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Event:

AIME Welcome Party

Venue :

Queen Victoria Markets, Melbourne

The buzz:

A balmy night in Melbourne , but fortunately not as hot as it was the week prior.  Guests moved about the vast space and took advantage of the many food stalls and bars. The entertainment alternated between stages positioned at either end of the vast space enabling guests to network or enjoy the performances.  Guests also had the opportunity to enjoy a little retail therapy at a number of the market stalls that were operating.
Production:

Technical Production and Event Styling - Staging Connections (also provided overall site planning and management)
Catering - Atlantic Group (v) On-site (also coordinated security services and first aid)
Toilets - Slashdown Corporate Comfort Stations | Furniture - Placesettings

Entertainment:

PANevents & PANevent entertainment - MC Freddie the Fruity Fruiterer | The Buskerz | Western Creation | Bollywood Sensation | Hula Hoop Heaven | The Acro Comedy Show | Sista Lee Love - Stilt Performing Duo | Swing Out Dancers | Urban Tap

Production Crew:

Jon Smith - Creative Director/Show Director/Caller | Stephanie Buckley  - Account Manager | Rob Meek - Project Manger | Corina Ginakis - Event Stylist | Loree Murphy - Production Coordinator | Steven Davidson  - Technical Director - Show | Craig Smith - Technical Director - Set-up | David Emms  - Technical Director - Set-up
12 x AV Crew Set-up; 8 x Styling Crew Set-up; 3 x Audio Operators; 1 x Lighting Operator; 18 x Packdown Crew
Production challenges:

Jon Smith told us that the biggest challenge was deciding what space within the market to use then how to use the designated space - they worked closely with QVM and Atlantic on this.
There were some unique venue challenges - access from midnight the night before (market is open on Sunday) and bumpout by 1.00am after event (market open again on Tuesday – hence security having to hustle people out by 9.30pm)
- Sloping site and bitumen floor (spill a drink and liquid just kept running downhill)
 - not much power available so we brought in additional generators and we contacted Eventrix to assist and supply power distribution equipment
- very limited load rating capacity in the roof structure - had to design lighting and rigging really carefully - very little truss used and we did the central freestanding truss rig for to allow us to 'fly' speakers in the central area and helped us put more lighting there
- site was so large and spread out they had 8 x scissor lifts and 4 x forklifts on-site
A very speccy welcome very effective use of chinese lanterns in the pink and orange colour scheme

a conventional bar ...

 ... and a mobile bar in keeping with the venue

Ana Pereria (LAN Airlines), Karen Irving (Disney Destinations) and Sarah Ng (Hong Kong Disneyland)

Anthea Somerville (Qantas), Sue Pearce (Adelaide Expo Hire) and Nikki Seymour-Smith (SA Great)

Dawn Gleeson (Rydges Southbank), Julie Johnston (Sunferries) and Amy Layton (Rydges Southbank)

Thomas Ng (Le Meridian Cyberport), Treechada Kantacha (Le Meridien Phuket Beach), Sirithorn Jaengjai (Oriental Events) and Aeuyporn Meksomsri (Movenpick Resort Phuket)

Peter Shepperd (Southern Star Observation Wheel), Tara Bishop (Crown Melbourne), Fred Maybury and Michelle Shand (both SSOW)

Bryan Pearson and Jo Robinson (both Christchurch Convention Centre)

Nejla Hasan (MCEC), Dylan Noel (Sarawai Convention Bureau), Ben Arnold (MCVB) and Kathy Rhodes (MCEC)

Michelle Werner , Laura Dartnell, and Erin Wilson (all Flemington Event Centre), Claire McParland (RACV Club) and Kate Johnson (Victoria Racing Club)
Edie Hafdahl (Kauai Visitors Bureau), Debbie Hogan (Big Island VB), Adele Tasaka (Hawaii VCB) and Lisa Mock (Oahu VB) Bollywood Sensation
Lauren McAtamney, Catherine Lowe and Russell Mason (all Sunshine Coast CB) Penny France and Rebecca Smith (MCEC)
Solei Gibbs (Medical & Health Care PR), Nikki Shoults (Surfers Paradise Marriott) and Sally Hein (Carlton Brewhouse Gold Coast) Mary Helen Farrell (Kuala Lumpa Convention Centre), Paul D'Arcy and Dagmar D'Arcy (both Qatar National Convention Centre)
Kate Smyth and Mark Wilson (Orient Express Hotels Aust) with Charlie Turnbull (Silversea Cruises) Kate Marshall (Accor Asia Pacific), Jayne Cuttriss (IHG) and Kristen Hawes (Accor Asia Pacific)
Deb Saunders (Encore), Margie Stewart (Hilton Hotels) and Sharon Leung (Parmelia Hilton Perth) Peter Collins (Sadadeen Expo Hire), Mick Ambrose, Claire Ashard (Alice Springs Desert Park) and Andrew McAllan (Alice Springs Convention centre)
Philip Black (Staging Connections), Samatha hawkins (Decorative Events) and Holly Orsman Smith (Sergants Mess) Haley Brunell (Couran Cove Resort), Vanessa Hinton (Sane Event Management) and Nicole Westbury (Saxton Speakers Bureau)
Emma Berg (Gold Coast Tourism), Susan Stewart (Staging Connections) and Michelle Mann (Conrad Jupiters) Philippa Margen (Next Stage Events), Suzanne Hart (SHE)
Elizabeth Rich, Ian Stewart and Jill Mason (everyone knows who they are) Jon Hutchison (SCVB) and Sandra Chipchase (MCVB)

Julie Van Der Weegan (Doltone House), Shari Carr (Fosters Group Venues), Ryan Parrott (Commonwealth Bank of Australia), Janelle Anderson (Limelight Events), Emma Kelly (Novotel Rockford) and Peter Emery (Novotel Rockford)
Gaynor McDonnell (RACV Club) and Belinda Ancora (Victoria Racing Club) Jakki Temple (Accor Asia Pacific) and Susan Twigden (Destination Matters) Gia Acitelli and Cassandra Kerr (Virgin Atlantic)
Angie Soong (Accor Hotels Greater Sydney) and Candy Forrester (Stamford Hotels) Paul Gommans (Incentive Partner), Christi Norde (Energy Incentivies & Events) and Chas Benest (Staging Connections) Ganessan Suppiah (World Hotels) and Virginia Percival (Conference Event & Functions)
more photos >>