s annual income and the Centre, with its convenient and attractive Darling Harbour location, plays an important role in helping us achieve that result.”

The 2008 Boat Show filled the Centre’s 30,000 square metres of exhibition space as well as the adjacent Cockle Bay, with 300 boats on display on the temporary marina created for the show.

Mr van Amerongen said the Centre was honoured to be acknowledged so warmly by an exhibitor.

“The Sydney International Boat Show is a great event which uses the Centre’s waterside setting like no other, and we’re very pleased to play a part in its success,” Mr van Amerongen said.
 

Meetings & Events Australia will be staging the 2008 Student Insights Forum at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre on Tuesday 11 November 2008 from 9.30am to 1.30pm with more information about this popular event to be released in the coming weeks, so stay tuned!

The Student Insights program is designed to provide secondary and tertiary students with an opportunity to determine their career path within the meetings and events industry and develop key relationships with their peers.

The International College of Management, Sydney (ICMS) offers three programs specialising in Event Management: a Diploma (1 year), an Associate Degree (2 years) and in conjunction with Macquarie University, a Bachelor of Business Administration degree (3 years) majoring in Event Management.

Having successfully completed terms 1 and 2, students are required to enter paid employment (industry training) with a recognised and approved hospitality or events provider for a period of approximately 9 months.  (Full time, part time and casual work allowable in this time frame and students can work across Australia and abroad.)

The students gain a wide variety of exposure through their course and have already covered six event industry specific subjects in their studies in terms one and two, prior to their industry training placement including a comprehensive Events Pro Software Unit.

For more information please visit www.icms.edu.au/MEAindustrytraining
OR contact
Anne-Marie Flynn
Head of Program - Event Management,
International College of Management, Sydney
151 Darley Road, Manly NSW 2095