EDITION 2, OCTOBER 2014
S YDN E Y SH I N E S The meeting place of people, opinions and ideas
PEOPLE
The bridge to success Entrepreneurialism Innovation Evolving business model
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ou may know the Sydney Harbour Bridge as one of the most iconic symbols of Sydney and Australia. What is lesser known about this iconic structure is that it’s a symbol of real Sydney entrepreneurialism. What started out as an idea for a group to climb the steel arches as part of the Young Presidents Organisation World Congress in the 1980s has evolved into a thriving business; the bridge climb concept is now replicated around the world.
IDEAS
DINING
teenager, lined up overnight to purchase the first rail ticket sold to the public for crossing. Having inherited this rail ticket, Cave will never forget its significance or indeed the journey it has subsequently taken him on.
Paul Cave’s commitment, persistence and entrepreneurial skills were fundamental to BridgeClimb’s creation. On 1 October 1998, BridgeClimb was officially launched.
BridgeClimb is the brainchild of businessman Paul Cave, who was involved in organising that international business convention climb 25 years ago. The 1989 climb was so successful it eventually made Cave’s dream – for everyone to be able to climb the bridge, learn about its amazing history and see Sydney from its best vantage point – a reality. On 19 March 1932, the day the bridge was opened, Mr Cave’s late father-in-law, then a
EVENTS
Mr Cave’s achievement has become legendary in Australian business circles. He has been recognised for his innovation and drive on many occasions, including winning the Ernst & Young National Entrepreneur of the Year award for the Business, Finance, Property and Services Tourism category in 2001, and the National Australian Export Heroes Award in 2002. In 2008, BridgeClimb was awarded the highest national tourism accolade, winning the Australian Tourism Award for Major Tourist Attractions. More than 3.2 million local and international visitors from 137 countries have climbed to the top of the bridge for a 360-degree panorama of Sydney and the harbour since the tour was launched 15 years ago. BridgeClimb has also given away more than $4.5 million worth of climbs to charities, schools and other organisations. Today, climbs to the top of the 134-metre, or 40-storey, structure take up to 3.5 hours, run from dawn to dusk and are conducted in English or Mandarin. The climb is also offered during special events such as Vivid Sydney.
Paul Cave BridgeClimb
Todd Coates CEO of BridgeClimb Sydney, said that in 2012, the company introduced
TECHNOLOGY
a daily Mandarin Climb led by Mandarin speaking Climb Leaders, to give Chinese visitors the opportunity to experience one of Australia’s iconic attractions in their native language. To complement this customised Chinese product, BridgeClimb also launched bridgeclimb.cn, accepts China Union Pay and engages with prospective Chinese climbers via a variety of Chinese social channels, including Weibo, WeChat and YouKu. Undoubtedly one of the world’s most memorable experiences, there have been reportedly more than 4,000 marriage proposals on the bridge’s summit – and you can even get married on the bridge provided you have a small guest list. Sydney Harbour Bridge will remain synonymous with the city and its history. It is also a tribute to Sydney’s future and the innovation and leadership that is prevalent here, which the harbour city has become renowned for.
bridgeclimb.com
Australia’s acceptance of this creative chef has also played a role in Tetsuya’s achievements. “It was always my dream to come to Australia, since I was a child. The friendly nature of Australians, and indeed Sydneysiders, has been so welcoming,” explained Tetsuya. “Plus, Sydney is very adventurous when it comes to trying new food ideas, which has been fantastic.” Tetsuya’s has featured in London-based Restaurant Magazine World’s 50 Best Restaurants from the list’s inception in 2002 through to 2013, and Tetsuya himself has earned international recognition as one of the world’s great chefs, acknowledged by his peers, the media, and diners around the globe. Tetsuya was also selected as the Japanese sake industry’s first overseas Sake Samurai (or ambassador) in 2006. In 2010, Tetsuya embarked upon an exciting new culinary venture in Singapore. His restaurant, Waku Ghin, is located in the Marina Bay Sands complex. Tetsuya’s second restaurant has received the same exceptional reviews as his pioneer venue in Sydney.
Come shine in Sydney Lyn Lewis-Smith CEO, Business Events Sydney Sharing Sydney’s success
In late 2013, he was honoured by the Japanese government as the first ever internationally-based chef to become one of Japan’s Masters of Cuisine.
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aunching Sydney Shines magazine in May 2014 gave Business Events Sydney the opportunity to share some of Sydney’s success stories with the global community. This second edition is no exception and we are excited to tell you more about this amazing city, its people and its future. Sydney is a city that has a reputation for striving for more, constantly reinventing itself. This edition gives you a taste of what is to come in the harbour city. The blueprint for Sydney’s vision is based on creating an environment where creativity flourishes, and where high achievers can work with their peers to change the world. Sydneysiders set the bar high and that is why Sydney is the city of choice for visitors, delegates and residents. We have enlisted the help of some of Sydney’s many luminaries to describe the diversity and depth of skills that are drawn to – and flourish in – this wonderful city. Being recognised again as Australia’s number one city for international association meetings in 2013 by both the International Congress and Convention Association and Union of International Associations is a great indicator of a positive future. With the International Convention Centre Sydney (ICC Sydney) to open in late 2016, we have a lot to look forward to and this new precinct will allow us to accommodate even more meetings – boosting Australia’s overall standing in the international meetings arena. The harbour city has plenty to offer international business events; Sydney goes beyond its impressive icons to deliver a diverse knowledge economy, thriving research community and the drive to achieve game-changing results. So, whether you’re looking to inspire or to be inspired in whatever walk of life, my invitation remains the same: come shine in Sydney!
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Tetsuya Wakuda
Sydney – the perfect setting for a culinary success story World renowned chef A fusion of French techniques and Japanese philosophy
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anding in Australia at age 22 with nothing more than a suitcase and a love of food, little did Tetsuya Wakuda know he would become one of the nation’s most renowned and celebrated chefs. Fortunately, Sydney was set to be his future home and the perfect setting for his success. Tetsuya grew up in the Japanese town of Hamamatsu in the Shizuoka Prefecture, a world away from his first job as a kitchen hand at Fishwives located in the inner Sydney suburb of Surry Hills in 1982. A year later, he was introduced to Sydney chef Tony Bilson, who was looking for a Japanese cook to make sushi at his restaurant, Kinsela’s. It was under the watchful eye of Tony that Tetsuya learned classical French techniques, which formed the beginnings of his own innovative cooking style. In a unique fusion, Tetsuya began to marry European methods with the Japanese philosophy of using natural, seasonal flavours. It was in 2000 that his dream became a reality – Tetsuya opened his own restaurant, Tetsuya’s. The restaurant found its home in a heritage-listed building that boasts exquisite dining rooms and overlooks a serene Japanese garden in the
Not only has he been able to set up a thriving business in Sydney, where Australia’s flexible and accountable financial practices, open regulation, and transparent government policy made his dream possible, Tetsuya adores Sydney’s natural beauty.
heart of Sydney’s CBD. The mini oasis in the centre of the city, often described as a temple of gastronomy, offers scrumptious fusions of food served as a 10-course degustation.
“We have the same values [in Japan] when it comes to living with nature and still being in the city,” mused Tetsuya. “Looking at the city from the harbour always amazes me.
Tetsuya’s vision and consistency in delivering excellence soon achieved a large following, resulting in a six-month waiting list to secure a table. His success also placed Tetsuya’s in the top 10 restaurants in the world in 2008.
“I love to take my guests out on my boat for the day and serve lunch anchored in one of the many picturesque bays we have here in Sydney.
Tetsuya attributes some of his success to Sydney and his life in the harbour city. “There is such an abundance of fantastic produce from all over Australia. Our multicultural society produces a great variety of ingredients and cuisine,”
“Sydney has super fresh ingredients with such fantastic variety, continuously developing sustainable new ingredients for local use and export,” Tetsuya.
The degustation menu at Tetsuya’s is unique, based on the Japanese philosophy of using natural seasonal flavours, enhanced by classic French technique and using the freshest possible ingredients. Tetsuya designed his own on-site “test kitchen” within the restaurant to enable him to create the constantly evolving and inspiring dishes on which he has built his esteemed international reputation.
“And one of my favourite pastimes is fishing. In Sydney it’s so easy to go out on my boat with a moment’s notice. It’s so relaxing, just like having a holiday at home,” added Tetsuya. In addition to his restaurants, Tetsuya has introduced some of his most loved and admired recipes to kitchens and book shelves across the globe through his cookbook, Tetsuya and expanding range of gourmet products, so that everyone can enjoy his culinary delights – with a side of Sydney!
tetsuyas.com
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‘EAT OUT AT RESTAURANTS’ – THE MOST POPULAR ACTIVITY UNDERTAKEN BY VISITORS TO SYDNEY. Source: Destination New South Wales
Credit: Rotary International
Rotary International Convention 2014 radiates success in Sydney!
The 105th Rotary International Convention brought together Rotarians from across the world to share their projects and provided an opportunity to demonstrate the work Rotary does around the world.
One of the largest annual meetings held globally Whole-of-city support $120,000 raised for polio
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xpectations were high when Business Events Sydney won the 105th Rotary International Convention for Australia some 10 years ago. However, no one could foresee just how successful this convention would be for Sydney, and the association.
The global eradication of polio was one cause that the convention was able to assist both financially and by raising public awareness. Delegates at the Sydney Rotary International Convention helped to raise $120,000 for the cause.
The combination of the convention and an appealing destination saw the international meeting achieve higher than anticipated numbers, with close to 15,000 overseas delegates attending.
“I think the emphasis on Polio in the convention was absolutely a wonderful highlight. We don’t tend to think about it anymore – that there are hundreds of thousands of children at risk throughout the world,” said Mr Thompson.
The Rotary International Convention is one of the largest annual meetings held globally and this year it injected approximately $62 million into the New South Wales (NSW) economy when visitors from 148 countries attended the four-day program at Sydney Olympic Park, 1 – 4 June.
The Rotary End Polio Now bridge climb was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for delegates and drew worldwide media attention to the cause. The climb broke two world records as 340 people gathered on the bridge at the one time, smashing Oprah Winfrey’s previous record of 315. And, with 278 flags in hand the climb also broke the world record for the number of flags flying on any bridge in the world at the one time. The money raised was enough to buy Polio immunisation vaccine for 240,000 children.
Spanning 640 hectares, the venue was able to accommodate all of the convention’s activities in one place. Rotary credited much of the success of the convention to Sydney’s appeal as a tourist attraction. Rotary International Convention Committee Chair, Mark Maloney said Sydney was on the bucket list of many people.
Further promoting Rotary’s mission to protect children against the paralysing effects of polio was a light instillation at 88 George Street, The Rocks, which then became a part of the Vivid Sydney.
Rotary delegates
Local Organising Committee Chair, Barry Thompson, added that the support provided by key stakeholders Business Events Sydney, the NSW Government, Sydney Airport, Sydney Olympic Park and the City of Sydney were crucial to the overall success of the event. This support included dedicated trains, welcome signage at the airport, Darling Harbour and Sydney Olympic Park, and a light installation at Vivid Sydney.
easy the venue was to navigate. He received tremendous reports from delegates who praised the warmth of Sydneysiders and friendliness of Rotary volunteers. This combined with an outstanding culinary experience, enviable weather, and easy-tonavigate city meant Sydney delivered on many fronts.
Ron Burton, President Rotary International, said he measured the success of his events by the number of participants and on how
He received tremendous reports from delegates about the helpful people in Sydney, how simple the city is to navigate
and the suitability of the venue for a convention of its size. “This is the ninth Rotary Convention I have been to, but Sydney was the big draw card. I love, love, Sydney. The people number one, are all so friendly and helpful. The Sydney convention, compared to others, seemed to be a whole lot more organised and the transportation was fabulous,” said Louise Andres, Rotary delegate, USA.
“Sydney 2014 was Rotary International’s best convention in years, if not ever,” said Bob Aitken, Local Organising Committee. besydney.com.au
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The Aussies behind the world’s biggest blockbusters Creative visual effects and technical talent Australians’ “incredible can-do attitude”
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ustralia is renowned for its surf, but what is not so well known is that Australian visual effects have been making huge waves on the world stage. Leading the way is Oscar nominee David Clayton, star-studded VFX, and animation studio Animal Logic. David Clayton is one of the shining lights of the film industry, having twice been nominated for a prestigious Oscar award for his animation work on The Hobbit films. Mr Clayton also joins an elite group of Australian visual effects artists who have been nominated for an Academy Award, matching the achievements of Steve Courtley (The Matrix) and John Cox (Babe). He has been based in New Zealand for the past decade, where his creative talents were put to use at Peter Jackson’s visual effects company Weta Digital on features including Avatar, King Kong and I, Robot.
Animal Logic, headquartered at Fox Studios in Sydney, has provided the magic behind some of the most critically acclaimed box office hits of the last decade.
The firm, which grew from 10 staff in 1991 to more than 500 in 2013, has worked on features such as 300, Face Off, Walking with Dinosaurs 3D and The Great Gatsby, to name a few. Most recently, its film, The Lego Movie, has taken US$275 million globally according to AusFilm and has been so successful that Warner Bros announced it would commission a sequel. The company also brought the penguin world to life creating the Oscar-winning and Australia’s first digitally animated feature film, Happy Feet.
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Meanwhile, FuelVFX, acquired by Animal Logic in 2012, has worked on several big budget titles such as Iron Man 2 and 3, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, The Avengers and Thor. Suffice to say, Australia is producing some of the most successful and creative visual effects and technical talent ever seen. It is a testament to the way imagination and innovation are openly encouraged and fostered in Australia, but interestingly the success of this industry is perhaps not as widely known locally. “It’s an extraordinary thing to be celebrated ... because they have created a lot of work and brought a lot of inward investment. The technology they have developed is cutting edge,” said Screen Australia CEO, Graeme Mason. Mason credits Australians’ incredible can-do attitude to explain why the country is producing such stand-out talent in the realm of visual effects. Developments in technology have also removed the barriers to Australian firms working closely with Hollywood studios and directors. Andy Brown, VFX supervisor at Animal Logic, who has won several awards for his work over the last two decades on films such as Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby and House of Flying Daggers, said we’re adaptable, we’re very creative and we’re competitive. “Animal Logic and others over several decades have put Australia on the map for visual effects and animation. “It’s showing the world internationally that we’re a talented, creative and technical bunch, it’s pretty special,” added Mr Brown. Source: Licensed from the Commonwealth of Australia under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Australia Licence. The Commonwealth of Australia does not necessarily endorse the content of this publication.
animallogic.com
The Charles Perkins Centre Credit: University of Sydney/Lousie Cooper
Sydney University’s Charles Perkins Centre a world leader in research and collaboration Aims to ease the burden of these diseases Dedicated to the first Aboriginal man to graduate from an Australian university
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he state-of-the-art Charles Perkins Centre research and education hub at the University of Sydney aims to ease the burden of some of the world’s most pressing health issues - obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and related conditions - through groundbreaking multidisciplinary research and education. Academic Director of the Charles Perkins Centre, Professor Stephen Simpson said it was becoming increasingly clear that there was no simple, single solution for the crisis posed by our skyrocketing rates of obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and related conditions. “The Charles Perkins Centre’s unique combination of a complex systems approach, the integration of multiple academic disciplines, and the scale, breadth and depth of research we conduct represents a new model for understanding and overcoming these diseases,” added Professor Simpson. Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of Sydney, Dr Michael Spence said the Charles Perkins Centre represented a completely new way of conducting research.
“The Charles Perkins Centre research and education hub plays home to an initiative that is already changing the way we think about some of the most destructive health issues in the world,” said Dr Spence. This $385 million purpose-built facility on the University’s Camperdown campus spans 49,500m2 and brings together researchers, clinicians and students from all 16 of the university’s faculties. The building fosters collaboration, with largely open-plan offices, shared lab facilities with dedicated technicians, shared informal spaces, and numerous small meeting rooms for impromptu discussions. The building can accommodate 900 researchers and features the world’s most advanced teaching laboratory, wet and dry laboratory research and teaching, and a clinical research facility. NSW has the largest research sector in Australia – a country ranked seventh in the world for the quality of its research institutions by the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Report 2012-13. In addition to the Charles Perkins Centre, Australia’s world-class medical research institutions include the Garvan Institute, the Lowy Research Centre and the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute. With a free spirit and the ability to think outside the box, the opportunities for Australians to innovate, inform and reform health on a global scale knows no bounds.
sydney.edu.au/perkins
PERFECT CHINA REPORTED
20% delegates over four days. More than 2,100 of Perfect China’s high achievers enjoyed the stunning vista from the top of the bridge, making it the largest single corporate group to climb the famous steel arches.
Sydney takes incentives to perfect heights for Chinese delegation Money-can’t-buy experiences Inspiring destination
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ustralia’s ability to provide moneycan’t-buy experiences is paying huge dividends and Sydney is leading the way in hosting major Asian incentive programs. The Perfect China 2013 Leadership Seminar was secured by Business Events Sydney (BESydney), in partnership with Destination NSW, and saw a 3,000-strong contingent of visitors to the harbour city. Perfect China is a leading health and personal care direct selling company that recognised Sydney was the type of destination that would inspire extra effort from the company’s employees. Arriving in July 2013, the delegation was treated to a five-star experience; seeing, tasting, and touching the very best of the city and surrounding region.
Mr Kent Yu, Personal Assistant to the President of Sales and Operations and Director of Business Management of Perfect China said it was important that Perfect China incentives included activities with an element of surprise and activities the average tourist couldn’t do. Darling Harbour was cordoned off for the delegation to enjoy an impressive high-speed water display complete with jet boats, speed boats, fireworks and acrobatics. Before the performance, Perfect China VIPs Chairman, Mr Koo Yuen Kim, Vice Chairman, Mr Hooy Kok Wai and President, Mr Woo Swee Lian arrived by boat to meet the delegation. Tobruk Sheep Station was also hired exclusively for the group throughout their six-day visit to provide a taste of Australian rural outback heritage. Around 500 delegates each day travelled to the station and were welcomed by stockmen on horseback cracking whips. Delegates were treated to a variety of activities including sheep shearing demonstrations, damper and billy tea cooking, bush dancing workshops, and sheep mustering. An absolute highlight for the delegates was climbing to the top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge with BridgeClimb, which used Mandarin-speaking guides to assist
Perfect China’s Mr Yu said there were many other instances of Sydney going the extra mile. “BESydney was proactive in facilitating a customised program and assisted us in many ways, really going above and beyond,” My Yu said.
Safety and sophistication Mr Yu said Sydney’s safety and its multicultural, friendly residents were important factors in selecting the city for its incentive program.
“Australians are very welcoming towards visitors to their country,” Mr Kent Yu.
BESydney General Manager Business Development, Kristian Nicholls said the bureau has had in-market presence since 2004. “We’re just now starting to see the rewards. Last financial year, events from Asia accounted for 40 per cent of the overall number of events delivered by BESydney,” said Mr Nicholls.
GROWTH IN PERFORMANCE A noticeable shift in the city is the prevalence of public and private organisations working together to ensure that visitors, and particularly the evergrowing Chinese market, are well catered for. CEO of Destination NSW, Sandra Chipchase, said the city was doing more to attract the Chinese market, which accounted for just over 13 per cent of all international visitors to the state. “We want to be the one-stop shop in Australia for anybody in China who wants to bring incentive business or conventions to this city,” said Ms Chipchase. Mr Yu said Sydney’s natural beauty, combined with its modern infrastructure and its experience in catering for the incentive market, were other clear reasons why the group chose Sydney for its 2013 program. “We want our people to work harder, to achieve more so that they can experience this five-star unique experience; Sydney truly is an incentive,” added Mr Yu. This was achieved, with the company reporting a 20 per cent growth in performance and a 20 per cent increase in qualifiers for the trip – a direct result of selecting Sydney.
besydney.com.au
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Artist’s impression of ICC Sydney courtesy of HASSELL + Populous and Darling Harbour Live.
Interview with Geoff Donaghy CEO, International Convention Centre Sydney (ICC Sydney)
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usiness Events Sydney caught up with Geoff Donaghy, Chief Executive Officer of the International Convention Centre Sydney (ICC Sydney) and AEG Ogden Group Conventions Director to find out how the development was going. Q: There is a lot going on down at the site at the moment. Can you tell us where the construction of ICC Sydney is up to? We are at a very exciting stage of the development. The demolition process is complete and the building of ICC Sydney is officially underway. The foundations and concrete structural works are about to be built and this will continue into 2015. It’s a busy site and there are already many opportunities for the people of Sydney. Across the total 20-hectare redevelopment, the project will provide 3,700 jobs during construction and a further 4,000 jobs on completion. Set within a lively dining and leisure scene, the $1.1 billion development is being delivered by the NSW Government and Darling Harbour Live as the epicentre of a 20-hectare transformation of Darling Harbour. Q: Is the project on time? It certainly is. Over the next two years an intensive construction schedule will be undertaken to deliver the project. Everything is on track to be ready for December 2016.
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Q: What are the priorities for AEG Ogden at this time? Recruiting key business development professionals has been a major priority in the last few months. Our focus now is on building the team to develop a strong sales network and marketing drive to educate the corporate and association markets, nationally and internationally. We are developing our new brand, website and laying the foundations for our marketing efforts. We are also out there actively promoting ICC Sydney. We exhibited at IMEX in Frankfurt, earlier this year, at Inspire Ex in Sydney and we will be present at IMEX in Las Vegas, ICCA in Antalya and EIBTM in Barcelona in November, plus AIME in Melbourne early next year. Q: What are some of the events that will be amongst the first to be held at ICC Sydney? Sibos, the highly sought after global financial conference, is a very prestigious event to take place at ICC Sydney in 2018. AEG Ogden worked closely with BESydney in its bid to ensure SWIFT, the decision making body, could see how state-of-the-art the facility would be. Sibos is one of 15 international events to be confirmed for the new venue by BESydney. It is pleasing to see that Sydney is the city of choice for many key international stakeholders. We are now preparing for an engagement program with the exhibition and national convention markets.
Q: When talking about ICC Sydney in international circles what are people most interested to know about? There is enormous interest in what ICC Sydney will bring to the global business events industry, with Sydney now being hailed as the new global hub in Asia Pacific. Many organisations across the world are looking closely at the quality of our facilities and how they will enhance the event experience. As Sydney is renowned globally for its excellent variety of contemporary cuisine, I am also being asked about ICC Sydney’s vision for catering and what memorable culinary experiences we will provide. We have determined that all our menus will be served with the warmth and generosity that Sydney hospitality is famous for and will be combined with sustainable practices, such as reducing the food miles of the produce served. This will be central to our offering. Q: What are you personally most excited about for ICC Sydney? ICC Sydney will be the largest and first fully-integrated convention and exhibition facilities in Australia. In fact, I believe it is the single most exciting project in the venue world today and more than likely over the next decade. Set amongst restaurants, retail and a vibrant public domain in Darling Harbour, ICC Sydney is at the heart of the precinct yet only a moment’s walk to Australia’s largest CBD and surrounding university and cultural quarters.
ICC Sydney is a major milestone for Australia in an intensely competitive industry. I am excited to show our plans and talk about the results I know we’ll deliver for events and organisations from all around the world.
Since we’ve started marketing ICC Sydney, it has been pleasing to hear the confidence business event organisers have in AEG Ogden’s involvement in the project, which has been generated through their experiences in our venues in Australia, Asia and the Middle East, and more recently in Los Angeles and Hawaii. I’m looking forward to standing at the front doors on the first day to welcome our very first delegate. That moment will be the culmination of years of planning, collaboration, creation and dreaming and I know I’ll be standing amongst a terrific team of dedicated people in an exceptional building. Business events offer incredible benefits for cities and communities and it is a great pleasure to be part of this industry.
iccsydney.com.au
Sydney to host world’s largest financial conference: Sibos 2018 Major coup for Sydney Gathers financial heavyweights $50 million in economic impact
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ydney has won a highly contested bid to host the world’s largest financial services conference at the new International Convention Centre Sydney (ICC Sydney) in 2018. Securing Sibos 2018 confirms the harbour city’s position as a global professional services hub and a financial mecca in the Asia-Pacific region. Sibos is an annual week-long event that gathers thousands of decision makers from the financial world and other professional industries. Lyn Lewis-Smith, CEO of Business Events Sydney (BESydney) said Sibos was a highly sought-after international event that draws the world’s banking and finance elite together and drives the future of the global industry.
Convention
Sibos is a major coup for Sydney that will bring a staggering 6,000 delegates to the city and is worth an estimated $50 million to the NSW economy. NSW Premier, Mike Baird said Sydney was home to Australia’s finance sector and was delighted to be hosting the world’s financial heavyweights in 2018. “Visitors to Sydney for Sibos 2018 will meet in the new $1.1 billion worldclass convention facilities at Darling Harbour and be able to explore Sydney’s thriving new financial services district at Barangaroo – both of which are currently under construction,” said Mr Baird. The major government investment into key infrastructure is spurring Sydney’s growth and position as a key financial and business centre. The revitalisation of Darling Harbour and Barangaroo represents a total investment of over $7 billion into Sydney’s business precincts of the future.
Artist’s impression of ICC Sydney courtesy of HASSELL + Populous and Darling Harbour Live.
Exhibition
Mr Baird said this win showed the NSW Government’s strategy to attract major business events to Sydney was working. Sven Bossu, Head of Sibos at SWIFT said BESydney was instrumental in outlining what Sibos 2018 could achieve in Sydney. “The team presented a highly coordinated city bid. “We are pleased to bring Sibos back to the harbour city and look forward to working with the local community to deliver another high-quality Sibos event in the region,” he said. Ms Lewis-Smith added Sydney had proven itself as a global commercial and business centre, underpinned by a growing critical mass of creativity and innovation that was drawing the world’s best and brightest to its shores.
Artist’s impression of ICC Sydney courtesy of HASSELL + Populous and Darling Harbour Live.
The Charles Perkins Centre Theatre Photo credit: University of Sydney/Lousie Cooper
sibos.com
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“There are mathematicians, theoretical physicists and computer scientists all over the world working on the development of these algorithms, although most people aren’t necessarily aware of it. If a quantum computer can do something in a week that would normally take two years, then suddenly everything changes,” added Simmons. The quantum computing researchers at UNSW are all part of the interstate Centre for Quantum Computation and Communication Technology (CQC2T). In recent years, they have published a series of important articles in the world’s top scientific journals that showed that using phosphorus atoms in silicon was an ideal way to build qubits. The UNSW teams, led by Scientia Professor Simmons, Professors Sven Rogge, Andrea Morello and Andrew Dzurak, have different methods to prepare these phosphorus atom qubits. To understand where quantum researchers are currently at, it’s helpful to think about the development of silicon-based chips in regular computers. Making this comparison, Scientia Professor Simmons said it took about 15 years from a single transistor to having a product you could sell.
Scientia Professor of Physics and Laureate Fellow Michelle Simmons and Professor Andrew S. Dzurak
UNSW research leads quantum computing race
“In quantum computing that’s where we are, in that period.” billions of bits inside your laptop or other computers are encoded using transistors on integrated circuits. They can have two possible values – 1 or 0 – depending on whether electrical current flows through them.
Together these two quantum properties promise to change the arithmetic of computing completely. Scientists realised as you added more and more entangled qubits together, the computing power would grow exponentially.
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In the 1980s, scientists began to theorise it might be possible to build computers a completely different way, harnessing the special properties of matter that apply when you get down to the sub-atomic scale. In this minuscule world, objects can simultaneously exist in a combination of all their possible states, in a phenomenon known as superposition.
This would allow a quantum computer to compute many different possible solutions to certain kinds of problems all at once. While a regular computer needs to take a certain number of steps in order to calculate something, a quantum computer would be capable of taking huge short cuts by performing its calculations in parallel across all its entangled qubits.
In their mind, the next generation of computer will operate using the laws of quantum physics and will unlock unimaginable processing power to solve problems beyond the capacity of today’s technology.
Scientists realised if they could make computers that stored information in these kinds of quantum systems, then each ‘quantum bit’ of information, or qubit, could be, in essence, a 0 and 1 simultaneously.
Every year, scientists discover more and more potential applications for quantum computers, explains Scientia Professor of Physics and Laureate Fellow Michelle Simmons, named NSW Scientist of the Year in 2011.
Another quantum phenomenon vital in quantum computing is ‘entanglement’. Put simply, this phenomenon means the characteristics of two particles that have interacted with each other become inextricably linked. So if you measure a property of one of them, the others will be found to have values that correlate.
“A lot of the applications are mathematical, such as economic modelling, financial modelling and weather forecasting,” revealed Scientia Professor Simmons.
Powerful new kind of computer Capable of huge short cuts cientists from the University of New South Wales (UNSW) are making science fiction a reality. They are manipulating matter at the most fundamental level, with the aim of building a powerful new kind of computer.
When it comes to understanding quantum computing, most of us are familiar with ‘bits’ – the fundamental units of information regular computers are based upon. The
NSW HOME TO 8
Other applications might include searching through large amounts of data, simulating natural phenomena and calculating the factors of very large numbers.
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The difference is that while most people in the 1950s and 1960s were working on integrated circuits built on silicon chips, in quantum computing there are many different quantum computer ‘architectures’ being studied by different research groups around the world. “There are all these different approaches, and some of them just aren’t going to scale. The game really is what is going to scale up, to lead to a practical system. Silicon is definitely the one we are betting on and, motivated by our results, a lot of people are now moving into this space,” explained Simmons. To make the leap to a useful, commercially saleable computer, the UNSW scientists need to build a method of combining multiple qubits into an architecture that allows them to communicate with each other. *A version of this article first appeared in UNSW’s Uniken magazine.
unsw.edu.au
OF AUSTRALIA’S PROFESSIONAL, SCIENTIFIC, TECHNICAL SERVICES INDUSTRY Source: A Global Destination for the World of Business
Kicking goals for Asia Largest football event hosted in Australia 45,000 visitors expected
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he Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup in January 2015 will be the largest football event ever hosted on Australian shores. Staging a marquee event for the 47 nations of the Confederation, the Asian Cup comes at a time when there is growing recognition of the potential to leverage football and Australia’s membership of the AFC. It presents an opportunity to broaden and strengthen engagement in a region vital to Australia’s future prosperity. Australia’s proximity to the AsiaPacific region has created a unique economic and cultural exchange that is mutually beneficial and lucrative. Asia’s extraordinary ascent has bolstered the Australian economy and brought about new social and strategic possibilities, which will continue to advance Australia‘s growth throughout the ‘Asian Century’. Leveraging the appeal of the world’s most popular sport to tap into Asian growth markets has already been put into practice. In 2011, Australian footballer Joel Griffiths, then a star player in the Chinese domestic league, helped draw a crowd to a business breakfast in Beijing to facilitate trade engagement.
Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour
Culture sings to new heights in Sydney First Handa Opera attracted an audience of 40,000 people Stunning harbour backdrop
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he Sydney Opera House is not only revered for its architecture but for the high calibre of cultural performances that take place in the building year round. It’s only fitting then that the pre-eminent operatic production company, Opera Australia, is based in the Sydney Opera House for eight months of the year, producing a line-up of outstanding performances each season. The curtain went up on the Australia Elizabethan Theatre Trust (as Opera Australia was then known) in 1956, with four Mozart operas attracting huge audiences. Since then, the company has brought the tradition and splendour of opera to millions of people. While opera has enjoyed much success in Sydney, in 2012 it reached new heights thanks to the creative vision of Opera Australia’s artistic director Lyndon Terracini. Once a successful international baritone opera singer, Terracini was inspired to bring opera into the 21st Century and reach new audiences. With support from Japanese-born philanthropist Dr Haruhisa Handa and Destination NSW, Opera Australia staged the first Handa Opera – a fully produced and staged version of La Traviata by Giuseppe Verdi, directed by internationally recognised Francesca Zambello – on Sydney Harbour. The theatrical masterpiece took place on a tailor-made stage built over the water off the Royal Botanic Gardens with the stunning harbour as its backdrop.
It attracted an audience of 40,000 people over the three-week showing. Similar audience numbers were reached with the production of Carmen in 2013.
Michael Brown, CEO of the 2015 AFC Asian Cup Local Organising Committee said that hosting Asia’s largest sporting event and festival of football brought a raft of exciting opportunities, as well as responsibilities.
“It’s a great honour that we need to embrace and manage with respect. There are many different facets that need to be harmonised so the event delivers for Australia, competing nations, and the development of the game,” said Mr Brown. One immediate benefit lies in promoting Australia as a tourism destination, with 45,000 visitors expected to arrive from AFC nations in Asia and the Middle East. The event will bring 3,500 journalists, a critical mass of media interest that will also paint a picture in the minds of Asian and Middle Eastern people of contemporary Australia in lifestyle, business and cultural terms. In addition to the media presence and passionate fans, the 2015 Asian Cup will see visits to Australia by royalty, heads of state, government ministers and officials, and business leaders. Source: Licensed from the Commonwealth of Australia under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Australia Licence. The Commonwealth of Australia does not necessarily endorse the content of this publication.
afcasiancup.com
Dr Handa supports many humanitarian and cultural programs. She set up The Handa Foundation, a non-religious, non-political, not-for-profit organisation with the mission of building hospitals and schools in various countries of Southeast Asia.
Under the open air and with more than the stars of the opera to admire, the Handa Opera not only offers quality cultural entertainment for visitors and locals, but a dining experience to remember.
This year the harbour site of the Handa Opera, Mrs Macquarie’s Chair, was transformed into an exquisite Japanese garden to complement the opera of choice – Madama Butterfly. Patrons seeking the ultimate pre-opera luxury dining and hospitality experience were treated to a superb three-course, Japanese-influenced dinner, paired with premium drinks, in the magnificent Platinum Club. The clever concept of the Handa Opera was highlighted this year as part of the Queen’s Birthday Honours List. Lyndon Terracini received a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for significant service to the performing arts.
opera.org.au
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Sydney scientists’ visionary spirit inspires others and funding Professor Connie Katelaris Leading the field of immunology and allergy
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rofessor Connie Katelaris is a leading physician in the field of immunology and allergy at the University of Western Sydney. Sydney has provided Professor Katelaris with a favourable environment to advance her work through the organisation of successful congresses, which, with the support of Business Events Sydney (BESydney), have attracted international acclaim. Australia has one of the highest incidences of allergic diseases and has actively invested in this area.
As a country, we are now seen as a global innovator and leader in the study of immunology.
In 2000, Professor Katelaris and her colleagues at the Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA) won the highly contested bid to host Australia’s first World Allergy Congress in Sydney. Reflecting on the congress, Professor Katelaris credited much of its success to BESydney’s support and professionalism. BESydney provided the tools, coaching and promotional material to sell Sydney – not only in terms of the field of immunology and allergy, but as a tourist destination. The opportunity for delegates to combine work with a holiday was a major draw card for the international delegates.
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Professor Katelaris said as experts in marketing, BESydney showed us how to make people realise that the economic, professional and personal benefits outweigh travelling here. “Professionally, it was pivotal and highly successful for our speciality to have international experts attend the congress. It got our society off the ground and gave us the financial backing to do what we wanted to do – set up funding to enable us to offer student scholarships and educational programs,” said Katelaris. Most recently, BESydney helped Professor Katelaris to win another event bid, the International Congress of Aerobiology. Aerobiology is a multidisciplinary field which covers broad fields of basic and applied sciences, such as allergology, bioclimatology, palynology, biological pollution, plant pathology, microbiology, indoor air quality, biological weathering, industrial aerobiology and cultural heritage. The congress made its Australian debut in September at the University of Western Sydney.
Sydney – the world’s best city for international students Sydney is a true cosmopolitan city International students bring fresh ideas Government support for international students
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new global ranking has confirmed international students love Sydney. The harbour city beat more than 83 countries around the world to become the place where students desire to live and learn.
Professor Katelaris said hosting the international meeting forged new associations and raised the profile of aerobiology.
Global consultancy firm A.T. Kearney put Sydney ahead of dozens of cities after studying the size of international student populations for its 2014 Global Cities Index.
“This branch of science is not very well known, and the congress was a catalyst for attracting the interest required to continue our work.
Out of the 300,000 international students across the country, 50,000 are studying at Sydney’s universities and a further 50,000 are studying vocational and English courses, according to federal government figures. The top five source countries for these students are China, India, South Korea, Malaysia and Vietnam, with strong interest from Pakistan, Colombia and the Philippines.
“The true value of hosting a congress for our scientific field is that it galvanises people with a common interest. The bridges and liaisons of personal and professional networking and the opportunity to join international groups are particularly important for young scientists and students,” concluded Katelaris.
uws.edu.au
NSW’s 3.5 million people are highly educated and multilingual. Sydney is a true cosmopolitan city, home to more than 200 spoken languages, a large population of overseas-born residents and more multinational regional headquarters than any other city in Australia.
On his first official visit to China as NSW Premier, Mike Baird promoted NSW trade and focussed on education, tourism and financial services. Speaking in the Chinese city of Guangzhou, in the NSW Sister-State of Guangdong, Premier Baird indicated NSW’s relationship with China went beyond trade adding his government was committed to supporting and promoting the education sector internationally. Deputy Premier and Minister for Trade and Investment Andrew Stoner welcomes international students and values the diversity, fresh ideas and global connections they bring to our classrooms and our community. The City of Sydney is also committed to supporting international students. Eighteen countries are currently participating in its dedicated international student leadership and ambassador program designed to provide work experience, skill development, mentoring and leadership training. The program is complemented by its international student resource guide, which provides students with the information they need to feel welcome in Sydney. Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore said students improved the city’s prosperity and liveability.
nsw.gov.au/informationinternational-students cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au
credited his willingness to take a chance with e-commerce as helping his company to take off. aussieBum’s international success has earned the company recognition and accolades, securing Australian Exporter of the Year in 2006, and again in 2009. Over the last decade, the brand has expanded to include different lines of clothing such as underwear and sportswear and plans are underway to release a line of women’s lingerie later this year. Mr Ashby stresses that keeping up with the latest innovations in garment production and fabric technology is critical. “If you can find a garment that can keep you warmer or stop you sweating or lets your skin breathe better, you’ve got a reason to buy it. If you just buy the same garment over and over again, you’ll only buy it when the old one wears out,” said Mr Ashby. To maintain its fan base around the world, the company has adopted a successful social media strategy, which has attracted more than 310,000 fans on Facebook alone. The secret, according to Mr Ashby, is to engage with fans in a social manner and not just as a retailer. Presenting content that a person in social media wants to share with others, while creating a space where fans feel free to express their opinions and feel a part of a community they can identify with, is the key to success. As the label’s primary designer, Mr Ashby also said expansions to the company have transpired organically. After the first year of selling swimwear, buyers in countries where summer was ending began enquiring when a winter range would be released. From there the aussieBum’s underwear line was born. Other lines of aussieBum clothing were likewise created in response to demands from consumers who wanted more from the brand. Mr Ashby said that natural process of product evolution, rather than the push for profits or expansion, was what kept the brand competitive and unique in today’s garment industry.
Sean Ashby
aussieBum wins through innovation Sydney’s Bondi Beach is the birthplace of aussieBum 310,000 fans on Facebook alone
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orn out of the iconic sand and surf of Sydney’s Bondi Beach, Australian leisure brand aussieBum started as a one-man show in 2001. Today, thanks to the Internet and innovative marketing, it has risen to become a multi-million dollar company with a presence in almost every country in the world. With overseas sales making up 90 per cent of its revenue, aussieBum has won over comfort-seeking male fans around the world – particularly those who like a bit of cheek in their swimwear. With innovative products such as vitaminreleasing underwear and the recently released eco-friendly banana range, which uses 27 per cent banana fibre, aussieBum now enjoys immense popularity, with sales totalling more than $20 million every year. aussieBum founder Sean Ashby said he only appreciated the success of the company
when someone told him it was successful. “It’s not until you go overseas that you see the impact the brand has. It’s very humbling and it’s also very exciting, ” said Mr Ashby. The idea for aussieBum started in 2000 when Ashby, a self-professed beach bum, couldn’t find the nylon swimmers he liked in any Australia retailers.
It was a blessing in disguise, however, when the last retailer showed him the door because he then turned to innovation to consider his alternatives. Mr Ashby made the decision to stray from traditional business models and sell directly to customers via the Internet.
“I figured, how hard could it be to make my own swimwear?”
At the time, e-commerce carried a lot of risk. The early 2000s saw the dotcom bubble implode dramatically, with many online retailers following suit.
Mr Ashby, who was then unemployed, decided to use the $20,000 he was saving for a house to produce a range of swimwear samples and started approaching retailers and potential buyers.
To help get the word out about his range, Mr Ashby gathered his fellow beach bum cohorts for a photo shoot on Sydney’s iconic Bondi Beach – a location now synonymous with the brand.
Success was hard to come by and one by one the retailers turned him down.
When a newspaper in London wrote a short article about Australian swimwear and referenced aussieBum, it brought the online store its first customers.
“At the time I wasn’t upset by rejection. My attitude was that there are so many retailers in Australia, one is going to say yes.”
“Basically that’s when we started in the true sense,” recalled Mr Ashby. “The first Internet order came in from the UK, and the rest is history.” Mr Ashby mused the online success of his company was partly the luck of being in the right place at the right time, but mainly he
“After 13 years of trade, it is still as successful as it has always been and that’s because we haven’t oversold the brand to the market so people have maintained their interest,” Mr Ashby said. There is one other key ingredient to aussieBum clothing’s international popularity and that is the company’s origin. “The fact is we’re trading off the back of an incredible brand called Australia. People overseas love Australia and we reflect the iconic Australian image.” Source: Licensed from the Commonwealth of Australia under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Australia Licence. The Commonwealth of Australia does not necessarily endorse the content of this publication.
aussiebum.com
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S Y DN E Y SH I N E S It’s the meeting place of people, opinions and ideas
Come and be inspired in a city where anything is possible, where we say “yes” to the toughest challenge, and where we work as a team to bring brilliant ideas to life. Here you can create unforgettable business events and give your delegates once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Our new International Convention Centre Sydney will be the perfect place for your event to shine. Disclaimer This publication has been prepared by Business Events Sydney (BESydney) as an information source only. BESydney makes no statements, representations, or warranties about the accuracy or completeness of, and you and all other persons should not rely on, any information contained in this publication. Any reference to a specific organisation, product or service does not constitute or imply its endorsement or recommendation by BESydney. BESydney disclaims all responsibility and all liability (including without limitation, liability in negligence) for all expenses, losses, damages and costs you might incur as a result of the information being inaccurate or incomplete in any way, and for any reason. © Business Events Sydney 2014
Image credits:
Artist’s impression of ICC Sydney courtesy of HASSELL + Populous and Darling Harbour Live. Bar setting photo: James Horan coutesy of Destination New South Wales
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