FOCUS ON AUSTRALIA WIN-SPRNG 2017 BUSINESS EVENTS WITH STYLE – Australia’s exquisite menu America’s Cup collapse – saved by Kiwi innovators Two wheels for Summer? – sport, tourer or café cruiser Caucasus wine adventure – more twists than a corkscrew THE LUXURY CORPORATE TRAVEL MAGAZINE 1 CORPORATE TRAVELLER WINTER 2017 m anaging a ustralian d estinations m anaging a ustralian d estinations Managing Australian Destinations is a full-service destination management ▪ Corporate Adventures company providing a range of Ground Management, Event Production ▪ Unique Events Services and Teambuilding for group movements around Australia. ▪ CSI Teambuilding ▪ Ground support Australia wide Over the past 26 years MAD has produced some innovative and creative business events, whether a dinner in a Rainforest for 3000 Financial planning delegates, or 40 Kiwis on a remote Kimberley beach we have done it. From the North West of Australia to Tasmania’s southern climes, groups of people have enjoyed amazing experiences conjured through the creativity of MAD. You’d be MAD not to join them. Head Office: Shop 3, 46 Wharf St, Port Douglas QLD 4877 P | 61 (0)7 4099 4308 E | [email protected] For more information on Managing Australian Destinations, please visit: www.m-a-d.com.au Corporate Traveller, Winter-Spring 2017 CONTENTS NEWS Welcome to Brisbane 14 News Roundup – What’s new in the business of travel 27 Hotel News 52 Australia’s New World City – Spotlight on the new and unique 29 Hotel Reports – Checking in to Sydney’s Pullman TASTE OF BYRON – an adventure with Terase 34 Airline News – What’s new on our flightpath You’re searching. We’re delivering. Linking to smart minds. Sparking Innovative ideas. Sourcing the right venue. 36 Flight Reports – Aerial adventures from Samoa & Gold Coast Connecting with the best suppliers. The Brisbane Convention Bureau offers effortless solutions COVER STORY – for every stage of planning your event. FOCUS ON AUSTRALIA 42 Australia’s $8 billion investment choosebrisbane.com.au – Menus for memorable events 70 52 A Taste of Byron – cruising in Terase’s red Kombi 56 Brisbane’s meteoric rise Euro City – one man’s – the secrets revealed drive for excellence 62 The Ghan’s Platinum service – luxury in the outback 66 Doltone House – a passion for unforgettable experiences WORLD FOCUS 74 Investing in New Zealand BUSINESS EXCELLENCE – Paula Bennett hails tourism 70 Euro City 78 Barging through Burgundy – one man’s drive for excellence – Antonella Kann at the helm 42 78 Australia’s memorable Barging through Burgundy business events with Antonella Kann 8 CORPORATE TRAVELLER WINTER 2017 CON FP Press ad_HQ A4_v1.indd 1 7/7/17 11:14 am Corporate Traveller, Winter-Spring 2017 CONTENTS Immediate power. Instant gratification. 96 108 BMW’s track day weapons OVATION OF THE SEAS – – a date with legendary M heralds new era of SuperCruising YACHTING GOLF 82 C-Tech 104 Thunderstruck – making the magic behind America’s Cup victory – Steven Adams joins Kiwi calendar MOTORCYCLING CRUISING 86 From America’s Cup to Spa 108 Ovation of the Seas – Grant Dalton’s need for speed – heralds new era of SuperCruising 90 Ducati’s sexy Scrambler – a very cool V-twin CUISINE 91 The new Chief Limited 110 An indulgence at Balthazar – Indian for touring luxury – Surfers Paradise showstopper MOTORING WINE BMW’s track day weapon 96 Corkscrew in the Caucasus – a date with legendary M 114 – Graham Simmons’ pilgrimage 98 Bentley’s Continental GT V8 – an immortal grand tourer 100 Volkswagen’s beloved Golf – still king of hot hatches 102 BMW’s 5 Touring – all set for alpine adventure The all-new Audi SQ7. The world’s most powerful diesel SUV. An Audi SQ7 can take off faster than a fighter jet over 300 metres* thanks to an electric compressor that reaches 70,000rpm in 0.25 seconds. This groundbreaking technology instantaneously boosts the twin turbochargers on it’s 4.0 litre V8 engine, so there’s zero turbo lag and the vehicle 104 114 can accelerate from 0-100km/h in 4.8 seconds. The all-new Audi SQ7 has now landed. *Tested against a Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jet by a professional driver under controlled conditions. Thunderstruck – Steven Corkscrew in the Caucasus Adams joins Kiwi calendar – world’s oldest wineries sophistication in motion 06 835 8810 120 Prebensen Dr, Napier eurocity.co.nz /eurocitynz 10 CORPORATE TRAVELLER WINTER 2017 OUR WORD FOCUS ON AUSTRALIA WIN-SPRNG 2017 America’s Cup afterglow PUBLISHER Bruce Laybourn lights up business excellence [email protected] BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER In the afterglow of the America’s Cup Trudy Parsons-Smith we are able to focus with some satisfaction [email protected] upon the excellence of the business behind EDITOR AT LARGE the winning of the world’s oldest trophy. Rob Prince Knowledge that sporting achievements [email protected] help inspire business confidence is not ART DIRECTOR new – but few sports are as closely tied to Darren Yallop business and larger-than-life players than [email protected] the America’s Cup. MOTORING EDITOR It’s always been that way – from the days Andrew Beacham when tea baron Sir Thomas Lipton sailed in vain across the Atlantic [email protected] to attempt to wrestle the cup from the United States between 1899 GOLFING EDITOR and 1930. Kelsen Butler Lipton’s futile three-decade campaign has now been picked up [email protected] by another knight – Sir Ben Ainsley – with the goal of having the WINE EDITOR cup back on British soil for the first time since it was won by the Liz Wheadon schooner America in 1851. [email protected] The cup drama, like all grand theatre, has enjoyed its share of PHOTOGRAPHY villains. Dennis Conner was a favourite. Jimmy Spithill was a much- Rob Trathen diluted version of “Dirty Den” – but he gave the role a reasonably [email protected] convincing performance. CORRESPONDENTS While the on-water sailors at Emirates Team New Zealand rightly Antonella Kann (South America) won chapters of plaudits, the behind the scenes heroes perhaps Graeme Simmons (Australia) didn’t get the limelight they deserved. Gerard Hindmarsh (New Zealand) In this edition we follow Grant Dalton directly from Bermuda to DISTRIBUTION Spa where he took part in one of his other passions – motorcycle International racing. Magzter/Newspaper Direct/isubscribe We also profile C-Tech, the company that build and supplied New Zealand and Australia many secret components to New Zealand’s winning catamaran. New Zealand’s top 500 CEOs, Australia’s As a “Focus on Australia” edition, this magazine takes a look at leading convention centres and event planners, premium airport lounges, the tremendous growth in Australia of very special locations for hospitality executives, hotels, cafés, business events. corporate headquarters. Corporate There are more than 200 hotel projects under way – worth more Cabs, jet charters and purchasers than $8 billion – that will come on stream over the next two years. top marque automobiles. Corporate Traveller is pleased to introduce a motorcycle chapter CORPORATE TRAVELLER MAGAZINE LTD in this edition – with a wide spectrum guide to those who feel the Corporate Traveller publishes four times approaching warmer weather might tempt them onto two wheels. each year. The contents are copyright This chapter looks at Vespa, the iconic scooter, Indian’s new and cannot be reproduced without the written consent of the Publisher. limited edition Chief, the hip new scrambler from Ducati and Most articles are commissioned, but offroaders from Yamaha and KTM. As well there’s a fitting tribute quality contributions may be considered. to Ducati’s Panigale. Corporate Traveller’s acceptance of all contributed material – words, images and Bruce Laybourn illustrations – is on the basis that these will be used internationally in all forms of the Publisher magazine’s distribution and marketing, be that print, digital or social networking. COVER: Business events in style at All articles, images and illustrations Elements of Byron, Byron Bay. submitted will remain open for reading, reference or retrieval without time limit through all forms of distribution. corporatetravellermagazine.com All material is accepted on this basis only. 12 CORPORATE TRAVELLER WINTER 2017 NEWS NEWS Villa 727 – this is a lakefront villa with direct access to the ocean, double storey with 3 ensuites upstairs, pool, beautifully WOrld’s DEBT THREE TIMES THE ECONOMIC OUTPUT FLAWLESS landscaped. Price F$1.25million COLOMBIAN say China’s debt stands at 260 percent EMERALD SOLD of its GDP. Advanced economies have cut debt IN NEW YORK levels by $2 trillion over the past year. A flawless Colombian emerald, However, the United States is once owned by the Rockefeller approaching $20 trillion, almost 10 family, has been sold at auction percent of global debt. in New York for more than “Rising debt may create headwinds for $5.5 million. Global debt levels surged to a record long-term growth and eventually pose The 18.4 carat emerald was $217 trillion in the first quarter of risks for financial stability,” the report purchased by famous jeweller, 2017. This is 327 percent of the said. Harry Winston, becoming the world’s annual economic output “In some cases, this sharp debt most expensive emerald per (GDP), reports the Institute of buildup has already started to become carat ever sold at auction. International Finance (IIF). a drag on sovereign credit profiles, John D. Rockefeller originally The surging debt was driven by including in countries such as China bought the rare untreated emerging economies that have and Canada,” it added. emerald in 1930 as a gift to his increased borrowing by $3 trillion to Emerging hard currency-denominated wife. Formerly, the record $56 trillion. This amounts to 218 debt grew by $200 billion in the past emerald sale at auction was for percent of their combined economic year – growing at its fastest pace since the 23.46 carat emerald that output, five percentage points greater 2014.