From left: State Library Victoria;
Luna Park Sydney; Customs
House Brisbane.
and technology alone that sets the Library
apart from other Melbourne venues,
but also the rich collection of books,
photographs and other objects that can be
integrated into events.
“More and more we’re finding clients
looking for very bespoke, money-can’t-buy
experiences that we’re able to put together
through exhibition viewings or tours but
also up-close, white glove experiences with
parts of collection that aren’t normally on
display,” she says.
“We add into that our beautiful venues as
well as really creative catering concepts
that our caterer, food&desire, bring to the
table as well.
“We’ve done some really exciting things
with them where their executive chef has
viewed material out of our manuscripts and
then interpreted that into menu items for
our events.”
The Library will soon commence an $83
million redevelopment project called Vision
2020, which will see programs and facilities
upgraded, and public rooms and event
spaces reinstated.
The Library’s original building, Queen’s
Hall, will be fully restored as a public
reading room that will be on par with some
of the great reading rooms around the
world, according to Massina.
“It’s very exciting that it will reopen as a
library space but it’s also being designed
with a really smart event overlay,” she says.
“There’ll be storage and kitchen facilities,
and ‘plug and play’ audio visual throughout
the venue so that it can turn over very
quickly from its day job of being a reading
room for library users to being an amazing
event space in the evening.”
Despite a plethora of brand new convention
and event spaces opening their doors around
the country, the level of interest in heritage
venues isn’t fading, according to Granter.
He says with the opening of the new
International Convention Centre Sydney,
overseas interest in Luna Park has increased.
“It’s obviously early days but certainly
we’re seeing some really positive signs in
terms of forward bookings,” he says.
He says it isn’t just the venue’s location
that attracts international guests, but it’s
the heritage factor that draws groups in.
“We’re used to promoting the grounds and
the precinct, the quality of the food and the
waterfront location but we’re having quite a
lot of feedback and interest from international
guests, particularly Asia and the US, about
the heritage aspect of the park,” he says.
Granter believes the heritage aspect is
something Australians aren’t particularly
used to talking about.
“We’re a young country and we don’t talk a
lot about our heritage,” he says.
“But the story of Luna Park and the story
of greater Sydney really comes to the fore
because when people come to Sydney
for an event they want to identify with
the place and feel like they’ve had an
experience and are taking a piece of history
with them.”
www.cimmagazine.com Convention & Incentive Marketing, Issue 8, 2016 19