By Ian Neubauer

A unique entertainment experience that incorporates a platform calibrated into a bar or dining table and lifted by crane 50 meters into the sky is now available in Australia.

Events in the Sky debuted in Australia at Sydney’s
Cockatoo Island last week

Hailing from Belgium, Events in the Sky debuted in Sydney last week when Lion Nathan hired it to promote its McKenna bourbon brand.

The McKenna Air Bar took clients and media over Cockatoo Island for 30-minute stints to sip bourbon-based cocktails and listen to a DJ stationed at the centre of the rig.

Lion Nathan will hold similar events in Brisbane and the Gold Coast this week, before moving on to Melbourne and Perth.

Franchised in 23 countries, Events in the Sky has proven a runaway success, with offshoot businesses Marriage in the Sky, Meeting in the Sky, Showbiz in the Sky and Dinner in the Sky.

“Once we’re done with McKenna we’ll be positioning ourselves in the corporate sector,” said a spokesperson for the Australian franchise. “We’ll offer one to three hour dinner experiences that will go up with chefs and waiters and up to 22 passengers strapped in to specially designed seats.”

Lifting a bunch of people into the air doesn’t come cheap. The crane alone can cost up to $7000 per day, and the Australian franchise spent eight months haggling with health and safety authorities until they got the green light.

It comes as no great shock to learn that a corporate dinner party will be priced in the vicinity of $15,0000 to $20,000 — placing it at the ultra-premium end of the meetings and incentives market.

“We have no fear of the economic downturn because the feedback we’ve received from the corporate sector is very strong,” the spokesperson said. “We’re also getting a lot of calls from property developers who want to hire us to demonstrate views, and we’re about to open a new franchise in New Zealand.”

For more information email info@eventsinthesky.com.au.