It’s July. It’s cold and Christmas seems a long way off. So why start planning the staff 

Christmas party now?

Here are 4 great reasons.

1. Less stress and pressure

The pre-Christmas period is a frantic time for everyone. There is so much to do. Work gets busier. There are Christmas catch-ups with friends and if you have children, there are all of their end-of-year commitments as well.

With the staff Christmas party organised and booked now, you’ll have less to do in the lead up to Christmas. Now doesn’t that sound nice?

2. Saves time and money

Leaving your Christmas party booking until November (or later) means it can be hard to find a venue that has room for your group. Ask anyone who has been in this situation. They’ll tell you about the countless phone calls to find a venue and the outrageous prices some opportunistic venues charge desperate businesses.

Booking your staff Christmas party early means you are more likely to get your preferred venue. Plus some venues have special offers for early bird bookings.

3. Secure your preferred day and date

Friday and Saturday nights are the most popular nights for holding fun Christmas parties because no-one has work the next day. This gives staff the opportunity to let their hair down and have a great time. So if you want to reward your staff with a great Christmas party, book early so you can secure your preferred day and date.

4. Securing great entertainment

Like the venue, the best entertainment is quickly booked out. While staff enjoy the opportunity to chat and relax together, providing entertainment helps the party atmosphere last all night. Sadly, booking entertainment is often forgotten in the pre-Christmas panic. By thinking ahead, you will have everything organised so you can be confident everyone will have a great time.

Popular Christmas party entertainment options include a DJ and dance floor, roving magicians, a band, acrobats, photo booths, comedians and caricaturists.

Where business goes to party

WatervieW in Bicentennial Park offers great value Christmas party packages that are available for you to book now. They are suitable for groups of 45 people up to 500 people.

Save yourself hassle and worry by planning your staff Christmas party early.

Click here for more information on our Business Events Christmas parties.

Applications now open for St.George in branch pop-up program

St.George is opening its doors to support small businesses across the region with its in branch pop-up initiative, which will allow 10 small business owners across NSW to set up shop in a high-traffic retail space, funded by St.George.

Rolling out in September, the pop-ups offer business owners the opportunity to trial their business for four weeks in St.George branches in Wagga Wagga, Orange, Shellharbour, Port Macquarie, Erina, Parramatta, Kogarah, Sutherland, Wetherill Park and Sydney CBD.

The pop-up program is in its second year and will be extended across the country to support local small businesses in NSW, QLD, ACT and WA, following the success of last year’s pilot launch.

St.George Acting Head of SME, Stuart Zalunardo commented on the importance of supporting the small business community to start, prosper and grow. 

“Our pop-up program kicked off last year where we provided start-ups like local Sydney business Nine Lives of Mine, the opportunity to trial their online boutique store in Parramatta Westfield. This round of pop-ups is focused on showcasing our local business champions, and giving them a platform to extend their reach in our very own branches. We’re also excited to broaden the program even further to help small businesses in regional areas.

“We’re encouraging Australia’s local businesses across the region to jump online and enter the pop-up initiative for their chance to win one of 10 retail spaces and showcase their business.

“This is an opportunity for us to recognise those small businesses that are the pillars of local communities all around Australia. Our in store pop-up initiative will help them spread their message and distribution further and provide another avenue to market their business,” Stuart said.

Where can you set up your pop-up shop in NSW?

·         St.George Wagga Wagga – 186 Bayliss St, Wagga Wagga

·         St.George Orange – 183 Summer St, Orange

·         St.George Shellharbour- Shop 5-6, Stockland Mall, Lake Entrance Rd, Shellharbour

·         St.George Port Macquarie- 68 Horton St, Port Macquarie

·         St.George Erina - Shop T92, Erina Fair, 620-658 Terrigal Dr, Erina

·         St.George Parramatta - 244 Church St, Parramatta Mall, Parramatta

·         St.George Kogarah - Shop 4, 16 Montgomery St, Kogarah

·         St.George Sutherland - 770 Old Princes Hwy, Sutherland

·         St.George Wetherill Park - Shop 32, Stockland Mall, Polding St, Wetherill Park

·         St.George Sydney CBD - Cnr Castlereagh and Liverpool St, Sydney

What will each pop-up shop include?

·         Exclusive use of a pop-up shop within one of our high traffic branches for 4 weeks

·         A fit-out for the pop-up shop including personalisation to the winner’s brand

·         A half page press advert in the relevant branch’s local newspaper

Applications are now open and will close on 16 August.

Will your company Christmas party be nasty or nice? Often it depends on getting your preferred date at your ideal venue.

WatervieW in Bicentennial Park is ideal for business Christmas parties with all-inclusive packages for groups of 45 – 500 people.

Take a look at our Christmas Parties package options or call (02) 9764 9900.

Novotel Sydney Parramatta would like to introduce you to the newest member of the team, Cheyne Scroggy, their Human Resources manager. Cheyne joins the team at Parramatta with a fountain of Accor knowledge, after starting with the company during a university internship in 2012 at the Sebel Kiama; from here he started work as an Assistant Human resources manager at Quay West and Quay Grand properties. 

Cheyne looks forward to his time at Novotel Sydney Parramatta and being able to work with a new team and help deliver the vision General Manager, Michael Daviss has for the hotel and its direction. He feels excited for the ever changing landscape of Parramatta and Western Sydney and feels there are many hidden talents waiting to be discovered. Cheyne likes how Accor values its people and takes time to invest back in the individuals and assist with ongoing training to help their futures.

Cheyne’s passion for hospitality began as a child working in his parent’s seafood restaurant on the south coast of New South Wales, where he developed skills in the kitchen watching the chefs. Cheyne then went on to work as a Chef for six years in a restaurant within Wollongong, cooking many of his favourites including beef ragout.

Another one of Cheyne’s passions and how he spends a lot of his down time is with his enjoyment for fitness. Studying a certificate in personal training, he finds importance in maintaining a healthy body and mind to assist in the challenges of a working week. Cheyne lives by the motto ‘if there’s doubt, there’s no doubt’ and uses this when making decisions towards the future.

To meet Cheyne and his passionate team at Novotel Sydney Parramatta, pop by the Two Forks Lounge where you are likely run into him. Visit www.novotelparramatta.com.au for all the latest!

Sydney Showground is excited to announce that Cricket Australia and the Royal Agricultural Society of NSW (RAS) have signed a 10 year agreement to host all Sydney Thunder games at Spotless Stadium. 

Michael Hussey has re-signed as captain in BBL05, which will be his final season of an illustrious career. The new stadium agreement will see the Thunder based at Spotless until BBL14 in the 2024/25 summer.

“The Spotless Stadium agreement is the culmination of twelve months’ hard work from a number of people at Cricket New South Wales, Cricket Australia and the Royal Agricultural Society,” said Nick Cummins, Sydney Thunder General Manager.

“We believe that we have the best stadium in Australia to watch BBL cricket, and I can’t wait to see Mike and the rest of the team take the field in front of a packed house.”

Sydney Showground General Manger, Peter Thorpe, said, “We’re over the moon that Spotless Stadium has been chosen as home to Sydney Thunder for the next 10 years.  As we’ve found with AFL it’s an incredibly family friendly venue with a unique intimate atmosphere creating a great sporting experience for all. 

“With both Sydney Thunder and GWS Giants now calling Spotless Stadium home sports fans can access some of the country’s most loved and sought after on field action all year round right here in the geographical heart of Sydney.”

Click here to find out more about Sydney Showground

Sydney Thunder BBL05 Schedule

Thursday, 17 December 2015, 7:40pm v Sydney Sixers - Spotless Stadium

Sunday, 20 December 2015, 7:25pm v Melbourne Stars - MCG   

Monday, 28 December 2015, 7:10pm v Adelaide Strikers - Spotless Stadium 

Friday, 1 January 2016, 7:10pm v Hobart Hurricanes - Blundstone Arena

Sunday, 3 January 2016, 6:10pm v Brisbane Heat - GABBA

Thursday, 7 January 2016, 7:40pm v Perth Scorchers - Spotless Stadium 

Monday, 11 January 2016, 7:40pm v Melbourne Renegades - Spotless Stadium

Saturday, 16 January 2016, 6:10 PM v Sydney Sixers - SCG

Asia is the world's fastest growing region in terms of number of IP applications being filed.  This is driven both by Asian domiciled companies spending on research and development, and foreign companies looking to Asia as a growth market for their products and services.

Aware of the importance of IP protection in supporting their business plans, many firms are seeking to protect their innovations in Asia.

In July, DCC expanded its Asian footprint by opening a local office in Singapore. Singapore is being positioned as a Hub for IP in South East Asia and the Government of Singapore is supporting this by investing in a master plan to create the conditions and labour force to create a hub for IP transactions and management, IP Filings and IP dispute resolution. 

DCC will be well placed to assist its clients to take advantage of the ASEAN Patent Examination Cooperation programme (ASPEC) to streamline the prosecution of patent applications in ASEAN countries.  All clients will now be able to benefit from DCC's ability to streamline filing and prosecution of patent and design applications in Australia, New Zealand and Singapore.

Singapore has been chosen as the Asia Pacific Headquarters of many of our clients and is very well connected to other major centres so that we can form close links to the IP community in Asia.

As our clients look to Asia for growth, our presence will ensure we are best placed to protect their innovations in Asia and ensure their IP strategy is aligned with their commercial plans for the entire Asia Pacific region.

Everyone's talking about customer centricity. We know it’s critical. We know it's the key to capturing a fickle audience of consumers. And we know we need to invest in it. But I believe Australian organisations need a paradigm shift in their thinking on how they transform the customer experience to create real value.

Historically, most investment in customer centricity has been made in the business-to-consumer (B2C) space. And understandably so. After all, the key to generating loyalty is enriching the online and mobile experience of an increasingly agile and informed consumer base. Organisations focus strongly on customer insights, using analytics to streamline their product offerings and distribution channels, measuring the customer experience and customer-centric design.

"Improvements in the B2C domain driven by digital technologies have helped to set expectations with employees; they now expect a similar level of experience in their working environment."

Guy Holland

Partner in Charge, Digital Consulting Services

These are all powerful areas for directly improving the customer experience and have proven successful for many companies globally and in Australia; the next battleground will be improving business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-employee (B2E) capabilities that indirectly enable a better customer experience. There's so much that happens behind the scenes to enable a great front end B2C experience – if companies don't invest behind the scenes it will seriously inhibit the B2C experience at some point.

Empowering employees to change the customer experience

Regardless of how powerful and impressive your customer-facing front end is, your employees are the most significant factor in determining the customer experience.

Consequently, innovative organisations are investing in how they can make their employees more effective, how they can provide information to employees in real time right across their platforms to enable them to deliver better experiences to the customer. They're putting as much effort into the employee's journey as the customer journey, mapping out pain points, removing barriers and focusing on behavioural design that benefits your team.

This is a very new approach in Australia. Most companies here are only just starting to invest in automation and employee-centric design. But it's so important, because it's the next frontier of competitive advantage. By reducing non-value adding activities, your team has more time to focus on creating value through high touch customer interaction.

Gamification: a tool helping employees deliver a better customer experience

This is where gamification can also be very effective in motivating and rewarding employees to improve the customer experience. We believe that applied appropriately, gamification has a role to play in helping to engage people, encourage behaviours and achieve specific objectives. Gamification essentially uses elements from games in non-game settings to achieve business objectives. It uses both financial and non-financial rewards to build awareness in staff of services and capabilities, close knowledge gaps and test knowledge bases.

Some organisations use gamification with consumers. For example, BBVA, a Spanish bank, is using gamification techniques to teach customers about banking products and drive growth. Others use it internally to drive better behaviours. SAP uses gamification to educate sales representatives to better respond to customer questions.

B2B is as important as B2C

Businesses customers are also demanding the level of service and the seamless fluidity they experience when they have an individual customer experience. If you’re used to Apple and iTunes, you're not likely to be satisfied if your digital business experience is several rungs below that. Those overseeing B2B interactions want the same kind of interaction and the same ease of use as individual consumers. Currently, most large Australian businesses aren't delivering that well on this expectation.

It is a complex challenge, but there's real competitive advantage for organisations that pursue this strategy.

It's time for some lateral thinking on the customer experience, and for organisations to open their eyes to how inextricably linked employees and customers of all types are. The customer experience is a far more nuanced dynamic than many recognise, and those companies that want to excel in the digital age will need to think very broadly about what improving customer experience really means.

Learn more about KPMG

Book your next event at Novotel Norwest and RELAX. Win a five night Fijian holiday for two staying at the magnificent Sofitel Fiji.

To enter simply book and hold your conference at Novotel Norwest between April 8th and September 30th 2015 and you could be relaxing by the pool in beautiful Fiji.

Simply call (02) 9634 9634 or email MEETINGS@novotelnorwest.com.au 

*Terms and conditions apply.  Valid for new conferences booked and held between 8th April to 30th September 2015.

Novotel Sydney Norwest offers 7 versatile function spaces, including a purpose built boardroom and pillar-less ballroom, with the ability to cater for up to 300 people.

Catering for intimate board meetings or a networking dinner for 200 people, our experienced team is on hand to assist in creating a seamless event from start to finish.

Enjoy networking in the large pre-function area or take a break in the hotel’s garden gazebo area to refresh your senses.

Together with our highly skilled culinary team, we can create specifically tailored function and event packages to suit any request.

New WSBC gold member, ARC Group, was very proud when one of its trainees was awarded Trainee of the Year at the 2015 Western Sydney Training Awards. Amy Adams will now be considered for the NSW Trainee of the Year Award which will be announced in September.

After having finalists in the regional awards for eight years running, ARC Group’s odds of having a winning trainee were high this year with three of the eight regional finalists being ARCies (ARC Group Trainees).  

Amy Adams (hosted by NECA Group Training) along with Emily Jennings (hosted by Thinking Ergonomix) and Madison Dodds (hosted at ARC Group) attended the presentation at Rooty Hill RSL Club on Thursday, 18th June.  

Cameron Ryan, CEO of ARC Group said “We are very proud of these young ladies, they have all worked extremely hard during their traineeships. Their positive attitudes and strong work ethic have served them well, with each of their host employers offering them full time roles at the completion of their traineeship.” 

ARC Group places trainees in almost every industry and business. The structured training and on-the-job mentoring fast-tracks development to give trainees solid work skills and a formal qualification. This in turn dramatically improves the trainee’s value in the job market and increases their output to their host business.

 “Traineeships are an effective and exciting way for businesses to introduce young people into the business world. They provide an opportunity for you to mould a new skilled employee specifically for a role in your business,” Mr Ryan said.

“For the trainee, it offers an opportunity to earn while they learn. It doesn’t get much better than that!”

Trainees are often placed in roles in reception, office administration, customer service, call centre, sales/sales support, accounts administration, and IT help desks.

For further information on hosting a trainee click here or call ARC Group on 1300 799 733.

Pictured: The ARC Group team with the three ARCie finalists. (L-R) Cameron Ryan, Madison Dodds, Emily Jennings, Diala Semann, Mercina Markou, Amy Adams and Matt Tanks.

Come and join us at Castle Hill Country Club on Tuesday 11th August 2015 for the 17th Annual RMH Westmead Charity Golf Classic!

Start the day with a delicious breakfast, play 18 holes at one of Sydney's most beautiful courses, and then relax at the end of the day with dinner in the Members Lounge.

Team of 4 players: $760 or $190 per player.

Gold Hole Sponsorship Packages: $2000 (includes a team of 4 players)

For registration or sponsorship enquiries, please contact our Event Coordinator, Michelle Burman on 02 9845 0600 or email michelleb@rmhwestmead.org.au