What a weekend! – Sydney is alive again thanks to World Pride. And on Saturday night it was great to be back on the sidelines covering the Mardi Gras parade (more on that next week). Heading back to Central after the parade it was great to come across impromptu street parties.
But it is not only my home city that has come back to life – Melbourne was bubbling with life when I visited for AIME, Adelaide is pumping with the Fringe (and Mad March is yet to come). Hopefully other cities have bounced back as well.
Back in 2000 while working on the Sydney Olympics I had to research the possibility of radio waves triggering pyro detonators. I had two search tools available to me – AltaVista and the relatively new Google. It took me hours of trawling to find any appropriate documents.
Last week at AIME Professor Ben Hamer talked about trends. Technology in particular, and of course ChatGPT. Which left me wondering – will ChatGPT replace Google search as quickly as Google replaced AltaVista?
So I jumped on board and I asked the new search engine to write a history of AIME – one thing Dr Harmer insisted on is to fact check the results. While most of the story seemed correct there is a discrepancy regarding when AIME started – ChatGPT says 1992 while AIME organisers are saying 1993. There a couple of other inaccuracies – I’m interested in your recollections.
What does ChatGPT know about AIME?
As always, my big interest in AIME is the welcome function. Once again Peter Jones nailed it. Here is the report.
AIME’s Marvellous welcome event
Let’s face it AIME has had its ups and downs over the previous 30 years (as I reflected in the lead up) so it was great to feel such a positive vibe last week. The buyers from around the world were back and the exhibitor space increased by 40% over the 2019 show. Worst quote of AIME – “Gathering together again is infectious”
New Zealand takes a sustainable stand at AIME
The New Zealand stand at this week’s AIME trade show sets a benchmark for a more sustainable future. Tourism New Zealand General Manager NZ & Business Events Bjoern Spreitzer says New Zealand’s business events professionals are wearing Tiaki t-shirts at AIME, and that ethos is echoed in the exhibition stand itself.
Brilliant minds and influential innovators team up to showcase Gold Coast’s IQ
Gold Coast’s brand-new eBook The Imagination Collective has been unveiled at Asia Pacific’s leading trade event for the meetings and event industry as Destination Gold Coast launches the next phase of its business events strategy to profile the city’s changing profile as a hub for innovation.
Te Pae Christchurch commits to CarbonZero
Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre has taken the next step in its sustainability journey, drafting an agreement with Toitū Envirocare as the Centre commits to reducing its environmental footprint. The agreement is to join and work towards to being a certified Toitū net carbonzero organisation.
Registrations now open for Evolve 2023 conference
Evolve 2023 will descend on the Gold Coast over Wednesday 7 – Thursday 8 June 2023 for what’s shaping as a fantastic 1½ day program of learning and professional development, across a blend of plenary and breakout sessions that are being designed to position delegates for ‘succeeding through leadership, empowerment and connection’.
Adelaide to host Dreamtime in 2023
Tourism Australia has announced Adelaide will be the host city for Dreamtime 2023, its signature incentive showcase designed to increase awareness of and interest in Australia as an outstanding business events destination. The Showcase will be the first Dreamtime held since 2019 due to the global COVID-19 pandemic and will provide the Australian industry with the opportunity to reignite relationships with qualified buyers from Greater China, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, …
Atlassian’s Amy Glancey joins BESydney board
BESydney has welcomed a new Independent Director, Amy Glancey, to the strategic event bidding organisation’s Board. Announcing the appointment, BESydney Chair The Hon. Bruce Baird AM said, “Throughout the comprehensive search process, Amy was a standout, bringing a fresh perspective as well as a unique skill-set and connectivity to the tech sector globally, which is a priority growth area for our business.”
In other news
New Broadway-style theatre to open in Sydney’s Star Casino – SMH
Owner of the Sydney Lyric and the Capitol Theatre, Stephen Found, can now proceed with long-standing plans to convert The Star’s 4000-seat event centre into a two-level 1550-seat Proscenium arch theatre, and a 1000-seat live room for contemporary music, comedy and cabaret nights.
The Resolution X fire – an urgent wake-up call – CX
The February 6 fire at production and hire company Resolution X’s Melbourne warehouse has spurred managing director Tim Hall to issue an urgent warning to the industry – never leave battery powered equipment charging unattended.
Has the Canberra Multicultural Festival outgrown Civic? – Riotact
Canberra’s latest Multicultural Festival drew in record crowds, leaving the ACT Government to ponder whether it might be time to relocate.
Using phone data and other statistical surveys, the government estimates about 350,000 people attended, blowing the previous record of 250,000 out of the water.
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