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KELLY SLATER HEADING TO SYDNEY FOR WORLD CLASS WAVES
With an unprecedented 11 world surfing championships under his belt, American professional surfer, environmental activist and innovator Kelly Slater will hit the waves in Sydney at the Vissla Sydney Surf Pro next month.
Member for Manly James Griffin said the success of last year’s event has ensured that some of the world’s best, including 47-year-old Slater, will be in Manly for the 2019 event.
“Manly is Australia’s home of surfing, having staged the first-ever world championships in 1964, and we’re extremely excited to be welcoming the greatest surfer of all time to our shores to compete in the Vissla Sydney Pro,” Mr Griffin said.
“The addition of Kelly’s name to an already impressive line-up will provide significant global exposure for the event and Manly itself, and is testament to the efforts of our community who have time and again demonstrated their passion and commitment to pro surfing.”
Slater, both the youngest and the oldest world champion in surfing history, said he is excited to be returning to Manly to compete.
“I’ve always loved the northern beaches and having lived part time in Avalon for 15 years, I miss it and am looking forward to getting back to some old familiar territory,” Slater said.
“I’m also getting a nice warm up prior to jumping back on tour full-time after close to a year and a half hiatus from competition.”
Minister for Tourism and Major Events Adam Marshall said the NSW Government was proud to support the Vissla Sydney Surf Pro.
“In 2019 we expect more than 700 overnight visitors to travel to Manly for the event, injecting around $650,000 into the local visitor economy,” Mr Marshall said.
The Vissla Sydney Surf Pro is proudly supported by the NSW Government via its tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW.
For more information and 2018 highlights, check out www.sydneysurfpro.com
NEW RIVERINA CAMPAIGN HIGHLIGHTS LOCAL EXPERIENCES
Local tourism attractions and operators will be showcased in a new tourism marketing campaign aimed at increasing awareness and promoting overnight travel to The Riverina.
Co-funded by the NSW Government, Destination Riverina Murray and a number of local councils, the Go with the Flow campaign kicked off on 18 February. The $125,000 NSW Government funding injection for the campaign, delivered through the Regional Tourism Fund, will help put The Riverina on the map for potential visitors.
Minister for Tourism and Major Events Adam Marshall said the campaign celebrates unique food, agritourism and nature-based experiences on offer in the region and would be in market until late April 2019.
“The NSW Government is committed to supporting tourism in The Riverina because when people visit overnight, they stay in local accommodation, visit local attractions, buy from local shops and eat at local restaurants and cafes, putting more tourist dollars in the pockets of local businesspeople and creating more jobs,” Mr Marshall said.
“The Regional Tourism Fund allows the NSW Government to match industry contributions to campaigns, dollar for dollar, and partner with local stakeholders to deliver a tailored and collaborative approach.”
In the year ending September 2018 Riverina received nearly 1.2 million domestic overnight visitors (up 16.1 per cent) who stayed over 2.9 million nights in the region (up 11.1 per cent) and spent $479 million (up 56.6 per cent).
With wine tasting at cellar doors, abundant fresh produce and intriguing heritage trails, the Riverina is a wonderful destination for travellers from far and wide.
The marketing campaign has been shared widely with local stakeholders and tourism representatives through a series of workshops to assist businesses on how to use the new Riverina branding and make the most of the campaign.
View the campaign video here.
THE CURE - DISINTEGRATION 30th ANNIVERSARY ANNOUNCED AS FIRST VIVID LIVE 2019
Iconic alternative rock band The Cure will perform their legendary album Disintegration on its 30th anniversary in a world premiere and Australian exclusive at Vivid LIVE at the Sydney Opera House.
Since 2009, Vivid LIVE has welcomed some of the most innovative artists to the nation’s most famous stages and The Cure’s Robert Smith will take to the Concert Hall stage with full band for four nights only in May, performing the melancholic and undeniably influential album Disintegration in full, alongside moving tracks from their extensive back catalogue.
The Cure’s Robert Smith said “Vivid LIVE is a wonderful international event. Our Reflections shows in 2011 were truly memorable experiences, and with the excitement surrounding those early album performances in mind, we are more than delighted to be announcing our return in May 2019 to present the world premiere of Disintegration - 30th Anniversary.”
Disintegration was The Cure’s eighth studio album and cemented them as a cultural phenomenon, pioneering a new era of dark pop thrillers, which influenced countless musicians. Disintegration, which included hits such as Lovesong and Pictures of You, remains The Cure's highestselling record to date selling over three million copies globally.
The Cure – Disintegration 30th Anniversary, 8pm, Friday 24 May, Saturday 25 May, Monday 27 May and Tuesday 28 May, at the Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House.
The ballot is now open and tickets can be applied for anytime between Tuesday 19 February (7:00am AEDT) and Sunday 24 February (11:59pm AEDT) via the Sydney Opera House website. Successful applicants will be chosen at random from within the allocations designated for visitors and locals.
NEW APPOINTMENTS TO ENSURE CONTINUED TOURISM GROWTH IN OUTBACK NSW
Minister for Tourism and Major Events Adam Marshall has announced two new appointments to the Board of Destination Country & Outback NSW.
Mr Marshall welcomed new Chairman Clyde Thomson AM and new Director Natalie Forsyth-Stock to the Board at the Destination Country & Outback NSW headquarters in Dubbo earlier this week.
Mr Marshall said Clyde Thomson had impressive qualifications, having spent more than 40 years working with rural and remote communities and most recently heading up the Royal Flying Doctor Service South Eastern section.
Natalie Forsyth-Stock has a strong finance background and extensive networks within the tourism, food and wine, and agribusiness sectors.
“Both new board members are passionate proponents of the State’s tourism industry and will play an important role in continuing to strengthen the visitor economy throughout the Country & Outback region,” Mr Marshall said.
“They will also be essential in contributing to the implementation of the Statewide Destination Management Plan, which was released this month.”
Mr Marshall also acknowledged the contribution of retiring Chairman Stephen Bartlett, who held the position for the last three years.
AIME TRADE SHOW SHOWCASES REGIONAL NSW DESTINATIONS FOR EVENTS
Earlier this week Destination NSW co-exhibited with Regional NSW operators and destinations at AIME, the leading exhibition in Australia for the meetings, incentives and events industry.
The exhibition invites a community of over 4,000 suppliers and meeting and event planners under one roof where major industry players meet senior influencers to connect, perform and prosper resulting in over 11,000 fact-to-face meetings over two days.
The objective was to showcase the best that Regional NSW has to offer in creating and hosting amazing business events and to maximise networking opportunities to help generate leads and build a pipeline of business events opportunities that regional NSW has the potential to realise over the coming 12-24 months.
General Manager of Orange 360 Caddie Marshall said, “This was Orange’s first visit to an AIME event and it certainly opened our eyes to the MICE opportunity. With two full days of meetings, a few walk ups, and not to mention the people we met at the networking events – we can see ourselves busy in ensuring we capitalise on each of these conversations.
“The concept of going as Regional NSW was brilliant. It worked well for us as we were able to cross-promote to each other, and it especially worked well for the delegates.”
BANKWEST STADIUM TO HOST FREE COMMUNITY OPEN DAY
Fans will get their first look at the brand new Bankwest Stadium on Sunday April 14 as the world-class sporting facility opens its doors to the community. NSW Minister for Sport and Minister for Western Sydney Stuart Ayres said that more than 30,000 tickets will be available and patrons will be able to choose from one of four sessions to tour the Stadium.
Tickets to Bankwest Stadium Community Open Day available from 1pm Wednesday 27 February, go to
ticketek.com.au/openday
LOCAL GOVERNMENT NSW TOURISM CONFERENCE
The Local Government NSW’s (LGNSW) Tourism Conference gives councillors and council staff the opportunity to meet, listen to experts and peers, and find out how other councils are engaging and managing their tourism industry. Proudly supported by the NSW Government via its tourism and major events agency Destination NSW, the next conference, with a theme of Experience Changes Perceptions, will take place on the 17-19 March 2019 at Crowne Plaza Terrigal. Register online by 8 March at lgnsw.org.au/events-training/lgnsw-tourism-conference.
SECOND SEMI PERMANENT LINE UP ANNOUNCED
Semi Permanent is a global creative platform, which brings together internationally renowned designers and creative icons for events. The Vivid Sydney partner this week announced its second round of speakers, as part of Vivid IDEAS 2019, to be held at Carriageworks.
The line up includes Instagram’s Head of Design, Ian Spalter; Toben Creative Director, Katja
Hartung; Google AR/VR Lead, Sam Keene, and AKQA Creative Director, Tim Devine, who will all be sharing their insights into inspiration and practices. For tickets go to:
www.semipermanent.com
APPLICATIONS OPEN
FOR REGIONAL NSW SCHOLARSHIPS - DIPLOMA OF EVENT MANAGEMENT
Aspiring event managers living in rural and regional NSW are being offered the chance to get a head start in their career with the NSW Government today opening applications to win one of six scholarships worth $6,500 each.
The program is part of the NSW Government’s $6 million Regional Conferencing Strategy & Action Plan and that in partnership with Meetings and Events Australia (MEA) aspiring students could be provided the opportunity to undertake the SIT50316 Diploma of Event Management. For more visit
www.meetinnsw.com.au.
TASTE RIVERINA COMING SOON TO CANBERRA HANDMADE
Taste Riverina — a series of agritourism events showcasing The Riverina — is bringing delicious food, drink and meet-the-maker experiences to one of Canberra’s biggest events, the Handmade Canberra markets on 23-24 March. Craig Sinclair, Chair of the Taste Riverina committee said they want to inspire people from Canberra, Sydney and other metro areas to visit the region. “Visitors to Riverina Alley will be able to have a chat with the winemaker of their favourite vintage for example, or learn about local produce from the Riverina chefs who use them every day,” said Mr Sinclair. Visit tasteriverina.com.au
A LITTLE BIT OF THE ITALIAN GOOD LIFE IN BROKE
Now in its 15th year, the incredible Italian-style weekend festival, A Little Bit of Italy in Broke, will run 13-14 April across 12 venues in the Hunter Valley’s Broke Fordwich wine region. The culinary celebration brings an abundance of fresh, authentic cuisine, local produce, cooking classes, workshops, vineyard tours, demonstrations, and the region’s renowned local wines.
The weekend will kick off with the famed Margan Welcome Dinner on Friday night where a three-course Italian-inspired menu in the stunning piazza under the stars will set the tone for the Festival, visit italyinbroke.com.au
