July 2010
July 2010
Latest News
Queensland Events has appointed Kirsten Herring as General Manager - Event Acquisition and Development.
The newly created role will see Ms Herring leading a team of event managers responsible for the development and acquisition of arts, cultural and sporting events.
In addition, Ms Herring will oversee the management of the highly successful Queensland Events Regional Development Program.
Most recently Ms Herring was Manager – Innovation and Commercial Development at Uniquest Pty Ltd, and prior to that Executive Manager – Locations and International Production at the Pacific Film and Television Commission.
Greatest Assets
Anthony Hayes, CEO Tourism Queensland
A career that apparently ‘peaked’ at the age of 22 has managed to stay on a high for Queensland Events Board member and CEO of Tourism Queensland, Anthony Hayes.
At the ripe old age of 22, Anthony Hayes was on a plane to Barcelona. As the Events Marketing Manager for Qantas, his job description was to accompany the Australian Olympic team to Barcelona for the games.
“There I was, doing the coolest job in the coolest city at the coolest event in the world – my career had peaked and I was still only 22,” laughs Anthony.
But there were plenty of highlights to come. A long career at Qantas including roles as head of the Airline’s German and Austrian operations, Industry Sales for New South Wales, Product Development, Tourism Marketing and Corporate Sponsorships followed.
Hayes joined Tourism Queensland in 2005 as Executive Director International, and was appointed Chief Executive Officer in 2007.
With an emphasis on “creative and aggressive marketing” tactics to sell Queensland to the rest of Australia and the world, Hayes says participatory events are top of the list as tourism draw-cards.
“We have the weather, lifestyle, the great outdoors like nowhere else on the planet, and we do participatory events so well,” he says, citing the Noosa Triathlon and Gold Coast Airport Marathon.
“These events are getting so big they basically take over the host town – and in the process they almost single-handedly drive their local tourism economies in low-season,” he says.
A cultural event enthusiast, Hayes is also upbeat about the changing ‘brand’ of Brisbane over the past few years.
“The rest of Australia thinks of Brisbane differently now to what it did five years ago.”
“A lot of the shift in opinion can be credited to Tony Ellwood and his direction of the Queensland Art Gallery and the Gallery of Modern Art – tourism statistics are proving without doubt the ‘blockbuster’ exhibitions such as Warhol, Picasso and the upcoming Valentino retrospective really do drive people to the destination,” he says.
In fact, according to Hayes, Barcelona might just have a new competitor on the scene for the title of ‘coolest city’.
“It’s exciting to team up with Queensland Events to put both cultural and sporting events on the horizon which will change perceptions about Brisbane and Queensland,” he says.
Gold Coast Events Update
Records tumble at Gold Coast Airport Marathon
The smashing of two long-standing race records, a world record and international clean sweeps of the 42.195km event were highlights of the new-look two-day Gold Coast Airport Marathon held in a glorious Gold Coast weather conditions this past weekend (3-4 July).
A new event participation record of 23,812 (up from 23,398 in 2009) was complemented by Michael Shelley’s breaking of the 14-year Southern Cross University 10km Run record yesterday and Lisa Weightman’s obliteration of the women’s ASICS Half Marathon mark today.
Not to be outdone by the Commonwealth Games-bound elites, a new boy’s 4km Queensland Health Junior Dash record was set by South Australian youngster Riley Cocks while an age-level world record was achieved in the women’s 60+ full marathon category by serial record breaker, New Zealander Bernie Portenski.
The 42.195km Gold Coast Airport Marathon, attracted a record 5,020 entrants (up from 4,106 in 2009) to cement its status as the premier marathon race currently being held in Australia.
Kenyan trio James Kariuki, Peter Cherus and Ben Chebet blitzed the men’s field while Japanese trio Kaori Yoshida, Chiharu Matsuo and Mayumi Fujita did the same in the women’s race.
The Queensland Health Junior Dashes over 2km and 4km also provided plenty of colour and excitement for the 1,100-plus kids.
Queensland Events Gold Coast General Manager Cameron Hart said this weekend’s results on and off the track vindicated the difficult decision to split the event over two days.
“The new format has been widely applauded and supported by all major stakeholders and most importantly the runners, their families and supporters,” said Mr Hart.
“The event has well and truly showcased the Gold Coast to the world, demonstrated the city’s major event credentials and puts us in a strong position to attract other major events including the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
“The un-named and often un-acclaimed heroes of the event are the 800-plus volunteers who for this year over two days gave up much of their own time to ensure that the 23,812 runners had the fullest opportunities to experience the Gold Coast Airport Marathon in a positive way.”
For full results visit www.goldcoastmarathon.com.au
New Events
Cairns wins Davis Cup tie
Australia will play Belgium in the Davis Cup World Group play-offs on the hardcourts of the new Cairns Regional Tennis Centre. The tie will be played from 17-19 September, and will give Australia the opportunity to progress to the World Group level for 2011.
Queensland Minister for Sport Phil Reeves said the tie would be the first international Davis Cup tie to be played at the Cairns Regional Tennis Centre, which has recently benefited from an almost $2 million State Government funded facilities upgrade.
“This is a great coup for the Cairns region and definitive proof that international tennis is on the rise in Queensland,” Mr Reeves said.
Mr Reeves said the record-breaking performance of the second Brisbane International tournament in January gave Tennis Australia the confidence to select Brisbane to host the first Davis Cup tie, held between Australia and Japan in May at the new Queensland Tennis Centre.
State Member for Mulgrave Curtis Pitt MP said the Australia vs Belgium tie was a great addition to the Queensland Government supported events in Cairns during 2010, which also includes the 20/20 cricket tournament (August), the Cairns Regional Tennis Pro Tournament (September), and Cairns Street Buskers Festival (September).
“Cairns is the perfect backdrop to what will be a hard fought Davis Cup tie between Australia and Belgium,” Mr Pitt said.
“The city of Cairns is sure to offer our local and international tennis heroes a warm welcome this September and I encourage all tennis fans to join them for what will be a great event.
Regional Spotlight
King of the Mountain
It’s an uphill battle but there are plenty of contenders for the ‘crown’ at the annual King of the Mountain Festival in Pomona. Read more…
The bet was revived in 1983 when Stan Topper and the Lions Club established what was then known as the King of the Mountain race, and is now the King of the Mountain Festival.
Despite the name, the uphill battle is run by both men and women – current reigning ‘Queen of the Mountain’ Maree Stephenson beat seven-time winner Hubertein Wichers last year in a blistering 29 minutes 5 seconds and is going for her second consecutive win in less than 20 days.
An avid mountain hiker and trekker, Maleny based police officer Maree found the King of the Mountain race via the internet, and says she fell in love with the event at her first attempt in 2008.
“There’s a special feeling about being there – it obviously means a lot to the locals and it’s a very big event for the community, but it’s also low-key with a country festival feel about it,” Maree says.
“Competitors smile and encourage each other as we gasp and choke our way through the race – there’s a camaraderie which is quite rare for competitive events,” she says.
Following Maree’s win last year she travelled to compete in King of the Mountain’s sister race, the Kawerau King of the Mountain Race in the North Island of New Zealand, and won again.
“Each mountain has different angles and styles of run,” says Maree, who describes the downhill component of mountain racing as ‘holding your breath and just going for it’.
“You have to be slightly crazy to be a mountain racer,” she laughs.
“After all – if you fall downhill it’s going to be pretty epic – my family are always relieved when I return from a training session without any broken limbs.”
With just weeks until the 2010 King of the Mountain, Maree is holding her breath and training extra hard, visiting the Pomona mountain up to twice a week, and crossing her fingers and toes nothing breaks before she gets her chance to defend her ‘crown’.
So whether you’re in it to win it like Maree, or just going along for the ride, kick back and enjoy the scenery and tranquility of Pomona - this year’s King of the Mountain festival promises to be full of thrills, excitement and a family day of fun and entertainment.
KING OF THE MOUNTAIN FESTIVAL
Pomona
www.kingofthemountain.com.au
From popcorn to powerbroking…the Gold Coast will become Australia’s Hollywood this August when one of the world’s biggest film conventions brings its glamour to town.
The
Consultant to the trade show, Ian Sutherland, says the AIMC’s long history has seen it build a justifiable reputation as one of the world’s top three film conventions.
“The North American market has ShoWest (Las Vegas), the European market has Cinema Expo International (Amsterdam) and the Australian market has AIMC,” he says.
And the Aussie market is a more significant one than some may think – Australians are some of the most frequent cinema-goers in the world. The bumper box office receipts ensure the influence of the AIMC.
“Showing a film at AIMC can make or break it,” says AIMC president, Richard Parton.
“Death at a Funeral was a very small film with only modest box office receipts in the US and UK.
“It showed here and went onto make $20 million in Australia.”
Those who attend the AIMC enjoy a packed program that includes film screenings, AIMC ‘University’ covering big issues and emerging trends, award presentations and, of course, a social scene to rival tinsel town.
“The AIMC sees producers and stars like Bryan Brown standing at the coalface, as it were, with the cinema owner who’s showing their movie in a small town in regional Australia,” explains Ian.
“Local cinema owners can chat to the stars of the movies they are showing.”
On Sunday 15th August the VISTA Entertainment AIMC Charity Golf Challenge will be held to raise money for Variety - The Children's Charity and two Australian films will premiere during the convention, both with stars in attendance.
Australian International Movie Convention
Gold Coast
www.movieconvention.com.au
Asia Pacific Screen Awards Update
$100,000 grant for Asia-Pacific filmmakers
APSA Academy members across the region have access to a new $100,000 script development fund provided by the Motion Picture Association (MPA).
The formation of a US $100,000 film fund exclusive to filmmakers in the Asia-
Pacific region was announced at the Shanghai International Film Festival by Queensland Treasurer, the Hon. Andrew Fraser MP.
The MPA APSA Academy Film Fund will be granted to four members of the APSA Academy, an influential body of filmmakers comprised of past APSA nominees, winners, Jury and Nominations Council members - many of the region’s most respected names in film.
The inaugural recipients will be selected by a panel of industry experts and announced at the fourth annual APSA Ceremony scheduled to take place in Australia on Queensland’s Gold Coast on December 2, 2010.
Four grants, each of US $25,000, will be allocated to the script development of four new film projects that best reflect their cultural origins, demonstrate cinematic excellence and are deemed Asia-Pacific. The submission process for
the MPA APSA Academy Film Fund will commence on July 31st.
The fund is intended to stimulate production in the region, particularly at the development phase, among the 70 countries embraced by APSA.
www.asiapacificscreenawards.com
Find out what's on and where
www.queenslandevents.com.au/events
