Before he appeared on MasterChef, it was all hands on deck for the team at the National Convention Centre (NCC) when more than 2500 people converged on the venue to see His Holiness, the Dalai Lama for his public conversation on June 14.

Held in the NCC’s Royal Theatre, the sold-out event required a dedicated squad of crowd control and security personnel to ensure the VIP guest and his followers were well looked after for the duration of the event.

The Dalai Lama addressed a crowd of more than 2,500 at the National Convention Centre in Canberra 
image courtesy of Rusty Stewart.

For those who missed out on tickets to the public address, A conversation with His Holiness the Dalai Lama on Happiness, Life and Living – Love and Forgiveness, the NCC orchestrated a live stream of the Dalai Lama’s speech on a big screen in its Bradman Theatrette to an audience of more than 100 guests. The speech was also uploaded online.

A purpose-built catering kiosk was set up in the lobby for attendees.
image courtesy of Kunchok Gyaltsen.

To cater for the crowd, the NCC’s culinary team erected a purpose-built catering kiosk in the main lobby, which served refreshments throughout the event.
NCC manager Cindy Young said the team’s objective for the event was to provide audience members with an up-close-and-personal experience, within what is Canberra’s largest conference venue.

“In hosting the Dalai Lama’s public conversation, the NCC aimed to provide an intimate feel for the event to enhance the experience for the more than 2500 audience members. Essentially, we wanted to make sure everyone got the chance to catch more than a glimpse of His Holiness,” she said.

“The Royal Theatre, with its fantastic acoustics, tiered seating and flat floor section in front of the stage, proved to be a great venue for providing uninterrupted views of the Dalai Lama and clear access to his words, to each audience member.

“Through the use of the NCC’s versatile spaces and live-streaming technology, we were able to make the Dalai Lama available to as many guests as possible. It was a great opportunity to show why the NCC is a first choice for international events to Australia.”