The Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre was dancing to a different beat recently when the venue played host to the cream of the music industry at the Song Summit 2010 and APRA Music Awards.
Staged together for the first time, the two annual events saw the Centre filled with song as acclaimed song writers and musicians from around the globe gathered to exchange ideas and information.
Close to 1000 delegates attended presentations and workshops throughout the three-day Song Summit, which created a different vibe to the venue’s usual business events.
The APRA Music Awards and 2010 Song Summit welcomed musicians such as Lisa Mitchell to the SCEC
The relaxed feel was particularly evident in the Centre’s light-filled Parkside Ballroom foyer, as delegates enjoyed artists’ performances at lunchtime, unwinding on casual ottomans and enjoying a pop-up internet café.
A major creative, business development and networking expo for the music industry, Song Summit included presentations by well known songwriters Stephen Schwartz, responsible for the music of Godspell and Wicked, and Mike Chapman, whose many hits include Tina Turner’s ‘Simply the Best’, as well as speeches by Federal Arts Minister and APRA Member Peter Garrett and State Arts Minister Virginia Judge. A range of creative sessions were also held throughout the event.
Meanwhile, more than 700 people attended the red carpet 2010 APRA Music Awards in the Centre’s ballroom, a glamorous event featuring two large stages – one for the awards ceremony and one for an array of performances from artists including The Church, Megan Washington and Earth Boys.
APRA-AMCOS corporate events manager Jana Gibson said the Centre had been impressive in its contribution to ensuring the successful simultaneous hosting of Song Summit 2010 and the APRA Music Awards.
“From the initial booking to the end of the event, someone was always accessible. The onsite staff managed the operational facets of our event, whether they were planned for or not, with ease and the Centre was also happy to incorporate sustainable elements within our event,” Gibson said.
“It was reassuring to be working with a venue that is so well-suited to these types of events.”
