Australasia News: Sydney Land Trust; Geoff Donaghy Stepping Down; MEA Awards; NZ: Double Whammy

AUSTRALIA

Sydney Eyes Land Trust In $20M Plan

A land trust to “take custodianship of suitable buildings or sites for cultural uses” is a key proposal of City of Sydney’s new 10-year, A$20 million ($13.2 million) draft arts strategy.
It comes as the live sector considers council- and community-run live music venues as an option amidst mass closures.

“Like other major world cities, Sydney is finding that creative spaces are getting squeezed out. We have been losing that battle,” New South Wales arts minister John Graham said.

The proposed Cultural Strategy For 2025–35 proposal also contains offers of artist fellowships, grants to retain creative workers and music spaces, and a planning aid service to secure approval for venues and events.

ICC CEO Geoff Donaghy Stepping Down

After 30 years in venue management, Geoff Donaghy, chief executive of ICC Sydney for 10 years and group director – convention centers, ASM Global (APAC), departs his full-time role Aug. 30. He remains an advisor until the end of the year.

ASM Global (APAC) executive chairman Harvey Lister noted Donaghy was “one of ASM Global’s longest serving executives having contributed greatly” to the set-ups of Cairns Convention Centre, Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, “and numerous venue management bids globally.”

Under Donaghy, ICC Sydney received 95 industry awards and was the first convention center to set up action plans for disability and inclusion, and reconciliation action with First Australians.

Winners At MEA, Business Breakfast

Among the 30+ winners at the Meetings & Events Australia (MEA) awards in NSW’s Hunter Valley, SXSW Sydney took major event/festival.

Sydney Showground won the event venue for over 1,000 capacity for the second year in a row while Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre’s win was for its banqueting & catering division.

At Variety Australia and Twilio inaugural Business Breakfast June 13 to discuss the music festival landscape, among seven winners were Bluesfest Byron Bay for best festival gong.
Frontier Touring took promoter of the year for a record-breaking 2023 producing 600 shows, 40 of those in major stadiums.

Best Australian Music Tour went to P!NK’s Summer Carnival Tour which sold 970,000 tix over a record-breaking 20 stadium shows.

Untitled Group was applauded for selling over 500,000 tix in the latest summer season, and Fred again… grabbed best live event marketing campaign Award for pop-up shows that sold 250,000 without a dollar spent on marketing.

NEW ZEALAND

Whammy & Wine Cellar Venues Merging

Auckland venues Whammy Backroom and Wine Cellar, neighbors on St. Kevin’s Arcade for 20 years and both influential in launching new acts, will merge from August 17.

They will be called Double Whammy, with an increased capacity to 500, and a wider range of late night events.

“At its core, this initiative is driven by a long term vision to support and celebrate artists, and to champion diversity and accessibility within the music community,” explained Whammy Bar co-owner Lucy Macrae.