by Cameron Houston, Jason Dowling and Sherrill Nixon, The Sydney Morning Herald
"SYDNEY has launched a secret bid to pinch the jewel in Melbourne's major events calendar - the Australian Open.
Its audacious pitch for the Grand Slam tennis tournament includes a plan to build a multi-million-dollar stadium at Glebe Island when the harbour site - now filled with cars - is closed to stevedores.
But it will be up against stiff competition from overseas, with Shanghai, Dubai and Abu Dhabi all mounting campaigns to host a Grand Slam event when Melbourne's contract expires in 2016.
The Australian Open is one of several major events NSW hopes to steal as it reinvigorates its focus on tourism, after a series of damning reports found it was losing visitors and attractions to other states.
The State Government has poured millions of dollars into rebuilding "Brand Sydney" - including the formation of the $85 million Events NSW body - after it was blasted for becoming complacent after the Olympics.
Events NSW's chief executive, Geoff Parmenter, confirmed Sydney's interest in the event, which is worth more than $100 million to Victoria's economy. ..."
Read the full article from The Sydney Morning Herald here.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Chris Rock turns Roxbury Hotel pub air blue with F-word
From The Daily Telegraph
"IN A REACTION worthy of Gordon Ramsay, stunned crowds at a Sydney pub were "rocked" by the random arrival of comedian Chris Rock on Friday night, dropping more than a few expletives in their excitement over the surprise gig.
Arriving at the Roxbury Hotel, Glebe stage unannounced, sans fanfare, the visiting US superstar had jaws dropping, then sides splitting during the random stand-up act. According to Confidential spies, the 25-minute routine featured the "f" word more times than a Ramsay cooking episode - playing fun with everything from Barack Obama to Australia's origins as a convict country. Ahead of his first tour of Australia, Rock, known for his no-limits, confrontational style, was accompanied by an entourage of seven and the star was dressed smartly in a black trench coat.
Roxbury Hotel staffer Chris Strickland said he thought the venue was being "punked" when Aussie promoter Artie Lang called on the night to arrange the secret slot. The Saturday Night Live star did not explain his motives for the impromptu, preview gig, but it proved a cheap thrill for the lucky 100 in the pub on the night. With tickets to his State Theatre shows, which opened last night, costing fans $120 per person, the Roxbury show had set the unwitting pub punters back just their measly $15 entry fee. He plays to another sell-out Sydney audience again tonight, before flying south to Melbourne for two gigs starting on Sunday."
Friday, July 11, 2008
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Sunday, June 29, 2008
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