PR and marketing

GOLD COAST, Australia (16 November, 2011) – The Hilton Surfers Paradise complex on Queensland's Gold Coast will be officially launched tonight and is central in the revitalisation of the Hilton portfolio in Queensland and Hilton’s expansion in Australasia.

Development in the region has been an important source of expansion for Hilton over the past decade, and the revitalisation of the Hilton brand in Queensland has been a major part of the company’s growth plans.

Vice President Operations Hilton Worldwide Australasia, Ashley Spencer said, “development in Queensland has been central to our growth strategy across Australasia, our new flagship property in Surfers Paradise is the first new upper upscale international hotel to be built on the Gold Coast in over 10 years.”

While the prevailing view is that Surfers Paradise is a predominantly leisure market, the hotel has been multipurpose built with growth in business travel in mind.

The Gold Coast caters to half of the business travel expenditure in Queensland, with the new Hilton Surfers Paradise being an instrumental addition to support growth in this market.

“About half of the investment spent on business travel in Queensland is on the Gold Coast, and this is only expected to rise following the introduction of new business class flights and returning business confidence,” said Mr Spencer.

Initially the project stalled, but was re-commenced in 2009 when ANZ and Brookfield Multiplex put together a financing and development management structure that saw the recommencement of the $700 million project, including a retail complex, apartments as well as a Hilton managed hotel.

Brookfield Multiplex Australasia managing director George Kostas said the innovative, world-class design of Hilton Surfers Paradise catered for a wide range of markets.

“Hilton Surfers Paradise is one of the first projects of its kind of this scale in Australia. It’s a landmark for the Gold Coast, featuring both a dedicated hotel and residences with access to hotel services,” he said.

“We have achieved more than $430 million of apartment sales in a particularly tough market and, as a result, we believe Hilton Surfers Paradise will be a catalyst for more of this style of development across Australia, catering to visitors, residents and investors alike.

“The development was delivered ahead of time and on budget, providing two new signature towers on the Gold Coast skyline and a significant boost for its economy. It will continue to have a positive impact on the community well into the future.”

Stage one, Boulevard Tower opened last December, and the second and final stage, Orchid Tower opened this month. The 32 and 57 level properties include a signature restaurant by Luke Mangan, Salt Grill, executive lounge, fitness centre, pool and the highly anticipated eforea: Spa.

Hilton Surfers Paradise General Manager David Kelly said the complex had been specifically designed in response to the demand for more flexible and spacious holiday options in the area.

“This is an absolutely striking addition to our portfolio, with state of the art design, optimised technology and impeccable service standards for which our company is founded on,” said Mr Kelly.

Gold Coast Tourism CEO Martin Winter said the Hilton Surfers Paradise was an instant icon on the Surfers Paradise stage.

“What a spectacular addition to the famous Surfers Paradise experience, this is an iconic venue with a world class offering and a globally renowned brand right in the revitalised heart of Australia’s most popular tourist destination.”

Catering to both business and leisure travel markets, the two towers feature a combined 410 one, two and three bedroom residences, and a 169 room Hilton hotel. Purchasers of the residential apartments also have the option of placing them under the management of the Hilton.

About Hilton Surfers Paradise
Hilton Surfers Paradise is the first leisure-focused hotel and residences from Hilton Hotels & Resorts in Australia. It is also the first global upscale hotel to be built on the Gold Coast since 2000. The development consists of two spectacular curved towers rising above the city skyline, with the Boulevard Tower opening its doors to both residents and guests in late 2010 and the Orchid Tower which welcomed its first guests in September 2011. The complete project offers Hilton guests a combination of 250 one, two and three bedroom residences, and 169 guest rooms and suites.

About Hilton Hotels & Resorts
One of the most recognized names in the industry, Hilton Hotels & Resorts stands as the stylish, forward thinking global leader in hospitality. From inaugural balls and Hollywood award galas to business events and days to remember, Hilton is where the world makes history, closes the deal, toasts special occasions and gets away from it all. The flagship brand of Hilton Worldwide continues to build upon its legacy of innovation by developing products and services to meet the needs of tomorrow's savvy global travelers while more than 144,000 Team Members shape experiences in which every guest feels cared for, valued and respected. Today, the Hilton Hotels & Resorts portfolio includes more than 540 hotels in 78 countries and the brand remains synonymous with "hotel." Access the latest Hilton news at www.hiltonglobalmediacenter.com or begin your journey at www.hilton.com. Social media users can engage with Hilton at www.twitter.com/hiltononline, www.facebook.com/hilton and www.youtube.com/hilton. Hilton Hotels & Resorts is one of Hilton Worldwide’s ten market-leading brands. 

About Hilton Worldwide
Hilton Worldwide is the leading global hospitality company, spanning the lodging sector from luxurious full-service hotels and resorts to extended-stay suites and mid-priced hotels. For 93 years, Hilton Worldwide has been offering business and leisure travelers the finest in accommodations, service, amenities and value. The company is dedicated to continuing its tradition of providing exceptional guest experiences across its global brands. Its brands are comprised of more than 3,750 hotels and timeshare properties, with 615,000 rooms in 85 countries and include Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, Conrad Hotels & Resorts, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, DoubleTree by Hilton, Embassy Suites Hotels, Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton Hotels, Homewood Suites by Hilton, Home2 Suites by Hilton and Hilton Grand Vacations. The company also manages the world-class guest reward program Hilton HHonors®. For more information about the company, visit www.HiltonWorldwide.com or connect with Hilton Worldwide at www.HiltonWorldwide.com/Media.

About Brookfield Multiplex
Brookfield Multiplex is a leader in global contracting and development management – we build, engineer and maintain property and infrastructure assets.
Delivering major projects on behalf of landowners across Australia, New Zealand, the Middle East, Asia, Europe and Canada, Brookfield Multiplex is one of the few international contracting businesses that offer expertise across the entire design, development and construction life cycle of a project. 
Brookfield Multiplex was established in Australia in 1962 and over nearly five decades Brookfield Multiplex has completed more than 723 projects across the globe with a combined value of AUD$ 47.7 billion.
The Brookfield Multiplex contracting business currently has an AUD$ 8.1 billion global workbook across 38 projects spanning a variety of sectors including residential, entertainment, health, retail, commercial and education.
Brookfield Multiplex is known for its industry expertise and award-winning approach having won over 410 awards for innovation and setting standards across all sectors.

Contact:          
Charlotte Seymour
Hilton Worldwide
+61 447 710 099           
charlotte.seymour@hilton.com

CP Communications
+61 2 9922 1063
catriona@cpcommunications.com.au

As the Carbon Tax has been passed through the lower house, regional Australians voice their opinions and concerns about what it may bring for the future of their businesses and everyday lives.

The 2011 FatCow.com.au Industry Survey has revealed that 78 percent of regional Australian business and non-business owners do not support the carbon tax, with 65 per cent stating that they do not believe the Carbon Tax will reduce carbon emissions. Considerable doubt seems to exist even amongst the minority group of Carbon Tax supporters (22 percent) of which 46 percent reported uncertainty about whether the Carbon Tax could reduce carbon emissions.

The survey of 1030 rural and regional Australians, conducted by FatCow.com.au, an online business directory servicing the Australian farming, agricultural and horticultural sectors, investigated the trends and issues surrounding rural and regional Australians.

The survey showed that when the attitudes of rural business owners and non business owners were compared, business owners were the most cynical towards the Carbon Tax. Over 80 percent of rural business owners stated that they would not support the Carbon Tax and 87 per cent showed they were concerned about the implications for their business.

Group Sales Manager for FatCow.com.au, Paul Ryan said, “Many regional and rural Australians have placed a negative connotation upon the Carbon Tax, stating that it won’t encourage them to reduce their carbon emissions – yet most are concerned about environmental issues for the future.”

Some comparisons of business and non-business owners included:
· 82 per cent of business owners stated they did not support the Carbon Tax as opposed to 72 percent of non-business owners.
· Almost 70 per cent of business owners do not think the Carbon Tax will reduce carbon emissions as opposed to 58 percent of non-business owners.
· 58 percent of business owners would not switch to alternate energy sources due to the Carbon tax as opposed to the 45 percent of non-business owners.

Regional Australians are also showing some confusion around what effect the tax will have - with many having contradictory thoughts about the use of alternative energy sources.

As a contradiction to these negative Carbon Tax responses, rural business owners are the most willing to reduce pollution and emissions and make an effort to switch to alternative energy sources.

“We can see that most of regional and rural Australians are concerned about climate change and are doing what they can to support environmental sustainability,” Mr Ryan said. “The Carbon Tax is just another way Australians can support the effort to reduce global warming.”

While majority of those surveyed would not use alternative energy sources due to the Carbon Tax, over 92 per cent state they are already making an effort to reduce pollution and carbon emissions.

Rural and regional Australians were surveyed about the effects of major issues on their town including the economy, environmental issues and cost of resources.

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For further information or interviews please contact:
Lauren Milne
CP Communications
Phone: 02 9922 1063

About FatCow.com.au and the survey
FatCow.com.au is an online business directory servicing the Australian farming, agricultural and horticultural sectors. Owned and operated by Catch, an online division of Reed Business Information Australia, FatCow.com.au provides a comprehensive central online source containing the latest product, company and industry news updates.

The survey of 1030 rural and regional Australians over the age of 18 years was carried out over the months of August, September and beginning of October, covering all states and territories of Australia and representing all demographics.
 www.fatcow.com.au

Hilton Worldwide today announced the appointment of Richard Todd as Regional Director of Human Resources for Australasia. Reporting into Brendan Toomey, Vice President Human Resources for Asia Pacific, Richard will function as the key business partner in the delivery of local and corporate HR services in the Australasian region.

Richard joins Hilton Worldwide from Toga Hospitality Group where he served as Director of Human Resources for Australia and New Zealand. Over the four years in this role, Richard managed the HR strategy for the region including the growth of the human capital capability, and the implementation of a centralised HR function to support business expansion and change management.

“Richard’s strong experience implementing HR strategies, systems and processes during growth periods ensures he is a true asset to our executive team. With our developments and refurbishments across the region, Richard will focus on delivering our cultural integration program, Blue Energy, ensuring the right people are in the business for our growth plans,” said Ashley Spencer, Vice President Operations Australasia.

“He is highly experienced in managing human resources from a national and regional level, and has a solid foundation in talent acquisition, team member engagement, learning and development and retention within the hospitality sector; his expertise will benefit the Australasian executive team immediately,” said Ashley.

Throughout his nearly 20 years in human resources, Richard has demonstrated strong directorship and HR delivery across hospitality, property investment and IT sectors. Prior to Toga, Richard spent four years as Area Director of Human Resources for Hyatt International Hotels and Resorts. He has also held a number of Human Resources and Training & Development roles with Stockland Hotel Group, , Micros-Fidelio Asia Pacific and Renaissance Sydney Hotel.

“I am very excited to be joining a company that offers such amazing opportunities for team members to grow their careers, and has strategies in place to ensure the company vision is achieved  through the  measurable culture alignment and activities of the organisation ,” said Richard.

Richard has managed human resources projects internationally in Europe, Asia, New Zealand and Australia.

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About Hilton Worldwide
Hilton Worldwide is the leading global hospitality company, spanning the lodging sector from luxurious full-service hotels and resorts to extended-stay suites and mid-priced hotels. For 91 years, Hilton Worldwide has been offering business and leisure travelers the finest in accommodations, service, amenities and value. The company is dedicated to continuing its tradition of providing exceptional guest experiences across its global brands. Its brands are comprised of more than 3,600 hotels and 600,000 rooms in 81 countries and include Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, Conrad Hotels & Resorts, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Doubletree, Embassy Suites Hotels, Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton Hotels, Homewood Suites by Hilton, Home2 Suites by Hilton and Hilton Grand Vacations. The company also manages the world-class guest reward program Hilton HHonors®. For more information about the company, please visit www.hiltonworldwide.com

Journalists work in a fast-pace, high-pressure environment everyday and are only looking for stories which capture their attention right away. They constantly receive media releases, phone calls from PR agents and emails about the latest and greatest product or business. So to make sure you are noticed there are a few things to keep in mind when contacting the media.

Make them want to know more
Whether you are sending them a media release or pitching an article over the phone, make sure to present the most interesting information first. The information may have to be tailored for different types of media, eg: community newspapers are generally only interested on something to do with its immediate area. Most media releases won’t even be read all the way through if the journalist isn’t interested from the beginning.

Personalise your attempt
Whether emailing or calling, do a bit of research first and find out which journalist you may wish to speak to. Simply using someone’s name can get their attention and makes them feel like you have put in a bit of effort and aren’t just calling every media outlet in the country. If sending out a mass email make sure to BCC all email addresses so journalists don’t know you are sending it to every media outlet in the country, they will be less inclined to use information they know everyone else has.

Pick your time wisely
A bit of research and common sense can tell you when a media outlets deadline is. Daily papers will obviously have a deadline each day so getting your information to a journalist earlier in the day may be an advantage for you as you’ll be contacting them when the stress is a bit less. Monthly publications such as some magazines have long lead times and can be looking for articles months in advance, there is no point contacting a magazine at the end of the month trying to get into the next month’s issue.

Don’t be afraid of journalists
They are people too. They have good days and bad days and there are ones who will be nicer than others. But don’t be intimidated by them if they are less than sugar and spice, they will respect you more for not sounding nervous. If you contact them at a bad time apologise once and move on, apologising more than that can become annoying. If you have all your information at hand, know what you are talking about and are polite at all times you should be received well.

Andrew Frith, Social Media Director at The Dubs, talks about Social TV in an article on B&T.

Isn't it time sport goes social?

I am sure you will agree that watching a game of Aussie Rules, or Rugby Union, or whatever sport it is you are into, at home by yourself is never as fun as watching it live at the game amongst the cheers and the screams, the boos and the sledging. 

Next time you’re on the couch watching a game you will be able to feel like you are in the midst of the action – well as soon as the sporting broadcasters, carriers and content producers start embracing Social TV.

To read the full article, click here.

Get your customers talking

Think about the last time you talked about a consumer experience with friends, family, or colleagues. Maybe it was how much they’d like a movie that you have just seen, or a restaurant you went to on the weekend or even talking about how much you love your ipad. Word of Mouth is all about sharing stories and experiences as consumers.

Read the full article here.