The event: The 93rd Annual Lions International Convention 2010.
The organisers: Sydney took a “whole-of-city” approach to the event with the New South Wales Government, the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre, Sydney Entertainment Centre and Lions organisers working collaboratively to ensure its success. The smooth operation of the event was a tribute to the detailed planning undertaken over several years.
The size: The Lions Convention was one of the largest meetings to be held at the award-winning Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre, in fact it was the biggest event during 2010. More than half the venue’s 30,0000 sq metres of exhibition space was used with more than 12,000 delegates from across 150 countries in attendance.
The setting: The entire city of Sydney provided the backdrop for the five-day convention, with visitors enjoying good weather and warm hospitality. With its vibrant Darling Harbour setting next to the city’s central business district, the waterfront Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre was the ideal location for delegate registrations, voting and networking as well as the Convention’s exhibition. Meanwhile, the nearby Sydney Entertainment Centre, also managed by the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre, provided the perfect location for the Convention’s massive plenary sessions and the international show. Sydneysiders displayed their friendly spirit throughout the event, with thousands cheering on the Convention’s traditional Parade of Nations, which saw 12,000 Lions delegates marching through the city’s main streets, many in national dress.
How the Centre delivered: With so many international delegates attending the event the Centre’s multilingual team were on-hand, conversing in more than a dozen languages including Mandarin, Tagalog, Hindi, French, German, Indonesian, Hokkien, Portuguese, Japanese, Spanish, Cantonese, Korean and Dutch. To the delight of organisers, the Centre was able to dedicate its 180 digital screens to the event, with every screen featuring the Lions logo and regular event updates, a scrolling news feed and a foreign language feed. In our Catering department, more than 40 Centre chefs worked full-time to prepare more than 5,000 banquet meals throughout the event.
The stand-out feature: The Sydney sunshine allowed delegates to enjoy the best of the bustling Darling Harbour precinct, taking in its views and attractions as they strolled between the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre and the Sydney Entertainment Centre, home to their plenary sessions. Often the venue for major music events, the Sydney Entertainment Centre is unaccustomed to a silent auditorium. But barely a sound could be heard in its 11,000-seat arena when Lions’ guest Captain “Sully” Sullenberger spoke of his courageous emergency landing in New York’s Hudson River in 2009. Both Captain Sullenburger and fellow speaker, 2004 Nobel Peace Prize winner, Dr Wangari Maathai, were made honorary Lion members at the event. Their presentations were projected on a massive 18 by 6 metre screen supported by five separate rear projectors - one of the largest set-ups the Sydney Entertainment Centre has ever seen. Meanwhile, a bank of translation booths ensured that every word was caught and wirelessly transmitted to delegates throughout the venue, in no less than nine different languages.
The result: Lions organisers were full of praise for Sydney’s handling of the logistical challenges associated with their event. It was delivered without a hitch.
“In addition to having access to some great venues, we made sure we partnered with an experienced team in planning the Convention. The Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre’s facilities are some of the best in the country and were the icing on the cake for such a successful event.
“Coordinating such high level speakers and moving more than 12,000 international guests through information sessions and exhibitions across a variety of venues, so smoothly, was a feat by both the Lions events teams and the Centre. Lions Executive Officer, Rob Oerlemans.