Meet The Team

AT SHANGRI-LA THE MARINA, CAIRNS

Ross Miles-Cadman

General Manager

Aaron Habgood

Executive Chef

Allan Horne

Director of Business Development

Rachel Renton

Food & Beverage Manager

Monyna Giner-Tan

Conference & Events Sales Manager

Karn Kapur

Director of Rooms

Melanie DeCourcy

Director of Sales THERE'S no doubt about it, Australia is getting back to business with organisations of all shapes and sizes snagging spaces and dates to bring people together after two years of working online.

And while we’re still getting used to what the “new normal” looks like – without closed borders, lockdowns, capacity limits and mask mandates – we do know lead times are shorter, flexibility is fundamental, and sustainability is sacrosanct.

In this second edition of Event by Shangri-La we’ve focused on bringing some of the industry’s post-pandemic trends together – think bleisure travel, hotel buyouts, and barbecues in The Backyard – so Australia’s business events community can continue to Event Here This Year as we navigate the road to domestic recovery.

Back to Business

Australia’s business events industry is still focused upon staging dates at home, rather than asking delegates to embark on trips that require packing a passport.

AUSTRALIA’S business events industry is back after Delta and Omicron decimated 2021.

Venues across the country are filling fast, with lead times winding right back to just a few weeks for some, and confidence is growing that the time is right to start straying a little further from home by crossing state borders.

Business Events Australia’s Domestic Corporate Sentiment Research – February 2022 backs that up, with the numbers highlighting most organisations forced to postpone an event during the last three months of 2021 already rebooking for 2022.

And, most encouragingly, one in four of the 80 per cent of groups that paused during last year’s fourth quarter now have dates in the diary to execute before the calendar clicks into quarter four this year.

The data also shows that while there’s a strong desire to resume face-to-face events, many organisations will continue offering virtual and hybrid occasions.

The Business Events Australia data says 55 per cent of respondents are planning on gathering all their delegates in one place, with 30 per cent remaining in the virtual sphere and 15 per cent preparing a hybrid format after refining the meeting style during the past two years.

Robin Mack, Tourism Australia’s Executive General Manager Commercial & Business Events Australia, says it’s important to note that while organisations have adapted to working online that format does not offer the same experience as face-to-face events.

“From innovative ideas that come out of networking opportunities with colleagues at a conference, to aligning your team and increasing your bottom line through an incentive program, the power that in-person events have simply can’t be replicated at a virtual event,” he says.

“During the pandemic, a large portion of employees spent a significant period working remotely and, coupled with the general business challenges of adapting in a global pandemic, we know many businesses are looking to re-energise their organisational culture as restrictions ease.

“Our research confirms this, highlighting decision-makers seem to be increasingly focused on building team morale and rewarding their staff through future events.”