Set in the heart of Victoria 's Spa Country, Peppers Springs Retreat is an iconic Art Deco establishment with a dash of Gatsby glamour. The attractive village of Hepburn Springs is just over an hour's drive from Melbourne and 3km from Daylesford with its many boutiques, cafes and restaurants.

Built in 1935, the main building has been beautifully restored, combining the character of the art deco building with contemporary decor using rich warm colours. On site accommodation comprises a choice of 25 stylish rooms and spa suites.

DECO restaurant's excellent food is best described as modern Australian but each dish also has its own unique twist. Warm fires burn throughout winter, whilst in summer the leafy gardens make the perfect spot to linger for drinks.

Stepping into the newly created Springs Retreat Mineral Spa, guests enter a sanctuary of calm. Tucked away at the back of the retreat, the spa houses 3 open-air mineral pools, a sauna, steam room and 8 treatments rooms offering an excellent range of rejuvenating therapies.

Completed in June 2004, the purpose built conference centre boasts a contempory reception lobby and three flexible conference rooms catering for executive gatherings or meetings for 50 or more delegates. Features include state of the art AV Equipment, natural light and both the main conference room and breakout areas offer total privacy.

To find out more call Pam Conway +613 9870 4611

There was once a Golden Era, when Sydney's wealthy and successful fled the heat of the city to the privacy, comfort and invigorating climate of their Southern Highlands retreats.

There, behind imposing gates, up tree-lined driveways, they enjoyed a lifestyle of gentle, relaxed pleasure, eating and drinking well, playing tennis and croquet, watching a season pass in splendid gardens while returning to the comfort of an open hearth and attentive, discreet service in the evenings.

At Milton Park Country House Hotel & Destination Spa that Golden Era still glows warm and inviting, the perfect escape from the stresses and pressures of life in the city and the ideal conference escape.

Milton Park excels in all aspects of professional conference management offering a private world without unwanted intrusion. You enter a world in which your only problems are those on your agenda; an ideal environment in which to focus on the ideas and challenges on the future.

To find our more call Sue Wall on +613 9870 4611

Does your team need to get away from it all, to get out of the office and into the fresh air? Wildwood Retreat has been the place for many of the top 500 Australian businesses looking to do just that.

Wildwood is a sole use Conference Retreat with a strong emphasis on team development and the outdoors. Designed to accommodate from 10 to 30 delegates, Wildwood is hidden in 20 hectares of rainforest in the Otway Ranges , yet a short drive from Lorne, one of Victoria 's most popular coastal resort towns.

At Wildwood Retreat the secluded location, tranquil surroundings, comfortable accommodation and warm dedicated service provide the foundation for a unique team experience. The meeting room is a converted barn and the lodge, with its relaxing lounge, library, open fire and well stocked wine bar, are some of the features that have already many guests returning on a regular basis.

Wildwood Retreat's meeting, leisure and accommodation facilities bring new meaning to the phrase “roughing it”, where simple rustic charms combine with cosy comforts to ensure this is roughing it at its very best.

For further information on Wildwood Retreat contact Pam Conway +613 9870 4611

OUT AND ABOUT

Melbourne Business School Carlton, Sea Temple Resort & Spa Palm Cove, Alpine Retreat Hotel Warburton, Sebel Reef House & Spa Palm Cove, Langham Hotel, Debortoli Winery Yarra Valley, The Grange at Cleveland Winery, Cope-Williams, Fenix, The Harbour Room, The Royce, Crown Promenade and Melbourne Exhibition Convention Centre.

Alison Van Staveren & Megan Smith - Stamford Plaza Melbourne, Antony Wallace - Wheelers Hill International, Elizabeth Loader - Ramada Melbourne and Waterview Function Centre, Kadifa Ridgway - Crowne Plaza Surfers Paradise, Cassandra Kerr - Intercontinental Burswood Resort, Patrick Lonergan, Richard Barrett & Annalisa Magnanini - Rydges Carlton Melbourne; Jacqueline Allen & Theresa Head -Lancemore Group, Melissa Jones - Holiday Inn Brisbane, Monique Harmer - Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts, Natasha Gudaitis - Crowne Plaza Terrigal, Kelly Newton - Batman's Hill on Collins Melbourne, Claire Harrington - Hotel Grand Chancellor Hobart, Amanda Balaam - Hotel Grand Chancellor Melbourne, Nitin Balchandran - Saville Hotel Group, Kate Ritchie - Hyatt Regency Coolum, Felicia Corso - Epicure, Kelly Ashton - Swiss Grand Resort & Spa Bondi beach Sydney, Belinda Lee - Duxton Hotel Melbourne,

Meeting/ Conference Room Configurations

The way the meeting room is set up dictates how effective communication in the meeting will be. Ideally the room you have will enable optimal communication between delegates and presenters, working and interacting efficiently with no distractions.

There are many possible room layouts and selecting the right one requires an understanding of the space available, the numbers of attendees and the communication process.

Consider these elements when selecting the best layout for your meeting:

• the layout should foster a feeling of closeness between the group and the trainee
• each person in the room should be able to hear and see everyone's contribution
• all delegates in the room should easily see any visual presentations
• delegates should be able to enter and leave the conference or meeting room without disturbing others
• when seated delegates and their chairs should not be touching anyone on either side of them
• each delegate should have sufficient space for writing and reference materials

Many factors influence meeting and conference room layout. For example, a team arrangement, with small groups of four to eight around each table, is common for much team and experiential learning. A parallel row of tables with all delegates facing the front is a more traditional arrangement and is appropriate for lectures. Horseshoe shapes or U-shapes are common for discussion groups.

Recognised authority Author Coleman Finkel in his book The Total Immersion Learning Environment says it is vital to establish a climate for maximum interaction and discussion.

U-Shape Extremely popular for management seminars, the U-shape table usually gives participants the sense that they are all equal in status at the meeting. Meeting leadership may move to the open U for closer interaction with and among the group. Seeing and hearing others in the group and the front of the room is easy and the openness of the set-up gives delegates a sense of freedom which encourages participation.

For more information on conference and meeting room configurations go to www.conferencesolutions.com.au

HAPPENINGS

Our resident venue researcher, Lisa Moloney Business Development Manager Key Conference Solutions, has just returned home from a working holiday visit to China.

Lisa stayed at the impressive 362 room The St Regis in Shanghai. This magnificent hotel offers your very own personal butler throughout your stay who provides in-room check in, packing and unpacking service, light pressing of garments and so much more. Lisa reports the service including unlimited tea and coffee was “just amazing” and very indulgent!

The second leg of the trip was a stay at The Westin Shanghai, which has one of the most inspiring hotel foyers, which reaches upwards over 5 levels. This world-class luxury hotel is tailored to suit meetings, incentives and conferences. The dedicated conference area is spread over 2 levels and includes the business centre and a meeting planner's lounge. Words fail to describe the time Lisa spent being pampered at the Banyan Tree Spa at The Westin in Shanghai. Described as a sanctuary for the senses Banyan Tree takes a holistic approach to physical and spiritual well-being and is well worth making the trip back to Shanghai for. As for the rest of the trip there was shopping, shopping and more shopping which may explain why Lisa mentions she would like to go back.

You can call Lisa Moloney on +613 9870 4611 to find out more about Shanghai.

Join Australia's leading companies that are taking advantage of the FREE venue-finding service Key Conference Solutions offers.

Join Australia 's leading companies that are taking advantage of the free venue-finding service Key Conference Solutions offers. Adult Multicultural Education Services, BASF, City of Boroondara, Gandel Retail Management, Coca Cola Amatil, Goodman Fielder, IBM Global Services Australia Ltd, Rebel Sport, Shell Australia, Wyatt Gallagher Bassett, WMC Resources, Getronics Australia Pty Ltd are just some of the companies who have chosen Key Conference Solutions to source venues throughout Australia, New Zealand and overseas for their business events.

Phone: +613 9870 4611 - Fax: +613 9870 4622

Sue Wall: Sales Consultant
swall@conferencesolutions.com.au

Lou David: Sales Consultant
ldavid@conferencesolutions.com.au

Pam Conway: Industry Consultant
pconway@conferencesolutions.com.au

Lisa Moloney: National Business Development Manager
lmoloney@conferencesolutions.com.au

  
Click here to visit the Key Conference Solutions website