COVER FEATURE
The changing face of Adelaide – Australia ’ s most liveable city
While COVID-19 put a pause on life as we know it , it didn ’ t completely stall momentum in Adelaide , South Australia — a city that continues to grow from strength to strength as a business events destination .
From Adelaide ’ s redeveloped airport to a raft of new internationally branded and boutique hotels , the changing face of Adelaide is increasingly capturing the attention of corporate event planners .
“ Adelaide has always enjoyed a reputation as a safe , clean , green destination , and these elements will continue to define the Adelaide experience moving forward ,” comments Simon Burgess , General Manager , Adelaide Convention Centre . Indeed , it is these very qualities that contributed to Adelaide recently being judged Australia ’ s most liveable city — and the third most liveable city in the world in The Economist Intelligence Unit ’ s Global Liveability Index 2021 . The coveted Index ranked 140 cities across the world based on five categories : stability , healthcare , education , culture and environment , and infrastructure . Adelaide received a perfect score for the categories of healthcare and education , as well as 96.4 for infrastructure ; 95 for stability ; and 83.8 for culture and environment .
Adelaide ’ s hotel boom Over the past 12 months , the city has welcomed a series of new hotels , boosting inventory in the CBD to more than 6,600 hotel rooms , with more to come .
“ If I had to find a silver lining in the experience of the past year , Adelaide ’ s recovery has seen our city emerge in a stronger position in terms of business events infrastructure ,” says Burgess .
For corporate travellers , this string of new hotels includes the 329-room Crowne Plaza Adelaide that opened in November 2020 ( pictured above ) and the 251-room Sofitel Adelaide , just five minutes ’ walk from the Convention Centre , which is due to open in late 2021 .
In other hotel news , the InterContinental Adelaide , which
sits immediately adjacent to the Adelaide Convention Centre , recently announced a $ 32M upgrade . Works are due to commence later this year with completion earmarked for 2023 . The hotel will remain open throughout .
The proximity of these hotels to the Adelaide Convention Centre is perhaps what is most exciting for corporate event planners . All are located just a short walk away , reaffirming Adelaide ’ s reputation as a walkable conference destination . The laneways surrounding each are home to a vibrant array of restaurants and bars , ideally positioned to explore after conference hours .
“ The ability for delegates to easily connect with industry precincts and their sector leaders , along with ease of access to excellent hotels , vibrant laneways and our amazing regions mean Adelaide has become highly sought after as a business events destination ,” says Damien Kitto , Chief Executive Officer , Adelaide Convention Bureau
World-class conferencing The Adelaide Riverbank Precinct is where the city ’ s conferencing , cultural , sporting , educational and medical zones collide , making it Australia ’ s best-connected business events district . At the heart of this activity sits the Adelaide Convention
Centre , regarded for its state-of-the-art facilities , flexibility , innovative menu and technology investment .
Best described as ‘ feel good , whole food , made fresh ’, the Centre ’ s Honest Goodness menu philosophy has transformed the convention centre culinary experience via collaboration with leading nutritional experts at the South Australian Health & Medical Research Institute ( SAHMRI ) and CSIRO .
When it comes to technology , the Centre has enhanced its hybrid technology studio capabilities , as well as launched a new Technology Production Suite and virtual site inspection tool to provide greater support and flexibility to event planners . The new production suite has been designed to streamline the planning process by enabling clients to pre-visualise their event ; it helps breathe life into the planning process by providing clients opportunity to view a real-time walkthrough of their event , along with demonstration of the technology services relevant to their event , including pre-programmed lighting .
With so much going on in Adelaide , it ’ s time to rediscover the South Australian capital . For corporate event planners who haven ’ t visited Adelaide recently — it ’ s time . S
Summer Issue 2021 | Executive PA 09