Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (Management) Limited (“HML”) announced that with new joins and new structure, the 330-strong Food and Beverage team is ready to raise culinary and service standards at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (“HKCEC”) to new heights. HML is the professional private management and operating company for the HKCEC, long recognized as Asia’s best. During the year ending June 30, 2018, a total of over 2.4 million F&B patrons were catered for. They included guests to restaurants, concession stands as well as 355 banqueting events, the largest of which served close to 4,000 guests.
After the appointment of Paul Jeffrey Chandler as Director – Food & Beverage early 2017, HML added new positions and restructured the Division.
Richie Li joined HML as Assistant Director – Food & Beverage in March 2018. He assists Paul in overseeing Event Management, Catering Services, Stewarding and Restaurant Operations. Under Richie’s leadership, Dicky Lam was promoted to Senior Food & Beverage Manager – Restaurants in July 2018. A new dedicated function accountable for food safety and hygiene has been created under Richie’s supervision with Vincci Ho as Manager – Food Safety & Hygiene in July 2018.
The Western Kitchen was strengthened with Chef Bo Ip Sorensen’s promotion to Executive Chef – Western Kitchen and appointment of Chef Christopher Wong as Executive Sous Chef – Western Kitchen. With increasing emphasis of desserts in banquet and restaurant menus, the pastry section head was upgraded to Executive Pastry Chef and Chef Ken Lee was appointed in May 2018.
“The creation of the new and upgraded positions and promotion of our high flyers reflects our commitment to delivering the best possible food and beverage services across all events, banquets and restaurants. With new inspiration and creativity and with long serving staff working together, the HML F&B Division are ready to advance further, set new benchmarks for the industry, and take HML’s customer dining experience to the next level,” Chandler said.
Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) was awarded Best Corporate Citizenship at the Exhibition and Event Association of Australasia (EEAA) Awards for Excellence.
The award recognizes MCEC’s involvement in the Melbourne Renewable Energy Project (MREP).
MCEC is a founding partner of MREP, an Australian first initiative where 14 reputable Melbourne organisations have joined forces
to support the development of a wind farm in regional Victoria. This initiative allows MCEC the ability to offset the projected electricity use of its expansion space with renewable energy.The EEAA Awards for Excellence honor organizers, venues, suppliers, and people working in trade and consumer shows across Australia and New Zealand.
MCEC’s Chief Executive, Peter King, said the award was testament to the positive impact the MREP project will have for both the venue and wider community.
“As an important public asset, it is our duty to improve our environmental impact and live up to the sustainability expectations of our stakeholders – our customers, our employees, and our local community,” King said.
“While our venue has grown by 25 percent, the MREP project will enable us to offset our expanded building with renewable energy certificates. Partnership projects such as MREP enable MCEC to dramatically reduce our emissions, manage ongoing energy costs, and demonstrate our commitment to a more sustainable future.”
The IAVM Foundation is now accepting applications for the Joseph A. Floreano Sector Scholarships and VenueConnect 2019 Internships. Applications for the Sector Scholarships will be accepted until midnight on March 1, 2019. Scholarships will be awarded by March 15, 2019. VenueConnect 2019 Internship applications will be accepted until March 15, 2019. Internships will be awarded by March 29, 2019. All scholarship and internship winners will be notified via email.
Nominations for the Class or 2019 30 I UNDER I 30 program remain open until Friday, February 1, 2019. At that time all nominees will be given the opportunity to submit their application for consideration. The application deadline will be on Friday, March 15. The Class of 2019 will be announced by Friday, March 29, 2019. The 2019 honorees will be notified via email.
For all application and nomination forms please visit the IAVM Foundation webpage.
Happy Foundation Friday!
The holiday version of the IAVM Silent Auction is now open for bids! If you are looking for some great tickets to shows, sports memorabilia, concert memorabilia, some bowl tickets and more, all while helping the Foundation provide professional development opportunities for IAVM members, the IAVM Foundation Online Holiday Auction is the place for you. All of the items listed would make someone a great Christmas gift!
Launched years ago as a live event at VenueConnect, the IAVM Foundation Silent Auction has evolved to include both an online version before and at VenueConnect and this extra holiday event, thanks to some great donations from IAVM members.
Proceeds from the auction will go towards the Foundation’s mission to increase the positive impact and vitality of the public assembly industry by funding research, education, and resource development.
So READY! SET! BID!
Thank you to our generous donors: American Airlines Center, City of Windsor, Portland’5 Centers for the Arts, Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall, City of Dallas, Columbus Arena Sports and Entertainment, Tampa Sports Authority
Esports Stadium Arlington (TX), the largest gaming and esports events facility in North America, celebrated its grand opening with FACEIT’s Esports Championship Series Season 6 Finals, a $750,000 prize pool tournament scheduled to coincide with Thanksgiving Weekend offering esports enthusiasts a new fan experience to complement the iconic football festivities of the season.
Located in the heart of Arlington’s entertainment district, Esports Stadium Arlington is a $10-million, 100,000 square-foot facility built to serve the unique and technologically advanced demands of the esports industry.
Designed by award-winning architectural firm Populous and brought to life with build partner Shawmut Design and Construction, the stadium features a competition space with a built-in 85 feet-long LED wall that’s accompanied by an immersive sound and theatrical lighting system.
“We applied 35 years of creating event venues to bring Esports Stadium Arlington to life, and it will undoubtedly be the place where people will love to gather for esports events,” said Populous Senior Principal Brian Mirakian. “The energy in the venue, being able to feel the excitement and pulse of the game and having the ability to powerfully connect players and fans signifies a new era for esports.”
A first-of-its-kind production facility equipped with Grass Valley systems will power event broadcasts, complete with a dedicated observer room, caster studio, data center, and control room. Players will be able to stay on top of their game by utilizing the dedicated Team Area which includes eight “Team Rooms,“ a space for players to strategize and practice, a “Player Lounge“ where players can relax and socialize as well as spaces created specifically for media and staff.
Esports Stadium Arlington’s flexibility gives it the ability to cater to a wide variety of audiences and event types. By
transforming previously underutilized space of the Arlington Convention Center, Esports Stadium Arlington also showcases the adaptive re-use potential of esports. The planned stadium will feature a major competition event space, gaming, retail, and social spaces, VIP hospitality, a broadcast studio, and team training areas.
“With Esports Stadium Arlington, we have positioned ourselves as both a national and international leader in the emerging esports industry,” said Arlington Mayor Jeff Williams. “I can’t wait for people to see this state-of-the-art facility, the largest and most flexible esports stadium in the country. The opportunity to provide jobs combined with growing tourism is phenomenal.”
“We are extremely excited to have partnered with an amazing city such as Arlington that shares our vision of building a foundation for growth in the competitive gaming ecosystem,” added Jonathon Oudthone, president of NGAGE Esports. “By working with FACEIT to host the ECS Season 6 Finals as our inaugural event, we will be able to show the world that our facility truly is one of a kind.”