ASE publisher Trevor Connell attended AIME as part of the hosted media contingent. This diary covers the social events and tours away from the AIME expo halls.
Sunday night
The MCVB hosted the Welcome to Melbourne for Hosted buyers at the Federation Square atrium.
A great space in one of my favourite buildings.
Monday
Breakfast at Sofitel Melbourne with a Valentine’s theme - tablecloths with a rose theme and lots of red. Nice ballroom.
Then a tour of a few of Melbourne’s more interesting event venues
Comme
Located in a small laneway off Collins Street Mietta’s restaurant was a Melbourne institution for a decade or more. Last year the venue was given a complete makeover by interior designers Hecker, Phelan & Guthrie and it became Comme. The designers a created a very versatile space for events, conferences and fine dining. The cellar has a fantastic wine collection.
No 12
The wonderful Victorian woolstore has evolved into one of Melbourne’s most in demand event spaces. The theatrically opulent décor a tribute to designer William May. The venue featured in our 2005 report on the Melbourne Party! launch when we also looked at William May’s career and vision.
The space is as flexible and dramatic as ever and next week will host the MEA Vic awards dinner.
ACCA
The arts precinct of Melbourne sits behind Southbank and one of the most dramatic buildings there is the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art which towers over the adjacent Malthouse theatre complex. The exhibition spaces and outdoor areas are available for functions, however the current installation by Mike Nelson doesn’t leave much room for an event – but I love the concept of his art.
Level 88 and 89 Eureka Tower
In a bit of a coup we were taken up to the observation deck on Level 88 of Eureka Tower – billed as the tallest residential building in the Southern Hemisphere. There, among the workmen finalising the fit out, we took in the stunning view.
Then up a fire escape to Level 89 (the lift entrance is still being fitted out), which is set to become Melbourne’s most spectacular event space. Designed by Peter Maddison Architects, the interior is luxurious, sleek and rich with views spanning 360 degrees across the Melbourne landscape.
Catering for the space can accommodate 150 sit down and up to 320 stand-up.
An equally stunning bar will open at the other end of the space offering visitors a late night location for drinking, eating and immersing in the floor to ceiling views 300 metres above ground!
A talking point is going to be the toilets – the men’s urinals offer the opportunity to reflect on the view.
Access to level 88 and 89 is by one of two dedicated elevators that will reach their destination in a mere 40 seconds.
The media release for Eureka describes the ascent thus “Imagine speeding skywards at nine metres per second to reach the heady heights of one of the world’s tallest buildings.”
Well after my gut wrenching experience in the lift that took me to the observation deck on level 78 of Q1 (billed as the world’s tallest residential tower) on the Gold Coast, I was glad this lift was not as yet running at full speed.
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Peeing with a view - Level 89
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MECC Lunch
Another stunning lunch hosted by MECC in the Conference Centre ballroom. MECC CEO Leigh Harry assuring us that this will be the second last AIME lunch to be held in this venue as the new convention centre will be open for AIME 2009.
Excellent food and Victorian regional wines selected by Food and Beverage manager, Frank Burger with table décor by Action Event Services and entertainment by The Rat Pack’s Back courtesy of SMA.
The technical staff at the MECC continue to impress and it is so good to see 16:9 format projection screens in use with images produced to that format. This is in stark contrast to the exhibition floor where widescreen plasmas were all the go and almost every one of them was showing material prepared in 4:3 format and stretched to fill the screen – a practice I hate.
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MECC Lunch table centres
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The Rat Pack's back at the MECC Lunch
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Melbourne’s new Convention Centre
We visited the offices of the new convention centre’s architects with an expansive view across the Yarra to the building site. Architects Nik Karalis and Hamish Lyon were on hand to explain the features of the new centre.
A few things of interest:
- The green credentials are being talked up considerably and include the lack of conventional air-conditioning – the venue will rely extensively on airflow.
- The very spacious atrium area overlooking the Yarra with a glass façade 18 metres high.
- The 5,000 seat plenary hall that can be divided into spaces for 2,500, 1,500 and 1,000 without diminishing the feel of the complete room. This venue will also be in demand for concerts as the size fits between the largest theatre in Melbourne and the various indoor arenas such as the tennis centre.
- The loading dock is underground so there is no back side to the building.
- Meanwhile the back of house areas of the complex are continuous around the plenary hall, meeting rooms and banquet hall with no crossover between them.
- I asked Nik Karalis what buildings he looked at to ensure he got it right. He replied that he looked at many convention centres and saw what not to do.
A lot is made of the green credentials of the building, however the Hilton hotel that is being built as part of the project has no such green claims. What a wasted opportunity, particularly as Accor have made their Novotel at Sydney Olympic Park very green. If Accor can do it in Sydney why can’t Hilton do it in Melbourne?
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The new convention centre architects Hamish Lyon and Nik Karalis
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Welcome Reception – Discover Victoria
Peter Jones has very good contacts at the MCG. He has staged numerous events there including the AFL centenary dinner, which was staged on the “hallowed turf”. So Peter was the natural choice for the AIME welcome reception hosted by the MCVB and themed “Discover Victoria”.
Guests were delivered to the MCG via Murrays coaches and were dropped at a vomitory that led directly onto the ground itself.
The roar of 100,000 fans was played through the ground’s speaker system as guests made their way up to the members stand for the cocktail reception. This was too much for one buyer from India, the cricket fan was so overcome that he fell to his knees and kissed the turf.
A variety of food stalls were scattered around the space showcasing Victorian produce. The stalls were themed to reflect various Victorian icons. I particularly liked the birdcages on the Flemington themed stall.
Entertainment was mainly walkaround with a feature act by a Kylie clone, which I missed because I was in another part of the sizable venue.
I also missed my drinks. Every time I put a drink down to take a photo it was whisked away by an enthusiastic waiter – so I never finished a drink.
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| Guests arrive at the MCG |
Dine on the Docks
In a break with the tradition of the AIME Gala Dinner this year we were treated to Dine on the Docks at NewQuay, a development of apartments, restaurants and bars in the Docklands precinct.
Pre-dinner drinks were at The Beach Club (a bar with no beach in sight). From the balcony guests were transfixed by a performance by Strange Fruit on their sway poles then Skin Dive Jive led the guests to their appointed restaurant. I was part of a party at Livebait. The design of the restaurant is the stripped back; show everything, hard surface style that is very, very loud. The food and service was great and highly recommended, but if you are visiting make sure you get a table on the balcony.
A fire-twirling act segued into a very nice pyro display by Howard & Sons who utilised a nearby wharf to launch from.
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| Skin Dive Jive lead guests to their resturants at NewQuay |
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| Guests gather for the fire twirling that introduced the fireworks |
Studio 3
The after party was at the revamped nightclub at Crown Casino. The décor is stripped back and black with feral roadcases scattered through the space. The venue put on a spectacular dessert buffet and SMA provided the floorshow OOH James! This space is broken up enough to enable guests to move away from the dance floor to secluded bar areas and an outdoor balcony. Staging Connections provided the stage and technical support.
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| OOH James! at Studio 3 |
