Brisbane recently showed off its meeting and incentive offerings at Dreamtime 2017
From cosmopolitan cities like Sydney and Melbourne, to pristine nature in the outback, unique wildlife, and beautiful beaches, Australia is a bucket-list destination for many reasons, with experiences that can't be found anywhere else in the world.
An incentive program held along the Australian Great Barrier Reef region last May for a group of 350 adults and 70 children highlights this. The program, created by Australian destination management company ID Events took over the entire Sheraton Grand Mirage Port Douglas. Located right on Four Mile Beach, the 294-room, recently renovated hotel has a golf course, a variety of outdoor and indoor event spaces, 24-hour service, and, best of all, proximity to the Great Barrier Reef.
Highlights of the program included snorkeling off of Quicksilver Cruises' private catamaran to the best Great Barrier Reef location, based on the day's weather.
The program also featured Australian wildlife encounters during an exclusive guided tour of Hartley's Crocodile Adventures, a discovery of Aboriginal culture with a private Mossman Gorge Dreamtime Walk, conducted by local Indigenous people, and golf at Palmer Sea Reef.
Karen Livermore, director of sales and events, ID Events, says the program exceeded all of her client's expectations and that, "Our client remains so thrilled, they are considering other Australian destinations for programs in 2019 and 2020 and maybe even beyond."
Brisbane in the Spotlight
At the end of last year, Dreamtime 2017, Tourism Australia's signature incentive product showcase, wowed the meeting and incentive planners fortunate enough to be in attendance, demonstrating the depth of Australia's creativity in event delivery.
Brisbane was the site of Dreamtime 2017 because the destination has made a substantial investment in infrastructure, hotel builds, new incentive products, and experiences.
"Brisbane is a progressive, growing, and globally connected city; we are quite literally Australia's front door to the rest of the world," said Lord Mayor of Brisbane Graham Quirk at the event. "Dreamtime 2017 is an opportunity for us to demonstrate that Brisbane is a unique city that offers creative and fun incentive experiences."
The first day started with an opening ceremony that featured dancers from the Aboriginal Performing Arts College and innovative use of choreographed LED lighting. It ended with fireworks over the Brisbane River and the city's bridges, City Hall, and other sites bathed in silver and blue, the colors of Dreamtime 2017.
Attendees had the opportunity to take a behind-the-scenes tour of the new W Brisbane, set to open in March on the Brisbane riverfront. The luxury hotel will offer 312 guest rooms and 32 suites, views of the Brisbane River, and signature W comforts and amenities. W Brisbane features approximately 11,840 square feet of event space spanning 11 rooms, with configurations available to host events from 16 to 750 guests.
Next on the itinerary was a visit to the Howard Smith Wharves precinct, a historic riverfront site that is undergoing a large-scale renewal that will transform one of the city's last working wharves into an entertainment precinct below the city's iconic Story Bridge.
The site will include a five-star Art Series hotel with 164 rooms, function and event spaces to accommodate more than 1,000 guests, a craft brewery, and a variety of restaurants.
WHERE TO…
DINE - Urbane
In keeping with Brisbane's reputation as a creative and innovative dining destination, during Dreamtime, acclaimed chef Alejandro Cancino delivered a bespoke vegan menu, which evoked the creative approaches chefs are taking to fine dining in Brisbane. Urbane is a Brisbane icon.
MEET - International Convention Centre Sydney
ICC Sydney, which opened in Sydney in 2016 on Darling Harbour, is Australia's premier convention, exhibition, and events district. There are three theater spaces here, the largest ballroom in Oz at 31,000 square feet, a 376,000-square-foot multilevel exhibition hall, and more than 21,500 square feet of meeting rooms and hospitality suites.
PLAY - Rock the Bridge
Combining Australian rock music with a Sydney icon, former INXS singer Ciaran Gribbin adds a new twist to the experience of the Sydney BridgeClimb. Groups craft original songs that are then performed with Gribbin on the top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. During the ascent of the bridge, rock anthems alternate with BridgeClimb's commentary. The "rock stars" then head to nearby Shangri-La Hotel to celebrate.
Dreamtime 2017 included a networking reception at Eleven Rooftop Bar with some of Brisbane's best-known citizens joining the group to share their stories. Acclaimed dancer Li Cunxin, World Welterweight Champion boxer Jeff Horn, and others shared why Brisbane is their home.
The closing night dinner held at the Queensland Art Gallery's Watermall wowed. Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama's art installation Narcissus Garden 1966/2002, currently on display at the Watermall, provided a dramatic setting where more than 260 guests were treated to a specially created, multisensory experience.
Long tables with built-in LED lights that changed in sequence with performances was just one of the creative elements of the evening, which also featured menus written in special invisible ink that could only be seen using ultraviolet torches provided to guests.
As dinner progressed, Australian artist Sophia Mary Mac created a piece of live digital art on the Watermall's 79-foot-by-31-foot wall, inspired by the events of the Dreamtime 2017 program.
"Hosting Dreamtime was the ideal demonstration of how Australia's talented event organizers and companies bring to life creativity, hospitality, and a sense of occasion," says John O'Sullivan, Tourism Australia's managing director. "The location was chosen specifically to leave our Dreamtime delegates with a lasting impression of Brisbane and Australia. The night was designed to showcase that Australia delivers not just excellent customer service and technical innovation, but truly imaginative events that can raise an incentive event from rewarding to a truly memorable experience."
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This article appears in the February 2018 issue of Successful Meetings.