Of the grand order of folio leviathans, the Sperm Whale and the Right Whale are by far the most noteworthy. They are the only whales regularly hunted by man. To the Nantucketer, they present the two extremes of all the known varieties of the whale. As the external difference between them is mainly observable in their heads; and as a head of each is this moment hanging from the Pequod's side.
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Major Events
When it comes to driving the visitor economy, who has the biggest impact — a global pop superstar or one of Australia’s biggest sporting events?Peter Jones crunches the numbers Recent hotel data out of Melbourne might surprise even the most seasoned event professionals, showing that one-off mega events can rival, and even surpass, our traditional tourism powerhouses. The Surprising WinnersHere’s a question for you: which two events held in …
November 23, 2025
The Australian Event Awards presentation returned to a regional centre after eight years (the previous one – Sunshine Coast). This year was Coffs Harbour’s turn with the awards presented at the Wiigulga Sports Complex. The venue, owned by the City of Coffs Harbour, opened in December 2022 and is in Woolgoolga, a 20 to 30 min drive from the centre of Coffs Harbour. Woolgoolga is best known for the Indian …
October 28, 2025
A recent article in The Australian claimed that the number of event organisers in Victoria, particularly compared with New South Wales and Queensland, is in decline, and that the industry is slowly being killed off. #eventprofsau #businessevents
August 18, 2025
Entries are officially open for the 2025 Australian Event Awards, marking the start of the nation’s most prestigious celebration of excellence in the events industry. Event professionals, producers, suppliers and creatives from across Australia are invited to submit their best work for the chance to be recognised on the national stage.
April 3, 2025
The final report of the Select Committee on the 2026 Commonwealth Games Bid has been tabled in the Legislative Council of the Victorian Parliament The report is scathing of the Victorian Government’s process but agrees that the Victorian Government’s decision to withdraw from hosting the Commonwealth Games in July 2023 was the right decision at the time. One should also note the makeup of this Upper House committee – 3 …
April 2, 2025
Simon Thewlis shares his thoughts on event consulting One of the most important lessons I learnt early on in my event career was to involve people with more knowledge and experience than myself in my events. Like everyone, I started knowing relatively little. (And probably less than I thought I did!) But knew I needed to change that as quickly as I could as I wanted to produce great …
March 12, 2025
Australia is set for a massive year of live music, with the likes of Billie Eilish, Drake, Luke Combs, Green Day, Dua Lipa, Metallica and Oasis set to hit our stages. However, with numerous music concert cancellations and incidents in the last year, venue scheduling conflicts, disruptions, and geopolitical uncertainty, a leading entertainment travel expert is urging touring and production companies to sharpen their contingency planning – or risk another year of frustrated fans and last-minute cancellations.
February 14, 2025
by Peter Jones AM The recent announcement that Melbourne has secured the (US) NFL games over Sydney made me chuckle when the NSW Premier, dismissed the deal by stating, “We rejected the proposal because the NFL, one of the richest sports, wanted a King’s ransom.” The reported figure—approximately $15 million per game over three years—suggests otherwise. Even if the actual cost approaches $20 million per game, Melbourne has secured …
February 14, 2025
Major Events Archives | Australasian Special Events
Do you have a favourite child?
Peter Jones ponders his favourites If you do, chances are you’d never admit it out loud. What I’m about to ask feels a bit like that. Do you have a favourite Melbourne event? Perhaps it’s the Australian Open? Or the Australian Grand Prix? Maybe it’s the AFL Grand Final or perhaps the Melbourne Food & Wine Festival is more to your liking: Maybe it’s a regional gem, or even …