IHG Gold Coast Famil

by 1 Comment

Jessica Christy writes:

Thanks to the Intercontinental Hotel Group, I was recently hosted, along with 11 others, to 3 days of pure escapism and relaxation at the Gold Coast, staying at Crowne Plaza Surfers Paradise and Sanctuary Cove Intercontinental. I feel like I have just returned from the famil of a lifetime!

If someone had told me that I’d go away for a weekend and come back having cuddled a dolphin AND a tiger I don’t think I would believe them. I can’t believe how many activities and experiences IHG were able to fit into just three days.

The Surfers Paradise Crowne Plaza put together a great schedule that included a site inspection of the hotel, a crash course in learning to sail, a summer party for the launch of the new look Chandon bottle, as well as a trip to Sea World where we got up close and personal with dolphins, seals and sharks. Browse the photo gallery below for a snapshot of what we got up to.

Next stop was Sanctuary Cove Intercontinental, where we learnt more about their ‘Insider Collection’ (click here for more info). During our our visit we learnt how to swing with golf pro Michael Jones, took a jet boat ride out to McLarens Landing, rode Segway’s, ate at the delicious ‘Fireplace’ restaurant and took a thirty-minute helicopter tour around the Gold Coast. In addition, we also met Australian Gold Medal winners Steven Bradbury and Natalie Cook, who gave inspiring talks before we made our way to Dreamworld, for dinner. This was the purr-fect dinner venue where I got to pat a (real!) tiger.

The staff at both properties have such an extensive knowledge of the Gold Coast region, I learned so much to take back to our team. I look forward to working with them both in the future.

Thanks to:

Katie Hanley IHG and Annabel Mendelson from Sanctuary Cove Intercontinental

Ian Pirodon, Tamie Ryan and Whitney Scott – Crown Plaza Surfers Paradise

Michael Foster, Monique Harmer and Jayme Cuttriss – Sanctuary Cove Intercontinental

Caroline Duveau-Clayton – Sea World

Kat Taylor – Dream World

Felicity Hughes – McLarens Landing Island

The staff at the Southport Yacht Club

Barry McLeod – Comedian of the group

Conference Management and the Professional Conference Organiser (PCO) What do you need to know?

by Leave a Comment

So you are looking at organising a conference and wondering where to start in selecting a PCO, or even thinking whether the organisation can manage this in house? Where to start and what is involved?

No doubt you have been to many conferences and some have been better than others. Some run so seamlessly that you wonder whether this was just good luck or was there just not that much to it?

Chances are, every time a conference runs like clockwork, there are many people behind the scenes making sure that every facet of the project has been carefully planned and executed. Think about the mechanism behind the face of a clock and you get an image of the complexity of executing a conference with clockwork precision.

It is very easy to underestimate the task at hand and many will only ever attempt it once! Never again!

DCCplanlight

So how can a PCO help you and how do you get the best PCO for your conference? [Read more…]

Brisbane Famil for APS 2015

by Leave a Comment

Alex Robertson writes:

I’ve spent my entire life in Australia, hard to believe then that I had never visited Brisbane. So it was with excitement that once we confirmed the Australian Pain Society 35th Annual Scientific Meeting (APS 2015) was to be held at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre in March 2015, I jumped at the chance to finally visit.

Ferris_wheelBrisbane Marketing arranged my trip; a big thank you to the lovely Kylie Fox who hosted me while I was visiting and showed me around her great hometown.
My goal while I was in Brisbane was to become acquainted with the BCEC and find venues for the APS Gala Dinner, President’s Reception and various private dinners.

[Read more…]