I was sure the problem was in my knee. It hurt when I walked, it hurt when I stood up, it hurt whenever I straightened it. I definitely had a problem with my knee.

But no, my doctor diagnosed a hamstring strain. After a week of following his instructions it was a good as new.

So what led my doctor to look away from my obvious pain point?

He was armed with the results of a raft of tests. He drew on his experience with clients with similar complaints. He had his own expertise and had access to an array of specialists and their knowledge. In short, he had built up knowledge that led him to take a more holistic view. He understood how everything fit, how all the parts worked together.

Running a business is similar. Understanding how all the parts of the business interact is the key. Intelligence is the fuel that runs the business. How do you know if a downturn in sales is due to seasonality or a parts shortage or the loss of a major client? Business intelligence is the answer and the key to business intelligence is the business management system on which the organization is run.

What sort of system do you want? You want a system that is simple to use. Ideally, you would like something that looks familiar and is easy to learn. You want a system that will grow with the business. You don’t want to have to move to a new system and move any data across. You want a system that will manage all aspects of the business. You want a system that adapts and grows and may be customised to your industry.

The good news is that KPMG’s Microsoft Dynamics practice provides an enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution that meets these requirements. It’s a solution designed to help businesses make smarter decisions with real time insights. It is a system that understands how all the parts work together.

If you would like further information contact me:

Greg Hunt

KPMG

M: 0412 402 464 

E: ghunt4@kpmg.com.au

What’s the best bet for Melbourne Cup? Novotel Sydney Norwest. 

Celebrate the race that stops the nation with our Melbourne Cup Luncheon. 

$98.00 per person
Tuesday 1st November 2016
Grand Ballroom
12:00 – 4:00 p.m.

 Package Inclusive of:

·    Sumptuous buffet

·    Large screen coverage of the day

·    4 hour beverage package

·    Lucky door prizes

·    Entertainment

·    Sweepstakes

·    Complimentary car parking 

Bookings Essential 

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

*Terms and conditions apply. Tables of 10 people

On Saturday 6 August 2016, multi award-winning Loxley on Bellbird Hill will welcome over 100 guests for an important fundraising degustation dinner and a night filled with fabulous entertainment, great prizes, gifts for attendees and more. Funds raised from this inaugural event will help My Westmead support Diabetes research and care.

My Westmead is the charity arm for Westmead Hospital and The Westmead Institute for Medical Research. These institutions work together to provide ‘bench to bedside’ treatment and care for everyone in Western Sydney. Breakthroughs and discoveries made by researchers are translated into actual outcomes for patients being treated locally.

The inaugural ‘Dine In Style’ event will take place on Saturday, 6 August 2016 and is the brainchild of Loxley owner Paul Maher. The venue specialises in weddings, conferences, accommodation and private dining. Located in Kurrajong Hills, the original land grant dates back to 1833, one of the oldest grants in Australia and has since been developed into the scenic 30 acre estate that stands today. Loxley on Bellbird Hill is one of Western Sydney’s most elegant and romantic destinations and is situated at Kurrajong Hills, the gateway to the world heritage listed Blue Mountains.

Paul Maher and Loxley on Bellbird Hill have been long term supporters of My Westmead. They are true examples of positivity and advocacy for Western Sydney and their generosity over many years has helped My Westmead with multiple events and fundraising campaigns. Paul is a dedicated ambassador for businesses in Western Sydney and the potential of what can be achieved by supporting each other.

Paul has a personal connection with Westmead, both his parents were treated at Westmead Hospital and his son was in intensive care at Westmead’s ICU after a major motorcycle accident.

Associate Professor Wayne Hawthorne, who will be a guest speaker at the event, leads a specialised team of professionals committed to providing patients with the best possible treatments for Type 1 diabetes. They are working to find a cure for Type 1 Diabetes and to help patients that suffer from secondary complications such as renal failure.

For more information about the ‘Dine In Style’ event at Loxley on Bellbird Hill or how you or your business can support health care and research, contact My Westmead on 1800 639 037 or visit mywestmead.com.au

ARC makes career development easy. We specialise in placing school leavers into 12 month business traineeships in many varied industries and run government funded training courses in five key industries (business, retail, warehousing and logistics, process manufacturing and community services). 

From exhibiting at the Western Sydney Careers Expo across four days, we have over 1,000 students interested in a traineeship and the Interview Skills Bootcamp, a great achievement for our team and one that we are extremely proud of!

ARC was able to present our traineeship program to school leavers and widen the career options for many young adults leaving school.

With National Skills Week (August 29th-September 4th) and the end of the school year rapidly approaching, we took this opportunity to introduce an Interview Skills Bootcamp and our ARC Pathway program – an intensive ‘job ready’ course.

Our success at this event has prompted us to exhibit at other various Conferences and Expos later this year. To see our success in action, visit our Instagram page - https://www.instagram.com/arcgrouparcies/ .

City of Parramatta has welcomed the State Government’s commitment to investigate locating a new aquatic centre on the site of the former Golf Course in Parramatta Park.

The State Government has confirmed the Parramatta War Memorial Swimming Centre will be closed to make way for the $350 million Parramatta Stadium redevelopment.

“Council has been working closely with the State Government to identify a new site for an aquatic centre near the heart of the CBD, which will service the immediate Parramatta area and beyond. While losing a much loved community asset, the building of a new centre presents an opportunity to design a swimming facility for the future,” City of Parramatta Administrator Amanda Chadwick said.

“The former golf course site, which is situated on Parramatta Park Trust land, will now be the subject of a State Government feasibility study and masterplan to determine its suitability and to provide greater clarity about the costs of developing the facility.

“Selecting a site for the new aquatic centre is an important first step in the process. Council will now continue to work with the State Government to explore funding options to ensure the vision for the swimming facility is realised.

“The pool is a very popular community asset with an average of 160,000 visitations per year. It has been serving the community since it opened in 1959 and we understand that many people have fond memories of the pool.

“Interim arrangements are being developed to reduce the inconveniences that we know the pool patrons, including the Parramatta Memorial Swimming Club, will experience. We will do what we can to help ensure important social, health and swim safety services continue during the construction period.

“We are working with the Government to investigate and negotiate arrangements for swim school users and other swimmers to access other facilities in the area.

“There will be short-term inconveniences for pool users, which we regret. However, in time Parramatta will be home to a world-class sports stadium and a modern aquatic facility.”

Council currently leases the land that the Parramatta Swimming Centre occupies from the Parramatta Park Trust on a month-by-month basis.

The State Government has indicated that the current Centre will be able to remain open throughout the 2016/17 summer season until the end of March 2017.

Use these 4 easy tips to transform your next corporate event into a spectacular Gala Dinner.

Tip 1 – Make a great first impression

From the moment they arrive, your guests should know they are in for a fun, spectacular evening so choose decorations that create the WOW factor.

These days, event decorations are more than table centrepieces and chair sashes. They can include floral walls, trellised archways, plants and flowers suspended from the ceiling, chandeliers, candelabras, even tropical fish tanks and faux sand castles if they match the theme.

If you are hosting a themed Gala Dinner, the room decorations should immediately transport your guests. For example, if your theme is Under the Big Top, the décor should take your guests to the circus.

Tip 2 – A balanced mix of entertainment & conversation

Keep the WOW factor coming with carefully selected, jaw dropping entertainment. If your venue allows, consider aerial performers (they require high ceilings), acrobats, contortionists, fire eaters, stilt walkers and dancers. Hiring a comedian is another option to add fun and humour to your event.

Mix it up a little with a dance floor and music to keep your guests moving and energised. Depending on your budget, live musicians are always popular – especially if their music matches the theme of your Gala. Alternatively, hiring a DJ is a cost effective option and s/he will be able to play a variety of music to suit the tastes of your guests.

Try to balance all of this excitement with quieter periods so your guests can chat with each other and mingle between tables. Also allow time for speeches and presentations if required.

With many components to the entertainment, it’s a good idea to hire an experienced MC for the night. His or her role will be to direct your guests’ attention by introducing the entertainment and speakers as well as keeping the whole event flowing and on schedule.

Tip 3 – Choice of food and drinks

The food you serve your guests can make or break the success of a Gala Dinner so don’t skimp on the quality of the food served.

Table service is the norm, however some organisers choose dessert buffets as a way to get guests away from their table and mingling with each other.

Provide plenty of soft drinks to ensure each designated driver has plenty of non-alcoholic options. Soft drinks are also important for those guests who love to dance. They usually need a lot of rehydration.

Tip 4 – Ask for help

Gala Dinners require a great deal of organisation so ask for help from a committee or the venue itself.

WatervieW in Bicentennial Park provides a range of options for organisations wanting to hold a Gala Dinner. In addition, their experienced corporate event managers have the contacts to help you source anything you desire.

Enquire online for more information or call 02 9764 9900.

St.George Bank today announced the five Australian businesses that have each received $25,000 cash grants to help turn their business idea into reality. The winners were awarded the grants after each delivering a ‘fast pitch’ at this week’s TEDxSydney conference held at the Sydney Opera House.

The winners of this year’s St.George Bank Kick Start Your Start-Up Grants program are:

• Sleepy Bub: SLEEPY BUB is a new business launching mid-2016 to bring sleep back into the family home, with a core product designed to help babies sleep safer and remain swaddled all night long.

• AirBuddy: AirBuddy provides the freedom to dive whenever you want without the hassle or the restrictive bulk of SCUBA gear. AirBuddy doesn't require any air tanks, yet still offers 45 minutes of diving time at a depth of up to 12 meters (40 ft).

• Conweigh: Conweigh is a new on demand, on site mobile container weighing service that provides shippers with the perfect balance of convenience, efficiency and affordability.

• Iridium Dynamics: Iridium Dynamics are developing a novel, highly-efficient unmanned aircraft specifically for the agriculture industry.

• BRiN: BRiN is a smart-phone app that uses the power of Artificial Intelligence to provide human-like support to millions of business owners simultaneously.

Cathy Yuncken, General Manager Business Banking, St.George Banking Group, congratulated each of the winning entrepreneurs, as well as all of this year’s finalists, for their innovative ideas and engaging pitches at TEDxSydney.

“The quality of all of this year’s entrants, and especially the five winning businesses, has been outstanding. The ideas presented cover varied industry sectors, from agriculture to business advice, and they highlight some of the incredible innovation alive among Australian small businesses,” Cathy Yuncken said.

“TEDxSydney is such a fantastic showcase of ideas and innovation and St.George is delighted to have given these Australian entrepreneurs a platform at this event to help get their creative concepts noticed.

“At St.George, we’re committed to helping our customers start something and turn their ideas into reality. The winners of our Kick Start program now have a terrific cash boost to help take their business idea to the next level.”

Each finalist received pre-event presentation training from the TEDxSydney team to prepare for their pitch. The five winning businesses were selected by a panel of industry experts including: General Manager Business Banking, St.George Banking Group, Cathy Yuncken; TEDxSydney Founder and Licensee Remo Giuffré; and Founder and CEO of The Entourage, Jack Delosa.

Since 2014, the St.George Kick Start program has helped small business owners by providing a total of $200,000 in grants to back great Australian ideas. In 2016, St.George increased its grants from $10,000 to $25,000 to a total of $125,000 as part of its continued commitment to Australian small businesses.

For further information on all of this year’s finalists visit: www.stgeorge.com.au/kickstart

Drawing off the vibrant energy of the bustling Parramatta district, Novotel Sydney Parramatta’s 350 Restaurant & Lounge is a favourite among Western Sydney’s “Eat Street” restaurants. Savour modern Australian fusion cuisine combined in the new heart warming winter menus which include pre and post theatre options, Pintxo Wednesdays and all day dining.  

For the ideal corporate lunch meeting, 350 Restaurant & Lounge have just launched business 'Power Lunches' which include a delicious 2 course menu for $19.00 or 3 courses for $29.00.  Complimentary onsite parking is also included.

Click here for further information or to make a reservation. 

Campbelltown, located less than an hour south west of Sydney, is at the centre of one of the most significant current and future growth corridors in NSW.  

As one of only three Regional City Centres outside of Sydney CBD and Parramatta, Campbelltown is a major economic and social entity, with the ability to attract a range of new business, government, health, cultural, retail and recreational opportunities to support the growing population of Macarthur and Greater Sydney.

Campbelltown is a changing city, experiencing a hive of new activity. The city has unlimited opportunities for people who are looking for a community where they can live, work, play and invest – all in the one area.

Click here to find out why it is the new destination of choice through our special feature…

Book your next event with Novotel Sydney Norwest and go shopping. 

When you hold a conference, business meeting or special event with us from May 2016 to August 2016, we’ll be pleased to reward you with a Myer Gift Card to the following value:

Talk to a member of our Meetings & Events team today to find out more about booking your next business or social event.

Phone: 02 9634 9661

Email: meetings@novotelnorwest.com.au

Terms and conditions apply