The reef, the rainforest and the outback were brought together as themes for the Australia and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists Gala Dinner held in the heart of Cairns city.

With more than 800 delegates, Fogarty Park on the Cairns Esplanade was the perfect location for the larger-than-life extravaganza organised by ICMS Australasia.

Staging Connections created the concept of three themed areas for the dinner, each providing an exciting backdrop to the entertainment and dining. Delegates entered the event through a giant shark’s head leading to an underwater world with an 11-metre wide octopus dangling over their heads and the boundary fence transformed into a blue and silver shimmering reef complete with giant fish. An Aussie outback pub was constructed from corrugated iron and served as a working drink station and barbeque area for the evening. On the far side of the park delegates could be forgiven for thinking they had encountered Jurassic Park with enormous dinosaurs, skulls and baboons emerging from the rainforest.

Ochre Restaurant & Catering catered with superb Australian-themed cuisine reflecting each of the themes. Delegates enjoyed fresh prawns and oysters from an ice-filled dinghy in the underwaterthemed area and the sizzling barbeque at the Aussie outback pub.

An amazing array of entertainers including fire twirlers, a 16-piece youth orchestra, street entertainers and a butterfly flautist circulated among the delegates throughout the evening. Comic duo Amateur Transplant were flown out from the United Kingdom and were a great hit with the delegates who enjoyed every word of the cleverly written songs which were very relevant to the work carried out on a day-to-day basis by the anaesthetists.

The night culminated in a powerful performance from soulster Lisa Hunt who at the end of her performance received a 10 minute ovation to return to the stage from the crowd.

The largest international meeting of the global sleep community proved just how innovative, adaptable and flexible the Cairns Convention Centre and its highly skilled team can be.

In the space of five days, the Cairns Convention Centre hosted 1,600 delegates across 105 sessions including three main plenary meetings, workshops and symposia. Each of the Convention Centre’s 22 meeting rooms were used and 94 trade booths, many of which were custom built, were installed. The Great Hall was transformed from an evening cocktail reception for 1,100 into four individual halls before the delegates returned at 8am the next day. An army of chefs and hospitality staff served 5,400 lunches plus 10,800 morning and afternoon teas to the delegates of the World Federation of Sleep Research and Sleep Medicine Societies.

The well orchestrated World Congress started with a traditional Welcome to Country Opening Ceremony, said to be the most spectacular presentation ever to precede the international meeting. Delegates were welcomed by members of the local Aboriginal Djajengi Buai Troupe of the Gungandji tribe who showcased their unique traditional dances. World-renowned acrobat Fuzion Acrobatix then highlighted his strength, artistry and daring as he performed the solo High Flying Silk Show before a specially choreographed modern dance sequence which brought sleep to life in a new and exciting way.

With a selection of hotels close to the Cairns Convention Centre, delegates literally took over Cairns city, networking at various coffee shops and bumping into each other as they strolled between their accommodation and sessions. The intimate feel of the city maximised participation in the World Congress as out-of-session networking plays a vital role in the success of such a large international meeting.

A tropical marketplace was coordinated by Off-Site Connections on the Cairns Esplanade exclusively for the World Sleep Congress Party Farewell. Delegates were given a taste of the tropics and Australiana with different food stations, bands and unique entertainment such as cane toad races.

Delegates for the World Congress came from more than 60 different countries to discuss serious business and enjoy the wonderful touring opportunities available from Cairns. They were offered the opportunity to select from half-day tours to the Great Barrier Reef, Wet Tropics rainforest or an Australian wildlife experience and crocodile adventure midway though the conference.

The Independent Grocers of Australia (IGA) chose an intimate setting in Port Douglas for the Victorian IGA conference, with 257 delegates taking over Rydges Sabaya Resort for a week.

There were two separate conferences for IGA Distribution and Supa IGA which meant working with two different Professional Conference Organisers, Pro-Team Management on the Gold Coast and Imaje Events in Melbourne, to create a unified event. Another challenge was to turn the tropical resort into a community village for the IGA delegates to network among themselves, while catering to a large number of people. Finally, as most IGA stores are family businesses, about 80 children needed supervision while parents attended the conference.

With the resort’s open-plan design of restaurants and bar areas, the IGA delegates were able to move around easily. The dedicated bar for networking, combined with the open, yet intimate feel of the property, created a unique “village” atmosphere for the delegates.

To cater for the large numbers a marquee was erected on-site as the venue for a plated breakfast for 324, two gala dinners (one for 152 and the other for 257) and a business session for 257. Off-Site Connections assisted the SUPA IGA group with each of their main events including their Hollywood themed gala night held in the marquee with 100% Kylie and the SUPA farewell to Port held at the local surf club.

There were off-site dinners and a dine-around in Port Douglas where the delegates were given “Funny Money” to spend with pre-organised local restaurants. 80 littlies attended Kids Club while the older children experienced IGA Kids Idol, where they dressed up, sang and danced.

Delegates and their families attended Hartley’s Night Adventures, arriving on dusk for welcome drinks and roving entertainment. They enjoyed exciting, interactive wildlife opportunities including crocodile feeding, snake and lizard demonstrations, introductions to baby koalas and wallabies and spotlighting cruises on Hartley’s lagoon. An impressive dining area was created in a marquee on the lawn for 250 diners with an additional 100 spaces allocated in the restaurant overlooking the lagoon.

IGA Supa were generous guests, thanking the community for hosting their conference by paying for a charity pool party for local children in the resort lagoon pool. They also hosted an IGA Supa Kids Fun Day through local charity Act for Kids, taking 20 youngsters out to Wetherby Station and surprising them with mountain bikes to take home, each worth more than $500.

At the close of the conference delegates and their families selected post-touring options including a trip to Low Isles, Skyrail, Kuranda Scenic Railway, adventures in the Daintree rainforest and golf.