International Convention Centre Sydney (ICC Sydney), managed by ASM Global, has produced the first graduates of its inaugural High Performance Program.
The 12-month programme featured an intensive series of leadership workshops covering convention centre business management, self-discovery, and completion of the Australian Institute of Management’s Mini Master of Business Administration. In the final months of the programme, the cohort was split into two teams, where each collaborated to solve a business-specific challenge.
The six-member cohort included ICC Sydney’s senior team members, Adrian Slingsby, risk operations manager; Andrew Durbridge, senior manager, ICT Service Delivery; Dana Fish, senior manager, business development – national associations; Erin Rugg, senior manager, human resources business partnering; Jack Crozier, senior audio visual technical Manager; and Sandra Rae, senior manager, public relations.
ICC Sydney’s CEO Geoff Donaghy said: “Our investment in upskilling and professional development coupled with our people’s ingenuity ensures that ICC Sydney remains at the fore of event management and technical delivery.
“We are incredibly proud to have established a culture that encourages our team of professionals to participate in developing impactful innovations, such as the event planning tool and the leadership pathway strategy, that will help underpin the success we deliver for our clients today and into the future.
“ICC Sydney’s High Performance Program participants have certainly exemplified the venue’s values and standards and this outstanding achievement is a testament to their creativity, collaboration and world-class venue management practices,” Donaghy said.
The High Performance Program is one of many professional development opportunities offered by ICC Sydney to enhance the experience needed to develop a successful career in the events industry. Starting from entry level programmes such as the AV Graduate Program, as well as the paid and certified Professional Growth Traineeship Program, which have both been effective in recruiting emerging talent and providing opportunities to thrive and grow in the industry with many graduates being retained for casual and permanent roles at the venue.
In FY2023 alone, ICC Sydney employed 14 new trainees, engaged in over 260 training courses and invested in over 7,000 training hours for its diverse in-house team of events professionals.
A wildfire on Mount Bromo’s Teletubbies Hill has forced The Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park Center (BB TNBTS) to close the attraction to visitors until further notice as authorities scramble to extinguish the fire.
The fire was allegedly caused by the use of flares by a couple who were taking pre-wedding photographs at the location.
All access routes to the Indonesian national park have been shut down. An entrance is available only for locals living in the areas surrounding the mountain.
In statement, Septi Eka Wardhani, head of the administrative division at BB TNBTS, explained that the closure would ensure the safety of visitors. Once the situation is under control, a reopening will be evaluated.
Based on Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency data, the area of forest and land destroyed by the fire on Mount Bromo has reached 274 hectares.
Efforts to extinguish the devastating fire is being carried out by the East Java provincial and Malang task force teams, volunteers, fire awareness community, and the BB TNBTS’s fire-handling team.
Septi said visitors who had purchased tickets online can apply for a change in visiting dates. Procedures for rescheduling and other information will be provided by BB TNBTS.
Although the national park is closed, Adjie Wahjono, operations manager of Aneka Kartika Tours, said tourists could still enjoy views of Mount Bromo from Seruni Point or Metigen Viewpoint, areas that are not within the management of BB TNBTS.
“There have been no cancellations so far. We can still conduct Mount Bromo tours with slight modifications, as tourists cannot go to Whispering Sands or hike up the mountain. However, Jeep rides and other activities are still possible,” said Adjie.