TTGmice February/March 2019 • 29
panoramic views of Sydney Harbour.
Another good view of Sydney
Harbour is from the sea. Instead of
a cruise, stage a sailing regatta! No
prior sailing experience is required.
Professional instructors assist in the
yacht race as team members work
together to steer their yachts to vic-
tory.
Cross the Bridge to Milsons Point
where Luna Park Sydney delights
not just with its ferris wheel, rides
and superb harbour views but also
event-staging options. Luna Park
Venues offers 10,000m 2 of indoor and
outdoor spaces in up to 13 different
event settings.
Crystal Palace takes 30 to 1,300
people while the Big Top holds from
500 to 3,000. Outdoor capacity var-
ies between 250 to 1,000 guests at
Lavender Green. Sonar features live
music and entertainment, and The
Deck bar and brasserie hosts smaller
parties. Whole-of-Park events can
accommodate 8,000 people.
“It has been our goal to provide
the very best catering Sydney has
on offer in our harbourside venues.
Team work is a massive part of what
we do today; it all comes down to
creating lasting experiences for peo-
ple in such an iconic location,” said
James Granter, general manager of
sales at Luna Park Venues Sydney.
Beyond the city
Incentive planners can also organise
a beach bash. Instead of the famous
Bondi, head to Manly, Coogee or
TALKING NUMBERS
45
The average number of delivered
Asian incentives in 2015-2017,
at an estimated average direct
expenditure of A$105 million
(US$74.1 million) per year
20
The percentage year-on-year
growth over the past decade in
value of events secured from Asia.
This market now forms almost
half of the business secured and
delivered each year
94
The percentage of delegates
satisfied with Sydney – highest-
ever rating for an Amway China
incentive. Amway China has
returned to Sydney three times
DEVELOPMENTS
TO WATCH
1
Sydney Fish Market at Black
Wattle Bay will be redeveloped
over three years to feature a
waterfront, boardwalk, wholesale
market with live auctions,
seafood retail outlets and fresh produce
markets. Expect expanded and upgraded
F&B options with different day and night
experiences, and venues for festivals and
events. The current market, the largest
of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere,
remains in business throughout.
2
“We are pleased to see
the growth of incentive
business from our
northern neighbours
across Asia in recent
years.”
Lyn Lewis-Smith
CEO, BESydney
quiet Bronte. Enjoy a picnic, sand-
castle building, beach volleyball,
surfing lesson or just snap photos of
surfer ‘hunks and babes’.
Alternatively, ride three hours’
north to Port Stephens. Activities in-
clude a quad-bike safari through the
Stockton sand dunes, kayaking and
stand-up paddle-boarding taught by
accredited instructors. On a dolphin-
watching buffet lunch cruise, the
skipper will give a commentary on
the region’s dolphins.
A day-trip to Hunter Valley can be
scaled up or down for the group’s
size. Besides cellar door stops, try a
blind-tasting quiz or contest, short
talk on wine appreciation or wine
and food-pairing lunch. To placate
beer guzzlers, visit a brewery. And
don’t skip the cheese and chocolate
shops!
In the Blue Mountains, Scenic
World is a popular attraction due to
its range of activities. Adventurers
may take the Skyway cablecar, walk
to the Three Sisters, climb down
the 1,000-step Giant Stairway, walk
through the temperate rainforest to
the Railway bottom platform and
ride back up to the main building.
The new, standalone Sydney
Metro will have 31 stations and
more than 66 km of new rail by
2024. When extended into the
CBD and beyond, it will run from
the booming North West region, under
Sydney Harbour, through new underground
stations in the CBD. Target capacity is
40,000 passengers per hour. Capacity will
increase by 60 per cent combined with the
existing rail network.
3
Set to open in 2026, the
24-hour, international Western
Sydney Airport will initially
handle five million passengers,
growing to 80 million annually
by 2056.
Shorter and easier routes are also
available.
BESydney has been promoting
Sydney globally for 50 years. Its
CEO, Lyn Lewis-Smith, said: “We are
pleased to see the growth of incen-
tive business from our northern
neighbours across Asia in recent
years. We look forward to welcoming
more organisations rewarding their
top teams here in Sydney in 2019 –
as new hotels come online, existing
stock is completely refreshed, and
exciting new experiences are added
to ‘wow’ visitors.”
Carolin Lenehan, BESydney depu-
ty general manager corporate affairs
and communications, added that sev-
eral major infrastructure projects are
rapidly changing the face of the city,
such as new public transport links,
great walkability improvements, and
the new Western Sydney Airport.
“We already have our primary
airport close to the CBD. When this
second airport opens in 2026, it will
provide new access routes to key
tourist attractions and regions to the
west of Sydney as well as our emerg-
ing ‘second and third city’ precincts,”
said Lenehan.