Queen’s Wharf scores early business meeting win

The new $3.6bn Queen’s Wharf precinct has scored an early coup in attracting some high-profile business events with the popular QUT Business Leaders’ Forum upping stumps from the Hilton.

Star’s Queen's Wharf opened to great fanfare despite financial uncertainties.

The new $3.6bn Queen’s Wharf precinct has scored an early coup in attracting some high-profile business events. The popular QUT Business Leaders Forum has decided to up stumps and relocate from the Hilton to the Ascot Ballroom on the 6th floor of Queen’s Wharf for its next event in mid November. QUT stresses it’s a one-off at this stage and does not indicated a permanent move to Queen’s Wharf from the Hilton.

We hear the new event centre occupies a bit of a sweet spot in the business and convention market, especially for events that are too small for the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre and too big for hotels around town. We hear the Ascot Ballroom is slightly smaller than the Hilton grand ballroom but its central location is attractive.

With the convention centre across the river experiencing one of its busiest years on record, there’s clearly enough business to go around.

BHP President Australia Geraldine Slattery is coming to Brisbane.

The win for Queen’s Wharf comes as its parent company Star Entertainment Group struggles to finalise a $300m financial lifeline. Star told the ASX earlier this week that it is continuing to work with various stakeholders and advisers in respect of its financial position. “These discussions are ongoing and involve, among others, state governments, regulators and the company’s lenders,” Star said. Queensland Premier Steven Miles confirmed last week his government was in talks with the company about possible deferral of tax payments to protect almost 3000 jobs at Queen’s Wharf, which only opened its doors in late August.

First off the rank at the wharf for the QUT Business Leaders Forum on November 18 will be BHP Australia president Geraldine Slattery, who will talk about her journey growing up on the family’s dairy farm in Ireland and decision to pursue an engineering career in Australia.

Since joining BHP in 1994, Slattery has risen through the ranks, gaining in-field technical skills and global leadership experience in the UK, Australia and the US.

Well done

Brisbane restaurateur John Gambaro is a happy man after the successful launch of the new Black Hide Steak House at Queen’s Wharf on Wednesday. When your diarist was poking around the new precinct last week it was a whirl of activity as workers put the finishing touches to the swish new decor at the 240-seat restaurant.

The eatery on the terrace level of Queen’s Wharf draws inspiration from the Gambaro family’s other Brisbane restaurants at Caxton Street and the Star Treasury building.

John Gambaro at his new restaurant Black Hide Steak and Seafood in Queens Wharf.

Club day

How do you celebrate an event when you’re in the hospitality business? Clubs Queensland held a picnic on Thursday to mark Community Club Awareness Week.

The midweek picnic at Pacific Golf Club brought together staff and supporters from some of the 1290 community clubs across the state. Clubs Queensland chief executive Kelly Egan says the picnic provided a different setting for staff who are used to the facilities of community clubs, which contribute more than $2 billion to the state’s economy each year.

The clubs contribute more than $460 million in cash and in-kind support to their local communities with the help of 41,500 volunteers.

Egan had a long career in professional rugby league including stints as assistant coach at the Cowboys, Bulldogs and Manly which have qualified for the NRL finals. Despite his inside knowledge of the NRL, Egan said this year’s finals were too close to call.