The Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre was filled with music recently as it hosted the popular Song Summit and APRA Music Awards, showcasing the best of the Australian music scene.
Featuring a range of music workshops, gigs and master classes, the event saw delegates spontaneously jamming throughout the Bayside Convention Centre, with the baby grand piano on the first floor proving a popular focus for sessions.
Music filled the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre with plenty of entertainment from Australian artists at the Song Summit.
Staged over three days from May 26-28, the summit included events with dozens of well-known musicians, songwriters and industry experts including performers Gotye, Missy Higgins and Joel Madden.
Along with plenary sessions and a music market, the 2012 Song Summit also featured live performances each evening across five venues in the Centre, as well as the staging of the APRA 2012 awards in the Parkside Ballroom.
APRA corporate events manager Jana Gibson praised the Centre for its role in delivering a successful event.
The Summit and Awards also featured a variety of performances including songstress Donna Jordee.
“This was the first time we’ve held our evening performances at the same location as the daily workshops and sessions and it worked really well. There was no noise spill and we maintained a vibe without being in a music venue,” Gibson said.
From the Centre’s perspective, the Song Summit had some different requirements including the simultaneous live music events and the need for almost 40 headset mikes to accommodate the large number of interview-style sessions.
While the event attracted more than 500 delegates each day, the Centre Video Production Unit played a role in sharing the key sessions with those who couldn’t attend, recording key lectures and editing and uploading them to the Song Summit website within the hour.
Centre Chief Executive Ton van Amerongen said the Song Summit was a great illustration of the flexibility of the waterfront venue.
“With its central location, versatile spaces and state-of the-art production team, the Centre is a great venue for such a vibrant and important industry event,” van Amerongen said.
