Australian Hotels Association: Hotel Today July/August 2022

HOTEL TODAY AUSTRALIAN HOTELS ASSOCIATION (VICTORIA) WELCOME CBA PU BOVATION 2022 HOSPOFUTURE FORUM TAA (VIC) MEMBER FEATURES

JULY / AUGUST 2022

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE DAVID CANNY | PRESIDENT

Results from the May 2022 Federal Election saw long-held Liberal and Labor seats in Victoria being challenged by the Greens and won by independent candidates campaigning on single values-based issues; integrity and climate.

The overall decrease in primary vote for both the Liberal and Labor Parties at the May 2022 Federal Election highlight the shift in sentiment of the Australian public towards the major party politics.

The highest profile seat to change hands at the Federal Election was the seat of the sitting Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg - Kooyong.

Members, In the lead up to the November 2022 State election, AHA (Vic) is ensuring your interests are being presented and considered by the major political parties and those independent candidates that show an empathy to our industry.

The result of the May 2022 Federal Election highlighted the changing political landscape in Australia, providing valuable insights that will guide our State election political engagement.

In the seat of Kooyong, the result was not representative of the economic outcomes that former Treasurer developed and implemented during the pandemic, rather it was an expression of the electorate’s frustration at the “Major Parties” inaction on those values-based issues.

Over three elections, the primary vote in Kooyong for the former Treasurer steadily decreased from 58.2% (2016) to 49.4% (2019) to 42.7% (2022).

The end result was an 8% (2PP) swing away from the former Treasurer, with the successful “teal” independent becoming the first non-Liberal candidate to win Kooyong in 80 years.

In Goldstein, it was much of the same – an independent candidate campaigning on integrity and climate won with a 10% swing away from the Liberal party. The first time a non-Liberal candidate has won Goldstein since its inception.

We saw the people of Higgins (which includes the suburbs of Toorak, South Yarra and Prahran) elect a Labor candidate for the first time in the history of the electorate, who only received 28.5% of the primary vote.

In Mcnamara, where the Labor Party held a fairly safe majority, the Greens increased their primary vote by over 5%, causing the electorate to be the last called of the election – Labor just scrapped in.

These results have set the stage for our State Election in November this year and will assist AHA (Vic) in representing members’ interests and values to the major and minor parties, independent candidates and the general public.

We are delighted to publish the article below penned by AHA National President, Scott Leach.

A fractured ‘body politic’ makes your AHA more important than ever Scott Leach, President, AHA National “…democracy is the worst form of government – except for all the others that have been tried…” Winston Churchill

Proving once again the public usually won’t thank you for what you’ve done – but are more interested in what you are going to do.

The famous British Prime Minister would know the truth of those words.In July 1945 the great war-time leader was unceremoniously booted from office after leading Britain to victory over Nazi Germany that same year.

Churchill’s words and his fate sprang to mind as I watched the election results roll in on the night of Saturday, 21 May from behind the bar at The Rose of Australia.

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It soon became clear our former PM Scott Morrison was to share Churchill’s fate – despite steering Australia through the choppy waters of the pandemic relatively unscathed.

What also became rapidly clear on election night was the fracturing of our body politic – perhaps permanently.

Labor won the election with a majority – just (and congratulations to Anthony Albanese for proving a boy from a housing commission in the backblocks of the Inner West can make it to the top office in the land).

The seat of former Liberal Minister Julie Bishop (Curtin, WA) was taken by independent candidate Kate Chaney, on a primary vote of 29.46% despite the Liberals receiving 41.33% of first preferences.

In fact, we are lucky to have a man of Albanese’s character in the top job at this time.

In the Western Sydney seat of Fowler, Independent candidate Dai Le was elected with a primary vote of 29.51 compared to Labor’s Kristina Keneally’s 36.06%.

As the manager of house business in the Gillard era he was able to use his considerable negotiating skills to steer more than 300 pieces of legislation through Parliament. This made her Government one of the most productive in our history despite being in minority.

Those skills will be needed yet again as election night saw Labor return to power with less than 33 percent of the vote, with one in three voters turning to independents or minor parties.

The rise of the teals and a new crossbench of 16 in the lower house (and my congratulations to them all) marks the fracturing of our Parliamentary system.

Minor parties benefited from the fracturing of the body politic too.

In the Queensland seat of Ryan, Greens candidate Elizabeth Watson-Brown was declared elected on a primary vote of 30.21% - the LNP incumbent received 38.5%. In nearby Brisbane, the Greens candidate was again successful with a primary vote of 27.24, in comparison to the LNP’s 37.71%.

I could go on…

Never has having a strong voice on the ground in Canberra been more important and we are very lucky to have our CEO Stephen Ferguson down there telling it like it is.

Never has having the proper resources in place in Canberra been more important - and it has one of the reasons the AHA NSW head of Communications and Media Jason Bartlett has been tapped to also work at the national level (given his strong background in media and politics).

Never has having properly resourced strong state and territory branches been more important.

We need stability and certainty to run our businesses and employ our staff – to do this securely we need the shield of the AHA family representing us at the highest levels in Canberra, in Sydney, in Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide, Hobart, Darwin and Brisbane and the regions.

The voting figures speak for themselves.

My point is this fracturing of the body politic means the Government now has to deal with a block of crossbenchers and minor parties in the lower house (many with differing agendas, views and motives) as well as a Senate in which they do not have a majority (and probably never will).

In 1951 almost 98% of the vote went to the two major parties – in 2022 that figure was at an all-time low of 68.5%.

It also means organisations like the Australian Hotels Association have never been more important.

Federal issues affect each and every one of us – from immigration rules to health edicts and, of course, the ceaseless lobbying of the anti-alcohol, anti-gaming, anti-fun brigades. Rest assured they are already beating down the doors of new MPS pushing their agendas.

And once elected, Independents have a way of increasing their majorities.

For more than 100 years the Federal Parliament has had a stable lower house with most Governments having a comfortable majority. The AHA dealt with Labor or the Coalition on policies beneficial to our members, their workers and the millions of Australians who use our venues.

With elections in Victoria towards the end of this year and in NSW in March next year it will be interesting to see what happens – particularly if the ‘Teal Independents” can replicate their extraordinary success at the state level and we see an increasing fragmentation of state politics.

We have been the voice of reason and common-sense and while we might not win every battle, we are always heard.

After all – anything can happen in politics… even Churchill was voted back into office in 1951 at the age of 77.

That dynamic has shifted. We are now dealing with a range of elected lower house MPs with a wide range of views and perspectives who are keen to make a mark.

Cheers,

A single publican – already working around the clock on his or her business – does not have the time or resources to cope with the political structure as well.

David Canny President Australian Hotels Association (Victoria)

For good or ill - depending on your views - I believe it is here to stay.

Just have a look at that great friend of our industry (yes I’m being sarcastic) Andrew Willkie. In the 2010 Federal election, Wilkie, in the Tasmanian seat of Denison, was elected on a primary vote of 21.3 per cent, following strong preference flows from the Greens (19%) and Labor (35.8%). By the 2019 election he had turned that into a primary vote of 50%! In May he still managed 45.54 % of the primary despite strong challenges from Labor (18.76%), Liberal (15.85%) and Greens (13.45%) candidates.

In North Sydney, Independent Kylee Tink won the formerly blue-ribbon seat from the Liberals Trent Zimmerman with a primary vote of 25.20 % compared with Zimmerman’s 38.05 %.

I am proud of the teams we have in place at the state and federal levels and the job they all do, so we can do ours.

AHAVIC.COM.AU | 5

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CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER’S UPDATE PADDY O’SULLIVAN | CEO

Members, in the lead up to the 2022 State Election this November, AHA (Vic) has developed and finalised its Policy Agenda 2022-26, that has been approved by the Executive Committee and Council.

The AHA (Vic) Policy Agenda 2022-26 details matters that are of significant interest and/or concern to publicans and hoteliers across Victoria in the context of the November 2022 Victorian State Election.

With pubs and hotels amongst the most highly regulated of businesses, many proposals seek to balance the various harm minimisation priorities with the reasonable business interests of publicans and hoteliers.

This Policy Agenda also seeks commitments to a range of initiatives which will further stimulate growth and innovation during the industry’s COVID-19 recovery phase.

Pubs and hotels operate in competitive, demanding and complex marketplaces where innovation is fundamental to success, growth and sustainability.

Such innovation should not be held back by ill-targeted, ineffective and/or redundant regulation.

The full 34-point policy agenda will be used in support of members’ business interests in the lead up to the November 2022 Victorian State Election.

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Four (4) policy items have been outlined in my CEO Update for you: COVID-19 RECOVERY AHA (Vic) seeks a commitment that, having regard to the devastation caused to Victoria’s hospitality industry by COVID-19, future policy impacting on Victoria’s licensed venues is driven by the imperative of stimulating economic activity, strengthening business resilience and actively encouraging innovation within the industry.

Victoria’s licensed hospitality industry was devastated by the impact of COVID-19.

Various industry support initiatives implemented by both the Commonwealth and State Governments moderated the financial impact; however, the continuing “lockdowns” over the period had impacts beyond just the financial consequences.

Business operator morale was sapped, many staff lost confidence in the capacity of the industry to provide stable employment going forward and innovation within the industry was significantly stifled.

As the industry emerges from the COVID-19 cycle over coming years, the role of the State government in stimulating industry activity, reducing business costs and actively encouraging innovation will be critical.

LIQUOR AHA (Vic) seeks a commitment that achieving positive and sustainable cultural change in community attitudes will be at the core of the Victorian Government’s policies directed to reducing excessive consumption of alcohol and its consequences in the Victorian community.

The National Alcohol Strategy 20192028 reports that Australia’s overall consumption of alcohol (on a per capita basis) has declined significantly over 2009-2018, with a significant increase in abstinence or reduced consumption over the same period by younger persons.

Overall consumption has remained relatively stable for the period 20182020, with a reported increase in off-premises consumption during the COVID-19 period.

Whilst there may be various drivers of such change, a shift in public attitudes to excessive consumption of alcohol and its consequences is a significant factor.

Whilst various interventions and initiatives are pursued by government to address acute, priority and emerging issues in and around licensed premises, by 2022 well over 80% of alcohol is consumed in private and public environments beyond the highly regulated settings of licensed businesses.

AHA (Vic) continues to support the underlying principle of successive Victorian Government Alcohol Plans that: “In the home it is not Government regulation, but the rules, values and habits of individuals, families and communities that determine how and how much people drink. The best starting point for enduring change, therefore, is culture. By instilling sensible values and individual responsibility in our culture, and specifically among young people, government can best assist people to make different, healthier choices about their drinking”.

TOURISM AHA (Vic) seeks a commitment to the continuation of funding of the Visitor Economy Recovery and Reform Plan directed to revitalising tourism across Victoria.

The combined impact of Victoria’s bushfires and COVID-19 pandemic that immediately followed had a material impact on our state’s tourism and hospitality sectors. Prior to this, tourism spend was $32.5b in 2019, (+11.9% on 2018), but fell to $14.7b in 2021 (-55%).

AHA (Vic) seeks a commitment to the continuation of financial support of the Melbourne Convention Bureau in its efforts to attract major business conferences to Victoria.

The Melbourne Convention Bureau (MCB) is a not-for-profit organisation which markets Melbourne and Victoria as one of the world’s best business event destinations.

MCB relies on the State Government, the City of Melbourne and other stakeholders for funding.

Delegates to business conferences and event brought into Victoria by MCB spend millions on hotel accommodation with significant expenditure on hospitality, transport and tourismrelated activities whilst in Victoria.

Cheers,

Paddy O’Sullivan Chief Executive Officer Australian Hotels Association (Vic) p.osullivan@ahavic.com.au

The Victorian Government’s budgeted commitment of $633 million across four years is critical to ensure the Visitor Economy Recovery and Reform Plan helps to revitalise our sector and ensure our state achieves its goal of $35b in annual visitor spend, supporting the employment of 300,000 Victorians, by June 2024.

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AHA (VIC) MEMBERSHIP UPDATE KIMBERLEY MALCOLM | SENIOR MANAGER – MEMBERSHIP & INDUSTRY ENGAGEMENT

TRAINING AND TRANSPARENCY KEY TO STAFF ATTRACTION IN VICTORIA’S BOOMING HOSPITALITY SECTOR, NEW STUDY FINDS. What a few years we have had, the resilience of the hospitality industry is strong yet I’m sure there are days when you feel it waning.

Every single conversation I have with members is under the cloud of the staff shortage.

Where has everyone gone?

Why does it feel like the current generation of hospitality workers have moved on?

What’s happened to the 18-25 year olds and why don’t they want to work in hospitality anymore?

In March, AHA (Vic), alongside psychologist Melinda Gashi in consultation with Annette Verhoeff of Thrive Hospitality, conducted extensive research on what attracts young people to the hospitality industry, what factors are important to them in a workplace, what kinds of cultures are desirable and explored the current perceptions of the industry. Understanding the wants, needs and views of the next generation in hospitality is crucial for the leaders of today to secure the future of hospitality.

The survey found that training and development opportunities and a progressive workplace culture are critical to addressing widespread labor shortages.

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Key findings reflected that 74 per cent of the 1,502 survey respondents highlighted the importance of suitable training and career pathways and a transparent, inclusive culture as key reasons to be attracted to or remain employed in the industry.

In their absence, these factors also became key reasons employees chose not to stay longer than two years in the profession.

However, the vast majority of those who worked in hospitality were ‘very satisfied’ and liked the job for flexibility, work/life balance and opportunities to pursue side hustles and study outside of work.

Ninety per cent of respondents currently employed in our industry expected to stay in hospitality for more than two years, with a similar percentage nominating they were satisfied or very satisfied with their work.

These findings represent a ‘wakeup call’ for operators adopting autocratic ‘command and control’ leadership styles.

At a time when our sector is grappling with severe workforce shortages survey respondents reinforced that compassion, flexibility, positivity and diversity are key workforce retention tools that should be employed.

Younger employees (18–25-year-olds) want opportunities to learn and grow and express their creativity, while older cohorts (25-40) need to know their organisation has a clear vision for the future they can align with.

But how?

These trends are encouraging progressive employers to adopt innovative tactics to retain key talent.

• Invest time in genuine relationships where people feel valued

At the end of July, the inaugural HospoFuture Forum took place at Zinc in Federation Square and it was fabulous to see so many of you there!

Melinda Gashi presented the key results of the research, followed by Annette Verhoeff who started to plant seeds of change.

As Annette told us “Look at what the research insights tell us. Flexibility and work life balance, training opportunities, transparent & inclusive cultures are all rated as important factors to the future hospo employee. They are turned off by outdated management attitudes, they want to see career pathways and better workplace cultures.”

It was clear to all that attended, that some things need to change; the way we lead and the way we do business. Our workplaces need to change and so too does our purpose and our perspective.

One strong recommendation was to start thinking about being a leader and a coach rather than a manager. Here are some tips:

• Know your team’s individual strengths and let them shine • Give constructive feedback often • Demonstrate the behaviours you expect in your business.

“Be generous. The evidence is clear, when a company leads with a common purpose, when employees feel they are part of a bigger picture, where they feel valued and that they are making a contribution, it leads to a happier, more engaged team, more loyal customers, you become better at innovation and you will make more money. “ For those of you who missed this event and would like more information from our speakers, please be sure to reach out.

Cheers,

• Embrace differences and open yourself up to diverse voices • Embrace the way your team members think and turn them into problem solvers As Annette pointed out;

Kimberley Malcolm, Senior Manager - Membership & Industry Engagement Australian Hotels Association (Victoria) k.malcolm@ahavic.com.au

“Being vulnerable is a compelling way to build more trust with your team, to see more from their perspective, it helps change the mindset and build performance in your team. It allows the team the space to see that things are not working as they should, and gives them the courage to speak up, step up, and make change.”

AHAVIC.COM.AU | 11

iVario Pro, a new performance class for the professional kitchen by Rational.

Time, productivty, efficiencies and costs, are all challenges that the modern commercial kitchen must carefully manage. RATIONAL now help you make that a lot easier.

The new iVario Pro is the most modern cooking system that sets new standards for the professional kitchens by replacing the need for conventional appliances.

Boiling, frying, deep frying and pressure cooking from a intelligent cooking system, which works with contact heat and consumes 40% less energy compared to conventional appliances.

“Productivity, flexibility and simplicity are what characterise the new iVario Pro,” explains Mark Sweeting, General Manager, Rational Australia. The patented iVarioBoost heating system is based on ceramic heating elements which are firmly attached to the scratch-resistant pan base and evenly distributed. The iVario Pro will heat up to 200°C in less than 2.5 minutes and has enough energy to sear around 30 kg of goulash in approx. 15 minutes. This makes iVarioBoost 4 times faster than conventional technology. Also, there is no drop in temperature when cold liquid is added, such as cream in a casserole. The iVarioBoost heating system can take away the energy almost just as fast, preventing delicate foods such as rice pudding from sticking or boiling over. In addition, iZoneControl provides extraordinary flexibility, whereby one iVario can be divided into four independent zones which can be heated individually or at different temperatures.

The iVario is available in various sizes and can be tested live across Australia. To book a time, call 1300 309 262 or email sales@rationalaustrlia.com.au

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L-R: Mike Barouche, Steve Chapman, Peter Kennedy, Jerome Walsh, David Canny

AHA (VIC) IS EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE THE PRINCIPAL PARTNERSHIP WITH COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA (CBA), ITS EXCLUSIVE BANKING PARTNER. CBA was formally welcomed at the July Council Meeting, by President David Canny who gave a warm introduction, and spoke about what’s to come for the partnership: “Our initial five year partnership promises to bring value to members, customers of members, CBA and AHA (Vic) through their strong industry knowledge, technology solutions and broad range of products.”

“CBA have always been strong supporters of the Hospitality Industry. Over the past two years, when other banks turned away from lending, CBA was committed to supporting its clients throughout the pandemic. On top of this, more than half of the loans under the Government’s SME Recovery Loan Scheme were written by CBA, making them the perfect fit as our newest banking partner.”

We look forward to a successful partnership and encourage all AHA (Vic) members to get in touch with CBA to hear more about how their business can benefit from the support available to them.

Steven Chapman 0436 820 085 Steven.Chapman@cba.com.au

AHAVIC.COM.AU | 17

SKY BAR MELBOURNE Sky Bar Melbourne offers stunning views, delectable dining and cocktails in the clouds.

Perched 139 metres above ground this recent uberimpressive addition to Melbourne’s hospitality scene, boasting incredible city views, a 5-star restaurant, two V.I.P function areas, a luxurious bar and a floating outdoor lounge.

To the left of the foyer is the main Sky Bar, hosting up to 70 people and to the right sits a 5-star restaurant called Strato.

Above both areas sits Level 41, an exclusive dining space dedicated to supporting special occasions, private functions and V.I.Ps offering their own bar and privacy, with a view.

Located on the 40th floor of the opulent Oakwood Premier Melbourne hotel, Sky Bar Melbourne offers guests a dining and bar experience like no other. The venue showcases glamorous furnishings, a decadent restaurant, elegant lounges and multiple exclusive function spaces, coupled with panoramic views over Port Phillip Bay, across the Yarra River, CBD skyline and beyond.

Sky Bar Lounge boasts a 16-metre stone bar with an illuminated glass brick frame inside and also has an alfresco terrace, perfect for warmer nights, resembling the famous rooftops in New York City. With 7-metre-tall glass windows, guests will enjoy unrivalled views of the city skyline whilst enjoying appetisers, seasonal cocktails, wines and locally crafted beers.

THE VENUE Arriving via a private entry located in the hotel lobby, guests will step out into projection artwork that shines across the floor and mirrored walls.

Strato, the restaurant, is romantically modern, seating up to 60 guests and providing exceptional views of Port Phillip Bay. The restaurant has its own bar, made from a stone benchtop and filtered glass bottom that is subtly lit. Within

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the restaurant sit five concave booths separated from the main dining area, a perfect option for ‘date night.’

Will Kay, Norman Khan, Matthew Llewellyn-Jones and Christian Sujer

“We couldn’t be more excited to open Sky Bar Melbourne and for guests to experience this exquisite venue!” says Norman Khan, Managing Director of Yarra Hotel Group and Hospmen. “Our vision for this venue has been to show off our amazing city in all its glory from the spectacular city skyline to showcasing local artists, foods, wines, beers and distilleries.

We have put a lot of effort into making Sky Bar Melbourne an entire experience, delivered by our team who are passionate about hospitality.

Guests will see this from the moment they step out of the elevator!”

Khan adds “We’re proud to be providing a bucket list experience for locals and travellers alike and see Sky Bar Melbourne as the perfect place to absorb the best this incredible city has to offer.”

STRATO, THE RESTAURANT. Strato is a 5-star restaurant that aims to take guests on a journey where the ordinary is transformed into the extraordinary. The menu is best described as contemporary modern Australian, boasting locally sourced, Victorian ingredients from places like King Island and Mount Zero and native Australian, seasonal produce.

The concept of the menu is based on five elements; the atmosphere (air), the hydrosphere (water), the cryosphere (ice and permafrost), the lithosphere (earth’s upper rocky layer) and the biosphere (living things).

Creative cooking techniques will bring seemingly everyday ingredients into exciting food creations and guests can expect a little theatre in

the presentation of their dishes, with promises of smoke, vapour, embers, levitation and nitrogen.

Complementing the food, Venue Manager Josh Dowling and his team have developed a heavenly drinks menu. It aims to blur the lines between the old world and new world luxury, showcasing classics with a twist like a copper Negroni as well as Sky Bar’s signature smoked passionfruit Martini.

The wine and beer offered at Sky Bar Melbourne and Strato will be a natural extension of the restaurant menu offering, boasting a wide array of incredible by-the-glass options and different sized pours available. Local and international products will be available, as will an amazing signature Sky Bar brew, for those keen to try something unique.

Sky Bar Melbourne Level 40, 202 Normanby Road Southbank VIC 3006 www.skybarmelbourne.com.au Ph: (03) 9118 0688

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AHA (Vic) PARTNERSHIP WITH KENO STRONGER THAN EVER Keno has been an integral part of Victoria’s hotel industry for more than a decade, and an important element of venues’ customer value proposition, growing steadily to become a muchloved staple of pub entertainment.

Reflecting Keno’s significance to the state’s pub-scene, AHA (Vic) has announced a new two-year Principal Partnership Agreement with Keno, ensuring the continuation of this enduring relationship.

It is also the dawn of a new era for the partnership, with Keno now a flagship brand at The Lottery Corporation – one of the world’s largest lottery groups – following the demerger of Tabcorp’s lottery and Keno businesses.

Victorian hotels will benefit from this enhanced business alignment, which provides Keno with greater scope to grow products and services within the driving force behind Australia’s lottery games.

“We congratulate Keno on its new longer licence and welcome the inclusion of digital enablement as an exciting development, offering hotels the opportunity to earn digital commissions in addition to retail commissions,” said Mr O’Sullivan.

“AHA (Vic) is proud to be continuing our journey with Keno, and we believe there is a bright future for member hotels together with Keno as part of The Lottery Corporation,” said AHA (Vic) CEO Paddy O’Sullivan.

Keno’s passion to continue fostering a thriving hotel industry in partnership with AHA (Vic) goes hand in hand with another significant landmark for 2022 – the securing of their new licence to continue operating the game in the state for a further 20 years.

This includes a non-exclusive retail licence and, for the first time, a digital licence, enabling Keno to augment its offering to Victorian hotels and their customers through to 2042.

AHA (Vic) is proud to be continuing our journey with Keno, and we believe there is a bright future for member hotels together…

In another exciting development, underpinned by Keno’s continuous commitment to keep pace with hotels’ revenue targets and build the product within their venues, Keno is introducing a new fee structure to incentivise sales and support opportunities for profitability.

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Taking on board best-practice learnings from the distribution model used by major lotteries and following consultation with the industry, Keno has developed a more sustainable fee structure that prioritises profitability and creates shared incentive to grow the game.

The Keno Access Fee (KAF) is being introduced into hotels over a three-year transition period, replacing the outdated Daily Connection Fee (DCF) as the basis for charging hotels to offer the game to their customers.

This new fee structure is a contemporary, commercial model that will incentivise venue partners based on their turnover performance. This can be achieved through a reduced charging scale which is directly linked to a venue’s weekly Keno turnover, rather than the hardware required to offer the game to customers.

Learn more about it in our feature on Keno’s digital game [link to feature article in edition]. Stay up to date with all the latest on Keno digital and KAF by visiting Keno Connect.

KENO HAS A BRAND-NEW HOME MEET THE LOTTERY CORPORATION Keno has become part of one of the highest-performing lottery businesses in the world, but it’s business as usual for the fun, lottery-style game your customers know and love.

Planning is underway to create a range of innovative new Keno features and promotions to enhance the customer experience, and we’ll be keeping your hotel updated via the usual communications channels and your Keno Sales Executive.

Keno has moved home and is now part of Australia’s largest lottery company, The Lottery Corporation.

The Lottery Corporation has become the new driving force behind Australia’s lottery games after it was formed on 1 June from the demerger of Tabcorp’s Lotteries and Keno businesses.

On 24 May, The Lottery Corporation Managing Director and CEO Sue van der Merwe was delighted to ring the bell at the ASX for the new ASX-listed company (ASX:TLC).

“Keno and our venue partners who offer the game to their customers are an integral part of The Lottery Corporation and its future success,” Ms van der Merwe says.

While some things may have changed behind the scenes, it’s business as usual for Keno. Your hotel and customers won’t notice any major differences to the game they know and love now that Keno is part of The Lottery Corporation.

“I look forward to our team delivering a range of exciting new Keno features and promotions to enhance the customer experience in hotels,” explains Ms van de Merwe.

“In partnership with our loyal and strong venue partner network, players can look forward to more winning moments as The Lottery Corporation continues Keno’s evolution by driving innovation, deepening customer and venue engagement, and enhancing the customer experience.”

Business as usual As a venue partner, it’s important for your hotel to know your current immediate contacts remain the same, your Agency Agreement remains current, and there

are no alterations to the commercial terms and conditions. There are no changes to the game, the Keno brand, the customer portal, keno.com. au, or Keno’s venue information hub, kenoconnect.com.au.

From a day-to-day perspective, the operation of venue terminals remains unchanged, and Keno Display Screens will continue to provide live draw results to surprise and delight players, while the Keno Service Support Centre on 1800 061 061 will still be on call for any Keno queries.

When it comes to the Keno team, the same friendly faces will still be around. The Keno Management Team consists of existing Keno and other Tabcorp managers. Your existing Keno Sales Executives and field team will continue to focus on supporting your success as integral partners to the Keno business operation.

A bright future Keno will continue to flourish with the support of a skilled and dedicated team, benefiting from a combined strength that harnesses a wealth of experience across lottery games, retail, marketing, and technology.

Much more than great games For more than a century, Australia’s official lotteries have been supporting Australian communities through lottery taxes, donations, and partnerships.

Keno plays a role in making a better future by delivering winning moments every day to its people, customers, partners, and the community.

In 2021, Keno players across the eastern states of mainland Australia celebrated more than 36 million wins collectively worth more than $590 million.

Keno looks forward to growing the game with your hotel and making 2022 a successful year for your business.

Visit Keno Connect [www.kenoconnect. com.au] to access all your news, marketing, regulatory and compliance material, and venue profile reporting and watch the venue video [https://youtu.be/3DAc7cSsm84].

To learn more about The Lottery Corporation, watch the corporate video [https://youtube.com/ shorts/2t0jQMYFgUk?feature=share] or visit The Lottery Corporation web site. [https://www.thelotterycorporation.com/] Follow The Lottery Corporation’s journey on LinkedIn. [https://www.linkedin.com/ company/the-lottery-corporation/]

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Pubovation was back with a bang in 2022, with AHA Victoria members and partners being provided the opportunity to take part in an exclusive tour of exciting hospitality experiences over two jam-packed days.

Previous years have seen the tour hit the streets of Melbourne and Brisbane, but in 2022, we visited the glorious food and wine mecca of Adelaide, South Australia.

The tour kicked off on June 14, where participants boarded a bus with anticipation and excitement, as the first stop was none other than the Penfold’s Magill Estate Winery.

The sprawling vineyards bordering the driveway on arrival were a good indicator of the amazing food and wine to come. The group

was greeted by our host, Will, who provided an overview of the grape varieties grown at Penfold’s Magill Estate, before leading us on a historical tour including the famous underground tunnels. After taking in the rich history of Penfold’s and the estate, participants arrived at a long table between vintage wine barrels, basked in red light, ready for our exclusive long lunch with paired Penfold’s wines thanks to Treasury Wines Estates. The experience was brilliant, and it was agreed that the bar had well and truly been set high for Pubovation 2022.

It was soon back on the bus and into central Adelaide for a good old fashioned bar crawl. First up was Hains & Co, a bar, in their own words, ‘with a penchant for the nautical.’ The owner, Marcus, greeted the group, and provided valuable background on the maritime inspiration for the bar, and his own learnings about working in hospitality for years, both 1in Melbourne and Adelaide. The service was outstanding and it was difficult to pull the group away for the next venue on the itinerary, Shotgun Willies, an American themed underground blues bar.

AHAVIC.COM.AU | 23

What a great initiative from the AHA, it’s fantastic to be able to go out and visit other pubs in different regions with fellow publicans and suppliers and have a great time.

If you can take a few little gems back to your pub, it’s well and truly worth the investment.

DAN THE WESTERN HOTEL BALLARAT

To say Shotgun Willies made a good impression would be an understatement. Both partners and members alike were blown away by the vintage décor, welcoming atmosphere and live blues music organised exclusively for the group.

“How good is this!?” was mouthed over the music with an expectedly shaken cocktail in hand more than once, before it was time to head to the next venue, Pirate Life Brewery, located at The District at SkyCity.

with mint caramel, edamame and rau ram (a Vietnamese coriander) being a standout. Day one had undoubtedly finished strong.

Day two on June 15 saw the group on the bus again, heading to another iconic winery. It was time for the unique and quirky D’Arenburg Cube!

Cellar Door manager Peter from D’Arenburg greeted the group and provided some background

The atmosphere at Pirate Life was fun and relaxed.

The staff were attentive and more I’ve been attending than happy Pubovation since it first to personally started.

We get recommend a so much value out variety of the of these events; We many inventive get to meet great and classic publicans and see some beers available, exceptional venues and as the group the innovation we come settled nicely across is second to none. into the urban JOEL micro-brewery.

BEPOZ 2KW Bar and Restaurant was the final destination, and it was a dinner with a view, with the bar overlooking the city of churches. An eight-course degustation commenced, with the slow cooked lamb shoulder

on the winery and its history. It was a stacked agenda from here, with members and partners taking part in a guided wine tasting of D’Arenburg wines, a tour of the mind-bending alternate realities

24 | HOTEL TODAY | JULY / AUGUST 2022

museum and a visit to the Salvador Dali Exhibition. The group were then treated with a visit and address from none other than Chester Osborn, Chief winemaker and mastermind behind The Cube.

Chester’s address was a highlight for many, with his colourful stories and eccentricities. Lunchtime soon followed, stopping at resident restaurant, Pollys, for a delicious shared meal with matched wines.

Back on the bus and it was time to put the ‘Pub’ in Pubovation, with visits set for two cracking local pubs.

First up was The Mosely in Glenelg, which was a modern venue with a range of offerings to suit all conditions and tailored to a variety of demographics.

From their Beach Club which opens on the foreshore during Summer, to their igloos to cater to the colder months, and a chic, newly renovated upstairs bar.

The owner, Luke Donaldson, spoke to the group on how The Mosely pivoted during COVID, and how

“Being a part of the AHA is critical for our business, so to be in and amongst the publicans and get an idea of their experiences and how we can benefit them, all while getting to visit these fantastic venues in South Australia, it’s a fantastic experience.

LUKE TANDA

they continue to diversify moving forward to keep their regulars coming as well as attracting new visitors.

Next was The Lion Hotel, a sprawling pub complete with a wine shop, underground tunnels converted into function spaces, an undercover beer garden with a big screen and a spacious, modern bar and restaurant. The group sampled canapes and received a tour of the various areas, hearing from the venue manager and owner on how they have built such an impressive venue, space by space.

Pubovation closed off with a grand private function at the iconic Adelaide oval hosted by AHA (Vic) partners Big Screen Video, specialists in outdoor LED screens.

Craig shared exciting updates on what’s next for Big Screen Video, while their branding shone brightly from Adelaide Oval’s Big Screens.

A truly fitting way to close off a massive Pubovation!

AHAVIC.COM.AU | 25

HOTEL AND ACCOMMODATION SECTOR LABOUR AGREEMENT FOR OVERSEAS WORKERS TO FILL SKILLS GAPS

By Jamie Lingham CEO & Global Immigration Leader of Absolute Immigration

In late April, the Federal Government announced an industry-specific labour agreement for accommodation and hospitality providers, which was an initiative of the Tourism Accommodation Australia (TAA). It was designed to give Australia a competitive edge as we open up again to visitors and address the mass-exodus of hospitality staff due to COVID lockdowns and our closed borders.

The Hotel and Accommodation sector Labour Agreement is a formal agreement between the Australian Government and eligible employers, allowing the recruitment of overseas workers in occupations that do not qualify for permanent residency under standard TSS (482) visa program.

This is a significant step forward for the industry, and things are definitely heading in the right direction, but the criteria is limited to which businesses are eligible to sponsor applicants and access this agreement.

Businesses can apply for the fiveyear agreement allowing visas to be granted under the Temporary Skills Shortage (TSS Visa), Employer

Nomination Scheme (ENS) visa or the Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (SESR) (Provisional) visa.

The eligible businesses have been defined as hotels (offering accommodation) and accommodation businesses seeking to sponsor employees in the following roles: • Café or Restaurant Manager (141111) • Hotel or Motel Manager (141311) • Hotel Service Manager (431411) • Accommodation and Hospitality Manager NEC (141999) • Cook (351411) • Chef (351311) • Pastry Cook (351112) The Labour agreement is currently temporary and will be reviewed in 12 months with the view to make this an industry specific agreement with specific concessions. In many cases bringing in overseas workers can be time consuming, so unless the Government prioritises these applications, there’s a high likelihood it could still be some months before it yields results for Australian business.

It is clear that hotels and pubs with accommodation who currently bringing in overseas workers will

26 | HOTEL TODAY | JULY / AUGUST 2022

need to use this labour agreement as a way to compete to attract and retain a range of roles, particularly in metropolitan areas Critically, the Agreement will provide a pathway to permanent residency for foreign workers, significantly benefiting businesses in attracting job applicants. The age limit for this Agreement has been increased to 55, which means Australian hospitality businesses can attract a much wider cohort of highly experienced applicants.

It also makes it more economical and gives greater stability and longevity for employers who have paid to recruit overseas workers.

While it’s positive news for many businesses, it can be a daunting task to navigate the process properly to secure existing employees and attract much-needed staff. Before you even start the process, there are a few checks and balances to fulfil: Does your business meet the eligibility criteria to sponsor a foreign worker? Check here to see if you meet the requirements. Perhaps

unintended, but very welcome I’m sure, the business definitions by the Government also include pubs with accommodation.

lot of patience to navigate a lengthy and arduous process of negotiating a labour agreement with the Government.

Also, check the role/s you are looking to fill is on the list of eligible positions (see the list earlier in this article.)

I must stress that it’s not a fast process or silver bullet that will quickly resolve your staff shortages as it takes time to put the application together. Then there’s another wait while the department processes the application which is currently taking six to 12 months to process after the application has been lodged.

I expect that time to be longer than average, in light of the recent announcement, especially if there’s a tsunami of applications to process.

Hopefully, they will prioritise the hospitality industry on the back of the announcement.

Can you demonstrate genuine difficulty filling the roles you need?

Have you advertised for the position for 28-days in the last four months on recognised recruitment sites like Seek, Jora, Job Search and Job Active? Regardless of where you advertise, JobActive is one of the compulsory requirements.

Have the roles you have been advertising offered a competitive and comparable market rate? It’s all very well to advertise for 28 days, but you also need to ensure you are offering a competitive package and ensure the lack of applications is not due to adverse working conditions and low pay.

Set aside time - If there are genuinely no local people available applying for your role/s, you must ensure you set aside plenty of time and have a

An experienced Migration Agent can help you work through all your application faster and more accurately, minimise the requirement to re-work it later, and maximise your chances of success. While we have little control of the timeline once it’s in government hands, I like to think we can make the red tape at your end much more manageable.

Businesses considering importing foreign workers can reach out to Absolute Immigration. If you mention this article, I would be pleased to offer an obligation-free initial consultation to help you understand the process further.

Ultimately the new Labour Agreement for Accommodation and hospitality business is just the boost we need to jumpstart our industry and ensure consistent supply of skilled and experienced workers.

For further details and to receive expert advice as an employer or an individual, please get in touch with our friendly team.

E aisupport@absoluteimmigration.com P 1300 227 658 www.absoluteimmigration.com

AHAVIC.COM.AU | 27

49% wanted a better workplace culture

71% felt the management styles of their employer were outdated

34% would have liked a better management style from their employer

So what to do with this information? Dr Gashi walked attendees through various leadership styles that support the wants and needs of young people in hospitality, in particular the

73% felt the career progression was limited

‘Visionary’ and ‘Coach’ leadership styles, saying “Developing your leadership style is crucial to connecting with your employees.”

Dr Gashi then challenged attendees to consider the LAASA5 method; Learn, ask, adapt, show and assess, before encouraging everyone to discover their own leadership style via the certified ‘Skills You Need’ online quiz.

Annette Verhoeff from Thrive Hospitality featured next, to provide even more practical advice on how to implement changes into the attendees’ venues, saying “We need to define our purpose and change our perspective. We need to change the way we lead. We need to transform our workplace and we need to innovate and change the business model.”

“To be a good leader you need to know yourself, be curious about your own strengths and leadership style. The VIA character strengths survey* is a free online tool that identifies your top character strengths. I always recommend that as a starting point for understanding your own strengths and useful for understanding your team strengths, so get them to do it too.”

AHAVIC.COM.AU | 29

“If any of those relationships are any less than good, you’ve got to fix them.”

On leadership, Cameron shared his knowledge of what he has found to be most important. “The best leaders you’ll meet are the ones that make you feel good about you.”

Cameron’s presentation was a fantastic way to close off the event, with attendees leaving with practical tips to take back to their venue.

A huge thank you goes to all of the presenters for HospoFuture Forum, in particular Dr Melinda Gashi and Annette Verheoff for their extensive research work for the benefit of the industry.

If you would like to access any of the mentioned quizzes or survey results, please get in touch.

AHAVIC.COM.AU | 31

AC HOTELS IMPRESSIVE AUSTRALIAN BRAND DEBUT IN MELBOURNE’S BURGEONING SOUTHBANK PRECINCT

AC Hotels by Marriott, the design-led lifestyle brand part of Marriott Bonvoy’s portfolio of 30 extraordinary brands, announced its brand debut in Australia with the recent opening of AC Hotel by Marriott Melbourne Southbank.

The AC Hotels brand include over 195 hotels in more than 27 countries and territories. At AC Hotels, every moment has been designed, refined, crafted and considered to create a seamless guest experience.

refined and crafted to deliver an elegant yet unobtrusive experience, right in the cultural capital of Australia.

The introduction of the AC brand marks the 14th brand entry within Marriott Bonvoy’s portfolio in Australia. Melbourne is the cultural capital of Australia allowing a seamless fit for AC Hotels, known for its purposeful design and perfectly curated experiences.

Designed by DKO Architecture in collaboration with Capital Alliance, AC Melbourne Southbank has created a bold architectural presence within the Fishermans Bend skyline. The design approach to every space is optimal comfort and utility through modern décor, with open layouts offering functional beauty without distraction. The elegantly framed geometric glass façade is activated by LED lighting at night acting as a beacon for visitors and residents alike. A sculptural canopy creates an iconic entry to the hotel and the design-leg guestroom contained within.

Located in one of Melbourne’s premier events, arts and entertainment precincts, the new infinity pool and cocktail bar features sweeping views of the city skyline. AC Melbourne Southbank has been expertly

Nestled in the prestigious inner-city enclave of Melbourne’s Southbank, with the Central Element District and South Wharf Precinct – Australia’s largest urban renewal project – on its doorstep, AC Melbourne Southbank brings

32 | HOTEL TODAY | JULY / AUGUST 2022

together the very best of Melbourne. With close proximity to public transport, South Melbourne Market, Melbourne Convention Centre South Wharf shops and eateries, the arts precinct, and other first-class amenities, the hotel offers sweeping city views with everything guests need for a memorable stay.

The 205 thoughtfully designed guestrooms and suites offer sweeping views of the city skyline and the Yarra River. From sleek desks, open closets, and integrated bathrooms to easily accessible outlets for mindful work and play, AC guestrooms are free of clutter and maximise a sense of openness. The subtle layering of materiality with modern classic finishes such as natural stone tiling, warm textured timber, metal details, soft layers of drapery and accents all create a sense of functional calm. The mood reflects the industrial warehouse scenes of South Melbourne while echoing roots of the AC brand.

The hotel offers a range of leisure facilities, including an outdoor, infinity-edge swimming pool spanning the width of the building, a 24-hour fitness centre, and meeting and event space designed to host groups of varying sizes. The hotel houses 576 square metres of flexible meeting space, with floor-to-ceiling windows providing an abundance of natural light, along with an outdoor covered terrace rom and pool bar. The outdoor terrace beside the infinity pool can serve as a pre-function space accommodating up to 200 guests in cocktail form or broken down into smaller spaces for breakouts and more intimate meetings, social gatherings and weddings.

“I am truly delighted to open the first AC Hotels branded property in Australia. Working in collaboration with DKO we have brought to life the core elements of the AC design philosophy - every detail of the experience is meticulously over-thought to create a seamless stay, right in the heart of the city which is known as the design capital of Australia.

“AC Hotel by Marriott Melbourne Southbank’s design truly reflects the brand’s experience.

The design approach to every space is optimal comfort and utility through to modern décor, with open layouts offering functional beauty

without distraction.” commented Harry Singh, General Manager of AC by Marriott Melbourne Southbank.

Most notably, the AC Lounge invites guests and locals alike to collaborate during the day, or to enjoy signature cocktails and tapas in the evening. All AC guest rooms and public spaces evoke a particular sophistication, featuring sleek furnishings, curated artwork, and intuitive technology. The brand is dedicated to the details that matter most to guests during their travels with a mission to deliver The Perfectly Precise Hotel™.

For more information, please visit www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/melac-achotel-melbourne-southbank/overview/ or follow the hotel on Facebook or Instagram.

AC Hotel by Marriott Melbourne Southbank 201 Normanby Road Southbank VIC 3006 Ph: (03) 9121 0000

AHAVIC.COM.AU | 33

WORKFORCE MANAGEMENT Coming from a background in the ‘front-end’ of workforce management, I have seen first hand how the decisions made during rostering directly impact a business. A well-designed roster will allow you to offer the best service, keep costs low, stay within the law, and keep your employees happy. But with so many variables at play, optimising your roster is an art form that’s hard to get right.

Before joining Tanda, I was responsible for roster management at several companies of different sizes. What I learnt was that every business has different needs and methods for achieving the end goal. There are a few guidelines that are relevant regardless of your organisation’s size or industry.

1. RUN YOUR BUSINESS EFFICIENTLY From an operational perspective, designing a roster to facilitate the best output at the lowest cost is key.

In my experience, this involves having employees with the right skills rostered at the right time and in the right place.

Forecasting When you’re drawing up the roster, it always helps to know exactly when your peak demand periods will be.

Some organisations will do this manually from manager experience or using sales data from their point of sale system and analysing in a spreadsheet.

Leave Management A clear policy for leave management sets expectations for both employees and the business. For employees, knowing when they can apply for leave and how long the request will take to be approved allows them to easily plan their holiday time.

Flexibility While I followed a consistent set of rules for how the roster was created, it’s important to be flexible with changes to the roster. Employees will inevitably have last-minute commitments, and having clear processes for managing

the ‘swapping’ or ‘giving away’ of shifts means these can generally be accommodated.

2. KEEP YOUR EMPLOYEES HAPPY Happy employees tend to be more engaged and better performers. If you are able to keep them happy, they’re also less likely to leave, saving you time and resources in recruiting and training new talent. There are some simple tips for rostering that can help achieve this goal.

Work-life Balance There’s lots of little things you can do to maximise your employee’s work-life balance through rostering. Maximising consecutive days off is a good place to start so that employees can enjoy their time away from work.

Rotating Shifts If you have shifts that are within ‘non-standard’ times, sharing the load around is a good idea, however constant jumping around is painful.

There are a couple of ways to manage this issue.

The first way is to have all team members rotate across shifts at set intervals. For example, changing who does overnight rosters every month is a good way to keep employees on a consistent pattern for a reasonable

period but also share the night shifts over time.

Another approach is to have an ordered shift hierarchy - this usually suits businesses that have set intakes of new employees. The new employees typically start on non-preferred shifts and can graduate onto preferred shifts as they gain experience and confidence.

3. DON’T BREAK THE LAW It goes without saying, but the top priority for any roster is that it doesn’t break the law. Most Australian industrial relations awards have strict requirements about what you can and can’t do when you’re designing your schedule. The Fair Work Ombudsman has been cracking down on businesses it suspects of breaking the rules, launching surprise audits and other compliance action. If your business breaks the law, you could face millions in fines.

For a one month free trial of Tanda please contact: Luke Gear luke.gear@tanda.co

AHAVIC.COM.AU | 35

GREAT LEADERS ARE MADE, NOT BORN

Hospitality Leadership A NEW PROGRAM BY AVTES Designed for hotel supervisors and managers.

Learn from hospitality leadership experts: How to effectively lead and manage a team The key principles behind motivating a team to success How to give feedback so as to achieve positive results How to work smarter and improve, to achieve business goals

FIND OUT MORE Email: alex@avtes.com.au Phone: 0418 730 409

AHA (Vic) Partner Directory ICE MAKING EQUIPMENT AND SERVICES Coast Ice & Cold Solutions www.coastdistributors.com.au Nick Hammond nickh@coastdistributors.com.au 046 6180 024

IMMIGRATION ADVICE & PROCESSING Absolute Immigration Services www.absoluteimmigration.com Majlinda Lulo majlinda.lulo@absoluteimmigration.com 1300 227 658

LIQUOR, GAMING, & PLANNING LAWYERS BSP Lawyers www.bsplawyers.com.au Alison Elverd aelverd@bsplawyers.com.au Elizabeth Priddle epriddle@bsplawyers.com.au 03 9670 0722 Wisewould Mahony www.wisewoulds.com.au Tony Joyce tony.joyce@wisemah.com.au Paul Ryan Paul.Ryan@wisemah.com.au 0418 393 535

LIQUOR BUYING GROUPS INSURANCE

Adroit Insurance and RIsk www.adroit.com.au Anthony Di Fiore anthonyd@adroit.com.au 0427 290 334

IT MANAGEMENT Efex www.efex.com.au David Rose david.rose@efex.com.au 0478 116 112

JUKEBOXES & POOL TABLES Armada www. amarda.com.au Con Frances cfrances@amarda.com.au 0487 555 445

LEADERSHIP & TEAM DEVELOPMENT OMC - Facilitation and Training www.omc-group.com.au Damien O’Malley damien@omc-group.com.au 0402 146 059

United Innkeeper Association Thirsty Camel/ Liquor $avers/Drink Link www.thirstycamel.com.au Adrian Moelands adrianm@thirstycamel.com.au 0408 871 629 Liquor Marketing Group www.lmg.com.au Chris Christofi cchristofi@lmg.com.au 0401 714 257

MEDIA The Age www.theage.com.au Marina Caccavari mcaccavari@fairfaxmedia.com.au 0439 773 584

MUSIC SOLUTIONS Nightlife Music www.nightlife.com.au Chris Condoleon chris@nightlife.com.au (07) 3858 2565

AHAVIC.COM.AU | 47

AHA (Vic) Partner Directory REFRIGERATION

SUPERANNUATION

United Refrigeration www.unitedrefrig.com.au Dean Ferraro dean@unitedrefrig.com.au 0448 994 446

HOSTPLUS www.hostplus.com.au Arthur Antonellos AAntonellos@Hostplus.com.au 03 8636 7713 | 0409 389 476

Black Rhino Group – Employer of Choice Dean Normington, Operations Manager for the Black Rhino Group talks about why have a focus on training and the benefits they’ve seen.

As our skilled employees improve, they are encouraged to take on more responsibilities in the venue. 3 of our last appointments to Venue Managers were part of the AVTES training program. That alone speaks volumes.

RESERVATION SOFTWARE

Black Rhino’s focus is to deliver exceptional service and position itself as the best offer in the local area. We identified three focal points; • Physical and capital improvements to each of our sites to make them welcoming, safe and family friendly.

• Provide the best products and services in all facets of our business which include entertainment, gaming, food and beverage.

• Create a highly skilled staff and management team to take the business forward.

Now Book It www.nowbookit.com Megan McLennan megan@nowbookit.com We identified AVTES as a company we wanted to align 0428 089 with.

To provide938 excellent training programs that

upskill our leaders in the first instance, and make us an employer of choice.

AVTES provides us with a great training program that is self-paced and can cover all levels of skill in our business.

In an industry that struggles to retain staff, we can offer further opportunities within each of our businesses as staff get a better grasp on all areas of operations. It provides us again with the opportunity to become an employer of choice by offering formal accreditation in our industry.

A culture of knowledge and confidence means we are putting down the building blocks for a business that can promote from within, and therefore focus on expanding knowledge. As a position of responsibility becomes available we have the team to fill the roles, and have confidence in them being able to manage our business.

It’s hard to put into true dollar figures what the training has done for us, but when you have skilled, confident employees that can interact and engage customers, recommend products, up sell and improve the overall customer experience it is priceless.

AVTES’ service is, in a word, exceptional. From the first moment we engaged AVTES we have found them to be great communicators, diligent in their processes and they have provided high level training for all our students.

SNACKFOOD SUPPLIER

Black Rhino, through it’s engagement of AVTES as our preferred training provider, has seen a relationship that has us well on our journey to attain our goal of being an employer of choice in the hospitality industry.

The Smith’s Snackfood Company To become an employer of choice www.smiths.com.au After the initial roll out of training we were encouraged by and improve your staff performance, theWayne new skills attained by our staff and a higher standard retention and customer experience McConnell of service being delivered to our customers. When our get in touch with AVTES now. customers have a great experience at any one of our wayne.mcconnell@pepsico.com hotels it engages them, and builds a relationship that will Chris Fitzgibbon | Managing Director assist in growing our business.

0477 771 334 | chris@avtes.com.au 0412 806 907

SOCIAL DISTANING SIGNS Pubfinda www.pubfinda.com.au Anthony Baldi anthony@pubfinda.com.au 0419 396 164

SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT Fanzo www.fanzo.com.au Jonathan Richards jono@fanzo.com 0423 557 691

STORE, SHARE & TRACK CREDENTIALS Credshare www.credshare.com Kerry Tate kerry@credshare.com 0487 014 615

TOBACCO SUPPLIER British American Tobacco Australia www.bata.com.au Nicholas Booth nicholas_booth@bat.com 0414 783 608

TRAINING

AVTES www.avtes.com.au Chris Fitzgibbon chris@avtes.com.au 0457 771 334 Typsy www.typsy.com Jeremy Guard jeremy@typsy.com 0413 397 063 William Angliss Institute of TAFE www.angliss.edu.au Brendan Clennett brendan.clennett@angliss.edu.au 03 9606 2447 Elephant Ed www.elephanted.com.au Lucy Shaw lucy@elephanted.com.au The Hotel School www.hotelschool.scu.edu.au Esther Starc esther.starc@scu.edu.au 02 8249 3213

TV CAST SERVICES Ucast www.ucast.com.au Darren DeLacy ucast.99@gmail.com 0409 688 281

AHAVIC.COM.AU | 49

AHA (Vic) Partner Directory VALUERS AND PROPERTY BROKERS Charter Keck Cramer www.charterkc.com.au Tony Close tony.close@charterkc.com.au 03 8102 8873 | 0407 510 025 CRE Brokers www.crebrokers.com Phil Mammolito phil@crebrokers.com.au 0438 371 094

VISUAL ENTERTAINMENT SOLUTIONS

WORKCOVER/ WORKERS COMPENSATION Gallagher Bassett www.gallagherbassett.com.au Matt Munro matthew_munro@gbtpa.com.au 03 9297 9108|0407 515 893

WORKFORCE MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE Tanda www.tanda.co Nick Braban nick.braban@tanda.co 0402 846 900

Big Screen Video www.bigscreenvideo.com.au Craig Thomson craig@bigscreenvideo.com.au 1300 BIG SCREEN | 0418 531 802

50 | HOTEL TODAY | JULY / AUGUST 2022

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