Australia’s Business Events Sydney (BESydney), formerly known as the Sydney Convention and Visitors Bureau is pleased to announce the opening of an office in North America. Ms. Patty Buehler, business development director for North America heads the office.

Mr. Jon Hutchison, CEO of BESydney said, “North America is a priority market for Business Events Sydney and we are delighted to expand both our resources and our reach with the opening of a dedicated office in Montreal.  With many airlines traveling to and from Sydney, such as Qantas, and now Delta Airlines and V Australia, as well as lower airfares, there are more opportunities to cater for this market.” 
Sydney was also recently named the top city in Australia for business events, according to the International Congress and Convention Association’s (ICCA) City and Country Rankings 2008.

 E-mail: pbuehler@BESydney.com.au
Website: www.BESydney.com.au

The Melbourne Convention Centre opens this month with ceremonies officiated by Victoria’s Premier, John Brumby. The addition of the Melbourne Convention Centre, built adjacent to the existing Melbourne Exhibition Centre, creates Australia’s largest and most advanced convention and exhibition district. It is the first convention center in the world to receive the 6-Star Green Star environmental rating from the Australia Green Building Council. It has a state-of-the-art 5,000 seat plenary hall that can be divided into three self-contained, acoustically separate theaters, an entry level foyer capable of hosting 8,400 guests and 5-Star culinary facilities that use the best local produce and wines.

To take a virtual tour of the new Melbourne Convention Centre using the MCEC on-line interactive guide or to visit the M Green micro-site, go to: www.mcec.com.au/Experience

The Fairmont Beijing opens on 15 July. The property is located in Beijing’s Central Business District and has 222 light-filled guest rooms with floor to ceiling windows. Fairmont Gold, the hotel’s executive club, is located within the sky bridge that connects the hotel’s two towers. It provides a hotel within the hotel with private check-in and many more amenities.

The hotel has three state-of-the-art meeting rooms which include the main Gold Fish Hutong room accommodating 100 guests and the multi-purpose theater accommodating 200 guests. Meetings Concierge, located in the business center, provide meeting support and other services. Dining venues are Lunar 8, serving such delicacies as wood-roasted Peking duck and The CUT, which serves Wagyu beef. The sexy Champagne Bar overlooks the hotel’s $ 1.5 million Crystal Fish Chandelier. The Willow Stream Spa has a rooftop garden, fitness facility and yoga studio.

Website:www.fairmont.com/beijing

The Sofitel Plaza Xiamen will be re-branded as Pan Pacific Xiamen in August 2009. The award-winning property will receive some enhancements as it changes brands. All 393 guest rooms and suites will be equipped with audio-visual equipment, ergonomically designed desks and chairs, as well as a laptop safe. The hotel entrance, lobby and elevators will get a new look and the executive floors, the Pacific Club, will provide round-the-clock butler service and many extra amenities.

Meeting space covers over 1,000 sqm/10,764 sqft comprising a ballroom in excess of 500 sqm/5,362 sqft and seven meeting rooms. Food and beverage outlets will include Pan Pacific's Cantonese restaurant, Hai Tien Lo, as well as a refurbished tea and coffee lounge in the hotel lobby. The Fitness Center is also being outfitted with new equipment. Renovations and upgrades are scheduled for completion in early August.

Website: www.panpacific.com/Xiamen/Overview.html

The newly built Ista Amritsar is one of the city’s first 5-star hotels. Amritsar is in the northwestern part of India in the state of Punjab. The city, whose name translates to The Lake of Holy Nectar, is known for its Golden Temple, a shrine that attracts more visitors than the Taj Mahal in Agra. The Ista Amritsar Hotel is situated just steps away from the Golden Temple and features 248 guest rooms and suites. There is 1,245 sqm/13,400 sqft of flexible meeting space as well as indoor and outdoor pre-function areas and two executive meeting rooms. Dining options include Collage, offering an eclectic mix of cuisines, Thai-Chi with authentic Chinese and Thai cuisines and the Lotus Lounge. The spa features treatments that are a fusion of east and west healing methods. The spa and fitness facilities comprise a temperature controlled swimming pool, vitality pool, steam, sauna and a gymnasium.

Website: www.istahotels.com/istaamritsar

Singapore Airlines launched a daily service between Changi Airport in Singapore and Nagoya, Japan. Flights depart Changi at 0100 hours and arrive at the Central Japan International Airport at 0830 hours. Equipment used on the route is the Airbus A330-300, which is configured in two classes of service with 30 seats in Business Class and 255 seats in Economy Class. The A330-300 aircraft replaces the Boeing 777, which was used on this route before it became a daily service.

Nagoya is the first Japanese city to receive the new Singapore Airlines’ A330-300 on its routes. Business Class seats on this aircraft recline into lie-flat beds and Economy Class seating is ergonomically designed to provide customers with increased comfort and more leg-room and personal space. All seats on the aircraft are equipped with Singapore Airlines’ in-flight entertainment system and iPod and iPhone connectivity.

Website: www.singaporeair.com