(Media release issued by The Hon Andrew Stoner MP, Deputy Premier of NSW, Minster for Trade & Investment, and Minister for Regional Infrastructure and Services on 13 December 2012)
Business Event Sydney (BESydney) has been invited to join the Global Talent Hub initiative, which is to be driven by the Committee for Sydney with support from the NSW Government, to build on Sydney's existing advantages to attract more highly capable, internationally mobile talent to Sydney.
Sydney's lifestyle appeal, dominance in the finance, ICT and research sectors, world- class education offering and highly skilled multicultural workforce will be key selling points in a new campaign to position the Harbour City as a magnet for global talent.
"The Global Talent Hub initiative will also work with Business Events Sydney to target the thousands of international visitors that attend specialised business events in Sydney each year," Deputy Premier and Minister for Trade and Investment, Mr Andrew Stoner MP said.
Source - Business Events Sydney
The $1.5billion plan to transform Darling Harbour into a tourism and convention mecca has been welcomed by the local tourism and accommodation industry.
NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell has announced the "Destination Sydney" consortium would deliver a new convention complex featuring a new 900-room hotel and 40,000 square metres of convention space. Tourism Accommodation Australia NSW) director Carol Giuseppi said the plan was exactly what Sydney needed. "We welcome the visionary nature of the project which moves beyond simply a convention and exhibition centre to a design which encompasses the total visitor experience," she said. "The new facilities will ensure that Sydney attracts more of the lucrative business events market."Up to 10% of activity in Sydney hotels is generated from business events, therefore, a modern, state of the art competitive facility is vital. "In particular we welcome the planning for additional 3.5 star hotel rooms on the site."
Ms Giuseppi said she was also pleased with plans for the redevelopment of the Haymarket area. "For too long this has been the neglected part of the city," she said.
"This proposal includes a much-needed creative quarter in that area with a mix of boutiques, special-interest retail and cafes and restaurants. "This makes it even more important that we improve connectivity between this area and the rest of the CBD via light rail. Together with the revitalisation of Chinatown this area will become magnet for visitors."
(Source: Travmedia 11/12/12)
The Premier of New South Wales (NSW), The Honourable Barry O'Farrell MP, today announced Destination Sydney as the preferred consortium to design, build and operate the new 20-hectare convention, exhibition and entertainment precinct. The Destination
Sydney consortium includes AEG Ogden, Lend Lease, Capella Capital and Spotless.
The need for expanded facilities, enhanced venue flexibility and the ability to accommodate coinciding events were key considerations in the proposed design. The precinct, which has been given the working title 'Darling Harbour Live', will incorporate the International Convention Centre Sydney (ICC Sydney) and a red carpet entertainment venue with an innovative fan-shaped layout, and a hotel complex of up to 900 rooms.
Business Events Sydney (BESydney) CEO Lyn Lewis-Smith welcomes this long-awaited and anticipated news, commenting, "Sydney needs an iconic, contemporary and versatile meetings precinct befit of Australia's global city. We will have this and more! This innovation hub in the heart of Sydney will create opportunities to host more international events that help to drive our knowledge economy. The precinct will also be a hive of residential and retail, leisure spaces and more. It will connect our educational, creative and multicultural precincts. Above all, it will have the character, dynamism and energy for which Sydney is renowned.
The proposed design will equip Sydney with flexible and versatile spaces required to accommodate changing meeting architecture and continuously evolving technology. Set for completion in late 2016, 'Darling Harbour Live' is destined to be Australia's largest and first fully integrated exhibition, convention and entertainment space. Construction will commence in late 2013, following the closure of the existing Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre.
Visit www.siceep.com for information on the development, including a video fly-over and image gallery.
The Premier of NSW, The Honourable Barry O'Farrell MP, commented, "Along with the development of Barangaroo, this project will transform the western fringe of Sydney's Central Business District and is the biggest and most exciting change to Darling Harbour in 25 years."
BESydney will continue to manage booking enquiries at bookings@besydney.com.au or via
1300 141 583 until early next year.
THE NSW Tourism Minister has declared the redeveloped Sydney Convention + Exhibition Centre (SCEC) will not just rival that of Victoria’s prime conference venue, but “blow Melbourne out of the water” when it opens by 2017. Speaking with BEN, George Souris - who is also the Minister for Major Events - referred to the size of the project as “humongous”, enabling Sydney to offer greater competition to the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.
“It’s going to be a long year, but we are building something twice the size of what we were initially planning,” Souris said. Facilities include what’s billed as Australia’s largest exhibition space, at 40,000sqm, and the country’s biggest convention hall capacity for 10,000 people over four different spaces. While the Sydney International Convention, Exhibition & Entertainment Precinct’s design is still to be finalised, the Minister confirmed the project was likely to result in events being turned away during the rebuild stage.
Questioned if the substitute Glebe Island facility - along with other alternative venues across the city - would result in conferences being hosted intrastate, Souris said “I’d say so.” “We’re hoping to make sure we cover the bases, but there will be events that will say ‘We’ll be back in a years time”. He said the SICEEP would take the better part of two years to construct, with the existing SCEC closing from Dec next year. Classed for all intents and purposes as a ‘pull down, start again’ project, Souris believes the SICEEP design will integrate some of the existing halls of the SCEC during its redevelopment.
Within the project is a brand new build hotel for Sydney, sitting just below the 5-star standard. Souris was unable to comment on which hotel group was linked to the project, but confirmed it would not compete against The Star’s ‘6-star’, The Darling. As detailed in the November update on the SICEEP website, a “hotel use” site is earmarked for the Northern Sector of the precinct near the water at the existing Convention Centre.
Two groups of companies have submitted bids to design, plan and operate the new facilities, Destination Sydney and VeNuSW. Among VeNuSW’s partners (via a joint venture with Plenary Group) is Hilton Worldwide. Back in June, Hilton Worldwide announced plans to debut its DoubleTree by Hilton brand in the Australian market with a new build property in Karratha, WA, saying at the time the DoubleTree brand has potential growth prospects in Australasia.
(Source: Business Events News 5/12/12)
