Managing Australian Destinations (M.A.D) has spent years sourcing the best suppliers throughout Australia and building quality contacts along the way for the conference and incentive market. Now they are delighted to announce the launch of the Luxury Collection for the holiday leisure market and M.A.D Concierge for the corporate market.

The M.A.D Luxury Collection provides unique six star experiences for the exclusive luxury leisure market – MAD can source exclusive hotels, boutique hideaways or arrange exclusive yacht charters. Perhaps a spectacular scenic flight to a remarkable outback location followed by an extraordinary culinary encounter on a deserted tropical island will impress? M.A.D. can arrange it all. In conjunction with the launch of their Luxury Collection, M.A.D have also released their new Concierge Service providing sophisticated half and full-day tailor-made tour services for the VIP’s in the group and their partners and families, to ensure they enjoy the best Australia has to offer in a fuss-free luxury environment. Services include chauffeured limousines, multilingual guides, dinner arrangements, guided shopping excursions, gifts, flowers, five star touring and premier tickets to sporting, cultural and musical events. “The birth of the luxury collection came from a keen interest expressed by the MICE industry requiring pre and post touring options for their clients,” said MAD director Byron Kurth.

“After 12 years of servicing the MICE market, we are now happy to be able to provide this service directly to the leisure market as well.” For further information on the M.A.D Luxury Collection and Concierge Services log onto www.m-a-d.com.au or call M.A.D on (07) 4099 4308.

WA-based Promaco Conventions was awarded the 2004 MIAA Awards for Excellence – WA Meetings Manager (eight or more employees) recently after an eight year break from entering the competition. Promaco Conventions wen the award in 1991, 1992 and 1993, and the national award in 1994, the WA award again in 1995, and was a national finalist in 1996. The company is clearly one of the stayers in the business, and this year celebrates 18 years of operation. At the time of going to press the MIAA Awards for Excellence had not been announced.

MVM celebrates 10 years in operation in Sydney in 2005. Richard Beggs, managing director of the MVM Group based in London, opened the Sydney office in 1995. 2005 is an exciting year for the group with a new office opening in Dubai to complete the existing London and Sydney services.

Debbie Evans, exhibition director of Reed Gift Fairs has been awarded the Chairman’s Award by worldwide chairman of Reed Exhibitions (REC), Mike Rusbridge. The award is extremely prestigious and given by the REC chairman to those executives within the global group who have demonstrated a distinctive and substantial contribution to the growth of REC and in recognition of outstanding achievements and accomplishments. “Reed Exhibitions is the largest organiser of exhibitions in the world, employing some 2000 people so this Award is indeed a great honour,” said Dan Londero, Managing Director, Reed Exhibitions - Australia. “Debbie has done a tremendous job managing the Reed Gift Fairs which are recognised as the leading trade fairs in this sector in Australia. I congratulate her on her achievement.”

Singapore Airlines (SIA) has announced it will increase its frequency by two flights per week to each of Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth this year.

This boost will see SIA serving each of the major Australian cities of Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane non-stop, three times daily, every day. In total, SIA will operate to Australia 86 times each week from June this year. Increasing the number of weekly non-stop services from Brisbane and Melbourne from 19 currently, to 21 times from April 2005, means triple daily non-stop flights to Singapore. SIA will increase flights between Perth and Singapore from the existing 17 to 18 non-stop services per week from April, and subsequently up to 19 non-stop services per week from June 2005.

The Hunter Valley is holding a unique ticketed corporate team event - the Hunter Valley Challenge on April 21, 2005. The event invites teams to spend a day in the Hunter competing in a hands on Wine Challenge - culminating in the awarding of the Hunter Valley Challenge Trophy at an exclusive dinner at Bimbadgen Estate Winery. It promises to be a quality and enjoyable event co-hosted by Hunter Valley Winemakers and Jean Kittson - a dynamic combination! The event has been designed with corporate team building, incentives and client promotions in mind. Contact Louise Maher on louise@huntervalleyevents.com.au for details.

Sydney’s business events industry is set for another bumper year, fuelled by a record $116 million in incentive visits, according to the Sydney Convention & Visitors Bureau. Among this year’s top conferences are the 5000-delegate World Congress of Neurology (November), the 4000-delegate World Congress on Pain (August), the 3500-delegates Congress of the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis (August) and the 2300-delegate Gartner Group Symposium and ITxpo (October).