Melbourne Food & Wine Festival
Melbourne Food and Wine Festival – Australia’s internationally acclaimed celebration of food and wine.
Each year, the Festival unveils a world-class program of more than 250 events over two weeks – a true expression of Melbourne’s infamous love of food and wine that captures the attention of food-lovers in their hundreds of thousands.
Entering its 19th year, the Festival’s prestigious reputation attracts the world’s biggest culinary and wine personalities to its door to participate in a program that also showcases Victoria’s own celebrated chefs, restaurateurs, winemakers, sommeliers and artisan producers.
From 4 to 14 March 2011 the Festival will spill through restaurant doors, down narrow laneways, out into bustling foodie precincts and deep into picturesque wine and river country.
Melbourne Food and Wine Festival was inducted into the prestigious Hall of Fame for the RACV Victorian Tourism Awards in 2010. The Festival was honoured with the state’s highest tourism accolade for its third consecutive win in the Major Festivals and Events category.
www.melbournefoodandwine.com.au
February 16, 2011 at 3:53 pm | Featured Business | No comment
Tourism Excellence Workshop – Sign Up Now!
From the Destination Melbourne website (February 2011 newsletter):
Destination Melbourne in conjunction with the Tourism Excellence Program are hosting a number of upcoming workshops specifically targeted at improving and developing your tourism business.
We encourage you to take some timeout from your business for an invaluable chance to work on your business.
emarketing- West Melbourne
17 February 2011
This intensive half-day workshop will bring you up to speed on the latest trends and consumer expectations in emarketing- Please click here for registration informationDeveloping a Business Plan – Richmond
23 February 2011
A 2 hour workshop that will explore the key elements of writing an effective business plan – Please click here for registration informationemarketing- Hobsons Bay
9 March 2011
This intensive half-day workshop will bring you up to speed on the latest trends and consumer expectations in emarketing- Please click here for registration information
Click here to read the Destination Melbourne newsletter on the Destination Melbourne website.
If you would like to attend a Tourism Excellence Workshop closer to home, contact your local Regional Tourism Organisation who will be able to advise.
February 16, 2011 at 3:33 pm | General | No comment
Assistance for flood-affected small businesses in regional Victoria
There are a range of assistance packages available to those affected by the recent floods and sever weather. We have listed below some of the options available. For more information on each please contact the relevant body, contact details have been provided.
- The Victorian Government, through the Rural Finance Corporation, is offering a $25,000 Clean Up and Restoration grant for eligible small businesses as well as offering low interest loans of up to $200,000. Contact Rural Finance on (03) 5448 2600 or visit ruralfinance.com.au
- The Australian Government has activated the Disaster Income Recovery Subsidy to assist employees and small business persons who have lost income as a direct result of the flooding and severe weather. To contact the Disaster Income Recovery Subsidy call Centrelink on 180 22 66, or visit your local Centrelink Customer Service Centre or Centrelink Agent.
- Tourism Victoria has announced funding for a tourism recovery program. This is likely to involve tactical marketing in the short term in print and electronic media to promote visitation to flood-affected regions, when it is appropriate. Contact your local Regional Tourism Organisation or visit www.tourism.vic.gov.au for more information
- Mentors (or business advisers) are available at no cost through Small Business Victoria. To register call 13 22 15 or visit business.vic.gov.au/floods
February 16, 2011 at 3:32 pm | General | No comment
Business gets go-ahead to trade on Easter Sunday
From the Tourism Victoria News Edition 70:
The State Government has introduced new laws allowing all Victorian businesses to trade on Easter Sunday.
Innovation, Services and Small Business Minister Louise Asher said the new legislation will generate millions of dollars in revenue from increased tourism and retail activity, and ensure that Victoria is a tourist destination that meets international expectations.
Christmas Day, Good Friday and the morning of ANZAC Day will remain non-trading days.
Click here to read more newsletter items on the Tourism Victoria website.
February 16, 2011 at 3:24 pm | General | No comment
Destination Melbourne Prospectus Launch
Almost 300 people from Melbourne’s tourism community gathered Wednesday night for Destination Melbourne’s annual Prospectus launch.
Major attractions, tour operators, industry bodies, tourism consultants, regional tourism managers, retail precincts, local councils, concierges and key accommodation staff were all there in full force.
It was an evening full of great networking, good conversations and endless opportunities.
Destination Melbourne announced new initiatives like the integration of the Winter OVG into an ipad application, and thanks to the development of a terrific partnership with Metlink, they are planning to lift production of the visitor maps to nearly a million copies – with no extra cost to industry beyond CPI.
Destination Melbourne has identified industry events and online communication as the key methods to bring the industry together and encourage open communication and collaboration. Our events calendar will continue to grow, providing you with an opportunity to engage, connect and develop.
For more information please click here.
February 11, 2011 at 11:15 am | General | No comment
Green Steps @ Work program
Destination Melbourne has partnered with the Monash University Sustainability Institute to deliver an environmental sustainability training program tailored specifically for the tourism industry. The highly interactive Green Steps @ Work program offered by Monash University will bring together motivated people from within the tourism industry with a passion for creating positive environmental change in their workplace.
The program fee has been significantly subsidised by Destination Melbourne for Tourism Industry businesses, course fee is normally $1,800 + GST, for tourism industry clients program fee is $900 + GST.
Attached to this email is a flyer with further information.
