Harbour City High Life

Australia’s largest city, Sydney is known for its magnificent harbour and iconic attractions. Yet there’s a wealth of meetings venues spread throughout the city.

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Sydney’s reputation as the perfect place to stage high-profile international conventions and congresses continues to grow. In the last financial year, the Sydney Convention and Visitors Bureau (SCVB) won 32 international meetings for Sydney, anticipated to attract more than 29,000 delegates and inject about $143 million into the economy.
Major events on the horizon include Enviro 2004, an international conference on water quality and care, the 2004 World Congress of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, and the World Congress of the Transplantation Society in 2008, an international conference on human organ transplants.
Ground Zero for many of the city’s largest and most impressive events, the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre (SCEC) is excited by the New South Wales Government’s decision to fund further expansion of its exhibition facilities. Although it’s early days yet, the commitment is in place to build another 10,000 square metres of exhibition space at Darling Harbour, taking total exhibition space to an impressive 40,000 square metres.
The Centre already offers more than 30 meeting rooms including one of Sydney’s largest ballrooms, capable of hosting in excess of 1000 people. The new exhibition space is expected to be ready for business in 2005.

Centre Of Attention

The Centre is currently in the midst of an extensive refurbishment program. Improvements include new carpeting throughout Convention Centre North, the creation of a public business lounge with Internet facilities, and the introduction of cafes and relaxation zones in public areas. A new colour scheme will complement the Centre’s amazing art collection that includes works by such iconic local artists as Brett Whiteley, Tim Storrier and Lloyd Rees.
One of Sydney’s most venerated hotels is ready to unveil its new look. The Sofitel Wentworth Hotel is Sydney’s first luxury five-star hotel in the Accor chain. The first stage of the refurbishment revealed a totally new look for the lobby as well as highlighting a completely new function centre.
The Grand Ballroom, one of the city’s largest, can hold conferences for up to 1100 and sit-down functions for 720 people. The accommodation rooms are being progressively unveiled with two floors open by February. The new European-style décor includes the latest in communications and business facilities for the discerning 21st century traveller.
The Inter.Continental Sydney is also close to unveiling the fruits of its own $25 million refurbishment with a host of new and improved features. All guestrooms have been transformed, with the expansive views across the Sydney skyline and the Harbour being integrated into the total guest experience. A cushioned window seat, windows in the bathrooms, new furniture and fixtures will create something very special for guests. The demands of business travellers will also be met with a redesigned work zone that includes high-speed broadband Internet access.

Rooms With A View

By early 2004, the rooftop Club InterContinental Lounge will be the envy of business travellers.

The Lounge will feature a private elevator from the 31st to 32nd floor, a private reception for guest check-in and check-out, and seating for up to 100 guests including an outdoor garden terrace. Floor to ceiling windows will make the most of the spectacular city views.
Experiencing the best Sydney has to offer can also be had at ground level. Having recently undergone refurbishment, Waters Edge in the historic Rocks district, continues to be a corporate event favourite. With indoor and outdoor settings for up to 700 people, Waters Edge attracts a diverse clientele. Its sister properties, Dockside and L’Aqua at Darling Harbour, share an outstanding setting at one of Sydney prime tourism developments.
At Rushcutters Bay, close to Kings Cross and Darlinghurst, the former Rushcutters Harbourside Hotel, will be formally launched as the rebranded Vibe Rushcutters in February. It is set to become a fashionable alternative to traditional hotels with a style all its own.
Star City at Darling Harbour, the location of Sydney’s only casino, has just emerged from a multi-million dollar refurbishment of its 306 standard guestrooms. A total of 154 of the existing standard hotel rooms have been upgraded to Superior City View and Superior Pyrmont View rooms, while 152 rooms have been upgraded to Deluxe Pyrmont View and Deluxe Harbour Bridge View rooms.

A Sure Bet

New furniture and soft furnishings have created a sleek contemporary feel in rich chocolate and neutral tones. To top off Star City’s indulgence factor, the newly opened Star Spa & Salon, located next to the Turbines Health Club, offers a full range of spa services and offers a haven to rejuvenate the mind and body.
The 359-room Merchant Court Hotel, located atop the historic Grace Bros CBD department store, has undergone a $5 million refurbishment and been rebranded as the Swissôtel Sydney. The refurbishment includes the lobby, lounge, bar, meeting rooms and Executive Club Lounge, as well as the executive suites.
The Crossroads Bar perched on Level Eight, doubles in capacity with an impressive 10 metre long cocktail bar. The Executive Club Lounge has also been expanded with a larger outdoor area on the 24th Floor, with workstations with free broadband Internet service and plasma televisions in the lounge and dining areas. The Meeting and Business Centre gained an additional meeting room.
The Australian Technology Park (ATP) is the inspirational and innovative home for over 100 technology, science and research organisations and includes a number of unique venues for events and conferences. It is located at the site of thecentury-old Eveleigh Locomotive Workshops near Sydney’s CBD.

Business To Business

The investment in the latest Tandberg dual-screen video-conferencing system, able to utilise up to three ISDN lines and ridge up to three external sites for a four-way video-conference and transmit PC, remote camera and DVD images in addition to the meeting room images, gives users an important new tool for maximising conference outcomes.
The Crystal Palace opened in October as Stage One of the reopening of Sydney’s historic harbour-side Luna Park. The multi-purpose function centre has a capacity of 1300 people or 900 in banquet style over two levels and is available for a range of functions from seated dinners to exhibitions, conferences, cocktail parties and events.
The refurbished Crystal Palace features three function rooms – The Crystal Ballroom, the Sunset Room and the Ted Hopkins Room. The catering company, The Cabinet, specialises in innovative menus with an international flair while wines are carefully selected from Yarraman Estate, the oldest vineyard in the Upper Hunter Valley. Guests looking for a wider selection can choose from a huge array of boutique wines from Australia and overseas.
The Powerhouse Museum is one of Sydney’s most beloved cultural experiences and it’s becoming increasingly popular with corporate groups for conferences and functions. A gala dinner or cocktail party in the midst of such permanent exhibitions as Transport or Space is a sure winner, as is combing an event with a private after-hours viewing of one of the Museum’s temporary exhibitions such as the current Sport: More Than Heroes And Legends.

Unique Places To Meet

Event planners can choose from such great venues as the opulent Grand Foyer, accommodating up to 1,000 people for cocktails, or an intimate screening or presentation at the Kings Theatre, a recreations of a grand 1930s Art Deco cinema, which seats 50 people. Needless to say, with a conference or function at the Powerhouse Museum, audio-visual and production facilities are of the highest order.
The Powerhouse Museum is also the place to contact for an event at the historic Sydney observatory, perched high above The Rocks near the Sydney Harbour Bridge. The magnificent sandstone building is one of Sydney’s great architectural treasures. Surrounded by extensive gardens, guests can dine under the stars then get up-close-and-personal with exclusive use of the Observatory’s fully operational telescopes.
Sydney is packed with unique venues and falling into the category of best-kept secret is the Star Room, located on Level Six of the Imax Theatre complex at Darling Harbour. With panoramic views of Darling Harbour and the city, the Star Room can accommodate 250 people theatre style or 450 for a cocktail party.
With new management under event management supremo Michael Iles and a new chef in Laurie Jameson, the Star Room is set to climb into the meetings stratosphere. State of the art facilities include full audio-visual systems including special effects and staging.

All Sizes And Budgets

For large groups, there’s no going past the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) at Broadway, located close to the CBD and Darling Harbour. With venues that can seat up to 900 people theatre style, UTS has rooms that suit any type of function from business meetings, training, conferences, seminars, cocktail parties and product launches.
As a University, there are plenty of classrooms and lectures theatres with state of the art technology. And although UTS easily caters for large groups, there’s also the flexibility to handle lots of breakout rooms and just one small meeting room. Rates are extremely competitive and can be tailored to individual requirements.
For those on a limited budget, the YWCA’s Y On The Park Hotel is a great choice. And there’s no need to compromise on quality or location. The Y On The Park is located in the heart of Sydney’s CBD, opposite Hyde Park and Oxford Street with train and bus stops on the doorstep. Great shops, cafes and nightlife surround the recently refurbished Hotel.
There are six modern, fully equipped conference rooms which can cater for groups of 10 to 160 people. The Y On The Park encompasses corporate, studio, deluxe, standard and traditional accommodation. Revenue from the Hotel is used to fund the YWCA’s many community programs and services for women, families and young people.

Beyond The City Fringe

Suburban Sydney is no less starved for great corporate meetings venues. The multi award winning Killara Inn, with 39 guestrooms, swimming pool, gym and sauna, has seen increasing corporate and government business from across the North Shore. A soft room refurbishment is nearing completion and rates will remain constant throughout 2004.
The Killara Inn’s four meetings rooms include the Regency Room, which can hold 100 people theatre style or 110 for banquets. Located at Killara, it is close to such business addresses as North Sydney, Chatswood and North Ryde.
A number of Accor hotels in western Sydney and the Blue Mountains have combined forces to make a meetings organiser’s life far easier. Comprising the Mercure Grand Hotel Hydro Majestic Blue Mountains, the Novotel and Hotel Ibis Sydney Olympic Park, the Mercure Resort Blue Mountains and the Mercure Hotel Parramatta, this innovation encompasses 651 guestrooms and suites and more than 20 conference rooms.
In a radical move, the conferencing and reservations divisions of each hotel have been combined to form a one stop Client Services shop. Feedback from organisers has been uniformly positive and business at these hotels has seen a dramatic increase as a result.

Go West

The 4.5 star 202-room Carlton Hotel Parramatta continues to consolidate its position as one of western Sydney’s most prestigious addresses for conferences and functions. Located in the heart of Parramatta’s shopping, dining and entertainment precinct, the hotel has two boardrooms and eight function rooms. The Harrisford, Brislington and Hambledon rooms can combine to create a pillarless space for 600 people theatre-style or 400 for banquets.
The Hills Lodge Boutique Hotel in Baulkham Hills is undergoing a major expansion program, expected to be completed mid 2004 that will include 30 new guestrooms, a new pool, and a health and beauty spa. In the meantime, The Library is The Hills’ newest function room, holding 75 people theatre-style or 70 for banquets. The Hills’ largest meetings area is the Estate Room, which can accommodate 200 theatre-style or 170 for banquets.