Clubs and Pubs Manager – winter 2015

CLUBS&PUBS manager Winter 2015

Print Post Approved 100009099

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For product demonstrations, advice and more, come see us at AGE – Booth 250

Contents NEWS

Choosing the right services for your venue 2 Live updates at this year’s Australasian Gaming Expo 4 It’s your choice 6 Don’t miss out: there’s lots to like about the 2015 AGE 8 Temporary working visas: working for hospitality employees?

10 Five key issues to watch out for in employee contracts 12 Clubs and pubs are getting appy 16 Five tips to empower your hospitality staff 18 When uptime matters 21 Frontline venue solutions 22 New federal budget’s tax cuts for small business 23 Calendar of events 25

GAMING Five-star gaming service – the services marketing view of the world 26 Keno Australasian Hospitality and Gaming Expo exceeds expectations 30

FINANCE Financing new equipment 32 Less time on the business, more time in the business 33

CUSTOMER LOYALTY 10 steps to boost customer loyalty Play your cards right and drive customer loyalty!

34 35

POINT OF SALE Pagers boost efficiency and profits Complete point of sale solution for licensed clubs and pubs

37 38

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Futureproof your venue 40 Cloud computing for business 42 Technology selection for HR and recruitment leaders 43

SECURITY Editor: Giulia Heppell Designed by: Alma McHugh Robert Smith Published by:

ABN 30 007 224 204 430 William Street, Melbourne VIC 3000 Tel: (03) 9274 4200 Fax: (03) 9329 5295 Email: media@executivemedia.com.au Web: www.executivemedia.com.au Cover image: North Sydney Leagues Club Photograph courtesy of Alex Donnini Photography, 0407 511 504, adphotography@optusnet.com.au.

Project architects: Abeo Architects, abeoarchitects.com The editor, publisher, printer and their staff and agents are not responsible for the accuracy or correctness of the text of contributions contained in this publication, or for the consequences of any use made of the products and information referred to in this publication.

The editor, publisher, printer and their staff and agents expressly disclaim all liability of whatsoever nature for any consequences arising from any errors or omissions contained within this publication, whether caused to a purchaser of this publication or otherwise. The views expressed in the articles and other material published herein do not necessarily reflect the views of the editor and publisher or their staff or agents. The responsibility for the accuracy of information is that of the individual contributors, and neither the publisher nor editors can accept responsibility for the accuracy of information that is supplied by others. It is impossible for the publisher and editors to ensure that the advertisements and other material herein comply with the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth). Readers should make their own inquiries in making any decisions, and, where necessary, seek professional advice. © 2015 Executive Media Pty Ltd. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without written permission is strictly prohibited.

The unattended item – a bomb or not?

Innovative cash solutions gives Club Marconi a competitive edge

45 47

ENTERTAINMENT Award-winning sound system for pubs, clubs and hospitality venues Top five entertainment options Matesclass© – ClubMovie’s new way to watch latest-release movies with your friends, at your local club, pub or RSL

48 50 52

EVENT MANAGEMENT The hospitality industry’s preferred choice in crowd control barriers 54 Get functional 56 Take charge 59

ENERGY AND LIGHTING Do you want to learn how to save money by getting your energy free from the sun?

The new solar power revolution is here for clubs and pubs Unlocking the productivity benefits of energy efficiency

60 62 64

INTERIORS AND ARCHITECTURE Old-world charm 67 Casualisation of hospitality 69 Chairs that perform and dazzle!

71 Junction Moama: embracing the rustic 72 Winter warmers 74 Balancing space and opportunity 75 Hotel Urban – Brisbane 77 The process: creating a custom-designed carpet for your venue 78 Colour trends for 2015 80 Hospitality flooring options 81 Meyers Place Bar… Melbourne’s hidden treasure 84 Considering a playground but not sure where to start?

87

BEVERAGES Australia’s coffee wonderland 89

FOOD EQUIPMENT The Asado Parilla Grill – the latest and greatest in food equipment Waste and opportunity in the food service industry

92 94

Get the most out of your point of sale

96

CLUBS AND CLUBS PUBS AND MANAGER PUBS MANAGER SUMMER WINTER 2013–2014 2015 • 1

NEWS

CHOOSING THE RIGHT services for your venue

W

hen it comes to selecting the right payment systems for your venue, there are many considerations to be taken into account. Does it adequately protect your cash float and staff? Does it comply with state and federal regulations? Does it do what you need it to do? And, most importantly, does it provide real value and efficiencies to your business?

Banktech’s range of products and services provide you with an end-to-end solution that covers everything, from ATM and EFTPOS cash-out transactions, to ticket-in, ticket-out (TITO) cash redemption, and the security benefits of smart-safe technology.

In addition to Banktech’s flagship CashConnect ATM Network, which has been trusted by top venues across Australia for more than 20 years, Banktech is constantly exploring new technologies to meet the ever-increasing needs of the market.

For regions where gaming regulations limit ATM transactions, POSConnect EFTPOS cash-out solution helps venues to ensure compliance, while still providing cash-out services to patrons.

Cash float security is crucial to keeping your staff, patrons and business safe. The growing trend in TITO- and cardbased gaming means that cash redemption terminals (CRTs)

will hold more cash – highlighting issues of security and insurance.

Banktech’s QuickPay® Cash Redemption Terminal not only provides a familiar self-serve option to your patrons, but it also ensures that your cash float is locked in its secure CEN-L safe, which can decrease insurance premiums over a standard business hours safe.

In some regions, gaming requires customers to complete some transactions via the cashier. Banktech’s AutoPay® cashier assist terminal is designed to streamline the gaming payout process (tickets, card or line of sight). Fitting under the counter in the cashier’s booth, it protects staff, and it secures your float by ensuring that the cash can only be accessed by staff when a valid ticket is scanned and authorised.

To securely manage all of these cash services, Banktech’s DepositConnect smart-safe solution automates cash handling, allowing you to manage your incoming cash, track your cash flow, and avoid the risks and cost associated with cash transportation.

Having all of these services provided by one supplier allows you to consolidate billing, and have one point of contact for replenishment, maintenance and monitoring.

Banktech understands that service and support is so important when making an investment in technology, and has built its reputation on delivering the most responsive service in the industry – seven days a week. Banktech also has its own national network of service technicians, to ensure optimum performance and to mitigate downtime.

The full range of products and solutions will be on show at the AGE Gaming Tradeshow on Stand 348, where you can see product demonstrations and talk directly with Banktech experts. C&PM For further information, please call Banktech on 1800 080 910.

2 • CLUBS AND PUBS MANAGER WINTER 2015 X

Complete Venue Solutions Creating products that add value

24/7 Help Desk

Safe and Secure

National Field Service

Fully Compliant

Technology Driven

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Come visit us at the AGE 2015 from 11–13 August on stand 348

TO FIND OUT MORE CALL 1800 08 09 10 www.banktech.com.au

NEWS

LIVE UPDATES at this year’s Australasian Gaming Expo

T

he Gaming Technologies Association, owner and operator of the Australasian Gaming Expo (AGE), will showcase new technology at this year’s event to keep visitors abreast of news and activities.

Visitors who have installed the latest version of the AGE app (version 1.5 or higher) on any of their mobile devices, and agree to accept messages from the AGE, will receive a welcome message as they pass through the entry.

Technologies, Aruze Gaming Australia, Bally Australia, Ebet Limited, IGT (Australia) and Konami Australia.

Please note: The Australasian Gaming Expo is a trade exhibition for management representatives of gaming industry organisations only including government, regulatory, research and support bodies, clubs, hotels, casinos, resorts and similar hospitality industry venues. Trade suppliers are not eligible to attend the event unless exhibiting. C&PM

Once they’re inside the exhibition, they’ll receive messages advising when and where different activities will take place.

Further details about the app are available at the AGE website, or it can be downloaded by simply visiting the Apple App Store or Google Play.

This year’s Australasian Gaming Expo will be held on Tuesday 11 until Thursday 13 August at the Sydney Exhibition Centre @ Glebe Island. Register at the AGE website, or call the Gaming Expo Help Line on 02 9211 7430.

The Gaming Technologies Association’s primary members are Ainsworth Game Technology, Aristocrat

4 • CLUBS AND PUBS MANAGER WINTER 2015 X

For further information contact: Ross Ferrar CEO, Gaming Technologies Association (+61 2) 8216 0931 or rferrar@gamingta.com.

Gaming Technologies Association Limited ABN 70 060 130 770 Level 34, 50 Bridge Street, Sydney, New South Wales 2000, Australia Tel:+61 2 8216 0931 Web: www.gamingta.com

NEWS

NEWS

IT’S YOUR CHOICE 2 015 began with a thirst for continuous improvement and innovation at Aristocrat. We are more focused than ever on taking key learnings from the past year’s successes and building on them to ensure that we deliver a powerful portfolio to our customers.

Whether it comes to modern cabinet configurations, or fresh and exciting content features and mechanics, innovation is important to our customers, our players, and it’s certainly important to us.

Supporting both the highly successful Helix™ and Viridian™ Widescreen™ cabinets throughout 2015 is a plethora of high-performing content designed to drive strong results for our customers. Among the latest is a breadth of multi-game, stand-alone, progressive and high-denomination titles.

For almost two years, Player’s Choice™ Diamond Edition™ has made a solid appearance among the top-performing Australian hotel and club games, followed closely by Player’s Choice™ Sapphire Edition™. 2015 is the year that Aristocrat will focus on taking Player’s Choice™ the extra mile, with titles such as Player’s Choice™ High Limits™ (a dedicated high-denomination pack) and Player’s Choice™ Gold Jackpots™ (a collection of Aristocrat’s most popular SAP titles all in one).

Among some of the most popular SAP products for 2015 is the Lightning Cash™ range. Brought to life through simplistic game mechanics, and the added flexibility of multi-denomination, Lightning Cash™ has taken Australian hotels and clubs by storm, with brand-new titles still to come in 2015.

The high-denomination category within Australian venues has required focus and rejuvenation for some time now.

Recognising this, Aristocrat recently released a brand new stand-alone progressive in this category – Jet Strike™. Jet Strike™ combines market-tested mechanics with some really cool, new features including Hold and Re-spin, Repeat Win free games and three levels of jackpots. Are you ready to recharge your high-denomination offering?

We appreciate the extraordinary level of support from our customers throughout the year, and we look forward to delivering even better products in 2015. When it comes to innovation, think Aristocrat – it’s your choice. C&PM For more information on products, please visit itsyourchoice.aristocratgaming.com.

6 • CLUBS AND PUBS MANAGER WINTER 2015

CLUBS AND PUBS MANAGER WINTER 2015 • X

WANT TO DRIVE

HIGHER OCCUPANCY? • Latest evolution in Multi game category designed to drive strong performance in all venues large or small

• Five denominations across 6 six games with the addition of a 3 level standalone progressive attracts higher occupancy and delivers stronger turnover • A mixture of high denom and low denom games provides variety for players • Includes 3 brand new games never before released in Australia

COMING SOON! For more information, contact your BDE or call 1800 150 432 ©2015 Aristocrat Technologies Australia Pty Limited. Aristocrat, it’s all in the game, Viridian WS, Helix, it’s your choice, Helix Slant, Player’s Choice. and the Aristocrat logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Aristocrat Technologies Australia Pty Limited. ARISTOCRAT PROMOTES RESPONSIBLE GAMBLING

NEWS

DON’T MISS OUT: there’s lots to like about the 2015 AGE

T

he Australasian Gaming Expo (AGE) is once again upon us, and this year’s event organisers and exhibitors are ready for an even better show than last year’s.

There have been some major improvements on last year’s show, which include, but are not limited to, the following:

Island – a free Sydney Harbour Cruise running throughout the three-day event. Complimentary shuttle buses will also operate from Central Station and Pyrmont; as well as from Sydney Airport, meaning that there’s no excuse for missing out on this leading gaming expo.

• more exhibitor space – there is over 7500 square metres of stands at this year’s AGE

This year, the AGE will once again be offering three lucky attendees the opportunity to win a trip for two to visit the world’s largest gaming expo, G2E, held in Las Vegas in October.

• 23 new exhibitors – from ‘Barista in a Box’, to ‘Portable Partitions’ • more café space – there will also be a new café area in Hall 4 • improved AGE app – with live updates and tailored messages, event attendees will be kept up to date with proceedings • taxi commissionaire – located outside Hall 3, the taxi commissionaire will help to organise taxi services • shuttle bus from James Craig Road – so pedestrians can get to the venue, a shuttle bus will be running • venue improvements – better electrical power, better air conditioning, new pedestrian crossings and outdoor walkways are just some of the venue improvements that attendees will experience this year.

The AGE will once again be providing visitors with a complimentary ferry service from Darling Harbour to Glebe 8 • CLUBS AND PUBS MANAGER WINTER 2015

This year’s AGE will be held from Tuesday 11 until Thursday 13 August at the Sydney Exhibition Centre @ Glebe Island.

Register at the AGE website, or call the Gaming Expo Help Line on 02 9211 7430. C&PM

For further information, contact: Ross Ferrar CEO, Gaming Technologies Association 02 8216 0931 or rferrar@gamingta.com See the AGE website for details.

Gaming Technologies Association Limited ABN 70 060 130 770 Level 34, 50 Bridge Street, Sydney NSW 2000 02 8216 0931 www.gamingta.com.

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To find out how we’re helping over 1 million Australians retire with more, visit hostplus.com.au

The information in this document is general in nature and does not consider any of your objectives, financial situation or needs. Before acting on this information, you should consider obtaining advice from a licensed financial adviser and consider the appropriateness of this information, having regard to your particular investment needs, objectives and financial situation. You should obtain a copy of the Hostplus Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) available at hostplus.com.au and consider the information contained in the PDS before making any decision about whether to acquire an interest in Hostplus. Issued by Host-Plus Pty Limited ABN 79 008 634 704, AFSL No. 244392, RSEL No. L0000093, MySuper No. 68657495890198, Hostplus Superannuation Fund ABN 68 657 495 890, RSE No. R1000054.

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NEWS

TEMPORARY WORKING VISAS: working for hospitality employees?

I

n recent years, Australia has faced something of a skilled worker shortage. With employers from all industries struggling to find enough people to meet their requirements, the government has launched various temporary work visa programs, such as the Temporary Work (Skilled) visa (subclass 457), to address the issue.

The 457 program allows employers to seek workers from outside of the country, for short- to medium-term work. For those in the hospitality industry, who account for a large percentage of those who have utilised the program, this program was a major positive.

There has been some concern, however, that employers are abusing this program. In response, the Senate recently held an inquiry into temporary working visas, to examine whether or not employers are seeking sufficient employment from prospective local employees; however, the Senate has now passed a motion to conduct a new, more comprehensive inquiry into temporary work visas, as there is growing concern that the previous inquiry focused too heavily on the local workers, and not on the program overall.

Although the head of the inquiry, Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection Michaelia Cash, has maintained that there was no compelling evidence suggesting that this was the case, it has been alleged that there is widespread exploitation of vulnerable foreign workers, both skilled and unskilled, by the process. Subsequently, the new inquiry will look at a range of temporary work visas, including the 457 program, as a whole, and will try to ascertain whether this rumoured exploitation is widespread or not. Senator Cash has articulated that each case of exploitation is dealt with according to the law; however, stories persistently arise of foreign workers complaining that their salaries are not what they were promised, or that it is not compliant with regulations.

For some in the hospitality industry, the new inquiry will be welcomed with open arms; for others, it will be deemed unnecessary and a waste of time. According to TCP training, the hospitality industry is the fastest-growing in Australia, with 40,000 jobs expected by 2017; and it is reported that 1.1 million people are on some kind of temporary work visa in Australia. For the 457 program, workers must be employed in an approved skilled position, otherwise they are not eligible. In hospitality, these positions can include: cooks or chefs, cafÊ or restaurant managers, hotel or motel managers, pastry chefs, and 10 • CLUBS AND PUBS MANAGER WINTER 2015

accountants. For those holding these kinds of positions, a lot of training and effort has gone into honing these skills, and it is therefore important that these workers are paid accordingly, regardless of their nationality.

Holding employers accountable is never going to be an easy task. The Senate wants to ensure that the system is working for all concerned – and not just for those who profit. It is even more difficult to ensure that there is the perfect balance between hiring locals, who are in the grip of a high unemployment crisis, and international workers, who are keen to work in Australia; however, as long as the government and other lobby groups are aware of the possibility of foul play, there is hope for those without a voice. C&PM

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Whether you need products like jackpots or monitoring, or innovative simplicity in the areas of patron loyalty, benchmark reporting, kiosks, cashless technology like TITO, or venue wide expertise in areas such as POS - we are a single point of contact for you to ask the questions and expect the answers.

Experience first-hand how Maxgaming can provide you with a proven range of products and services. Speak to our specialist teams at the Sydney AGE, Stand 235, August 11 - 13.

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NEWS

FIVE KEY ISSUES to watch out for in employee contracts

BY KATHERINE HAWES, AQUARIUS LAWYERS

Although there is no actual legal requirement to have a written employment contract in place, employee contracts are important, and are good business practice. Let’s face it, if you don’t have anything in writing about pay, hours or working conditions, how are you going to ensure that these things are enforced? And, if there is a dispute, how could you actually prove what was agreed?

G

enerally, an employment contract is made between the employer and a new employee when:

• there is an offer of employment, verbally or in writing, and the offer is accepted by the employee • each party has accepted an obligation to perform his or her part of the agreement, and the employee will receive

a regular wage and other entitlements such as leave and superannuation payments, in return for working • the employee will perform work under your direction and will work the hours that you determine • you are responsible for making income tax deductions for the employee. continued on page 14

12 • CLUBS AND PUBS MANAGER WINTER 2015

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NEWS

continued from page 12

EXPECTATIONS This section can be very broad in scope but it needs to be as detailed as possible. We have said it before – never assume in business! The clearer the contract and the expectations you have of one another are, the easier and smoother the relationship will be.

Expectations cover anything from pay, working hours, employee benefits, and company policies and culture, to job description, training and development opportunities, responsibilities and commitments.

For example, if you travel a lot for business in your company and your employees are expected to do the same, make sure that you make it clear in the contract.

TERMINATION Although it is not pleasant to talk about termination, the reality is that, on average, employees do not stay with a company for more than five years.

Here, I have highlighted five key points to watch out for in employee contracts with award- or agreement-covered staff. They are not, by any means, exhaustive, and they won’t be necessary or appropriate for every contract, but they are worth considering.

RESTRAINT OF TRADE CLAUSE This clause is already standard in many employee contracts. It means that the employee will not be able to start a similar business or work for the competition.

The detailed terms of a restraint of trade clause are discussed between you and the employee. For example, the length of the non-compete agreement can be decided upon when signing the contract.

The key here is to be flexible so that you don’t close doors for the employee, but you should also get legal advice about protecting your company.

CONFIDENTIALITY This is a very important clause that is often overlooked.

Employees would rarely distribute company secrets intentionally; however, they may talk about them with friends at a party or at home, and as soon as two people know it, it is not a secret anymore.

A confidentiality clause is there to remind your employees that they are legally responsible for the information that they distribute regarding your company.

14 • CLUBS AND PUBS MANAGER WINTER 2015

Therefore, make it clear from the start how and when employment can be terminated and, most importantly, what is the process for termination.

TIME FRAME The start and end dates of the contract need to be clearly stated. Those dates have legal power and are important if conflicts arise. Remember that any benefits and taxes you pay for your new employee are also based on those dates, so make sure that they are accurate.

Additional key points to consider with contracts are: • Adhere to the legal regulations regarding employee contracts; for example, Occupational Health and Safety Legislation.

• Make everything clear – from the working hours, to the use of the coffee machine and the terms of termination.

• Review employee contracts on an annual basis and make any tweaks necessary to reflect changes in the relationship. C&PM With over 20 years’ legal and business experience, Katherine Hawes is the founder and principle solicitor at Aquarius Lawyers, which offers low-cost and fixed legal advice to businesses. To find out more about her work, please visit www.newagelegalsolutions.com.au, or phone 02 9615 9635.

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NEWS

CLUBS AND PUBS

are getting appy

Apps aren’t just for people to enjoy in their personal time – there are those that can also help people in the workplace. For hospitality workers, or for those in management positions, apps can be fantastic time savers, and offer a more dynamic way of getting jobs done: on a smart phone or tablet.

From apps that help customers order more quickly and efficiently, to those that help management to keep a close watch on patrons that hold tabs, technology is leading the way in ensuring that security is tight, and turnover runs smoothly for club and pub managers.

T

here are a plethora of apps for managers that help to save time with specific tasks. For example, there are apps that provide the latest data about food costs and food sales in their venues, as well as information about their customers and staff. These kinds of applications can be useful for getting a well-rounded overview of how your venue is running. Managers often have to measure the performance of their staff members in order to ensure that the team is working cohesively and efficiently. There are apps that allow you to appraise staff members and keep track of their progress and achievements, as well as to set them tasks to be completed.

In addition to this, many venues are starting to use payment apps to keep track of bar tabs. These apps are beneficial for several reasons, but first and foremost, they can combat the financial losses associated with the recent policy that replaced all signature card payments with PINs. Secondly, they provide security and peace of mind for both the venue owners and patrons, with no unpaid bills hanging over their heads.

For the other employees in the establishment, there are apps for smart phones and tablets that can take orders, 16 • CLUBS AND PUBS MANAGER WINTER 2015

and more comprehensive apps that can track orders and seating reservations for customers. There is also a whole score of apps for chefs to keep track of, and record, their recipes. Most apps will keep the recipes on file, along with photos and even voice memos. They can then be shared via social media with other colleagues for a more efficient and cooperative cooking experience.

There are many apps that improve the experience of cluband pub-goers, as well as that of the venue’s staff. Using an app for food and beverage menus is becoming quite popular, as patrons find it both informative and entertaining to be able to interact with their menu. The customer can use the app to determine which meal or beverage complements the other, and the more detailed apps will even tell the person what plate will best suit their mood, and the weather outside.

So, no matter what hospitality position you hold, there is bound to be an app to improve your day – whether it lessens the waiting times for customers, or secures payments to your venue, it is well worth your time to invest in this form of progressive, yet highly accessible technology. C&PM

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NEWS

FIVE TIPS

to empower your hospitality staff

BY LISA PHILLIPS

Research shows that companies that embrace employee empowerment consistently outperform their competitors.

Sounds great, doesn’t it? But how do you go about creating an empowered workforce?

I

n my experience, it is common for companies to go about empowering their employees in the wrong way.

Often, the key focus is on productivity and improving customer service, rather than on the true empowerment of employees. In taking this approach, we often fail to take into consideration a key factor – that each and every one of the staff employed by an organisation is unique, with different values, motivators and beliefs.

Yes, there is plenty of information and ‘best practice’ approaches available, but let’s be honest – does a one-sizefits-all approach really work? Surely a better approach is to find out what really makes your staff feel empowered in the first place? continued on page 20

18 • CLUBS AND PUBS MANAGER WINTER 2015

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NEWS

continued from page 18

Here are my top tips for real empowerment in your club or pub: 1. Find out the top five values of your staff Each and every one of us has a personal value system in place. This value system is basically a set of principles or ideals that drive our behaviour. This value structure determines what is important to us, who we are and what we stand for. If employees are disconnected with their values, they will not feel empowered. A simple exercise is to work with your team to identify their top five values. For example, if a top value of collaboration is identified, then managers and leaders need to ensure that employees are able to collaborate on key projects.

2. Ask them what needs to happen in order for them to feel more empowered Although you may like to think that managers know what is best for their staff, in actual fact, your staff will have the best idea of what they would like to see in place to assist them to feel empowered. When I run workshops on empowerment in organisations, staff members always come up with the best ideas, and when these ideas are implemented, employee empowerment dramatically improves!

3. Respect staff boundaries While you want to push your employees to embrace new experiences, you don’t want to dictate to them how it will work, or push them right out of their comfort zones. If you do this, it will quickly become a negative experience for them, and fear and disempowerment will be attached to the 20 • CLUBS AND PUBS MANAGER WINTER 2015

experience. Why not take the time to find out the comfort levels of your staff and work with them, rather than push against them?

4. Recognise your employees So far, I have never worked with a team whose list of top five values did not include recognition. This doesn’t have to be an expensive process. Learn to appreciate your staff, and never underestimate the power of a ‘thank you’. Be mindful that employees from different generations may value recognition in different ways, so take the time to ask them what makes them feel appreciated. What works for one employee may not work for another, so keep it simple and ensure that recognition is given as regularly as possible.

5. Listen to your staff You expect your staff to listen to you, especially when you are making important announcements; but, are you listening to them? Take the time to understand your employees and the challenges that they face. This is an issue I hear raised frequently with disempowered staff. For many people, not being listened to is a show of disrespect.

In conclusion, take the time to find out what empowers your employees, rather than trying to convince them that employment will work for them, and the organisation. C&PM Lisa Phillips is an empowerment expert and workshop facilitator based in Sydney, New South Wales. To find out more about Lisa, please visit www.howtoempoweryourstaff.com.au.

NEWS

WHEN UPTIME MATTERS

A

cross four decades, Bytecraft’s longevity in the technology service industry is based on its reliability and the enduring trust that it has earned from its customers. As a provider of technical service experts, Bytecraft is the preferred supplier to industries that rely on technology as either a core function or competitive advantage, such as gaming, telecommunications, banking, information technology and other essential businesses. To do that, Bytecraft prides itself on being Australia’s leading independent 24/7 service provider.

Delivering a premium service to its gaming clients is at the core of its business. To achieve this, Bytecraft’s services are tailored to deliver complete peace of mind when it comes to your technical equipment. It can say that, because the company has: • the ability to provide 24/7 on-site support • over 350 highly skilled, uniformed technicians on the road • warehouse facilities in every capital city in every state and territory in Australia • workshop service and repair centres in every state and territory in Australia • 60,000 component lines under supply chain management • barcoded asset management system tracking over two million individual parts • industry experience spanning four decades

• expertise that comes from maintaining over 60,000 gaming machines throughout Australia.

Bytecraft provides every level of field technical support, from quick fixes to full on-site component level fault finding and rectification.

Bytecraft employs approximately 100 in-house bench technicians, plus an extensive team of support staff to manage all repairs, logistics, technology and project support functions. It also offers an experienced and technically proficient 24/7 in-house call centre to monitor and manage every supply, installation or service call, ensuring that all services are not only done right, but that they are monitored and reported on so you receive unbiased performance data on the company.

Bytecraft performs over one million service activities per annum, including 700,000 on-site repairs at 45,000-plus sites. The company completes over 180,000 workshop repairs per annum, and it is responsible for tracking approximately $75 million in parts under its structured asset management system.

Byetcraft’s heritage in the gaming industry is second to none. As part of the Tatts Group, it is singularly focused on helping the industry perform better, because it knows that for you and your venue, ‘uptime matters’. C&PM

For more information, see us at the Sydney – Australian Gaming Expo, 11–13 August, Stand 235, or visit www.bytecraft.com.au.

CLUBS CLUBSAND ANDPUBS PUBSMANAGER MANAGERWINTER WINTER2015 2015••21 X

NEWS

FRONTLINE VENUE SOLUTIONS

M

axgaming provides innovative venue solutions that are backed by world-class systems and technical expertise. Our local and international experience ensures that we have the know-how to deliver the best product solutions for your business.

The powerful Maxgaming Connect marketing suite integrates directly with your Maxgaming loyalty database to collate and present key data in an easily understood format.

You are then able to send targeted marketing to your patrons via email and SMS, for example.

With over 100 specialists driving change and system functionality across the Australian market, our teams can operate and integrate a wide range of proven, scalable technology into your venue, resulting in higher patron return, lower repair bills and maximised uptime.

Our frontline hardware products include the touch screen player loyalty wedge, player kiosk and virtual barrel draw technology. In addition, our player cash redemption terminals facilitate safe and secure interactions for patrons and staff to acquire funds. These reduce patron interaction with staff, allowing them to more efficiently manage their service.

A key element to the success of Maxgaming comes from the ongoing relationship we have with our clients. Our account management teams, sales teams, customer service teams and help desk are all singularly focused on the provision of services that best fit your venue requirements.

Simply put, we provide a single point of contact for you that will streamline the development of your business.

In addition to our hardware product range, we provide multiple cashless gaming solutions, including both *TITO and *MyCash. *MyCash allows patrons to securely carry their cash on their loyalty card account. Their account can be managed across the venue as part of an integrated system via our player kiosks or Maxgaming Vector loyalty unit.

Our card-based solutions are not only limited to gaming – we also integrate with many point of sale (POS) suppliers, and *MyCash accounts can also be used to purchase food and beverages.

Maxgaming offers full service patron management solutions, and manages a loyalty patron database of over 2.6 million venue members. There are over 300 venues utilising Maxgaming player loyalty, and over 100 venues across the eastern seaboard are using our web-based marketing loyalty system.

To further enhance your in-house marketing program, we offer a comprehensive reporting suite through Maxreports, delivering insightful benchmarking, performance and management data that can be easily presented in a board-ready document at the click of a button.

And when you are on the move, Maxmobile provides your venue’s performance in real time, wherever you are. See how your venue is performing on an hourly, daily, weekly or monthly basis. You are also able to compare your business alongside every other venue on the Maxgaming network. C&PM

Allow us to personally detail how we can provide a go-to market strategy, to simplify venue and patron management for you, by visiting us at the Sydney AGE, stand 235, August 11–13. www.maxgaming.com.au *Currently available in Queensland only.

22• •CLUBS X CLUBSAND ANDPUBS PUBSMANAGER MANAGERWINTER WINTER2015 2015

NEWS

NEW FEDERAL BUDGET’S

TAX CUTS

FOR SMALL BUSINESS

T

he federal government’s Jobs and Small Business package is likely to reduce the costs faced by restaurants, clubs and pubs.

In the 2015–2016 Budget, the Australia Government announced funding for the Jobs and Small Business package, which is designed to aid small businesses to grow and create jobs. The package will achieve this by introducing tax cuts for small businesses, as well as asset write-off provisions.

According to Restaurant & Catering Australia Chief Executive Officer John Hart, ‘Approximately 93.1 per cent of all restaurant, café and catering businesses in Australia are small businesses. The average turnover of these operators is $1 million. Tax relief in a tough economic climate is welcomed by the sector’.

So, what does this package mean for your business?

If your club or pub has a turnover of less than $2 million per year, you will be eligible for the package’s tax breaks.

These tax breaks include: • a 1.5 per cent tax cut for companies – if you are a company, your tax rate will be 28.5 per cent

• a five per cent tax discount for other businesses – if you are not classified as a company, you’ll receive a five per cent tax discount from 1 July. This means that the amount you must pay on your business income is reduced by five per cent, and capped at $1000 • asset deductions – any eligible asset costing less than $20,000 and purchased between 7.30 pm on 12 May 2015 and 30 June 2017 are deductable assets. This means that you’ll be able to deduct these assets in the financial year in which you first use or install said asset.

According to Hart, ‘The ability to write-off assets up to $20,000 will also mean businesses invest in new equipment and technology that continually improves the dining and culinary experience in Australia.

‘These initiatives will result in significant cost savings to small businesses, particularly in the early stages of the business life cycle,’ says Hart. ‘The restaurant and catering sector is one of the most dynamic sectors of the economy, with 7000 new businesses establishing themselves each year. Anything that makes it easier for these businesses to get up and running is good for the industry.’ C&PM CLUBS AND PUBS MANAGER WINTER 2015 • 23

Wests Ashfield Leagues signs on with

Professional Advantage & ClubIntel Wests Ashfield Leagues Club has signed an agreement with Professional Advantage for the deployment of the ClubIntel Business Intelligence (BI) software solution.

Developed by Professional Advantage specifically for the registered club industry, ClubIntel allows a club to uncover, report on and analyse key data from each of a club’s business units and processes. From attendance numbers and peak service times through to gaming, food and beverage and point of sale ClubIntel provides a single point of access for all critical business information.

Located in the inner-west of Sydney, Wests Ashfield Leagues Club (Wests Ashfield) will use ClubIntel to improve its gaming, food and beverage, loyalty marketing and staff rostering operations and processes.

“The Club’s existing information systems hold a heap of data but it’s not in a form that allows us to easily make sense of it and use it to help us achieve our business objectives” said Basil Jong, Chief Financial Officer, Wests Ashfield Leagues Club. “We have been relying on historical reports and 24 • CLUBS AND PUBS MANAGER WINTER 2015

adhoc reports, some of which are time consuming to obtain, for decision making.

Once ClubIntel is fully deployed we expect to be able to undertake trend analysis, perform predictive modelling and other business analytics initiatives to improve decision making and drive revenue.”

“For our gaming operations, for example, we’ll be using ClubIntel to improve the performance of our loyalty program. We expect ClubIntel to help us achieve this by alerting us to gaming peaks and troughs throughout the day, which in turn will enable us to better target our promotional activities to members.”

Wests evaluated a number of BI solutions before deciding on ClubIntel.

“There are a lot of BI systems out there, but it was important that we carefully select a solution that could properly

address our specific needs”, said Basil.

“After an arduous due diligence across at least half a dozen BI solutions, we concluded that ClubIntel, as an easy to use solution that is tailor made for the club industry, was the right one for us.”

Wests Ashfield’s association with Professional Advantage goes back years, and started when the Club was using the older Sunsystem for its accounting.

In 2012, Professional Advantage was again re-engaged to deploy Microsoft Dynamics GP at Wests Ashfield.

“We are thankful that Wests Ashfield’s Board of Directors is visionary in that they could see the benefit this solution could bring to the Club. Equally important to the success of such project is the conviction, support and trust from the CEO” said Basil.

“After being impressed by Professional Advantage with our Microsoft Dynamics GP deployment, we knew the company would be worth listening to when they told us about their in house BI solution, ClubIntel”, said Basil. “What was clear was that PA is very knowledgeable on the business and technical challenges of running a successful registered club – and with gaming systems in particular – and the functionality of ClubIntel reflects that expertise and insight.”

At Wests Ashfield, ClubIntel will operate as an overarching solution, overlaying existing information systems that cover gaming, membership, rostering, marketing, inventory and point-of-sale, amongst other things.

For more information on ClubIntel

contact Professional Advantage

1800 126 499.

Find out what your club’s missing out on!

Come and visit us at the Australian Gaming Expo.

We are at booth #601

Calendar of Events WINTER 2015

HUNTER VALLEY WINE & FOOD MONTH, 2015 1/06/2015 – 30/06/2015 Hunter Valley, NSW.

TRUFFLE FESTIVAL 21/06/2015 Canberra, Bungendore, Braidwood and Southern Highlands, ACT.

AUSTRALASIAN GAMING EXPO (AGE) 11/08/2015 – 13/08/2015 Sydney Exhibition Centre @ Glebe Island, NSW.

THE DRINKS INDUSTRY SHOW 17/08/2015 – 18/08/2015 Rozelle, NSW.

THE COFFEE EXPERIENCE 2015 3/09/2015 – 5/09/2015 Moore Park, NSW.

FINE FOOD AUSTRALIA 2015 20/09/2015 – 23/09/2015 NSW. CLUBS AND PUBS MANAGER WINTER 2015 • 25

GAMING

FIVE-STAR GAMING SERVICE –

the services marketing view of the world

BY TOM STREATER, DWS HOSPITALITY SPECIALISTS

Since commencing operations in Victoria in January, it’s been difficult not to marvel at the sheer size of some of the numbers that venues produce. Revenues of $15 million to $20 million from sites with less than 100 electronic gaming machines (EGMs) are mindboggling, while $600 net machine revenue (NMR) is unseen almost anywhere else in the country.

What’s more impressive than the sheer size of the numbers is the ‘premium to market’ that the top venues operate at.

26 • CLUBS AND PUBS MANAGER WINTER 2015

GAMING

H

ere’s an example: the top local government area (by NMR) for 2014 was Brimbank at $435. The top venue in Brimbank reported an NMR of $607, a premium to market of 40 per cent. In Hume, the fifth best local government area by NMR at $366, the strongest venue reported an NMR of $614 – a 78 per cent premium to their market.

Work yours out. Divide the net expenditure in your local government area by the number of attached entitlements, and then divide by the number of trading days in the period considered. Do the same exercise for your venue (net expenditure/EGMs/days). If your NMR is greater than the local government area, you’re trading at a premium. If your NMR is less than the local government area, then you’re trading at a discount. To work out the per cent premium or discount, divide your NMR by the local government area NMR and subtract one. Voila!

The other product considerations are the augmented product mix: what do you put around your gaming business to act as complementary products or demand drivers? What do your punters want to eat (and when)?

What do they drink? What technology would improve the experience? Are certain styles of entertainment attractive to gamers, or do they drive players away?

Whether you’re trading at a discount and wish to reverse that, or you’re trading at a premium and you wish to grow the size of that premium, the seven Ps of services marketing is a good framework with which to analyse your business. The seven Ps comprise the traditional four Ps of marketing plus three additional Ps to reflect the service environment.

Traditional four Ps:

Plus three additional Ps:

Product

People

Price

Processes

Place

Physical facilities

Promotion

PRODUCT The obvious product consideration in gaming is the quality of your EGMs. Countless surveys of gaming players reveal that the top factor driving visitation is ‘having the latest

Local government area

Net Exp

EGMs

NMR

(million)

machines that pay’. Whether you’re independent or aligned with a services provider, you should analyse your gaming product by average daily turnover and (theoretical) net, and by occupancy. You should be segmenting your machines’ performance by denomination, manufacturer and game type. Form a view as to what your floor needs more of, and what it needs less of. This is not an exact science, so take what the data tells you and apply your own intimate knowledge of the venue.

PRICE Price is determined by the player of an EGM when they choose which combination of lines and credits to play, right? Wrong – bet size analogous to the player determining the quantity to consume. Price is set when you install a machine at a particular return to player (RTP). We’ve all heard the expression, ‘You can’t bank turnover’, and it’s understandable that nets are under pressure, but research consistently shows that games set at a higher RTP return a greater net (in aggregate terms) to the venue. That is, the extra turnover experienced on high-RTP EGMs easily compensates the venue for the money paid back to the player. And remember, research shows that punters are seeking the latest machines that pay. When we consider increased levels of volatility in modern EGMs, it’s fair to infer that players have to lose for longer before winning bigger.

Tinkering with RTP, even by tenths of one per cent, will only serve to exacerbate this. Academic research out of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), supports that players can feel the difference. So, give a little and get a lot in return.

Top venue in local government area

Net Exp

EGMs

NMR

(million)

Premium

Share of EGMs Market share

(%)

(%)

(%)

Whittlesea

$52.8

660

$435

$11.2

100

$ 607

40

15

21

Brimbank

$73.4

946

$421

$8.1

80

$ 553

31

8

11

Maribyrnong

$27.7

402

$374

$7.0

76

$ 503

34

19

25

Casey

$61.6

888

$377

$6.8

80

$ 465

23

9

11

Hume

$54.2

805

$366

$9.7

86

$ 614

68

11

18

CLUBS AND PUBS MANAGER WINTER 2015 • 27

GAMING

PLACE Place does not refer to distribution channels or store locations. It relates to visibility and accessibility. Are EGMs prominent in your venue layout, and does every visitor to your bar, bistro and café see a gaming machine at some point? Consider street appeal and signage. Consider parking – do you have at least three car parks per EGM? Is your parking covered? Are your entry points safe and well lit? Go for a drive/walk around your venue and assess these things. Do it again at night.

PROMOTION This is what most people think of when they hear the word ‘marketing’. The most effective promotion tools to drive gaming are not necessarily broadcast-style advertising in traditional media. Use loyalty data, target campaigns via SMS and email, configure your kiosk prize settings to drive repeat visitation, use food and beverage cross-promotions to attract gamers, redesign your loyalty and rewards programs, and use personal selling in the form of gaming hosts.

PEOPLE This one might seem obvious, but many venues don’t do the basics. Do your best people work in gaming? The friendliest, hardest-working, most attentive, smartest, fastest team members with the biggest smiles and the highest emotional quotient (EQ)? Make sure you train them to have immaculate product knowledge regarding EGM denominations, jackpots, features, fault fixing, and so on.

Train them to know your promotion schedule, including the food and beverage promos that the venue spends thousands of dollars on to drive venue visitation.

PROCESSES Even the happiest, friendliest staff in the world will deliver poor service if they don’t know their roles. It’s important to have documented service processes for each aspect of how gaming works. Develop checklists and sequences of service. Allow your team to assist in the development of these tools. Review your processes frequently, and seek to enhance the service offering through process improvement. Can we clean the smoking area and gaming toilets more often to enhance comfort? Should we employ a janitor at peak periods to focus on this? How do we get payouts to players more quickly? How do we identify when one of our top players has arrived? Who acknowledges them? What extras do we offer? Don’t leave it to chance.

28 • CLUBS AND PUBS MANAGER WINTER 2015

PHYSICAL FACILITIES How much investment in gaming is too much? From a return on capital perspective, no other part of your venue will earn you better returns, so don’t skimp on gaming.

Make sure that your room is spacious – aim for three to four square metres per EGM. Gaming should be selfcontained – dedicated amenities (six-star for ladies); at least one dedicated gaming smoking area, covered with heating and fans; a dedicated coffee and food service point (small kitchenette with post-mix, a coffee machine, fryer, turbo oven and fridges); a bar and cashier that is not being shared with the rest of the venue; dedicated entry points that set the scene and provide a sense of arrival; lower consoles and more comfortable stools for maximum ergonomic comfort; and, of course, luxe finishes (carpet, lighting, et cetera) with regular soft refurbishments.

Analyse your market premium/discount. Assess your venue against the seven Ps to discover where you rate well, and which areas you can improve in. Use these ratings to form a plan for incremental improvement, whether in your people, processes, physical facilities, products or promotions. Prioritise the actions and set about growing your market share. C&PM

GAMING NEWS

KENO AUSTRALASIAN

Hospitality and Gaming Expo exceeds expectations

T

he inaugural Keno Australasian Hospitality and Gaming (AHG) Expo went off with a bang, when the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre (GCCEC) opened its doors on Tuesday 24 March to a massive queue of hospitality and gaming management professionals from across Australia.

With over 180 exhibitors under the one roof, visitors came in droves to experience what this new show had in store, and they weren’t disappointed. With 3000-plus visitors fuelling a genuine buzz and, in some cases, a buying frenzy around the halls, it confirmed the excitement and industry interest in the event offerings. From amazing exhibits with all the trimmings (i.e. a chocolate fondue fountain and liquid nitrogen-inspired ice-cream), to free paella and gelato stations, as well as a free ‘snap a selfie’ photo booth, there was a lot to talk about and take in at the Keno AHG Expo.

There were eight free soapbox lectures (proudly sponsored

by Rawsuga) staged over the two days, providing education to the masses. From liquidation to customer loyalty, plenty of content was covered, with Rawsuga providing guests with a sugar hit to keep them engaged and coming back each hour.

The Treasury Wine Estates Cocktail Party kept the celebration going, with comedian Tommy Dean lighting up the stage, and the smiles on surrounding faces with his witty style and

30• •CLUBS X CLUBSAND ANDPUBS PUBSMANAGER MANAGERWINTER WINTER2015 2015

stand-up act. With beverages flowing courtesy of Treasury Wine Estates, Lion, Carlton United Breweries and CocaCola Amatil, along with music videos courtesy of Nightlife, Keno AHG Expo delegates let the good times roll well into the evening.

The Club Plus Super AHG Breakfast kickstarted day two of the Expo, with Lieutenant General Ken Gillespie AC DSC CSM sharing his wisdom and insights on leadership.

Through relevant life examples, Gillespie was able to demonstrate some thought-provoking stories on how to be a better leader, by making his army experiences relatable to club and hospitality venues.

Given the significant management and leadership skills required to fulfil his role as Chief of the Army, Gillespie clearly articulated his ‘salt of the earth’ nature every step of the way. Beginning his army career in the lowest possible rank – as an apprentice brick layer – Ken understood the importance of a quality leader, and that making tough and often unpopular decisions at crucial moments meant sustainable and productive outcomes in the long term.

Day two of the Keno AHG Expo saw many of the day one visitors coming back to the GCCEC for a second look, and, of course, to be in with a chance of winning the seven-day getaway to the iconic QT Resort. A huge congratulations is extended to Roy Thompson (Manager of the Inglewood Hotel),

GAMING NEWS

who was the proud winner of the competition, taking home the prize. With free flights, transfers and seven nights’ accommodation at the relaxed and trendy QT Resort, along with a free day at the theme park for both him and a guest, this was an added sweetener to what Thompson already deemed a fantastic and successful two-day trade event.

Keno AHG Expo Chief Executive Officer Doug Flockhart is pleased with the result of the inaugural event, and is looking forward to growing its footprint in the years ahead.

‘The positive feedback we have received from both delegates and exhibitors overwhelmingly confirms the Expo was a resounding success, and indicates the support for a national show early in the year here in Queensland,’ Flockhart says.

With the overwhelming industry support for this national event, it is not surprising that the Keno AHG Expo has already outgrown the Gold Coast venue in its first year. Given this success, an alternate option had to be considered moving forward, to accommodate the growing number of exhibitors and visitors forecast for the 2016 event and beyond.

‘We have considered all options, and while the Gold Coast was a fantastic launch pad for the Keno AHG Expo, Brisbane has a greater capacity to accommodate growing exhibitor and visitor interest,’ says Flockhart.

Given the success of the event this year, and forecast growth ongoing, the Keno AHG Expo 2016 is now set to call the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre (at Southbank) the Expo’s new home. You can now lock in Wednesday 2 and Thursday 3 March 2016 as must-attend dates in your diary for next year’s event in Brisbane.

Vibrant, young and entrepreneurial, Brisbane balances its natural beauty, enviable climate and relaxed lifestyle with a thriving metropolis. Filled with cosmopolitan dining options, fantastic accommodation and the Southbank cultural/ entertainment precinct, Brisbane and its surrounds are a natural and suitable expansion for the Keno AHG Expo.

A huge thank you must be extended to the sponsors for their support, and for putting their faith into this inaugural show, along with our visitors who came from far and wide to be a part of the Keno AHG Expo. We look forward to your continued support in 2016. C&PM

CLUBS CLUBSAND ANDPUBS PUBSMANAGER MANAGERWINTER WINTER2015 2015• •31 Y

FINANCE

FINANCING NEW EQUIPMENT

P

urchasing or upgrading equipment is a huge expense in the hospitality industry, so when a major piece of machinery breaks down and needs replacing, the cost of the initial outlay can be quite a strain on resources. But there is no need to purchase a new item outright; various finance options are available that can take the pressure off and ensure that you have brand-new equipment as soon as possible.

RENTAL There are several companies that offer equipment for rent, which is good when you want to acquire items that have a relatively short life span. In this arrangement, equipment is purchased by the rental company, and is then hired back to you at a fixed rate. This means that instead of one big initial outlay, you face predictable monthly payments, which can be factored into your budget.

Once your fixed-term rental contract has expired, you can either extend the contract, return the equipment, upgrade to newer equipment on a new contract, or purchase the rented equipment from the financier at the market rate. Along with easing the cost burden of acquiring new items, a rental scheme allows you to claim all of the rental payments on tax at the end of the financial year. Rented equipment is also not considered to be an asset of the business.

CHATTEL MORTGAGE Chattel mortgages are similar to home mortgages, except that the loan pays for your equipment instead of bricks and mortar. Under a typical chattel mortgage, you borrow funds for the purchase of your new equipment (the chattel) from a lender. The lender secures the funds loan with a mortgage over the chattel. Under a chattel mortgage, you are the legal owner of the equipment that you purchase, and the mortgage is removed once the loan is repaid. Like a rental arrangement, the chattel mortgage is good for businesses that want the 32 • CLUBS AND PUBS MANAGER WINTER 2015

certainty of fixed monthly payments. Furthermore, businesses that are registered for GST are entitled to claim an input tax credit for the GST on the purchase price of the chattel (in their next Business Activity Statement), and tax deductions can be claimed for the depreciation of the equipment.

FINANCE LEASE Finance leases are fairly similar to equipment rental arrangements: your new equipment is owned by the financier, and you pay a fixed monthly fee for a contracted period of time. The main difference between a lease and a rental arrangement becomes apparent at the end of the contract term – with a lease, you can refinance the lease or pay a pre-determined figure to own the equipment, whereas with rental, you can choose to return the equipment at the end of the term, without facing any residual costs at the end of the contract period. Advance lease payments are available, and, as with chattel mortgages, businesses that pay GST may be able to claim the GST component paid on the lease at tax time.

When assessing which finance option is right for you, carefully consider the term of any contract. With technology progressing rapidly, it’s important to choose financing over a term that matches the estimated life span of the equipment.

If you make the mistake of choosing finance terms that will extend beyond the useful life of the equipment, you will find yourself having to pay for equipment that you’re no longer able to use. In other words, don’t finance equipment with a three-year life span by using a five-year payment plan!

Investing in new equipment for your venue can be a complicated process if you’re looking at finance options, but with an arrangement that is tailored to suit your business’s needs, equipment financing can be an invaluable alternative to outright purchase – particularly in the event of an unexpected or poorly timed breakdown. Take the time to investigate all the options available to you, and speak with your accountant for professional advice. C&PM

FINANCE

LESSbusiness, TIME ON THE more time in the business A

t On Tap Hospitality, we often see venue managers burdened with tasks that go well beyond their core responsibilities within the business. In addition to having to control day to day operations, some managers are forced to be consumed with managing financial, HR, cash flow, reporting and statutory obligations as well.

This clearly creates a significant distraction for venue managers which inhibit the ability to be more strategically focused on driving business growth and managing customer & owner/board expectations.

It was for this specific reason that On Tap Hospitality was created so that we can assist venues and management gain back the time that they are losing, to allow the concentration of energy on the core aspects of making the business stronger.

At On Tap Hospitality we provide a fully-fledged outsourced accounting service which incorporates venue bookkeeping, management reporting, payroll, supplier management, benchmarking and industry specific consulting services.

Our offering provides the comfort of not only alleviating the stress of handling these tasks in house but also provides a reliable, accurate, efficient and independent service.

Our people have over 50 years combined experience and have a unique understanding of the hospitality industry and the challenges that venues face which enables us to provide solutions tailored to each client. C&PM

It’s no secret that running a hospitality business, and staying on top of all the paperwork, can be somewhat challenging – even for the most highly organised hospitality venue professionals.

On Tap Hospitality is a specialist accounting, compliance and consulting services and management business, dedicated to the hospitality industry.

We provide a range of accounting and operational management services to pubs, community clubs, hotels, bars, restaurants, cafes and gaming venues across Australia.

Our services include: • • • • •

Bookkeeping Management Accounting Payroll Statutory Lodgements Supplier Management

• • • • •

Planning and Budgeting Benchmarking and Analysis Forensic Accounting and Risk Reviews Due Diligence and Acquisition Advisory Gaming Advisory

To find out more, simply visit us at www.on-tap.com.au or email info@on-tap.com.au.

Alternatively, you can contact David Greek on (02) 8353 0606 or Tim Stillwell on (03) 8635 1861.

We’d love to hear from you!

ON TAP

HOSPITALITY

CLUBS CLUBSAND ANDPUBS PUBSMANAGER MANAGERWINTER WINTER2015 2015••33 X

CUSTOMER LOYALTY

10 STEPS TO BOOST CUSTOMER

Keeping regular customers happy, while also attracting new ones in the face of competition, is a constant challenge for all businesses. With so many new technologies promising to improve business and operations, managers sometimes forget that the most powerful marketing technique is customer service.

I

t is important to set goals and standards for your customer service, and communicate these clearly to staff members. DWS Principal Consultant Danny Nixon-Smith outlines 10 tried and tested techniques for encouraging patronage at your venue: 1. Always keep the customer at the heart of everything you do – If you’re only thinking about your bottom line and how you can generate the most revenue, then you will end up sucking the life out of a lot of customers, and they will not want to come back.

Making sure a customer is happy is always the first priority – the money comes after.

2. Keep looking out the window – Be engrossed in not only what you offer, but also what everyone around you is offering at the same time. Understand that at least continued on page 36

34 • CLUBS AND PUBS MANAGER WINTER 2015

CUSTOMER LOYALTY

PLAY YOUR CARDS RIGHT and drive customer loyalty!

E

ngaged, loyal customers are likely to spend more in your establishment over the long term, and the Coles Group & Myer Gift Card could be the perfect solution to support your loyalty, reward and customer engagement strategies. Well-targeted loyalty programs can increase the frequency of customer visits, as well as the amount of money spent during these visits.

The Coles Group & Myer Gift Card comes in a range of attractive and exciting colours, together with a complimentary presentation folder, to match the personality and style of your business.

The Coles Group & Myer Gift Card, is a popular reward option for your regular patrons. Accepted at over 2900 stores Australia-wide, including Coles, Myer, Coles Express, Target, Kmart, Officeworks, Liquorland, Vintage Cellars and 1st Choice Liquor Superstores, you can be confident that your customers will be able to reward themselves or their loved ones with something they really want!

• raffles and bingo

The Coles Group & Myer Gift Card has been specifically designed for the gaming industry, with easy-to-read denominations on the front of the card, to ensure that the right incentive is provided every time to your recipients.

The Coles Group & Myer Gift Card is a perfect solution for: • membership points redemption

• pokie promotions • giveaways and promotions • staff gifts and incentives. C&PM For further information, or to discuss your loyalty and incentive programs, call the Coles Group & Myer Corporate Services team on 1300 725 159, or visit www.corporateservices.giftcards.com.au. For full terms of use of the Coles Group & Myer Gift Card, visit www.corporateservices.giftcards.com.au

Play your cards right and drive customer loyalty!

The Coles Group & Myer Gift Card could be the perfect solution to drive customer loyalty and engage your patrons and members.

Call 9 1300 725 15 ak today to spe ign a with a camp manager

• Membership points redemption • Raffles & Bingo • Pokie Promotions • Give-aways • Promotions • Staff Gifts & Incentives Don’t gamble with your customer retention strategy; reward with the gift of choice – Coles Group & Myer Gift Cards Accepted within 2900 stores Australia wide.

Thousands of Stores. Millions of Gifts.®

www.corporateservices.giftcards.com.au

CLUBS CLUBSAND ANDPUBS PUBSMANAGER MANAGERWINTER WINTER2015 2015••35 X

CUSTOMER LOYALTY

continued from page 34

one of your key competitors has a large share of your wallet. Analyse the contributing factors, reflect on it at the end of the month, and see how you can use that research to your advantage. It’s not about replication; rather, it’s about understanding how players interact and what they come to expect.

3. Volume versus value – Volume will come through many components of your business, such as food, beverages, functions and entertainment. Once volume has been achieved, it is important to understand and prioritise your players. Remember: at the end of the day, you and your staff are all ‘salespeople’ that need to identify and sell each component of your product.

4. Make sure that there are clear and tangible targets for growth set around everything you do – Just because you’ve always done something isn’t a reason to keep doing it, especially in an industry that moves as fast as ours. Yes, look after the pennies, and the pounds will look after themselves, but make sure that you understand each component of the business and what value it represents – or, more importantly, what value should be achieved.

5. Content is king – This incorporates all aspects of the business. Just as it is important for gaming to have the most up-to-date and popular games, it is just as important to ensure that you are serving the latest trends in food and beverage dishes. In an industry saturated by choice, venues must strive to ensure that all products are current and in-line with the expectations of the consumer.

6. Right to win – Ensure that you have the right to win with what you show your customers. If it’s ‘good enough’, and ‘it’s always been like that’, then it isn’t good enough anymore. In a world in which your competitors are becoming more savvy in understanding their customers, and you have the data to stop them in their tracks, it just doesn’t make sense to take your customers for granted. Instead, make the effort to find out their current favourite games, how much they like to spend per session, and what they like to eat and drink.

Target the different content and value propositions that you send them based on the information at hand.

7. Keep it simple – Just because your team has years and years of experience, doesn’t mean that you can expect your customers to appreciate this. We spend numerous hours each week analysing and forecasting our business, but that’s not what the customer wants to hear. They want to hear about their chance to win and what they need to do to qualify for a promotion.

It’s about keeping it really simple and approaching your 36 • CLUBS AND PUBS MANAGER WINTER 2015

WHILE IT’S IMPORTANT TO KEEP THE END GAME IN MIND, IF YOU GET YOUR HEAD STUCK IN BUDGETS, AND LOGISTICS , YOU MAY MISS OUT ON THE EXPERIENCE THE JOURNEY GIVES YOU customers in a way that they will understand. Once they become confused, it is twice as hard to engage them.

Just because you understand the process doesn’t mean that your customer will. Put yourself in their shoes to find out if a process will truly make sense and achieve the result that you’re aiming for.

8. Launch and leverage, share and reapply – Seek to continually optimise and streamline what you’re doing.

It’s not just about getting the promotion/activity live, it’s also vital to add value in your team, and make sure that you have the optimal processes.

9. Win as a team and celebrate success – The key to running a successful promotion and beating your competitors is making sure that everyone is striving towards the same goal. Make sure that your team understands what you’re trying to achieve, and always follow up with a moment to thank your team and celebrate success.

10. Have fun – When you look at the day-to-day and longterm plans for running a venue, sometimes approaching it with a flexible, general outline leads to our best ideas.

Some things are about the journey, and some are about the destination. While it’s important to keep the end game in mind, if you get your head stuck in budgets, and logistics, then you may miss out on the experience that the journey gives you. C&PM For more information on how a customer survey or focus group can help identify your customers’ expectations, contact DWS on 03 9428 8595 or email info@dws.net.au

POINT OF SALE

PAGERS BOOST EFFICIENCY AND PROFITS Implementing the right system to keep track of food orders in your venue can be a challenge, and the solution is often to simply hire more staff; however, technology exists to help you save on labour costs and improve efficiency – customer paging.

A

customer pager is a small electronic device that alerts your customers when their meal is ready for collection from the counter. They do this by using vibration, lights, audio, or text, or a combination of all four.

Customers are given a pager upon ordering their food, and are then free to take a seat at a table while they wait for their meal.

When their food is ready, kitchen or point-of-sale staff press a button on the central controls and the pager will alert the customer, who then returns to the service counter to collect their meal, handing back the pager to staff. The pager is then reset and placed back into the charger slot ready for the next customer.

pager, which you can use to advertise special offers, events and other promotions at your venue; an extra button via which customers can summon wait staff if they want to order more food or drinks; a silent alert option (via flash or vibration) for more discreet notifications of customers; modular design, meaning that you can trial a small number of pagers with the option of adding more pagers later; and a variety of shapes, sizes and designs to choose from (including novelty shapes).

With customer pagers, not only can you do away with table numbers altogether, but customers are not left standing around the counter waiting for their food, nor are your staff yelling out customers’ names when meals are ready.

Pagers can also be put to good use in gaming areas.

Each patron can be given a pager that allows them to contact the staff on duty when they need technical assistance, or want to order beverages. The immediate service that staff will be able to provide will increase customer satisfaction, as well as revenue. You could even consider offering these customer pagers only to members or VIPs as an exclusive benefit.

Unlike alerts voiced by your human staff, electronic customer pagers are able to communicate easily with patrons in the busiest and noisiest of environments. Many pagers also have a built-in function that alerts your staff when a customer strays out of range so that you can keep their meal on the heat until they return.

If you prefer to keep the human element in your food service by retaining wait staff and a table numbering system, you can nevertheless still make good use of an internal pager system. Providing each wait staff member with their own pager allows kitchen staff to alert them instantly when a meal order is ready to be delivered.

The other benefit is that systems like these that rely on machines rather than humans can increase the speed and accuracy of food service. Wait staff will never deliver meals to the wrong tables, meals won’t sit cooling on the counter waiting for busy staff to deliver them, and you won’t have to worry about misplaced, broken, or dirty table number signs that quickly look tired and grubby.

Internal operations can also be improved with the use of pagers for staff members, as they can announce shift changes, breaks and emergencies, or even the arrival of your VIP patrons!

There is a range of systems available in Australia for venues of all sizes. Depending on your requirements, other features and benefits available include an advertising panel on the

Most customer pager systems are powered by rechargeable batteries, so the cost of running and maintaining a system is minimal. Compared to the cost of hiring additional wait staff for busy periods, a customer paging system is a very economical choice, and one that aught to be investigated. C&PM CLUBS AND PUBS MANAGER WINTER 2015 • 37

POINT OF SALE

COMPLETE POINT OF SALE solution for licensed clubs and pubs

C

lubs and pubs serving food and beverages are reducing operating costs and attracting new customers using a leading industry-management solution.

H&L Australia’s point of sale (POS) management solution, developed specifically for the hospitality industry, is combating the two greatest costs for any food and beverage operation – labour and material costs.

The solution, claimed to be an ‘intelligent system’ by its current users, incorporates POS, inventory management and workforce solutions.

With the addition of Zen Marketing and Loyalty integrated with the H&L POS, you have a system capable of full member tracking, anywhere in your venue.

Many pubs, sporting and RSL clubs across Australia are investing in the total H&L POS solution. Greater inventory and staff control are the two key areas that are helping them to generate a higher gross operating profit (GOP).

H&L encourages other licensed clubs and pubs to use the H&L solutions to bring further efficiencies to their operation.

‘There are long-term benefits of investing in a total POS integrated management, workforce and marketing/loyalty solution, instead of just the standard POS system,’ says H&L Australia’s Director of Business Development and Marketing, Burt Admiraal.

Admiraal encourages all hospitality venues looking to increase their GOP to think beyond their POS.

COULD YOUR CLUB OR PUB BENEFIT FROM MORE DINERS? H&L Australia has now added BooKBooK™ to bring more members through the doors to dine at your club or pub.

BooKBooK™ – an electronic bookings system – is a simpleto-use online booking system that enables clubs to say goodbye to the paper-based bookings book, and combine all bookings including online, telephone and walk-ins into one central area.

‘One of the main distinctions between BooKBooK™ and its competitors is its waiting function. If a time or date is not available, BooKBooK™ can waitlist the customer and make contact in the event of a cancellation.

‘Another great feature is that when customers are near to your venue, they can also ask BooKBooK™ to go OnQueue™, so they can relax and enjoy a pre-dinner drink, rather than spending time in line waiting for a table.

Customers are sent an SMS when a table becomes available,’ Admiraal says.

Licensed clubs can benefit greatly from a POS solution with powerful integration capabilities – putting you in the driver’s seat of your club’s growth. C&PM

It also integrates directly with the H&L POS, streamlining the entire booking, dining and member experience.

For more information on H&L’s POS management solution, please contact H&L Australia on 1800 620 041, or visit www.hlaustralia.com.au/ solutions/management-solutions.html

There are a number of benefits of using BooKBooK™, including the power to take bookings anywhere, anytime, while collecting data from your customers to improve your marketing. You can also offer the customer alternatives if the timeslot they want isn’t available, book direct to the table, and send booking reminders and detailed reporting for you to analyse.

Contact: Burt Admiraal Director of Business Development and Marketing H&L Australia M: 0418 550 005 E: burt@hlaustralia.com.au

38• •CLUBS CLUBSAND ANDPUBS PUBSMANAGER MANAGERWINTER WINTER2015 2015 X

Meet your new front of house BooKBooK is the most reliable and cost-effective staff member your venue will ever have.

Take bookings anytime, anywhere

Provide exceptional customer service

Never lose another booking again

A powerful reporting and management resource

Scan to visit our website

1800 670 200 BooKBooKonline.com.au

BooKBooK – the one staff member you can always rely on.

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Y

UALIT Q

Call Us 1800 620 041 www.hlaustralia.com.au

Call Us 1800 620 041 www.hlaustralia.com.au

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IT MANAGEMENT

FUTUREPROOF your venue

J

EM Computer Systems has been providing superior IT products, services and advice to the hospitality industry since 1997. We tailor solutions to suit your business, while keeping your customer experience as a priority.

System uptime and availability are critical to any business.

Old or failing hardware, such as servers, networking devices or poor cabling, are some of the issues that can bring down your entire operation. It is important to keep your hardware maintained and refreshed, in order to minimise system downtime.

JEM Managed Services offers peace of mind that systems are being proactively monitored and maintained.

If a critical device produces a warning or failure, our technicians are notified, and will work with you to resolve the issue in a timely manner.

Do you have a backup or disaster recovery plan? When was your last backup? If disaster strikes, such as a fire, theft or an act of nature, critical data must be safely stored offsite to ensure successful recovery. We offer a range of products and services to ensure that your data is safe, secure and recoverable.

Is your network futureproof? Your network is the heart of your business. Without your network, critical systems such as point of sale, gaming and membership will not operate. As technology and hospitality systems advance, the reliance on networking within your business becomes more important.

40• •CLUBS CLUBSAND ANDPUBS PUBSMANAGER MANAGERWINTER WINTER2015 2015 X

We can assess, design and implement a solid network infrastructure for your business to meet the ever-growing technological demands of today and the future.

The cloud has experienced exponential growth and adoption over the last few years. Cloud solutions fit into three key types: public cloud, private cloud and hybrid cloud. It’s important that you understand the benefits and limitations of each type prior to commencing your cloud journey, as it may not suit your business. If you are looking to move to the cloud, think JEM. We specialise in the design of, and migration to, cloud-based solutions.

Wi-fi: it’s a necessity for the hospitality industry, and has evolved at a very rapid rate. Visitors, members and guests expect that your venue will have a free wi-fi offering. Broadcasting advertising to connected users, such as daily specials, is one way to generate capital from your investment.

Customer movements can also be tracked throughout your venue, irrespective of whether customers are connected to your wi-fi network or not. The intelligence data is collected and completely reportable, aiding in good business and marketing decisions. Questions such as ‘What area should we renovate next?’ can easily be answered if customer movements are being tracked. C&PM If you would like more information, please come and visit us at the AGE – Stand 350, or alternatively, call us on 1300 536 266.

CLOUD SERVICES & INFRASTRUCTURE MANAGED SERVICES BACKUP & DISASTER RECOVERY ONSITE SERVICES & INTEGRATION

Cloud Solutions

Networking Realize the Full Potential of Your Network

Cost Effective, Reliable, Scalable Solutions Smart and flexible cloud solutions - make the cloud work for your venue.

Boost availability, performance, monitoring, and productivity with HP networking.

Switches providing superior reliability, proven performance

Our experienced team will work with you to plan your

and comprehensive features

cloud migration

PoE (Power over Ethernet) supplies power to all your next

Cloud solutions engineered to suit your business

generation business critical devices such as IP telephones,

requirements

IP cameras and wireless access points

Our team will demystify “the cloud�: public cloud,

Scalable network solutions to suit the growth of your venue

private cloud, hybrid cloud

Upgradeability allows throughput to be increased easily

Affordable and easily scalable

when required

hos hosted telephone system

Proactive monitoring of critical network devices to ensure

solutions to suit single

high availability for 24/7 operations

or multisite venues Cloud hosted email

Lifetime warranty

filtering; anti-virus and offsite backup

SPoT | Smart Positioning Technology TM

Creating Business Value with Location Services

*Actual data from Australasian Hospitality and Gaming Expo 2015

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

CLOUD COMPUTING for business

‘Cloud’ computing has become something of a buzzword in recent times, but what exactly does it mean? In the simplest of terms, it refers to storing and accessing data and programs over the internet, instead of via your computer’s hard drive. Cloud computing offers many benefits to businesses in all sectors, including hospitality.

W

ith the growing number and function of web-enabled devices available on the market, it makes sense to get the most out of your laptop, smart phone, or tablet by creating your own virtual office.

Being able to access all of your business emails, calendars and other data wherever and whenever you need to can improve your flexibility, efficiency, security and collaboration, as well as reducing costs.

With cloud computing, you can have sales and customer information at your fingertips, track and log expenses from anywhere, prepare quotes and proposals while out of the office, and keep up to date with the daily happenings at your business.

Moving your data to the cloud can reduce the cost of managing your IT systems because rather than purchasing systems for your business, you can instead use the services of a cloud computing service provider. continued on page 44

42 • CLUBS AND PUBS MANAGER WINTER 2015

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IT

TECHNOLOGY

SELECTION FOR HR AND RECRUITMENT LEADERS

E

volution in recruitment puts technology at the forefront of natural selection for human resources (HR) leaders and recruitment professionals – they are adapting now!

Those who embrace change, and who drive it, look to trim organisational costs, particularly in their own departments.

They constantly look for innovation to help deliver the best applicants most efficiently and effectively.

Across the world, the ground has shifted for recruitment. We have built the foundations for that at Expr3ss!

• software and apps will replace recruiters who have been résumé screening

every candidate for a chat, and then guessing who to appoint. Internal recruiters and HR leaders will be freed up to concentrate on the work that they currently don’t have enough time for. Technology is the time-saver, and Expr3ss! is the technology already embraced by Club Taree, Bayview Hotel, Banjo Paterson Inn, Hotel Jesmond, The Lakes Hotel and more.

• technology will make it unnecessary for recruiters to participate in interviewing.

Technology is all about bringing these changes to the recruitment and HR leaders that embrace innovation. C&PM

No longer is it a matter of placing an ad on a job board, poring over piles of CVs and CV keyword searches, ringing

For more information about Expr3ss!, visit the website. www.expr3ss.com/AGE

• sourcing is rapidly becoming irrelevant • matching software will replace recruiters who scan resumes

Expr3ss! is your powerful online solution to quickly and cost-effectively pinpoint quality applicants with the right skills, attitudes and cultural fit.

Discover the proven Expr3ss! algorithm and get the stars!

CLUBS CLUBSAND ANDPUBS PUBSMANAGER MANAGERWINTER WINTER2015 2015••43 X

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

continued from page 42

Expensive computer software may no longer need to be purchased outright, with the availability of cost-effective monthly subscriptions that provide access to programs through the cloud.

Another benefit is flexibility – your business can modify its systems at any time; for example, by increasing or decreasing storage as needed by the business, switching software, and upgrading or modifying programs in use.

Perhaps the biggest benefit of cloud computing for any business, however, is data security and the continuity of business that results. Cloud computing is a valuable component of risk management – it offers a secure way of backing up important information to safeguard against loss through natural disaster, power failure, fire and equipment breakdown, or loss. Having all of your information readily available means that you can continue business as usual, minimising any downtime and loss of productivity after such events.

Provided that you also have stringent online security in place, the cloud also keeps your documents safe from theft – hard-copy files can fall into the wrong hands in the event of a break-in. It’s also useful if you fall ill, or even go on holiday, because it is easy to remotely provide your nextin-charge with access to the documents that they need to continue running the business.

On that note, business collaboration and teamwork are greatly enhanced with the use of cloud computing. Your team members can be given access to relevant data files and programs remotely, meaning that multiple individuals can work on a project simultaneously across different locations. Of course, it also means that you can do your paperwork from home, while on holidays or even during the morning commute. It might also be useful to choose a cloud computing system that makes it easy for you to share files with contractors such as your accountant and other advisers.

And the final carrot to entice businesses onto the cloud is, of course, that it reduces your business’s environmental footprint. When you use cloud computing, you only use the server space that you need, so there is no wasted energy.

Cloud computing also has the potential to reduce your hardcopy paper trail – scanning and storing documents securely in the cloud, and adding information directly to your digital files may mean that you can reduce your paper use.

Things to consider when choosing a cloud computing service provider: 1. Think about what you want to achieve with your cloud system.

44 • CLUBS AND PUBS MANAGER WINTER 2015

2. Make a shortlist of providers to work through.

3. Ask for a trial account so that you can assess performance, speed and reliability.

4. If you know that not all of your team members are techsavvy, make sure that the cloud solution you choose is user-friendly and easy to understand.

5. Cloud service providers are all different, and that includes price; but don’t base your decision solely on price alone, as the cheapest option might be more trouble than it’s worth.

6. Investigate the service provider’s support offering – some level of phone or email troubleshooting assistance is usually invaluable, and often the more expensive your system, the better the quality of support.

7. Find out what security measures the service provider has in place to protect your information from attack.

8. Decide what level of customisation and control you need with your cloud – many cloud systems also come with a smart phone app. C&PM

SECURITY

THE UNATTENDED ITEM

– A BOMB OR NOT?

BY DON WILLIAMS

Following on from last issue’s article on managing bomb threats, this one provides guidance on evaluating unattended items.

An item left unattended may be a bomb, but it is more likely to be something totally innocuous. The key is to be able tell the difference. Managers need a process to help them decide if the item poses a hazard, and whether there is a legitimate need to evacuate all or part of the site, or if the item is safe and business should go on uninterrupted.

B

The first thing to clarify is terminology: ‘suspicious’ has come to mean hazardous, and if an item is termed ‘suspicious’, people want to start evacuating away from it. The reality is that the item is ‘unattended’ in that it doesn’t seem to belong to anyone. The other thing is that it will probably be out of place, in that it doesn’t fit the environment, which is why it was noticed.

ombs are literally ‘devastating’; large amounts of energy are released in milliseconds, creating forces capable of destroying buildings and killing staff, clients and the public.

After the explosion, there will be disruption due to the physical damage to the area and equipment. The site will be a complex crime scene; if there has been a fatality, the investigators may isolate the immediate area for weeks while they sift through the evidence. There will probably be water and smoke damage. The site will have to be inspected to determine when, or if, it will be safe for reoccupation.

Similarly to evaluating threats, the ‘five Rs’ can be used.

All staff need to know how to identify (Receive) items that are out of place, how to Record the information, and how and to whom they Report. Managers need to know how to Review the information and the item, and how to select the appropriate Response.

CLUBS AND PUBS MANAGER WINTER 2015 • 45

SECURITY

The item can only be one of three things: lost property (including items temporarily left by the owner); rubbish; or potentially hazardous.

An appropriate response is fundamental to protecting both lives and business operations. Response should not always equate to an immediate evacuation; the concept of ‘better safe than sorry’ is a fallacy. There is nothing safe in moving thousands of people in a way that they are not used to – unless they are being moved away from a hazard. If an evacuation is initiated when there is no hazard, then the tenant’s business will be severely disrupted and the responsible manager’s judgement called into question. If the site is not evacuated when there is a hazard, then people will die. The difficult part is determining whether or not the item may pose a hazard.

Once a manager is made aware of an unattended item, a series of simple steps will help with the evaluation.

First Step: Determine what the item is, where it is and why it was reported.

Second Step: Can a decision be made now? Is the item obviously innocuous? Is more information required, or is it obviously hazardous? Indicators that it may be hazardous include: visible components such as batteries, a mobile phone with wires protruding from it or similar unusual items; the item being strapped to an LPG gas cylinder; having a strong chemical smell; or similar hints that it is not a piece of lost property or rubbish. For most items, the assessment will not be as straightforward, and additional information will be required.

Third Step: If an immediate assessment is not possible, consider if there are labels or other identifying marks on the item to indicate who owns it or how it got there. There may be a delivery docket or other information that will help with the assessment. Announcements over the PA system, or a quick phone call to the courier company may provide more information on what it is and why it is there.

Fourth Step: It is possible to gather more data on how the item got there by checking CCTV footage of the item.

Talking to staff; talking to the person who found it; checking with tenants and contractors; and, if the item is inside a secure area, viewing access control records can assist in determining how it got there; and there will be other sitespecific resources. Local knowledge will assist in that the staff may know that this is where people hide bags that they cannot bring into the venue, or that rubbish is often discarded there.

Fifth Step: Make a decision. It is possible to procrastinate all day. The options are: if it is lost property, it should be taken to the lost and found office, and receipted and inspected as per venue procedures. If it is rubbish, it should be disposed of.

46 • CLUBS AND PUBS MANAGER WINTER 2015

If it is potentially hazardous, then evacuate patrons away from the item and implement the site’s emergency plan.

When considering Response options, the manager should review the site’s emergency plans, actually read them and walk through them. Are the plans really applicable to the site? If they are of the ‘insert client’s name here’ type, with only the diagrams having changed from any other site, do they reflect what will happen? Do the plans address the actual tenant base; and does it include the childcare centre, kitchen areas, critical assets, secondary hazards (those things normally on site and safe until acted upon by an event such as an explosion)? Do the plans actually offer guidance to the chief warden, or is it littered with ‘warden makes wise decision here’ type statements? Having contracted and paid for emergency plans does not mean the resultant product is suitable for the facility.

There are a number of instances where simple compliance with AS3745 ‘Planning for emergencies in facilities’ may not provide appropriate levels of coordination, management or safety in relation to unattended items. Do the plans provide sensible and relevant guidance on what to do if there is an unattended item, or a post-blast incident? Also pertinent are the business continuity, media management, HR support and similar plans, all of which should be aggressively reviewed to determine if they will provide the protection expected. Managers should be willing to challenge plans that fail the ‘common sense’ test, and to send them back to the provider requiring them to be rewritten to reflect the needs and operating environment of the specific facility.

Key points: all staff need to know how to Receive (i.e. identify), Record and Report unattended items; managers need to know how to Review the item and determine if it may pose a hazard, and to know what their Response options are: to treat the item as lost property, to dispose of it as rubbish or to evacuate. Five simple steps can help with the evaluation: • Determine what it is and where.

• Make an immediate decision if possible.

• Check for labels and other identifying markings.

• Gather other information.

• Make a decision – is it lost property, rubbish or potentially hazardous?

Having a formal and simple process will protect life while minimising disruption to the venue. C&PM For more information, contact Don Williams CPP RSecP at donwilliams@dswconsulting.com.au.

SECURITY

INNOVATIVE CASH SOLUTIONS gives Club Marconi a competitive edge

H

ow many staff members do you have handling your cash? How many hours do they operate per day? Do you have issues with staffing – absenteeism and shift coordination?

As the Gaming Manager at Club Marconi, Matthew Biviano knew what was required to boost business efficiency.

‘We wanted a more financially viable process for our cash clearance, note counting and cash-reconciliation operations.’ Matthew met with several providers, but was most impressed with Prosegur’s complete solution.

‘After an in-depth consultation process, Prosegur tailored a solution that suited us.’

THE EFFICIENT SOLUTION Club Marconi came to Prosegur to solve staffing issues, but the benefits have been far reaching: 1.

Staff: ‘Now I rely on qualified staff working in these areas and completing their tasks down to the last cent, every day.’

2.

Improved processes: ‘Our safe operations were reconfigured in accordance with existing cash controls and procedures of the club. Now, the safe area easily services our daily cash requirements, with very limited access to authorised staff.’

3.

Minimal servicing time: ‘We receive full cash count, reconciliations and accountability – in minimal servicing time.’

4.

A genuine partnership: ‘Together with Prosegur, we regularly conduct combined risk-assessments to identify and make recommendations for security risks and exposures.’

‘The biggest benefit has been an integrated solution for cash services and all aspects of our gaming clearance, from one provider.’ C&PM

www.prosegur.com.au 1300 661 773

CLUBS CLUBSAND ANDPUBS PUBSMANAGER MANAGERWINTER WINTER2015 2015••47 X

ENTERTAINMENT

AWARD-WINNING SOUND SYSTEM FOR PUBS, CLUBS AND HOSPITALITY VENUES

P

LENA matrix by Bosch:

• winner of 2014 iF Product Design, 2014 InAVation Technology, and Red Dot Design Awards • intelligent power management system reduces cost of ownership • affordable, high-performance sound for small to medium-sized venues • flexible user control: wall panels, iPad or iPhone apps.

The PLENA matrix system is ideal for sound distribution in several separately controlled areas. Venues such as pubs, gyms, hotels, restaurants and bars can experience highquality audio using a system that has been designed to make background music, live performances, speech and paging easy to control and distribute.

per channel). When combined with quality loudspeakers, the system will produce high-performance audio in even the most demanding settings.

WINNER OF INTERNATIONAL PRODUCT

REDUCED CABLE RUNS AND

DESIGN AWARDS

INSTALLATION TIME

PLENA matrix has scooped up three international awards this year for product design and technology. The matrix and the amplifier units have won the 2014 iF Product Design Award; the Call Station has won the 2014 Red Dot Design Award; and the PLENA matrix system was awarded the EMEA InAVation Award for its excellent product quality.

A single-cable approach (CAT5) for connection of all PLENA matrix components, and daisy chaining of call stations and wall control panels, reduces cable runs and eliminates cable stripping. This translates into lower installation costs.

INTELLIGENT POWER MANAGEMENT

OPTIONS, INCLUDING IOS APP

SAVES COSTS

The PC GUI software is designed for system set-up and master zone control. The software allows for the creation and quick recall of ‘scene’ settings, and to eliminate tampering from ‘helpful’ staff, access to advanced-user functions can be password protected.

The PLENA matrix system uses efficient power components and the standby mode in its amplifiers to cut down on electricity costs. In standby mode, the amplifier goes to sleep, and power consumption is reduced by 97 per cent or more. Standby mode can be activated manually or by using Bosch motion detectors connected to the amplifier. If no movement is detected, standby mode is activated after a user-specified time period. Any subsequent movement restores full power and sound instantaneously.

POWERFUL AND FLEXIBLE CONTROL

For the end user, wireless control is provided using the PLENA matrix iOS app on an iPad or iPhone. By simply selecting a particular zone or channel, adjustment of the mix levels and master volume takes seconds. Finally, wall control panels can be used in individual zones to control volume and music source selection. C&PM

HIGH-PERFORMANCE SOUND The PLENA matrix includes a full-featured 8x8 DSP Mixer/ Processor and a choice of two high-performance, fourchannel DSP Power Amplifiers (125 Watts and 220 Watts

48• •CLUBS CLUBSAND ANDPUBS PUBSMANAGER MANAGERWINTER WINTER2015 2015 X

More information: Bosch Communication Systems T: 1300 026 724 | F: (02) 8850 2230 | E: plena.matrix@au.bosch.com

PLENA matrix

Digital Sound System Clever features, silly prices.

smart

The PLENA matrix sound system is ideal for pubs, clubs, bars, restaurants and hotels.

It delivers high-performance sound distribution in up to 8 zones to enhance your venue’s value, as well as your patrons’ experience.

The system comes standard with intelligent audio control features that deliver quality sound from a range of inputs, including AV systems, CD/DVD players, mp3 devices, mixes from live bands, microphones, and the PLENA matrix Call Station.

Additional intelligence comes with PC and wireless iOS (iPad, iPod, iPhone) control, and the clever Auto Standby feature, which with the aid of motion detectors can cut down power consumption by over 97%.

So, whether you require paging ability for the bistro, high-performance live or recorded music for the bar, speech distribution for live events, or any combination of the above, PLENA matrix is the perfect choice.

Perfectly professional. Perfectly priced.

smart silly

Bosch Communications Systems T: +61 1300 026 724 plena.matrix@au.bosch.com boschcommunications.com.au/plenamatrix

ENTERTAINMENT

TOP FIVE entertainment options Looking for some new, crowdpleasing entertainment options to draw the punters into your club or pub? These top five entertainment options are tried and true, but they can be readily reinvented to suit your venue’s style and personality.

other versions of bingo that are gaining popularity, too.

#5 – BINGO

drink prizes, as well as spot prizes throughout the night

A

recent resurgence and revamping of the traditional bingo hall has seen the stereotypes of little old ladies brushed away, and many clubs and pubs in cities across the globe have embraced alternative bingo nights.

A popular format has been the combination of cabaret with bingo – expect fabulous hosts in drag, lots of audience participation, musical singalongs and a seriously fun party atmosphere. Add some drink and cash prizes into the mix, and this is bingo as you’ve never seen it before. There are 50 • CLUBS AND PUBS MANAGER WINTER 2015

Musical bingo is proliferating, and it comes in a range of genres, from hip-hop to rock’n’roll and indie.

#4 – TRIVIA NIGHTS Trivia may not be for everyone, but those who do like to get quizzical often come back with their mates, week after week, to try their luck. Most trivia nights offer some incentives for the competitive types in the form of takehome prizes, like cash giveaways, pub vouchers and for bonus rounds. If your kitchen has a great reputation, why not team up your weekly trivia night with a goodvalue meal deal to get punters fed and entertained without leaving the venue? You might find that a themed trivia night works well with your clientele, or, try incorporating an interactive audiovisual element (this works well for music- or film-themed rounds). Having a fun, charismatic quizmaster can also really top off the night, and keep people coming back each week.

ENTERTAINMENT

#1 – LIVE MUSIC This is the big one, folks. The beauty of live music is that there are so many incarnations of it to work with. From loud rock bands tearing up the stage, to a quiet folk duo tucked away discreetly in a corner of the bar, and everything in between, there is simply nothing quite like live music. The size and location of your venue will influence what kind of live music will work well. What kind of space do you have to work with – a stage? Covered courtyard? Front bar?

Band room? And at what times of the day or night will you schedule live music? What demographic does your clientele fit into, and are there any particular genres that are popular with your regular crowd?

#3 – COMEDY Everyone likes to laugh, and what better way to laugh the night away than with professional funny people? Adding a comedy night to your line-up of weekly events can really boost your reputation, not to mention the number of people through the door. Your business can benefit through ticket sales, as well as increased food and drink sales, once you make a name for your venue as a comedy hotspot. And it’s not necessarily just a gig for the bigger clubs and pubs; smaller, intimate spaces can work particularly well, since the audience is only a few feet away from the performers.

Even if you only have live music once a week, building up a good reputation is really important. Venues that are known for their amazing weekly jazz night, their Sunday afternoon blues sessions, or their traditional Irish folk music gathering, will see more foot traffic if they have done it right.

Reputation is not just created by your patrons, though; if you are on good terms with musicians, then they are far more likely to want to come back and play regularly.

With winter well and truly here, driving us all indoors for our fun, maybe it’s time to revamp your venue’s entertainment offering. C&PM

#2 – LIVE SPORT Live sport is something that really brings people together, especially in this sport-loving nation of ours. Venues that provide a great atmosphere in which to watch your favourite game with your mates can really draw in the big crowds – both locals and tourists alike – especially when it comes to finals season. You don’t need to be a sportsthemed venue to pull a sporting crowd, but a few big screens are a must if you want to make each game an event not to be missed. Whether it’s Aussie Rules, Rugby League or Union, or an international tournament like the World Cup, the Olympics or Wimbledon, sporting events offer a great opportunity to make your venue the prime place to be for sports fans. Plus, everyone will have something to banter about at the bar.

CLUBS AND PUBS MANAGER WINTER 2015 • 51

ENTERTAINMENT

ENTERTAINMENT

MATESCLASS© – CLUBMOVIE’S NEW WAY TO WATCH LATEST-RELEASE MOVIES WITH YOUR FRIENDS, AT YOUR LOCAL CLUB, PUB OR RSL

T

he local watering hole is traditionally a place where stories are told. Old stories, new stories, and stories from friends that you’ve heard many times before. ClubMovie’s concept delivers the best stories, by the best storytellers – day in, day out, using an automated, simpleto-operate turnkey solution. It brings back the old pastime of getting a story, with a drink, a meal, and a friend.

Using recently developed digital and laser technology, ClubMovie’s offering adds a high-quality micro-cinema to your place of business.

Latest-release movies, with digital image and sound will drive up your entertainment offerings, your people traffic, and your revenues. The average Australian screen makes over $500,000 in box office sales, and about 40 thousand customers per year. It is easy to understand why Crown Casino (with 14 screens), shopping centres (with eight or more screens), and other venues all use cinema as a major source of drawing customers into a location.

While ClubMovie adds a new revenue stream, its core purpose is to integrate with venue services and to assist in driving up use of the venue facilities. Our business model is to encourage returning, regular business. For example, each movie has an intermission, to allow a toilet break, and a chance to grab a drink at the bar. We can plan session times to allow two dinner sittings, with outgoing diners moving onto the cinema, and outgoing movie watchers moving onto dinner. We can facilitate regular events like ‘Bloke Blockbuster Mondays’, ‘Chick TABLE 1.

Australia Wide

Avg. Per Screen

BoxOffice

Wide

Wide

Revenue

Admissions

2009

$1,088m

91m

1,989

$547k

46k

2010

$1,133m

92m

1,994

$568k

46k

2011

$1,094m

85m

1,991

$549k

43k

2012

$1,126m

86m

1,997

$564k

43k

2013

$1,100m

82m

2,057

$535k

40k

* information from Screen Australia (www.screenaustralia.gov.au/research/statistics/cinema.aspx) 52 • CLUBS AND PUBS MANAGER WINTER 2015

New Cinema Laser Base Projectors – no lamp changes, no sound proofing and no special exhaust system Flick Tuesdays’ and ‘Kids’ Carnival Sundays’ to deliver a recurring, regular customer base.

ClubMovie ticket prices are far more affordable than a trip to the local movie theatre. ClubMovie is about serving local community needs, so members of your local community choose your venue more often.

ClubMovie works as a partner with the venue, similar to Club Keno, taking the work out of running a movie theatre for you. It manages all session programming, playback, lighting control, digital posters, distributor bookings and payments. The only work required of venues is to sell tickets, usher clients, and keep the theatre clean.

Venues can make a choice about what style of theatre they would like to operate – be it a ‘GoldClass’ experience, a traditional experience, or an outdoor/rooftop experience.

Venues can make this decision after considering what type of atmosphere they want to create, and can draw on their interior designers or architects for advice. You’ll also need to think about how the cinema will integrate with your venue’s broader requirements. For example, it would not make sense to have 120 people exiting from your theatre if your restaurant can only manage up to 60 diners.

The ClubMovie theatre is also multimedia-enabled, allowing you to host presentations, live broadcasts (for example, Melbourne Cup day), and community events. ClubMovie also provides a proforma to gauge club members’ interest in the micro-cinema concept. C&PM

To find out more, please contact info@clubmovie.com.au.

CLUBS AND PUBS MANAGER WINTER 2015 • X

Club Movie Cinema where you want it!

One Kings Place South Melbourne, VIC 3205

www.clubmovie.com.au

+61 3 9686 5415 info@clubmovie.com.au

EVENT MANAGEMENT

THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY’S

preferred choice in crowd control barriers

S

ince entering the marketplace, Framelock™ Crowd Control Barriers have quickly become Australia’s preferred choice in crowd control and temporary fencing solutions.

The award-winning Framelock™ Crowd Control Barrier System is increasingly used at major events and venues – at places such as the Adelaide and Perth Entertainment Centres; the Riverstage in Brisbane’s city arts precinct; the Hordern Pavilion Sydney; Qantas Credit Union Arena, Sydney; Big Top at Luna Park, Sydney; the Corner Hotel; University of Technology Sydney Social Hub; and many hire and event production companies in Australia and across the world.

The Framelock™ Crowd Control Barrier System is an innovative, lightweight modular system of high-tensile aluminium crowd control barriers and temporary fencing, designed and manufactured to meet and exceed Australian and international standards.

ADVANTAGES INCLUDE: Strength – durable and lightweight, Framelock™ barriers are the only barrier system in the world to offer a five-year manufacturing warranty.

Safety – Framelock™ barriers have undergone stringent testing and are backed up by engineering certification.

Style – featuring a modern aluminium finish that looks great in any application, the Framelock™ barriers’ groundbreaking design includes contemporary finishes and a variety of colours suitable for all events, locations and venues.

Smart – the modular barriers have been designed and manufactured so that they are easy to assemble, store and transport.

54• •CLUBS CLUBSAND ANDPUBS PUBSMANAGER MANAGERWINTER WINTER2015 2015 X

THE FRAMELOCK™ CROWD CONTROL BARRIER SYSTEM IS SUITABLE FOR: • • • • • • • • • •

concerts touring outdoor events indoor events venues and stadiums conventions and exhibitions construction crowd management sporting events museums and galleries.

Framelock™ Crowd Control Barrier System was created to satisfy a need for safe, industry-standard crowd control barriers and fence systems, which are attractive and suitable to use at a wide range of indoor and outdoor events and venues.

Designed and manufactured in Australia and New Zealand, the Framelock™ Crowd Control Barrier System will add to the presentation and safety of any event or venue.

The Framelock Crowd Control Barrier System meets or exceeds more than seven national and international safety standards.

The system is renowned for its rapid assembly, range of accessories, affordability, lightweight aluminium design, improved safety for operators and staff, and aesthetic appeal, combining to make it a formidable competitor on a world scale. C&PM For more information contact Framelock Barriers General Manager, Matthew Kenny, on +61 (0)412 493 583, E: mk@framelockbarriers.com.

Visit the website at www.framelockbarriers.com

FRAMELOCK BARRIERS

From Framelock Structures Pty Ltd

THE NEXT GENERATION IN CROWD CONTROL MANAGEMENT Framelock is a lightweight modular system of hi-tensile aluminium crowd control barriers and temporary fencing manufactured to meet or exceed Australian and international standards. Featuring a modern aluminium finish that looks good in any application. Combine barrier fence units with corner sections and service gates to erect a cost-effective, free standing integrated crowd control solution.

COMPLIANCE & SAFETY Manufactured in Australia/New Zealand Manufactured to ISO 9001 quality assurance Australian/NZ Structural Design Certification issued 5th September 2007

ASSEMBLY & TRANSPORT

EXTRA SAFETY FEATURES

• Unique side-pin design allows rapid assembly • Packs flat for easy storage and transport • Lightweight • Complete modular system for venue or touring

• Wider step provides better footing • Front anti-trip platform edging • Provisions for ground pins for superior stability on any surface • Interlocking panel system

ADD-ONS & ACCESSORIES • Corner Sections • Detachable counter tops • Gates

MEETS OR EXCEEDS: International Standard BS EN 13200-3:2005 (Spectator Facilities) Annex A WA Health Directorate 2004 (Guidelines for concerts, events and organised gatherings) Crowd Control At Venues And Events, A practical Occupational Health and Safety Guide, WorkSafe (Vic) September 2006 Australian standard AS/NZS 1170 parts 0,1 and 2:2002 (AKA loading codes) Australian standard AS/NZ 1664: 1: 1997 (Aluminium structures) Australian Standard AS 4687-2007 (temporary fencing and hoardings) MCK Metals Pacific. Strength and resistance load testing, November 2006 Patent pending. Registered design. 2007 © All rights reserved. Framelock structures Pty Ltd

SALES

TECHNICAL

General Manager

Director

Matthew Kenny M: 0412 493 583 E: mk@framelockbarriers.com

Colin West M: 0411 473 347 E: cw@framelockbarriers.com

www.framelockbarriers.com Fax: 08 8981 7525 Postal Address: GPO Box 185, Darwin, NT, 0801 Physical Address: 122 Reichrdt Rd, Winnellie, NT, 0820

EVENT MANAGEMENT

GET FUNCTIONAL

BY CLAIRE GAYNOR

Function spaces that are – well, functional – can be hard to come by these days. Finding a space that can cater to a wide range of events, while retaining a certain ambience, is difficult to say the least. While many venues have the one-size-fits-all approach, this mentality doesn’t sit well with most clients who have envisaged a night to remember. As a venue owner or manager, it is important to put a lot of thought and clever planning into event spaces – particularly when you’re up against some stiff competition.

56 • CLUBS AND PUBS MANAGER WINTER 2015

EVENT MANAGEMENT

O

ne venue that has put a lot of effort into its function space is the Woolshed Pub @ Central Pier, a venue that is going above and beyond to accommodate all events and clientele. Part of the recent development of the historic Docklands docking and shipping precinct, the Woolshed is a heritage building that has been renovated with contemporary touches, and is just as appropriate for a family outing as it is for a corporate function – something that can be important to the success of any venue. With other venues in abundance, catering for a wide range of people is vital.

As Lee Cleal, Group Sales and Events Manager at Woolshed, says, ‘It’s no good having a room [that] appeals to only one market segment and then goes sitting empty.

You want a space that appeals to many, to ensure that the room is booked more often than not’.

The Woolshed can host any indoors event, whether it’s a birthday, wedding, engagement or business function; however, Cleal says that they also have a penchant for hosting more unusual events, and that, due to the venue’sname, they have been known to attract more ‘laid-back’ events with a ‘wool’ or country theme. ‘In saying that, we also find ourselves catering to a number of high-end corporate clientele who are looking for a venue that is a little different to your usual standard function space,’ Cleal says.

To make sure that you are the first and most approachable venue for these myriad events, having a variety of spaces is important, as not all rooms will necessarily be suitable for all types of functions. For example, the Woolshed has a large capacity for events, and offers two private rooms: the Fireside Room, which has ‘stunning’ water views, and can accommodate 350 people for a cocktail event, or 140 people for a sit-down event; and the Victoria Harbour View Room, which also has ‘incredible views’, and can host 150 people for a cocktail event, or 80 people for a sit-down dinner. Also available are the semi-private rooms, or ‘pods’, and a bistro dining area.

It’s also in your best interests to extensively plan out the space and how it will be utilised, and refine those plans until you are confident with them. When renovating the Woolshed, which was originally a shed for storing wool, Cleal wanted a space that would be minimal, with clean lines, but a space that would also be warm and inviting.

‘The Woolshed has gone for a rustic, industrial feel,’ says Cleal. ‘On the ground floor, we have polished concrete floors, exposed beams, [and] we have kept the old original cargo doors [and] old lamp lighting from the original building. In the upstairs area, we have a lot of reclaimed timber on the floors, polished concrete feature walls, exposed beams and pendant-style lighting.’

Cleal’s advice on how to have a successful functions space is to make sure that the space is versatile, and to CLUBS AND PUBS MANAGER WINTER 2015 • 57

EVENT MANAGEMENT

avoid any obstructions, such as pillars, in the middle of the room. ‘Keep its simple yet elegant, [and] ensure the space reflects good taste and not necessarily your own personal taste,’ he says.

Also fundamental to a warm and vibrant function space – and something that is often overlooked – is good lighting.

Cleal says that one of the contributing factors to the success of the Woolshed’s function space is its natural light, in conjunction with the multiple lighting options for day or night events.

From a business perspective, having a great function space not only brings in the clientele and their guests – there is also always potential to grow. Cleal says that hosting events is excellent because it can give management the chance to both showcase the venue, and engage potential business partners. ‘[It’s] also a good opportunity to network and discuss firsthand [your] capabilities,’ he says.

Naturally, when people attend any event, refreshments are required to keep the conversation flowing and smiles all round. For many people, the refreshments are not to be taken lightly, and so it is critical to provide clientele with a menu that will knock their socks off.

The Woolshed Pub is a great example of a venue with successful event spaces and packages for those looking to expand their business. It offers a number of eating options for all types of events. For more formal, sit-down dinners, it offers menus for two-, three- or five-course meals, as well as a bistro menu. For something a bit more causal, 58 • CLUBS AND PUBS MANAGER WINTER 2015

Woolshed offers ‘grazing station’ menus, where guests can eat as they please from options such as a make-your-own souvlaki, and build-your-own burger station.

The canapé menu also has an extensive array of small snacks that are simply to die for. Choose from cold or hot canapés (think polenta corn cakes with confit tomato, goats curd and black olives; or lamb, haloumi and mint kofte, with pomegranate yoghurt and dukkah); chunky bowls containing a slightly more substantial serving of something delicious (think Vietnamese chicken salad with rice noodles, red chilli and coriander); platters (such as a mezze or Oriental-style platter); or dessert canapés (a mouth-watering chocolate mousse with honeycomb and salted macadamia praline is certainly a hit regardless of function type).

The Woolshed Pub also offers a birthday cake menu, featuring amazing creations made in-house for any special day and, to get everyone suitably warmed up, beverage packages. The venue offers Silver, Gold and Platinum packages, which provide a selection of sparkling, red and white wines, and tap beers, along with juices and soft drinks.

As a customer, choosing a venue can be a daunting task; however, as a venue owner or manager, you have the power to make this experience enjoyable for both parties.

By looking to venues such as The Woolshed Pub @ Central Pier, it is easy to see why sweeping views of the city and the water; functional, versatile spaces; and a sensational menu are such drawcards. C&PM

EVENT MANAGEMENT

TAKE CHARGE T

he ChargeSpot concept was conceived after a ‘lightbulb’ moment, when owner Mick Apeiro (pictured) ran out of phone battery while drinking in a pub with a couple of mates. He thought, ‘Why on earth don’t venues have a phone-charging service to keep people charged up when their phone dies?’ From that moment on, he set out to develop the idea and make it a reality.

Apeiro began by designing a user-friendly machine, which allowed the user to securely lock their phone in a locker while charging. Once his design was perfected, he then focused on finding venues for the ChargeSpots. Before long, ChargeSpots were appearing in venues all over the country, including airports, expo centres, hospitals, nightclubs, shopping centres, pubs and gaming venues.

According to Apeiro, ‘The venue owners love our machines: they attract people to the venue, they keep patrons in the venue longer and the patrons really appreciate the service’.

Mick and his team have now expanded their product range to accommodate for any type of venue, big or small. The range now includes portable chargers, tabletop chargers, compact wall-mounted chargers and large stand-alone chargers. C&PM

If you’re interested in having a ChargeSpot at your venue, call 0498 241 574.

PHONE CHARGING MADE SIMPLE

Portable solutions

Wall-mounted solutions

Lockable solutions

Stand-alone solutions

Keep your patrons connected with a ChargeSpot PROVEN TO KEEP PATRONS IN VENUE LONGER CHARGESPOT.COM.AU info@chargespot.com.au 0498 241 574 CLUBS CLUBSAND ANDPUBS PUBSMANAGER MANAGERWINTER WINTER2015 2015••59 X

ENERGY AND LIGHTING

DO YOU WANT TO LEARN how to save money by getting your energy free from the sun?

By Paul Horton, General Manager, Eastcoast Energy Consultancy

E

astcoast Energy Consultancy has always been committed to reducing the costs of clients’ energy, and is now going to the next level in helping organisations to achieve the best possible outcome, and save thousands of dollars.

• solar panel prices are at their lowest ever

We are offering our customers commercial-scale solar power, to help you reduce your energy consumption as much as possible. Commercial solar is taking off in Australia, and more and more businesses are realising the potential savings that can be made by investing in this proven technology.

• very reliable investment – 25-year performance warranty

Eastcoast Energy Consultancy draws on over 24 years of experience and knowledge in the Australian energy market, and we are partnering with the best manufacturers of solar equipment available, to bring you a high-quality and wellpriced product that is guaranteed to save you money well into the future.

Proven benefits: • generating your own power reduces your reliance on the grid and saves you money 60• •CLUBS CLUBSAND ANDPUBS PUBSMANAGER MANAGERWINTER WINTER2015 2015 X

• customers and patrons will appreciate your environmental efforts • solar has a long life and a fast break-even

• obligation-free consultation.

If you are interested in learning more, we will be happy to arrange for one of our expert consultants to make contact with you and arrange a time to visit your club. They will need around an hour of your time and access to your facilities, and from there we will come back to you with a comprehensive proposal. C&PM To take advantage of this no-obligation offer, all we need you to do is fax or email us one recent electricity bill (front and back) for each account that you have, along with your business contact details, to 03 9855 2524 or eastcoastenergy@iinet.net.au.

Alternatively, phone us on 03 9205 9489 for further information.

ENERGY AND LIGHTING

THE NEW

SOLAR POWER REVOLUTION

IS HERE FOR CLUBS AND PUBS

A

ustralians love their solar panels. Just a decade ago, about 1000 homeowners had a solar photovoltaic (PV) system on their roof. Today, this figure is more like 1.5 million – one in six households, the highest proportion of any country in the world. With the continuously increasing demand for electric power, the significantly high price of oil and the growing concern for the environment, businesses are now jumping onboard with the revolution. Among the renewable energy sources, solar is fast becoming the sustainable choice, and as utility rates increase, many clubs and hotels are now tapping into this alternative source of energy, hoping to benefit from its various advantages and applications.

Someone who has experienced this firsthand is Howlong Golf Course General Manager Chris Rebecchi, who installed a 100-kilowatt solar panel system that doubled as a car park shade structure. ‘It’s unique in that most solar panels are on roofs. We’ve used ours to provide shade for our customers,’ Rebecchi says. ‘We plan to use the area for community markets. From a savings point of view, we have slashed thousands off our energy bill and fixed our energy prices for the next 20 years.’

Installing a solar power system allows you to hedge against future rate increases by utilising renewable energy to supplement your electricity needs. The money saved can go directly towards developing other areas of the club.

The other bonus with solar is that, once installed, a solar power system operates quietly and cleanly for the next 25 to 30 years, with little or no maintenance at all.

Yet, further change is on the way. For years, it has been keenly understood that the next big thing – the Holy Grail, if you like – for solar would be the ability to store energy generated from solar panels for later use at a reasonable cost.

At the moment, when domestic solar PV generators supply power into the grid, customers only get paid eight cents per kilowatt per hour during daylight hours; however, utility companies charge customers for electricity used in the early evening peak as much as 30 cents per kilowatt per hour.

Solar batteries get around this problem and, in concert with solar panels, will change people’s relationship with the grid, enabling households and businesses to store and manage the electricity that their solar panels produce, and to reduce 62 • CLUBS AND PUBS MANAGER WINTER 2015

their electricity costs further.

Consumers will become their own generator, using storage and energy management to control load. When you combine the control of load – that is, when and how you use electricity – with generation and the ability to store it, the technology becomes extremely powerful.

These changes will benefit not only solar PV owners, but everyone. Battery owners will use the grid less at peak times, placing less strain on the network and reducing the need for costly infrastructure.

For businesses that operate in rural and remote areas, the cost of electricity is forever increasing due to the supply, maintenance and upgrade of poles and wires. Eventually, the advent of this new solar technology will allow entire communities to disconnect from the grid, becoming self-sufficient by using their own low-emission electricity.

Businesses will also be able to store excess power so that it can be used to offset peak load or night time use. It may not take a business entirely ‘off grid’, but in many cases, it has the capability to do so.

Big challenges lie ahead, especially for utilities. They will have to adapt to this coming solar revolution if they are to prosper. The federal government has been slow to act on climate change in the past, and will need to move faster as the wider community embraces this new technology.

Our federal and state governments need to learn from past mistakes for solar PV and battery storage to become a central part of our electricity system, significantly reducing carbon emissions by using renewable energy.

There are many rewarding financial incentives from federal and state governments for a new solar system.

Companies such as PPA Direct and PPA Solar are already offering innovative ways for businesses to install solar PV systems with no up-front costs. The equipment is paid off through the electricity generated from the system, allowing businesses to save from the moment it is installed. C&PM If you want to learn more about these tailored costsaving energy solutions for your club or hotel, call Frank Dunell on 0434 430916, email ppasales.com.au, or visit www.ppasolar.net.au.

S

AVE

S

AVE

ENERGY AND LIGHTING

UNLOCKING THE PRODUCTIVITY BENEFITS of energy efficiency

For many hospitality venues, being energy-efficient is often a desirable trait. The challenge for many operators, however, is knowing where to start. Tom Grosskopf understands this conundrum.

numerous clubs, pubs and restaurants – to save energy and be more sustainable.

A

For the vast majority of hospitality venues, heating, ventilation and air conditioning – along with lighting – make up a significant proportion of energy use. For larger sites, the two can account for more than half a venue’s total energy use.

s a branch director for the New South Wales Office of Environment and Heritage (OEH), Grosskopf oversees programs that help businesses across the state be more efficient with their energy use.

‘The same questions often come up: what do I do first?

Will upgrading my venue’s lighting offer a better return on investment than replacing my ageing fridges? Or, is it my air-conditioning systems that I need to look at first?

‘The choices can be daunting, and it can all be seen as too hard,’ says Grosskopf.

But it doesn’t have to be that way.

Over recent years, OEH’s business support programs have assisted more than 18,000 businesses – including 64 • CLUBS AND PUBS MANAGER WINTER 2015

‘Along with lower operating costs, hospitality venues that make the move to be more energy-efficient often discover other productivity benefits, as well,’ says Grosskopf.

‘Maintenance costs are reduced, equipment life is extended, and there is often better indoor temperature control, ensuring a more comfortable environment for staff and customers alike.’

‘Depending on your site, a small up-front investment on a simple upgrade to replace energy-inefficient lighting can make a noticeable difference to your power bills,’ says Grosskopf.

‘In some instances, you may not even need to replace equipment. Substantial savings can be made from adjustments to the settings of your heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems.

‘This, of course, depends on your particular site, and our support programs are designed to work closely with you to come up with the right solutions.’

ENERGY AND LIGHTING

Support can take a number of forms, ranging from training workshops, to help with accessing financial assistance for energy projects.

‘Each operator’s situation is different, so the support we are able to provide varies from business to business. For some, it can entail subsidised technical investigations that will identify the key energy-saving opportunities at their particular venue,’ says Grosskopf.

‘Some operators, meanwhile, may have already identified an energy upgrade, but require specialist expertise to assist them with implementation.

‘We also have a number of self-help guides and online tools designed to support businesses to understand technologies, compare products, select finance, engage suppliers and make decisions about the right energyefficient upgrades for their venue.’

TOP ENERGY SAVING TIPS FOR HOSPITALITY VENUES Over the years, numerous venues across New South Wales have been assisted through OEH’s business support programs to save energy and reduce operating costs.

The work with registered clubs, in particular, has enabled the development of a sector-specific training course and toolkit to assist club operators to identify and understand potential savings and costs associated with energysaving projects.

While the following advice and tips are specific to the clubs sector, they are also generally applicable to other hospitality venues.

Some top energy tips include: • upgrading to more energy-efficient lighting

• improving the performance of existing heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems – even adjusting temperature settings (the desired temperature level within a building or area) can yield a noticeable difference in energy use. Changing the temperature setting by one degree Celsius reduces or increases the energy consumption of cooling or heating equipment by around 10 per cent • using sensors and timers for infrequently used areas.

The guide also covers the potential funding options for your energy project. To download the guide, visit www.environment.nsw.gov.au/business/registered-clubs.htm.

Other tools and resources that may be of assistance to venue operators include: • Calculight, an online tool that helps identify appropriate, cost-effective lighting upgrades www.environment.nsw.gov.au/lightingtoolapp/ • a guide to selecting the right finance options for your energy project: www.environment.nsw.gov.au/business/ project-financing.htm • energy efficiency training courses www.environment.nsw.gov.au/business/energyefficiency-training.htm • An online directory of Accredited Certificate Providers who may be able to assist with access to funding for energy projects in New South Wales under the Energy Savings Scheme: acpdirectory.environment.nsw.gov.au • OEH’s Energy Efficient Business team: email energy.saver@environment.nsw.gov.au, or call 1300 361 967 (ask for the Energy Efficient Business team). C&PM CLUBS AND PUBS MANAGER WINTER 2015 • 65

ENERGY AND LIGHTING

CASE STUDY: ENERGY EFFICIENCY AN $800,000 WINNER FOR BANKSTOWN SPORTS CLUB When Bankstown Sports Club in Western Sydney started looking at ways to improve its energy use, it knew that it was onto a winner.

A big part of the Bankstown community over the last 55 years, the club has knocked more than $800,000 off its energy bills to date.

Bankstown Chief Executive Officer Mark Condi says that the project has proven so successful, the club has also been able to defer the purchase of a new generator, which would have cost up to $1 million.

The club’s energy efficiency journey began with an energy audit. Funded by the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage (OEH), the audit looked at energy consumption at the club’s 70,000-squaremetre venue, and from there, identified potential areas of energy and cost savings across the club’s 108-room hotel, 12 bars, eight restaurants, conference room and indoor playground.

‘The final report tabled a list of recommended opportunities that we prioritised and implemented.‘The cost of the projects recommended totalled in excess of $653,000, which included government funding of $254,000,’ says Condi.

The return on investment has far exceeded the club’s expectations.

‘The initial estimation was that we would have savings of about $200,000 a year, but actual savings have been around $500,000 a year. To date, savings are around $800,000.’

Not only has it reduced energy use and cost, but the club has also unlocked a raft of other productivity benefits, including extensions to the operating life of existing machinery and a reduction in maintenance costs.

The club’s 550 employees, 65,000 members and its wider community have also been very supportive and appreciative, says Condi.

Its successes have spurred the club into developing more projects, including the installation of a large indoor composter, which is expected to reduce waste to landfill by a tonne a week.

Condi’s advice for others looking to be more energyefficient is to just do it.

‘The only thing we would have done differently given another chance is to do all of it earlier.’ C&PM To get started on saving energy at your venue, get in touch with OEH’s Energy Efficient Business team by emailing energy.saver@environment.nsw. gov.au, calling 1300 361 967 (ask for the Energy Efficient Business team) or visiting www.environment.nsw.gov.au/business/energysaver.htm.

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INTERIORS AND ARCHITECTURE

OLD-WORLD charm The Gresham Bar is a stunningly unique old-world bourbon and whisky bar located within the former Queensland National Bank building – an iconic and heritagelisted building in central Brisbane.

Clubs and Pubs Manager spoke to Tania Reiken, Architect and Director of Inaspace Architecture + Design, and Rachael Morris, Interior Designer, about the venue’s fitout and design.

C

an you tell us a bit about your venue?

The Gresham is a relatively new Brisbane bar (opened late 2013), with an old edge. With the only Heritage Bar Licence in Queensland, The Gresham is steeped in rich history, and has maintained the original character and architecture from the famous Gresham Hotel, opened in 1890.

The Gresham offers some of the highest-calibre rum, whisky and wine in the country, and the extensive and artistic cocktail offerings are only able to be crafted by the best bartenders in the industry. It’s not just for the night owls, with breakfast and coffee served on weekdays.

When designing, building and planning the Gresham’s interior, what was the design vision and philosophy of the project? What were you hoping to achieve?

The design vision and philosophy of The Gresham was to pay our respects to the deep history that runs through the walls, while offering a venue for the modern day. It’s a venue that’s reminiscent of the old bourbon and whisky bars, complementing our drinks offerings.

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INTERIORS AND ARCHITECTURE

We wanted a venue that made people feel comfortable to return time and time again, and we wanted a functional space where we could showcase the drinks made by our amazing staff.

Have you included any decorating and architectural points of difference to separate you from your competitors?

The interior pays respect to the history of the building and site, with a number of original elements incorporated into the space: Murphy’s Creek sandstone and New Zealand limestone lines the walls; a distinct Palladian influence is evident in the detailing; local cedar was used for the main doors and joinery; and the mantelpiece above the fireplace completes the architectural indulgence, with marble sourced directly from the United Kingdom.

Cast your eyes up to the gent above the fireplace in the front bar. Edward Robert Drury (1832–1896), banker and soldier, was the commander of the Queensland Defence Forces and head of the Queensland National Bank, which commissioned and oversaw construction of the building.

The decor maches this character, with Chesterfield couches, Victorian fireplaces, lamps and original dark floorboards

creating an atmosphere of the past. The six-metre-high pressed metal ceilings are a statement themselves, and help to make the small space feel much larger, while the eightmetre-long solid timber bar is a custom-designed piece that serves both function and design elements. It’s one of the few venues in Brisbane that can present this old-world charm, knowing that it is truly a part of our identity.

What was the designing and decorating process like? What professional services were hired during the process, and what was your relationship with them like?

We worked with Inaspace Architecture + Design, who used the original elements of the building as a base to build upon. They scoured antique stores to fill every nook and cranny to give the venue the personality it is renowned for.

Inaspace met challenges head on and worked with a heritage architect to achieve the best outcome for the building and The Gresham. The uniqueness of the project required that all contractors had a close relationship with Inaspace Architecture + Design and The Gresham to ensure that the final product delivered the amazing space customers see today. continued on page 70

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INTERIORS AND ARCHITECTURE

CASUALISATION OF HOSPITALITY MY PUB RULES

MOVING STUFF

ood preferences are being influenced by reality television shows. Your food presentation is compared to the celebrity chef from last night’s television progam. A variety of menu all day, atmosphere, theatre of food, staff knowledge and bistro interior design are much more important than they were five years ago.

Try footpath dining, alfresco and open lawns. Suggest a table with wheels to load umbrellas and chairs in order to reduce the set-up and breakdown trips for staff. For flexible function dining, select chairs that can stack and fit onto a trolley. C&PM

F

LAYOUT Patrons eat at less regular times – they mostly snatch and snack. Venue dining is now more various, café-like and adventurous.

FURNITURE Venues need easy areas, communal tables and stackable furniture to alter areas for high and low demand. Colour and mix of styles are good.

Screen areas are good to break up the space. Allow for a lounge seat or two to send a message of comfort.

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continued from page 68

Your venue includes several different spaces in which patrons can relax with a drink, both indoor and outdoor. How do the designs of these spaces differ, and how were you able to keep the design theme flowing through each space?

The inside is divided into two rooms – the main bar, which still contains the bank’s old drop safe, and the library-like lounge, with a wooden wall unit commissioned by the owners, as well as a piano and ceiling-to-floor curtains.

While the main bar is the bustling hub of the venue, the lounge offers a quieter space in which guests can relax and savour their beverage.

The outside seating area wraps around the building. While each area has its own decor, the atmosphere and character can be felt in each space. The building and history lends itself perfectly to the style of bar we wanted to establish, and this is captured throughout each area of the venue.

Inaspace Architecture + Design addressed the needs of both staff and customers by designing a clear layout of space, a functional bar area, and a variety of seating and lighting options to add to the atmosphere and flexibility.

What issues (if any) did your team face during the designing and building process?

The site presented great opportunity, and the vision to create an authentic venue was outlined in the early stages of the process. This clear vision ensured Inaspace 70 • CLUBS AND PUBS MANAGER WINTER 2015

Architecture + Design had a platform to build on. While the floor space is minimal, Inaspace instead focused on the six-metre-high pressed metal ceilings to bring the project to life. The heritage listing presented challenges; however, a heritage architect came on board to help guide the project.

The collaboration of the design team and the owners shows that it’s possible to take a space that may seem ‘too hard’ for some, and create a functional and unique venue.

The Gresham Bar was recently shortlisted for the award for Best Bar Design, as presented by the Eat Drink Design awards. Can you tell us a bit about that experience?

It was a great honour to be recognised in the Best Bar Design category of the Eat Drink Design awards, and to be in the calibre of the other venues nominated. While it was unfortunate that we weren’t able to take the cake, it was a great acknowledgement for our whole team – everyone worked so hard to make this a stand-out venue, not just in Brisbane, but nationally.

What advice can you give to venue owners and managers who are considering revamping their space?

It’s important to have a vision and a great team to work with. We were fortunate that we had such a solid base to build upon, and we knew that we wanted the venue to complement the fantastic range of beverages we offer. C&PM

INTERIORS AND ARCHITECTURE

Professional Performer, controlled conditions. Do not attempt.

CHAIRS THAT PERFORM AND DAZZLE!

R

efined, but not necessarily discreet. Provocative, but never pretentious. Gasser chairs are as intriguing as they are comfortable. With clean, crisp lines and a rather healthy dose of swagger, most chairs are designed to fill a space, Gasser chairs are designed to elevate it. Gasser chairs don’t merely perform, they dazzle.

For more than 68 years, the Gasser Chair Company has been designing, building and perfecting the art of commercial seating, using only the highest-quality materials. A leading manufacturer of slot seating and stackable banquet seating solutions, Gasser Chair Company manufactures fine-quality seating, and provides seating solutions for many of the world’s foremost hospitality and entertainment venues.

Allure

With a showroom and representative now in Sydney, Gasser Chair Company is recognised worldwide as a leader in manufacturing the finest seating solutions for the gaming and hospitality industries.

WHO USES GASSER CHAIRS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND? • Woden Tradies Canberra • The Epping Club • Wests Leagues Newcastle • Mingara Leisure Centre • St George Leagues Club • Dapto Leagues Club • Ainslie Group Canberra • Nambour RSL • Ourimbah RSL • Maroochy RSL • Port City Bowling • Port City Bowling Club • Doyalson RSL • Canberra Southern Cross Club • Windsor RSL. C&PM Contact Mark German: 0418 282 091, markgerman.mg@gmail.com or visit gasserchair.com

Gasser chairs don’t merely perform, they dazzle.

Mark German

GASSER SALES AGENT AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND Bankstown, NSW 2200 markgerman.mg@gmail.com +61 418 282 091 Fax +61 2 9793 9355

gasserchair.com | 800-323-2234 Feature Chair: Camber

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INTERIORS AND ARCHITECTURE

JUNCTION MOAMA: EMBRACING THE RUSTIC

J

unction Moama is part of the club’s master plan to create a national and international venue that departs from the conventional design for clubs. Altis Architecture was incredibly excited to be involved with the club’s vision to create a landmark venue at Moama Bowling Club. Junction was a long time in the making: Altis Architecture started on this project in 2011, following a drink in the back area of Sydney’s Establishment Bar with the Moama Bowling Club Chief Executive Officer, Paul Barnes. The club’s vision was to own a destination venue within the club. The first schematics were not the final product; however, the vision that the club brought to the table allowed Altis to work with the club’s team to develop a venue with endless potential.

The Echuca Moama region is home to a unique community.

Set alongside the Murray River, and located only a twohour drive from Melbourne Airport, the goal for the design was to capture tourists, locals, and Melbourne weekend visitors. The spatial design was intended to be small and intimate, focused around a pavilion situated within a landscaped environment. Through the design process, Paul Barnes and the entire Moama Bowling Club team worked closely with Altis, providing necessary comments, feedback and direction on the club’s operations, including food and beverage requirements, and the general operation of the new venue. This feedback was a vital part of the final planning and layout of the venue.

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Embracing the rustic and industrialised aesthetic of the area, the vision was to create a contemporary venue with a relaxed, inviting atmosphere offering a range of dining and drinking experiences. The finished design uses clever combinations of raw steel, repurposed bricks, packing crates and verandah poles, contrasted against beautiful polished tiles, marble slabs and finished joinery. The fit-out cleverly creates intimate pockets – a moody bar, a cosy restaurant, a quiet balcony to have a drink with friends – but the space also has the flexibility of an exciting new function venue, and it all looks out onto lush new gardens and water ponds.

Renovating an existing part of the club, with existing back-ofhouse and loading facilities, helped to save time and costs, while the full extent of monies could be focused on the areas that visitors interact with. Using existing spaces within the club has proven to perform well for this project. Using local knowledge in KGB allowed the cost of building to be recycled within the town. This was a great decision by the club, because each person who worked on the project now feels that their hard work has created a product that is owned by the town.

Since the completion of this project, the venue has noticed that more and more clubs are turning away from standard designs, and are moving toward contemporary venue designs that utilise an efficient back-of-house, smaller spaces and a relaxed, inviting atmosphere. C&PM

M OA M A BOW L I N G CLU B

“ Altis A rchitecture crea t ed a des ig n t o f it our vision of a forwar d t hinking venue with unique desig n & r elev ance to our local area. The addit io nal desig n detail that they provide d m akes t he f inal project such a success . ” - Sim o n Gr i f f i n, Mo a m a B o wling Club

ALTIS

A RCH IT E CTUR E INT E RIO R DE S I GN MA ST E RP L ANNI NG

TALK TO US ABOUT YOUR FUTURE PROJECTS p [ 02] 9 3 6 4 9 0 0 0 | www.a ltisa rch ite ctu re .c o m

INTERIORS AND ARCHITECTURE

WINTER warmers The comforting crackle of a wood fire is a staple in homes throughout Australia during the cooler months – and it’s also a sought-after feature in clubs and pubs.

C

ustomers dining out during winter seek not only hearty dishes and top service, but a warm, relaxing atmosphere that makes the cold outside seem like a distant memory.

A wood heater is able to provide all of these things in abundance, and is an option that both clubs and pubs are embracing, not only for the unbeatable ambience this type of heater offers, but also because of the low carbon footprint burning wood leaves behind.

They also play a crucial role in tempting people away from home on a dark winter’s eve, when hibernating may seem like a better option.

Australian Home Heating Association (AHHA) General Manager Demi Brown says that wood heaters create a sense of nostalgia and comfort that goes hand-in-hand with some of the country’s oldest pubs, and that is also at home in newer establishments.

‘Burning wood for warmth is satisfying and comforting.

Enjoying a nice glass of wine and the company of friends and family in front of a wood heater is one of life’s great pleasures,’ says Brown.

Club and pub owners who are considering investing in a wood heater need to make several key considerations, including the venue’s design, insulation levels and the length of time that the heater is to be operated.

‘If the wood heater will be in an area that is close to where people sit, as is often the case in pubs, a fire guard should be used at all times, especially when children are around,’ says Brown.

‘Another important factor is to choose a wood heater that fits the size of the area you want to heat.’ continued on page 76

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BALANCING

space and opportunity

T

he hospitality Industry is highly susceptible to economic movement, both upwards and downwards.

Venues are forced to widen their scope for clientele, and are required to accommodate multiple functions at any one time. At busy times, you may also need to open up that extra space, but allow a room configuration to accommodate bigger numbers.

Maximum space versatility and adaptability, therefore, becomes critical to accommodate multiple requirements – often at short notice.

FLEXIBLE SPACE SOLUTIONSWe can help you make better use of your existing space through intelligent space-saving or space-enhancing room dividers.

We offer a range of solutions that are purpose-built for pubs and clubs. They are designed to provide a temporary or semi-permanent room divider, and offer maximum flexibility in terms of room configuration.

Costly building work and unadaptable space can be avoided by considering a cheaper and more versatile temporary room dividing solution.

BENEFITS OF MOBILE ROOM DIVIDERS • Sound-absorbing material, used on many of our partitions, creates an excellent noise barrier, providing temporary privacy solutions as, and when, required.

• A private space, split space, meeting room or break-out area can be created in a matter of seconds, and remain for however long it’s required.

• Partitions are easy to move, fold and store when not in use.

• A specialist range of engineered acoustic polycarbonate partitions are also available. They are highly durable and are 100 per cent waterproof and easy to clean, ideal for the rigorous demands of the club and pub environment. C&PM

Maximise your function room versatility with Portable Room Dividers P Save time & money P Easy set up P Flexible & adaptable P Custom design options P Australian made P: 1300 731 397 E: info@portablepartitions.com.au W: www.portablepartitions.com.au CLUBS CLUBSAND ANDPUBS PUBSMANAGER MANAGERWINTER WINTER2015 2015••75 X

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continued from page 74

Australian Hotels Association South Australia General Manager Ian Horne also spoke highly about the ambience that wood heating offers.

‘The appeal of going to a hotel or similar place rather than staying home is the interaction with other people – the warm congeniality, and that sense of wellbeing – and a wood heater in winter helps create this,’ he says.

‘Replicating the sound and feel that goes along with a genuine wood fire is impossible, even with advances in technology.’

Wood heaters provide heat in one, or a combination of, the following ways: • Freestanding radiant wood heaters transfer about two-thirds of their heat output by radiation, and about one-third by convection. They have very hot surface temperatures, and heat by sending their warmth out in all directions. The surfaces of objects such as walls, floors, ceilings, furniture and people that face the wood heater are warmed directly by the radiated heat.

• Freestanding convection wood heaters have a ventilated casing around the firebox, which is either tiled or metal.

Heat is distributed by convective currents and transfers about one-third by radiation. Sometimes, electric fans may be built in to increase the convective air flow.

• Fireplace inserts are wood heaters specifically designed for installation within a masonry fireplace. Inserts are commonly used to convert open brick fireplaces, which are usually unable to produce sufficient heat. This type of conversion ensures that most of the heat is delivered to the room instead of being trapped in the masonry structure, or wasted via the chimney.

Other options that can be added to the above list include in-built heating units, pellet heaters and multi-fuel heaters.

Brown encourages any club or pub owner considering buying a wood heater to speak to an AHHA member in their area.

‘There really are a lot of options out there to suit so many different buyers,’ she says.

‘There’re too many to discuss in great detail, but an AHHA member can give advice on what would best suit an establishment.’

Brown says that by using firewood – a renewable source of energy – wood heating also generates low greenhouse gas emissions.

More than 900,000 Australian families use wood heating in their homes, and there are more than 300 heater models available throughout the country. It is one of the most costeffective forms of heating.

76 • CLUBS AND PUBS MANAGER WINTER 2015

‘Wood heaters are tested and approved to meet Australia’s tough standards,’ Brown says.

Customers at Evida Café, in the Adelaide beachside suburb of Henley Beach, have enjoyed gathering around its wood heater for more than a decade.

Owner John Spanos says that its addition to the popular eatery has provided an additional sense of warmth and character, and creates a drawcard when icy and windy conditions tend to strike in cooler months.

‘The feedback we have had from customers is that they really love it,’ Spanos says.

‘The lounge and seats closest to the wood heater have become a real focal point. The first thing customers want to do is gather around and enjoy a hot beverage. We regularly check and clean the flue to make sure the heater is in top condition.

‘We’re at our busiest in summer; once it gets to winter, people aren’t as attracted to the beachside. Having a wood heater really does make a difference.’

THE AHHA’S TOP TIPS FOR THE PROPER USE OF WOOD HEATERS: 1. Use kindling wood, paper and firelighters to get the fire started, and add larger pieces of wood only after a hot bed of coals has been established.

2. Leave air controls open for at least 15–20 minutes to start the fire burning, and when re-loading.

3. Don’t close air supply totally overnight – a little air avoids a lot of smoke.

4. A wood heater will burn better with three or four smaller logs, rather than one or two large ones.

5. Make sure that the heater is the right size for its purpose, and that it is properly installed by a qualified person.

6. Have your wood heater serviced each year in spring or early summer. You should only burn dry, well-seasoned hardwood from a reputable supplier, and never use petrol, kerosene or oil to start the fire. C&PM

A free educational DVD is available from the AHHA National Office – just call 08 8351 9288.

Visit www.homeheat.com.au for more information about wood heating.

INTERIORS AND ARCHITECTURE

HOTEL URBAN – BRISBANE A rchitecturally designed, the Hotel Urban in Brisbane is a stunning blend of open spaces, designer style and modern comfort. Overlooking the Roma Street Parkland, Hotel Urban is surrounded by leafy parklands and Brisbane city skyline views.

Only a five-minute walk from the Queen Street Mall in the heart of Brisbane’s CBD, you are connected with Brisbane’s best attractions, including Queensland’s Cultural Precinct.

In meeting with the high standards of a premier boutique hotel, Hotel Urban turned to ROXSET Health & Safety Flooring to help provide a HACCP OH&S non-slip coating solution in the main kitchen area to meet the most stringent demands of daily cleaning regimes, and to provide a durable, fast-flow surface for its busy chefs.

ROXSET has worked in the food and beverage industry for over 25 years. As a

specialised turnkey manufacturer and installer of high-quality OH&S coatings, this solution is very much in demand with highend commercial kitchens in five-star hotels across Australia.

ROXSET SE3, at six millimetres, was chosen to provide an impervious, non-slip finish over deteriorated and aged ceramic tiles.

The superior, lasting quality of this coating will provide protection in excess of 10 years. ROXSET SE3 was installed over 200 square metres of tiles in the kitchen, with minimum downtime or disruption to the day-to-day service to the hotel guests.

The Hotel Urban was delighted with the transformation of the kitchen floor, which is not only safe and hygienic, but gives the area a fresh and vibrant working area for staff. C&PM

Do you provide a safe & hygienic environment for your staff?

Roxset SE Epoxy is a seamless, impervious floor coating system with varying degrees of slip resistance for the Hospitality, Beverage, & Food Processing industries.

Roxset meets the highest OH&S standards set by HACCP, AQIS and FoodSafe, ideal for wet and dry food processing areas where the highest level of food hygiene and safety are required.

Features & advantages include: •

Impervious non-slip impact with abrasion resistance

•

Will not harbour Bacteria

Providing safe, durable & ultra-clean flooring for over 30 years.

•

High/Low temperature tolerant & chemical resistant

•

Full range of textures & colours available

•

Easy to clean, low maintenance, reduces costs (readily repaired)

•

Long lasting (20 years +) with full materials & installation warranty

•

Installation 7 days a week, 24hrs a day

Contact us today for more information or an obligation free assessment.

1800 769 738 roxset.com.au

HEALTH & SAFETY FLOORING

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INTERIORS AND ARCHITECTURE

THE PROCESS:

creating a custom-designed carpet for your venue

T

hink a custom-designed carpet is out of reach?

Think again. Brintons Carpets is the world leader in custom Axminster carpets for the gaming and hospitality industries, and has made the process so streamlined that it has become even easier for clubs and pubs to design their own carpets.

Brintons offers over 20 commercial designs stocked in Australia, ranging from subtle textures to grand-scale designs in beautiful on-trend colour palettes, which are perfect for the hospitality market. If time is on your side, however, Brintons have made it incredibly simple to be able to have custom-designed carpet for your venue.

You can search through the archive by design style or colour; this incredibly intuitive tool puts design back into your hands, giving you more control over the final product.

SAMPLING Bringing your creative vision to life is an essential part of the custom-design process. To help you achieve this, we offer a full custom sampling service, bespoke colour development, design print outs and woven trials.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

At Brintons we’re driven to create exceptional products that meet the exacting needs of your project, no matter what the size, scale or specification is. Our dedicated team of designers, project managers, customer support workers and account managers work with you to develop inspirational flooring solutions.

You can be confident that your project will be delivered on time and within budget. From start to finish, your custom project will be championed by your own project manager who will guide you through the entire process from initial project shaping, planning and estimating, right through to installation, after-care and maintenance.

DESIGN

TOTAL QUALITY ASSURANCE

Brintons is recognised as a powerful creative source that is stretching the way people think about pattern and colour on the floor. Our ability to combine thoughtful design with experience and technical knowledge allows us to deliver highperformance floor coverings that will take your breath away.

When it comes to weaving your carpet, we have complete control over every step in the process – the sourcing, colour dyeing, spinning, weaving and finishing of yarn – to give you an exceptional performance woven carpet that is beautiful, hard-wearing and easy to install.

Whether you’re looking for something unique, like your company logo or a hand-drawn sketch, or you have a particular bank of colours that you want matched, Brintons can do it all. Located in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Geelong, our experienced in-house designers can come up with the perfect solution to your specific design brief.

INSTALLATION

By choosing to work with Brintons, you will have access to our global network of design studios and talented field designers, our innovative online design studio (DSO) and one of the industry’s largest floor covering design archives.

In partnership with our global network of installation professionals, we can offer you a full installation service including technical supervision and on-site advice.

AFTER-CARE

DESIGN STUDIO ONLINE

And once your luxurious new Brintons carpet has been installed, we are always available to provide you with the information and support that you need to ensure that your carpet keeps its good looks and performs to specification. C&PM

When you sign into DSO (http://dso.brintons.net), you’re transported to an innovative design studio where you can scroll through our archive of more than 100,000 designs, recolour, add multiple designs to a project and even flood your new re-coloured design into a room to see how it would look in situ.

To find out how Brintons can take your venue to the next level with a custom-designed carpet, call us on 1800 332 694, or find inspiration on our website www.brintons.net.

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1

2

3

4

6

1. Crown Conservatory 2. Crown Atrium 5

3. Ballara Receptions 4. The Hydro Majestic 5. The Promenade at Crown

6. The Sunnybank

Community and Sports Club

Brintons - making the world a more beautiful place For further information call 1800 332 694 or visit www.brintons.net

INTERIORS AND ARCHITECTURE

COLOUR TRENDS

for 2015

Haymes, Dulux and Pantone Color Institute’s® top colours for 2015 focus on warmth, comfort and security, combined with bright and refreshing accent colours. And, unlike in previous years, there is a large range of top colours to choose from.

Here are some trend-conscious tips to consider when styling your venue. continued on page 82

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HOSPITALITY FLOORING options

G

odfrey Hirst and Feltex Carpets offer a wide range of flooring options to provide a complete flooring solution for all types of hospitality venues.

Whether it’s woven axminster, tufted carpet, carpet tiles, designer jet carpet or timber floors, Godfrey Hirst and Feltex Carpets have the ideal solution for your venue, no matter what size, budget, schedule or location.

In addition to a broad range of stock-line commercial products, Godfrey Hirst and Feltex Carpets can also provide a full custom-design service. Using the latest technology, the team of designers and product developers can create carpets limited only by your imagination. A custom axminster (as pictured) can create a stunning feature on the floor, or utilise unique Designer Jet technology to print any full-resolution colour image on carpet, with limitless possibilities.

installation to ensure it is completed to specification, on time and within budget.

When specifying a hospitality floor, you can rest assured in the knowledge that your project is in capable hands.

The dedicated Godfrey Hirst and Feltex Carpets project management team will follow through from order to

1800 630 401 www.godfreyhirst.com www.feltex.com

Visit Godfrey Hirst and Feltex Carpets on stand 424 at the 2015 Australasian Gaming Expo to see more of our hospitality flooring options. C&PM

HOSPITALITY FLOORING OPTIONS

WOVEN AXMINSTER TUFTED CARPET CARPET TILES DESIGNER JET CARPET TIMBER FLOORS

Godfrey Hirst and Feltex Carpets provide a complete flooring solution for all types of hospitality projects.

Including Woven Axminster, Tufted Carpet, Carpet Tiles, Designer Jet Carpet and Timber Floors.

1800 630 401 | www.godfreyhirst.com | www.feltex.com

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continued from page 80

START WITH AN EARTHY BASE

‘T

ranquil’, ‘warm’ and ‘soothing’ are all words that describe the feelings elicited by this season’s colour trends, which have been inspired by nature. Muted, earthy tones work well across all seasons.

In winter, warm leather-inspired and cream base colours can be accented with splashes of dusty pink and copper to create a cosy atmosphere. Replacing dusty pink and copper accents with bright marine tones, such as lush greens and eye-catching blues, will freshen the space for spring and summer.

Neutral organic tones are also great for small spaces, as they can make walls visually recede into the background, creating the illusion of extra space. These colours also draw your patrons’ attention to the accessories in the room, such as cushions, lampshades, artwork and vases.

In the United Kingdom, Dulux’s top colour of 2015 is ‘Copper Blush’. This versatile and warm colour is a kind of chalky metallic tone that works well as a wall coating, and combines perfectly with neutrals and metallic accessories in copper and gold. Copper Blush is particularly well-suited to cozy lounge areas in a club or pub.

‘It also beautifully complements wood tones, and can be brought to life by flesh pinks and earthy tones of clay,’ says Dulux.

Pantone Color Institute®’s colour of 2015 is ‘Marsala’, another earthy tone described as ‘an elegant, grounded statement’ colour that can be used on its own or as an accent to other colours.

Much like the fortified wine that gives Marsala its name, the tone is rich, fulfilling and naturally earthy. As well as using Marsala as wall paint, Pantone Color Institute also recommends incorporating the colour into textured surfaces like rugs and upholstery, and suggests that Marsala is equally appealing to men and women with its subtle, yet sultry warmth.

ADD ACCENT COLOURS International trend accent colours this year have also been inspired by nature. Contrasting the earthy base tones, they focus on marine colours like aquamarine, blues and greens.

Adding a cool, yet vibrant shade contrasts with a muted base colour scheme, and adds excitement and visual interest to your space. Fresh blues, such as Pantone’s ‘Scuba® Blue’, are reminiscent of the ocean, offer a feeling of escape and tranquility that can act as a stress reducer.

‘This stirring and energising shade takes us off to an exotic paradise that is pleasant and inviting, even if only a fantasy,’ according to Pantone.

This year’s greens are fresh, with a minty feel. Pantone describes its 2015 colour Lucite® Green as ‘clarifying, cool and refreshing’.

Pinks, particularly dusty pinks, are also great accompaniments to this year’s neutral base scheme, as they are soft and gentle, warm and inviting, and lend a delicacy to your interior scheme.

Metallic accents in gold, brass or copper complement all of this year’s trend colours perfectly. Adding a statement piece such as a lamp, picture frame, vase or even a wall zone of pressed metal creates an atmosphere of opulence, and can add striking visual interest to your space. C&PM

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INTERIORS AND ARCHITECTURE

MEYERS PLACE BAR… Melbourne’s hidden treasure

BY EDEN COX

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INTERIORS AND ARCHITECTURE

Hidden behind an unmarked metal roller door by day, and a cozy hangout by night, Meyers Place Bar is quintessentially cool. You have to know it’s there, tucked away in a quiet lane between Melbourne’s Bourke and Collins Streets. Nothing much has changed in the trendy bar’s interior styling since it first opened in 1993, proving that its original design was well ahead of its time. Clubs and Pubs Manager chats to Drew Pettifer, the current managing director of this Melbourne institution, about what makes Meyers Place Bar so special.

W

hen you delve into the history of Meyers Place Bar, it becomes clear why its design has withstood the test of time; when Melbournebased firm Six Degrees Architects (and a group of their friends) discovered that there were no intimate drinking spaces close to home, they took the initiative to design and open one themselves.

A change in Victoria’s licensing laws in the early ’90s meant that bars no longer had to serve food in order to sell alcohol, and the Six Degrees team took the opportunity to create something entirely new in Melbourne’s CBD. ‘There was nowhere to drink in the city,’ says Pettifer. ‘So they set about creating a solution to a problem that they had personally identified.’ A former hairdressing salon down the narrow, and then largely unused, Meyers Place became the site for the new venue, which was to draw on Asianstyle bars and restaurants that opened directly onto the street – something not previously seen in Melbourne.

‘The philosophy of the bar has always been about offering simple, quality, unpretentious service,’ says Pettifer. ‘We don’t really offer cocktails or a huge range of spirits; we have quality basics of each major type of liquor (so, our house gin is Tanqueray, for example). We serve very simple, no-frills bar snacks, and keep our pricing below market average so our customers can get quality service and products at a reasonable price.’

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INTERIORS AND ARCHITECTURE

The interior space is designed to match this down-to-earth approach; it’s a comfortable and intimate place for a drink with friends – in contrast to the boisterous atmosphere of a nightclub or beer hall.

‘Some customers say it’s like inviting people over for drinks in their lounge room, without having to clean up afterwards,’ says Pettifer.

To create this homely feel, and to stick to a tight budget, the architects drew inspiration from the Japanese gomi art movement (‘gomi’ means ‘garbage’ in Japanese), and used reclaimed materials and second-hand furnishings in the fitout. Indeed, patrons can find old train armrests, tables made from cupboard doors from a Department of Education office,

and timber panelling from the stage-front of the Melbourne Town Hall (traded for a slab of beer with the builders who were demolishing it) all used effectively in the Bar’s design.

‘The character of all of these reclaimed materials adds a sense of history to the bar, along with a layered, textural quality,’ says Pettifer. ‘Over the past 22 years since the Bar was conceived, this recycled and reclaimed aesthetic has grown in popularity, which has also meant that the space hasn’t really dated too much over the years.’

The design team was also interested in the philosophical and environmental considerations of using reclaimed materials, and in the layered historic character that secondhand materials can impart. The result is an intimate and timeless space that is more welcoming and comfortable than one with a brand-new fit-out.

This layering of history sets Meyers Place Bar apart from its competitors. In 2007, the venue was listed in Architecture Review, alongside projects like Federation Square, the Federal Parliament Building and the Eureka Tower, as a project that had contributed greatly to the culture of architecture in Australia.

‘If there is one feature of the Bar that sets us apart,’ says Pettifer, ‘it is probably the large concrete bar, which was custom-cast on site by an elderly expert concreter’. Other features that are often commended are the stained-glass windows and the retro shag-pile rug wall hanging. This particular item was rescued from a house that the firm was renovating at the time. continued on page 88

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INTERIORS AND ARCHITECTURE

CONSIDERING A PLAYGROUND BUT NOT SURE WHERE TO START?

A

t Goplay, we know there can be a lot of questions that need answering when you start to consider adding a playground to your venue. Making decisions ranging from location and size of equipment, to maintenance and safety concerns, can be daunting.

The staff at Goplay Commercial Playgrounds can help!

With over 30 years of experience in helping customers throughout Australia and the Pacific region invest in play, we can answer all of your questions and guide you through the process of creating a play area that works for your venue.

We know that every venue is different, and that the best returns come from playground equipment designed specifically to cater to each venue’s specific needs. Not only does Goplay have a team of specialised designers, but each and every one of our sales consultants have design capabilities – they will even sit with you and design your equipment on site, so that you can have input into your unique design. Your guidance and feedback is crucial to design the correct equipment, as we won’t presume

to know more about your venue than you do. We do, however, know playground equipment, and how to design it to harness your venue’s strengths and attack its weaknesses. C&PM

To take advantage of Goplay’s free, no-obligation, Australia-wide design and quotation service, call 03 9308 1800 or visit www.goplay.net.au.

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INTERIORS AND ARCHITECTURE

continued from page 86

Even though the materials are second-hand, as with any venue, a lot of time and effort goes into maintaining the aesthetics of the interior. ‘The challenge with a venue like Meyers Place is maintaining the perception that the Bar effortlessly stays the same,’ says Pettifer. ‘We wouldn’t dream of renovating, but we have needed to refurbish things from time to time. Wooden surfaces have been stripped back and re-varnished, upholstery has been replaced, and repainting has taken place.’

Pettifer says the biggest change that has happened under his directorship has been replacing the front bench with a barrier in order to accommodate changes to the liquor licensing laws in Victoria. Meyers Place Bar lost three metres of licensed area, which equated to about onetwentieth of the venue’s total space.

‘We had to work out how to redesign the front area to make it aesthetically consistent and functional,’ says Pettifer, who engaged SIBLING studio to tackle the design challenge. ‘Some of the architects at SIBLING had worked for Six Degrees, so they were acutely aware of the needs of the space.’

Such respect for a venue’s character, style and offering is important, according to Pettifer, who advises that any revamp should be consistent with the venue’s immediate and projected offering.

‘Think about who you are and who your clients are, and who your clients might be in future. You can have 88 • CLUBS AND PUBS MANAGER WINTER 2015

ambition, but not too much,’ advises Pettifer. ‘The skill is in finding the productive space where you keep your existing clientele, and expanding the appeal of your venue to new customers, too.’

And Pettifer is well placed to offer advice; the latest accolade received by Meyers Place Bar is its induction into the annual Eat Drink Design Awards Hall of Fame, which recognises innovation and excellence in the design of hospitality premises of all scales and types.

‘We were incredibly humbled to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. It is very rewarding to be recognised again, at this stage in the life of the bar, for what we have been doing for the past two decades,’ says Pettifer. C&PM

BEVERAGES

AUSTRALIA’S COFFEE WONDERLAND Melbourne, the nation’s dedicated coffee city, hosted Australasia’s biggest coffee event for the fourth year. The Melbourne International Coffee Expo welcomed coffee professionals and enthusiasts to celebrate our unique coffee industry.

U

nder the big top of the Melbourne Showgrounds’ Grand Pavilion, the best of Australia’s coffee industry was on display at the Melbourne International Coffee Expo (MICE2015) from 13–15 March.

This year, MICE2015 saw its highest average daily attendance figures in the event’s history. In just a few short years, the event has grown to be the nation’s largest dedicated coffee trade show. An average of 2966 people attended the show per day across the three-day event. The event hasn’t seen these numbers since 2013, when MICE hosted the World Barista Championship, where the event saw a daily average of 2841 attendees. Total attendance for the 2015 event was an impressive 8922 visitors.

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BEVERAGES

‘It’s a really great response from the industry and from consumers who have seen the value in supporting Australia’s coffee community,’ says MICE Show Director Simon Coburn. ‘This year’s record daily attendance figures are an indication of just how much people connect to our vibrant coffee scene.’

A special treat for this year’s MICE2015 was the Let’s Talk Relationship Coffee event. More than 20 producers and origin representatives made the journey from Brazil, Tanzania, Peru, Nicaragua, Rwanda, Costa Rica and Colombia. They came to share the story of their coffees, and were eager to connect with the Australian coffee community.

More than 120 exhibitors filled the Grand Pavilion, demonstrating world-class specialty coffee, tea, sweets, technology and trends on offer. Thousands of visitors engaged with coffee roasters, green bean traders, coffee producers, machine manufacturers and coffee equipment suppliers.

On the evening before MICE2015, the winners of the Australian International Coffee Awards (AICA) – Australia’s supreme coffee roasting competition – were announced at A MICE Night Out cocktail fundraiser. The event raised funds for UTZ Certified’s Energy From Wastewater Project. Gavin Gam of Aroma Coffee Roastery in Marrickville, New South Wales, was named the Champion Australian Roaster, while also accepting the trophy for Champion Filter Coffee.

The moment the doors to MICE2015 opened, visitors were engaged with impressive stand designs from the get-go.

This included Campos Coffee’s impressive green cup façade, from which they served some of the rarest coffees in the world, and the Sensory Lab brew bar powered by Huhtamaki, which stretched 15 metres and served coffee made through three alternate brew methods. Guests could also walk through a replica of Melbourne’s famed Lygon Street at the Grinders Coffee stand.

Throughout the show, the Specialty Coffee Association of America ran internationally recognised professional training programs. Visitors could engage in classes to learn about filter coffee, cupping, sensory analysis and espresso.

The sessions proved popular for café owners serious about delivering quality coffee, and wanting to upskill their members of staff.

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BEVERAGES

On Saturday 14 March, exhibitors got ready for a mix of trade and consumer traffic. Over on the Victoria Arduino stand, masses of cameras snapped away – and not only at former World Barista Champion James Hoffmann. The candy-apple red VA388 Black Eagle espresso machine and its new Gravimetric technology had baristas in a spin. This system helps baristas to achieve consistently extracted shots time and time again. To do this, a highly accurate electronic scale is installed in the machine to measure the weight of the extracted liquid in the cup.

Representing some of the other technological talking points at the show was the new Rancilio Classe 11 Xcelsius, featuring temperature profiling, and Veneziano Coffee Roasters’ Nitro Coffee. This unit presents something a little different in terms of coffee preparation and distribution.

Cold-brew coffee on-tap is nitrogenated in a similar way to carbonating beer. The right amount of nitrogen adds a nice, smooth mouth feel to the coffee. Punters are sure to be talking the next time they see a look-alike beer stout producing a cold-brew coffee.

For the non-coffee drinkers, companies including Mork Specialty presented their hot chocolate range; Larsen & Thompson and Tea Tonic demonstrated some of the world’s best specialty teas; Frosty Boy served ice-blended beverages; and Bite Size Coffee Treats gave visitors a delicious sugary pick-me-up.

On the final day of MICE, the grandstand surrounding the competition stage was packed, with the finals of the

Australian Specialty Coffee Association (ASCA) Australian Coffee Championships underway. There were lots of collective ‘oohs’ and ‘ahhs’, and gasping over impressive latte art designs, and the slightest spillage that could cost a podium position. Adding to the spectacle was the fastpaced Huhtamaki Australian Cup Tasters Championship final, which saw Harry Hyun-suk Ko from De Clieu win the national title.

At 4 pm, the lights on MICE2015 dimmed, and the spotlight remained on the competition stage as the remaining results were announced. First up, a shocked Lucas Woods of Coffee Lab won the title of Australian Coffee in Good Spirits Champion. Dane Oliver from La Cabra Coffee Roasters won the Australia Brewers Cup Championship, and Caleb Cha of Cafenatics in Victoria won the Pura Australian Latte Art Championship.

The most coveted titled was left to last. With only nine points separating first and second place in the ASCA Australian Barista Championship, Ona Coffee’s Sasa Sestic was awarded the top position. Sasa went on to compete in the World Barista Championship in Seattle from 9–12 April.

He beat 49 other national barista champions to claim the world title.

Sasa says that his secret to quality coffee begins at origin.

‘For me, [the perfect coffee] starts at the farm, meaning correct altitude, soil, varietal, age of tree, then picking, having a controlled processing method, and slow-drying the beans. Then, I find the best possible roast profile for the ageing coffee to suit the ideal day for its consumption.

Lastly, you need to use the best grinder and coffee machine, and make sure the brew ration and extraction of the coffee is timed to perfection.’

It’s not just world barista champions who demand the best from their coffee. Australians are among some of the most discerning consumers in the world. It’s their demand for quality brews that continues to push the industry to deliver.

So, why is it that Australian coffee is so great? While there are many factors and individuals who have helped to push the coffee scene along, it’s thanks to the huge wave of Italian immigration in the 1950s, which spread the espresso culture and the evolution of specialty coffee.

This movement, which sees the importation of high-quality beans served in alternative brewing methods, is what puts Australia at the leading edge of coffee.

The consumer is undoubtedly the winner of Australia’s rich and evolving coffee culture. Some of the best-quality coffee in the world is available right at our doorstep. C&PM CLUBS AND PUBS MANAGER WINTER 2015 • 91

FOOD EQUIPMENT

THE ASADO PARILLA GRILL – the latest and greatest in food equipment

O

ne of the growing trends in the hospitality industry is moving towards more traditional ways of cooking, with solid fuels where the flavour of charcoal is the influence on the styles presented in restaurants, instead of gas or electric.

are characterised by high-heat loads, leading to high temperatures inside the exhaust ductwork, where they generate a large quantity of fat, oils and grease (FOG) in addition to carbonated particles, especially in the case of open-flame and solid-fuel cooking.

This style of cooking is heavily influenced by South America, Mexico and the southern states in the United States, where grills and smoking are prevalent.

Currently, a number of restaurants are using the Asado units, and they are becoming a growing trend in Hobart, where they have taken off, and are spreading to the major cities in the rest of Australia. The Asado is installed in renowned Hobart restaurant Garagistes, as well as the new Frank Restaurant in Hobart, with these establishments really making this piece of equipment a central part of their menu creations. C&PM

The opportunity to use solid fuel cooking has been very limited, and the challenge of doing so efficiently and safely inside buildings has been an issue.

While there has been equipment around that has done this, it has been stand-alone, quite large and not really built as part of the line-up in modern kitchens.

In April, Stoddart released the Asado Parilla Grill as part of its new range to fit into the most used line-ups in modern kitchens. The adjustable Asado Grill allows for produce to be cooked or smoked as close to the flame as required, creating an entirely new cooking experience – and taste!

Combined with this is the coupling of the Asado with fully compliant Halton Mist on Demand exhaust hoods, which will efficiently and effectively deal with the solid fuel to respective Australian Standards.

Heavy-duty cooking appliances, such as charcoal and charbroilers, have always been difficult to deal with. They

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For more information, contact Stoddart on 1300 791 954.

FOOD EQUIPMENT

WASTE

and opportunity in the food service industry

BY ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR KARLI VERGHESE, PRINCIPAL RESEARCH FELLOW, CENTRE FOR DESIGN AND SOCIETY, SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN, RMIT UNIVERSITY

S

ignificant opportunities exist within Australian food and beverage services (pubs, hotels, restaurants, cafés and commercial caterers) to reduce the amount of food loss and waste generated on their premises. It has been estimated that food service establishments are the largest single source of food waste in the Australian commercial and industrial (C&I) sectors, generating 661,000 tonnes of the 1.5 million tonnes from the C&I sector (which includes food manufacturing, food retail and wholesale trade)1 – that is 44 per cent of C&I food waste. Of this waste, only two per cent is diverted and collected for recycling, such as composting, while the remaining 98 per cent ends up rotting away in landfill.

Constraints around this low collection rate include difficulties with separation, handling, storage and collection of this waste inside establishments, along with inadequate collection infrastructure.

There are two classifications of food waste – edible and non-edible components. Making this distinction provides a platform from which to identify the reasons that waste occurs and the opportunities to reduce it. Food waste in the food and beverage sector is estimated to be 65 per cent from preparation; five per cent from food spoilage; and 30 per cent from customers’ plates. Examples include:

1 Encycle Consulting and Sustainable Resource Use, A study into commercial & industrial (C&I) waste and recycling in Australia by industry division (unpublished draft). 2012, Report to the Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities: Canberra

Why is this important? Wasting resources not only wastes money, but it requires the waste to be separated and managed, and there are flow-on environmental impacts upstream.

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• inventory management, including over-ordering and stock rotation • trimmings and other food preparation waste • improper food handling • confusion over ‘use by’ and ‘best before’ dates • preparing too much food • plate leftovers (including portioning).

FOOD EQUIPMENT

For instance, for every kilogram of corn grown, 1222 litres of water was used; while for every kilogram of bread manufactured, 1608 litres of water was used1. There is also the transport used to move waste from the food service establishment through to landfill, and the associated impacts of rotting food in landfill, to consider.

The cost of waste is also not just the waste disposal bill you receive each month. You need to factor in the ‘true cost of waste’ into your calculations by including the purchase cost of the ingredients, the energy used in cooling, freezing and cooking, and the time that it takes staff to prepare the meal and to throw away the wasted components.

A study of nine food service sectors in the United Kingdom in 2013 found that when calculating the true cost of food waste, 52 per cent of the costs were associated with food purchase; 37 per cent labour; four per cent energy and three per cent waste management2. Here in Australia, you can calculate your ‘true cost of waste’ by using freely available DIRECT (www.directool.com.au). While co-designed with food manufacturers, DIRECT was designed by the Centre for Design, at RMIT University, in conjunction with the Plenty Food Group, City of Whittelsea, through Sustainability Victoria funding. DIRECT provides a calculation module whereby a business can easily estimate the true cost of waste, conduct a resource efficiency assessment, identify and calculate resource efficiency, and understand the business value of improving resource efficiency.

There are many opportunities that exist within food services to reduce the incidence of food waste, such as: • procuring food ingredients where minimal preparation is required on-premises (for example, non-edible portions of fruits and vegetables have been removed; meat is pre-cut into serving sizes) • ensuring that appropriate packaging is used to contain and protect food ingredients (for example, packaging allows easy identification of ingredients and products within, is easy to open and reseal, and is easy to dispense) • establishing better communication around ‘use-by’ and ‘best-before’ dates, and rotation of inventory • diverting ‘edible’ food to food rescue organisations (for example, Foodbank, OzHarvest, SecondBite) • separating food waste streams into clearly identified bins, so that those components that could be recycled/ composted can be collected3. C&PM 1 http://one-europe.info/user/files/Briefs/waterfootpriint.jpeg 2 http://www.wrap.org.uk/sites/files/wrap/The%20True%20Cost%20of%20Food%20 Waste%20within%20Hospitality%20and%20Food%20Service%20Sector%20FINAL.pdf 3 E.g., https://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/enterprisemelbourne/waste/Pages/ DegravesRecyclingFacility.aspx

Other resources to help you include: • New South Wales State Government’s Love Food Hate Waste – food waste in hospitality (www.lovefoodhatewaste.nsw.gov.au/business/ hospitality/food-waste-in-hospitality.aspx) • UK WRAP hospitality and food service work (www.wrap.org.uk/content/hospitality-and-foodservice-wraps-work-0) • Unilever Food Solutions Waste Wise app (www.unileverfoodsolutions.co.uk/our-services/ your-kitchen/wise-waste-app).

CLUBS AND PUBS MANAGER WINTER 2015 • 95

GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR

point of sale

S

ENPOS has been developing and providing software solutions for over 30 years in the hospitality industry. We understand that the role of a point of sale system in the hospitality industry is continually evolving. We believe that to maximise your efficiencies and profitability, you need a system that enhances your customers’ experience, gains operating efficiencies, and reduces data duplication and discrepancies, while giving you the right business intelligence to make decisions based on facts and actual data.

INCREASING AVERAGE WEIGHT OF PURCHASES Creating effective promotions encourages additional spend on products that your patrons would not usually buy. Premium and craft beers attract higher gross profit margins than traditional beers, and they present an ideal opportunity for you to encourage increased average weight of purchases (AWOP). An example of an effective bundle promotion could be matching a premium or craft beer with a burger.

SOFTWARE SUPPORT We strive to be the industry leader in supporting our software, and are committed to providing our customers with the best support possible – regardless of your location or size.

Our help desk team provides support on all facets of SENPOS Advantage to ensure that your organisation is getting the most out of your point of sale solution. Our ability to meet our customers’ needs is greatly enhanced with all facets of our point of sale solution being handled under the one roof. This enables us to add value because we are responsible for repairs on hardware, development of software and also supporting our product. As a customer, you have ‘one throat to choke’.

Our goal as a point of sale provider is to give you the right tools in your venue. Our software is designed specifically for the hospitality industry and is programmed and supported locally in Australia. C&PM

Our software is designed to help you communicate consistently and support your promotions throughout your venue, while tracking uptake with our refined reporting module. The focus here is not to give discounts or incentives, but rather to encourage increased spend by matching the meal with a beverage.

A targeted marketing campaign towards sub-groups of your members is another means of increasing AWOP. A wine-tasting event targeting red and white wine drinkers is an opportunity to introduce new products to your targeted market.

SENPOS Advantage is also a customer relationship management (CRM) system, which shows key data about your customers, easily defining various sub-groups and marketing to them directly via SMS, email or mail-outs, without the need for third-party integration.

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Point of sale, point of difference.

SENPOS is a division of Sharp Electronics Group: 02 4962 1313 Please contact your point of sale specialists, David Potter on 0402 018 114, or Brendan Driscoll on 0422 603 115, for a demonstration on SENPOS Advantage, or visit our website www.senpos.com.au.

Visit us at the AGE

Stand 266 Would you like to try a matched Craft Beer with your Burger?

Increasing AWOP -

Average Weight Of Purchases Creating effective promotions encourages additional spend on products that your patrons would not usually buy.

Does your Point of Sale System focus on your bottom line?

Point of Sale, Point of Difference www.senpos.com.au (02) 4962 1313

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