As the 2018 Commonwealth Games looms, the host city, Gold Coast, continues to strike gold on the business events front. Most recently, the Queensland city was selected to host the country’s largest tourism and travel trade event, Australian Tourism Exchange 2016, for the first time.
For the welcome reception, delegates descended upon the area’s only five-star beachfront resort, Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort, Gold Coast. The event was a celebration of the state thanks to the hotel’s dedication to the theme – “This is Queensland” – attention to detail and commitment to world-class hospitality.
Winning Pitch
Andrew Sinclair, director of trade engagement for Tourism and Events Queensland, said the Sheraton was selected to host the welcome ceremony for its convenient location, history of delivering high-quality events, ability to theme the event as required, and beautiful facilities, such as the lagoon swimming pools.
Highlights
The Sheraton extended the Queensland theme to F&B sourced from the state along with entertainment and decoration.
Three food stations – a fresh seafood stall, a slider stand and barbeque station – and a Bundaberg liquor bar, serving a selection of locally produced liquors, showcased an array of local delicacies.
Even more impressive was the choice of desserts, carefully designed by the Sheraton’s chefs to represent specific events in the Gold Coast calendar. In celebration of the coastal city’s golfing tournaments, the catering team produced edible golf balls, made of dark chocolate and Bundaberg rum mousse, to sit among fresh wheat grass, edible flowers and soil made from chocolate shortbread.
The evening featured local talent as well as fare, with a Queensland-based band chosen to provide the entertainment. Adding to the ambience were interactive cooking stations, allowing guests to engage with the chefs.
For decor, the hotel team fitted the Sheraton’s Grand Ballroom, the reception venue, with colourful lanterns to match the resort’s lagoons and greenery. Despite being at full capacity (250 people), the team arranged the floor plan to accommodate the food stations, bar and stage area – plus breathing space for the guests!
After the cocktail reception, guests moved to the adjoining Mirage Grand Terrace where a DJ took over the entertainment. Enjoying spectacular views over the resort’s lagoon swimming pools, guests danced beneath 300 lanterns suspended from ceiling.
The Upshot
“Everyone who attended had a great time and attendees from Gold Coast Tourism, Tourism Australia and Tourism Events Queensland were very impressed,” said Sinclair, adding that the resort hotel’s general manager, Mark Sexton, and his team “did an outstanding job”.
“If there is a hotel of the year award, they have my vote,” said Sinclair.
“Everyone who attended had a great time and attendees from Gold Coast Tourism, Tourism Australia and Tourism Events Queensland were very impressed,” said Sinclair, adding that the resort hotel’s general manager, Mark Sexton, and his team “did an outstanding job”.
“If there is a hotel of the year award, they have my vote,” said Sinclair.
