Blog

EVACUATE EVACUATE! What’s your contingency plan?

In light of the recent horrific events that occurred with Hurricane Irma, we are reminded about how precious life is and how Mother Nature can strike can strike and cause havoc to our lives and events at any time.

Our own experience of this occurred after a major tropical storm in TNQ where we were forced to immediately evacuate from Port Douglas where we were operating a week long incentive for 90 guests. After news that the cyclone was heading to the area, panicked phone calls from our US based client at 4am, ID made an executive decision to evacuate the area. An emergency meeting was called for all guests where they were briefed about the situation and the evacuation plans. The ID Account Manager completely redesigned the remainder of the entire program, rebooking flights and arranging transfers for all 90 guests from Port Douglas to Cairns airport then Sydney, in a matter of hours. Our Sydney based team were instantly called upon for back up to secure accommodation and a suitable gala dinner venue at L’Aqua for that same day. In addition we had to rebook all dinner theming and entertainment. By 11am we had successfully rebooked 90 accommodation rooms in Sydney’s CBD over one of Sydney’s highest occupancy weeks in March and a gala dinner venue for their final evening. We relied upon our strong industry relationships to make things happen quickly, calling upon one of our key partners, Rydges Hotels, to swiftly contract rooms so that we could accommodate all guests at the one hotel. Similarly, we relied on our strong relationship with Dockside Group to secure a venue that evening for the final gala farewell dinner. Murrays also were quick to assist with the transfers and arranging a city tour of Sydney upon the guests arrival. The key learnings for us during this experience highlighted the importance of always having back up staffing resources available, the value of strong supplier partner relationships, the significance of working together as a team, the power of communication. And most of all – DECIDE, ACT and MOVE….quickly!

Recent Posts

Where to go in…Sydney

We spoke with business events expert Karen Livermore on Sydney’s best dining, venues and experiences to include in your next incentive program. Karen Livermore Director of Sales, ID Events Australia With over 25 years at ID Events Australia, Karen Livermore oversees all sales, marketing and communication. She often refers to herself

Incentive Sector More Buoyant Than Ever

The incentive market in Australia and New Zealand is more buoyant than it has been in years according to some of the leading practitioners. The much discussed ‘covid hangover’ doesn’t exist in the incentive travel reward sector any longer with the market buoyant and only looking stronger. And the good

Great Barrier Reef region delivers to USA corporates

Delivering above and beyond expectations was a piece of cake for the iconic Australian Great Barrier Reef region. An incentive program for an American corporate technology company offered iconic destinations, exclusive experiences, and even a dedicated accompanying children’s program. Fast facts When: May 2017 Number of guests: 350 adults and 70 children

Best Australian Bucket List Experiences for Corporate Travellers

Our client, a global tech company, was looking congratulate and reward their top performers, and to motivate them for the new financial year ahead. The incentive brough together their 100 ‘best of the best’ from the Asia Pacific, Japan and Greater China regions, along with a guest..

Five Highly Anticipated New Luxury Australian Hotels – Perfect for Business and Corporate Travelers

The A–Z of places you need to see in Australia

In a country that is larger than the entire continent of Europe and almost the size of the USA, Australia offers an enormous variety of diverse and truly unique experiences.

Australia really does embody extremes, from the breathtaking beauty of Sydney Harbour to the untamed wilderness of the Kimberley, through to the intricate wonders of the Great Barrier Reef, teeming with thousands of corals and cays.

The Big Birthday Bash… a story…

Case Study

ID Events Australia turns 49!

Back in 1973, before the Sydney Opera House opened and when tourists to Australia came in on the back of Paul Hogans “shrimp on the barbie” commercial… Bill Wright was pioneering a new business events idea… Identifying Incentive travel was lacking specific destination management services ID (standing for Incentive Development)