Mission Impossible For British Airways and Heston Blumenthal

Not many chefs have faced the challenge of serving food for 100,000 customers a day at 35,000ft, so when famously innovative chef Heston Blumenthal asked British Airways if he could try it, the airline jumped at the opportunity.

The experiment is part of Heston's new Channel 4 programme, 'Heston's Mission Impossible' where he pushes the boundaries of food development across a number of great British institutions.

In the one-hour program with British Airways, Blumenthal tackles the very specific issue of what happens to food and the ability to taste at altitude, combined with the confines of an aircraft's galley area.

In the behind-the-scenes programme, Heston works with British Airways cabin crew members Jackie Simister and Simon Curley, as well as Steve Walpole, the airline's development chef at their longhaul catering supplier, Gate Gourmet to develop a meal that tastes as good in the air as it does on the ground.

Mark Hassell, British Airways' head of customer experience and a tasting panel judge on the show, said: "There is a real science to food at altitude and with his innovative and creative approach, Heston's work has been really interesting to us. We have very high standards when it comes to our food and Heston has not only been asked to impress British Airways, but more importantly our customers. Ultimately, they will be the judge of Heston's final creation."

The result remains a secret at this stage, but if Heston's endeavours prove successful then British Airways customers will be in for a treat.

"Heston's Mission Impossible" starts on Channel 4 on 22 February at 9pm.

$10 Million Transformation of Melbourne Marriott

The Melbourne Marriott Hotel, one of the city's best-located five star properties, will next month unveil a $10 million refurbishment, providing business and leisure travelers with state of the art accommodation.

Recognising the changing needs of travelers, in particular business travelers, the hotel upgrade is designed to offer guests a spacious and contemporary retreat within the vibrant Melbourne central business district.

With an enviable central location on the corner of Exhibition and Lonsdale Streets, the Melbourne Marriott has always enjoyed a strong business and leisure clientele; bolstered in 2008 following the renovation of the hotel's bar and the addition of two new state of the art contemporary boardrooms. The upgraded Melbourne Marriott will now also incorporate 42" flat screen LCD TVs in every room, as well as high speed wireless internet and an iPod docking station.

The hotel is owned and managed within Colonial First State Global Asset Management - the largest manager of Australian sourced funds - and its upgrade underpins the owner's support for creating a competitive product in the Melbourne accommodation market, whilst also reflecting Marriott's global quality of service.

Colonial First State Global Asset Management Fund Manager John van der Wallen said: "The Melbourne Marriott has long been a desirable destination for corporate and leisure travelers, built on a reputation for quality of service that is easily identifiable within the Marriott brand."

"This latest refurbishment, covering 166 rooms and 19 suites, underpins our commitment to creating a spacious, comfortable and contemporary place for travelers to unwind after their day at work or during their holiday stay in Melbourne; a city famed for its entertainment and retail offering."

The refurbished rooms have been designed by leading Sydney-based interior design firm CHADA, with the project spearheaded by Michael Watson. Formerly Chhada Siembieda Australia, CHADA is an internationally recognised name in hotel design, boasting a portfolio of work across Australia, New Zealand and Asia.

George Varughese, General Manager of Melbourne Marriott, has said "We are thrilled with the upgraded product and will continue to provide the high level of service for which the Melbourne Marriott is well known."

"The upgraded product will further cement our reputation as a premier boutique property for both corporate and leisure travelers" Mr. Varughese said.

MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL, INC. (NYSE: MAR) is a leading lodging company with nearly 3000 lodging properties in the United States and 68 other countries and territories. Marriott International operates and franchises hotels under the Marriott, JW Marriott, The Ritz-Carlton, Renaissance, Residence Inn, Courtyard, TownePlace Suites, Fairfield Inn, SpringHill Suites and Bulgari brand names; develops and operates vacation ownership resorts under the Marriott Vacation Club, Horizons by Marriott Vacation Club, The Ritz-Carlton Club and Grand Residences by Marriott brands; operates Marriott Executive Apartments; provides furnished corporate housing through its Marriott ExecuStay division; and operates conference centers. The company is headquartered in Bethesda, Md., and had approximately 151,000 employees at 2006 year-end. It is ranked as the lodging industry's most admired company and one of the best places to work for by FORTUNE®. The company is also a 2006 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ENERGY STAR® Partner. In fiscal year 2006, Marriott International reported sales from continuing operations of $12.2 billion. For more information or reservations, please visit our web site at www.marriott.com

Sydney Announces over $7 Billion In Infrastructure Spending To Draw Business Events To The City

Details of Sydney's most exciting waterfront developments for conferences, conventions and incentive travel worth more than $7 billion - Barangaroo, the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre and Star City Casino - were revealed today at the Asia Pacific Incentives and Meetings Expo (AIME) 2011 in Melbourne.

Barangaroo is a rare and exciting opportunity to transform 22 hectares of former wharves and industrial space on Sydney Harbour into a $6 billion public, residential and commercial CBD precinct with a waterfront promenade running the length of the site. The Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre will be expanded to create more space for major international events, while Star City is undergoing a major renovation.

Senior representatives from Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre today joined Barangaroo's Director of Communication and Marketing, Scott Maclean, and Star City Managing Director, Sid Vaikunta, for the first time together to promote their multi-billion dollar redevelopments at an official media conference at AIME in Melbourne.

Business Events Sydney Chief Executive Officer Jon Hutchison AM said, "NSW businesses and the NSW Government are working closely together to ensure Sydney remains the Asia-Pacific's leading business events destination for decades to come.

"The developments represent a once in 200 year opportunity to transform Sydney's CBD waterfront precincts for the business travel market and leverage the next phase of Sydney's economic growth", he added.

Barangaroo will become a major hub in Sydney's CBD, with a major hotel, commercial office towers, residential apartments, retail, restaurants and cultural facilities in a busy public waterfront precinct, with public open space and a new Headland Park.


The $550 million proposed redevelopment of the entertainment centre at Darling Harbour includes the new Sydney Multifunctional Convention and Entertainment Centre (SMCEC) on the site of the existing carpark at Haymarket.

The existing Sydney Entertainment Centre (SEC) will be demolished, opening up new development and public space in south Darling Harbour. The new facility will feature more than 20,000 square metres of new floor space increasing capacity to a total of over 40,000 square metres, with a conference and entertainment auditorium capable of seating up to 12,000 people. The project is expected to be completed by 2015.

The $860 million Star City redevelopment will transform the casino into a world-class venue, adding a 3,000 seated capacity multi-purpose Events Centre, a further 172 room hotel to complement the existing 350 hotel and 130 apartments, plus several new highly acclaimed restaurants.

These developments will increase the attraction of Sydney as a business events destination, building on the strong base already established. "BESydney has secured an estimated $530 million of economic impact for NSW in the coming years. But it is not just the economic impact we are measuring", said Mr Hutchison.

He added "Our University of Technology, Sydney commissioned research report shows that business events in Sydney have created major long term benefits for NSW and Australia through providing research funding, education, new industry networks and expansion of local knowledge. These benefits cannot be estimated by a dollar figure and extend well past the last delegate leaving the city

"A prime example of this is the 4th International Aids Society Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention which Sydney hosted in 2007 with 6,000 delegates in attendance from over 140 countries.

"As a result of the publicity of this event and the knowledge transfer stemming from the global leaders in attendance, a total of $35.7 million was allocated to the University of New South Wales to continue the research instigated at that business event. This included a personal donation of $18 million from Bill and Melinda Gates", said Mr Hutchison.

New infrastructure, such as the developments being outlined today at AIME, will be the catalyst to a new level of collaboration, focused on bringing new business, new people and new ideas to the gateway of the Asia Pacific region, Sydney.

Out & About With Kids is Proud to Announce a Brand New Website

The team at Out & About With Kids are pleased to announce the launch of their new website earlier this week. The new website offers visitors a mix of rich content, aiming to fulfil all family travel and leisure requirements with daily deals, news, blogs, events, accommodation and attractions listings - as well as lots of great travel stories.

Visitors can also read film, video and book reviews, watch videos and give feedback and reviews on this interactive site.

The site is designed to work with Facebook, Twitter and Youtube, to collect reviews and feedback from readers, promote competitions and deals - and, most importantly, evolve in response to our readers' demands.

There are lots of promotional opportunities available including competitions, display advertising, and newsletters to Out & About With Kids' online membership of Australian families.

We want you to tell us about any deals you have going, any product information and new releases, and any hot leads on travel destinations with a family-friendly slant. Please add online@oawk.com.au to your PR mailing lists and send anything through you currently have in the recent archives.

BridgeClimb Sydney Scales To New Heights With The Express Climb's Success

BridgeClimb Sydney will take the opportunity to promote the success of their newest climbing adventure, The Express Climb at the Asia-Pacific Incentives & Meetings Expo (AIME) in Melbourne.

The Express Climb has proved to be a hit amongst time poor customers visiting Sydney with over 24,673 Climbers having experienced The Express Climb since the launch on October 1st, 2009.

The Express Climb is the fastest way to the top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and is ideal for corporate groups and delegates who may be visiting Sydney for a conference, incentive, meeting or event and who only have a limited amount of time available for leisure activities.

In a group of up to 12 people, Climbers are guided through the heart of the Bridge and to its summit in just over two hours, leaving time for them to then get down to business.

BridgeClimb will also be showcasing their ability to cater for larger incentive and conference groups, with no group too large to experience the Climb of their life. Just recently Oprah Winfrey and her Ultimate Viewers climbed their way into the record books with 316 people on the arches of the Bridge at the same time! Tailor made packages can certainly be created to suit various needs and time requirements.

AIME will also give meeting and incentive planners the opportunity to learn more about BridgeClimb's Chinese Language Climbs. BridgeClimb Sydney now offers Chinese speaking Climbers the opportunity to take home the amazing stories and bridge history shared during the experience, together with the amazing views and unforgettable memories that BridgeClimb has become famous for. This product is available for group booking requests.

AIME, now in its 19th year, is the leading event for the meeting and incentive industry, showcasing the best Australian, Asia-Pacific and international destinations, products and services.

For more information on The Express Climb, The Discovery Climb and The Bridge Climb, visit www.bridgeclimb.com or call (02) 8274 7777.

Emirates Sends Newlyweds Around the World on 'Wedding World Tour'

Jason and April Niedle check in for the first leg of their Wedding World Tour at Los Angeles International Airport.

Emirates is making matrimony even more blissful for 'Wedding World Tour' newlyweds Jason and April Niedle. Deciding to discover the meaning of marriage in different cultures, the Niedles, married in Los Angeles on February 11, are en route to explore culturally unique, distinct wedding ceremonies in Thailand, Kenya and Greece. The couple will experience the use of elephants in a Thai ceremony; a traditional Masai village ceremony in Kenya; come face to face with a Greek Orthodox minister and experience an exciting 24-hour "honeymoon" in Dubai. To follow Jason and April's Wedding World Tour on Emirates, visit Jason Niedle's blog at: www.jasontopia.com.
The "Wedding World Tour" highlights Emirates' extensive network of over 100 cities worldwide, perfect for couples looking for luxury, comfort and superior service as they embark on life's most exciting journey.

BLC takes out prime honour at AIME 2011

Blue Lagoon Cruises has been presented with the prestigious 'Most Preferred Venue - Pacific Islands 2010' award while participating at the Asia-Pacific Incentives & Meetings EXPO (AIME) in Melbourne.

The iconic Fiji boutique cruise operator beat off strong international opposition to take out the honour, presented to the company as part of the influential EventConnect.com inaugural 'Preferred Suppliers Awards'.

Commenting on the win, Blue Lagoon Cruises' CEO, Tim Stonhill said the receipt of the award represented major recognition for the company.

"This is an acknowledgement of our ongoing ability to deliver a world-class MICE product combining a very relaxed and highly informal 'barefoot' approach in a truly unique South Seas environment," Mr Stonhill said.

"But no matter how high the standard achieved, integral to everything we do is our ability to continue to present a first-class product that embodies the uniqueness of Fiji and its people.

"And that remains our key point of difference.

"I would like to thank the ships' crews and staff for the part they play in ensuring that collectively, we continue to deliver a first-class MICE product that is the envy of the South Pacific."

Blue Lagoon Cruises' former MICE client base includes some very well known brands – Metcash, More FM New Zealand, Fuji Xerox, Arnotts, Fosters, Ericcson, Honda, Mobil Oil, DreamWorks, Coors, Subaru and Variety Queensland.

One of the company's biggest outcomes in 2010 came when it won a tender pitched to Mondo Travel Group to host a total of nine cruise charters involving some 500 passengers from the New Zealand-based The Radio Network (TRN).

The inaugural EventConnect.com 'Preferred Suppliers Awards' have been developed to recognise those venues and services listed within the company's website which have gained the most 'votes' from buyers that 'tag' their preferred suppliers.

Approximately 3000 votes were cast to 853 venues and services across the Asia Pacific region during 2010.

Award categories are defined by four major search regions; Asia, Australia, New Zealand and Pacific Islands within which there are two categories - venues and services.

Pictured Blue Lagoon Cruises' Director of Sales Australia & New Zealand, Lauren Mossop with the EventConnect.com 'Most Preferred Venue - Pacific Islands 2010' award presented at AIME 2011.


www.bluelagooncruises.com