ICMS Australasia (ICMSA) celebrated the strongest 12 months in the company’s 57-year history with three days of staff-development workshops and memorable experiences on the Gold Coast in late July.
Off the back of conferences around the country, ICMSA Owner and Managing Director Emma Bowyer took the entire team away to refresh, refocus and get to know the new members of the company’s Christchurch office.
Ms Bowyer said the meetings component was designed to bring the team up to speed on the company’s goals and new initiatives, generate greater teamwork and brainstorm upcoming conferences over the next 12 months.
“It was also about rewarding everybody for the incredible 12 months of work.”
In the past year, ICMSA managed and delivered conferences with delegate attendance of almost 13,000 and a direct economic impact to event suppliers of more than $20 million.
“That’s worth celebrating and we couldn’t have selected a more appropriate destination than the Gold Coast to do so.”
Three days of shared experiences
A long lunch at The Star Gold Coast’s Garden Kitchen & Bar preceded a matinee performance of Billy Elliot The Musical, before some rest and relaxation at the Gold Coast’s newest five-star hotel, The Langham.
Dinner was with Pinot & Picasso Gold Coast, a paint-and-sip experience that unveiled artistic flair some team members did not even know they had.
Workshops on day two were followed by a leisurely cruise on the superyacht YOT Vice and dinner at Miami Marketta, once a mechanic’s workshop and now a vibrant art and dining space popular with locals. The team was entertained by drag queens Beverly Kills and Kathy Pacific, alongside a company quiz, musical interlude and a few classic games of Drag Queen Bingo.
The final day included business sessions and lunch in the Gold Coast’s only revolving restaurant at Crowne Plaza Surfers Paradise, where the team met the newly appointed head of Business Events Gold Coast, Brooke Campbell. The program concluded with a dress-up party at Miss Moneypenny’s in Broadbeach.
“This was a great opportunity for our entire team to familiarise ourselves with the Gold Coast, with more business anticipated for the region over the coming 12 months.”
“It has such a variety of options for day-delegate and pre-and-post activities, and the range of accommodation certainly suits our clientele.”
After three nights at The Langham Gold Coast, Ms Bowyer said the property was firmly on her list of favourite hotels in Australia.