Hotel Event Photographer: voco Gold Coast x IHG Commercial Learning Event
It’s interesting seeing the industry rotating door when it happens to yourself.
A month ago, Lewis left InterContinental Adelaide, a part of InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG). A month on, we were contracted to shoot at and for Australia’s very first voco Hotel, voco Gold Coast for IHG’s 2019 AUA Commercial Learning event.
The AUA Commercial Learning event is primed for hoteliers in Commercial positions - sales, marketing, conference & events directors, managers and executives - to share learnings, best practices and simply network with colleagues from other IHG hotels. It’s funny how when you work for multinational company like IHG, and you come together for these events, and meet people in person for the first time, and chat like you’ve met them before. Well for Lewis, it was funny meeting many of my former marketing colleagues as a hotel event photographer, but also catching up with the latest stories as if I’d never left.
The event took place on the sunny Gold Coast (although, it was far far far from the truth over the week). Fortunately, voco Gold Coast welcomed Lewis with their reliably different service, allowing every staff to be their own individual host for their guests, with a note on the key card wallet detailing the name of the host who checked you in. And upon entering the newly refurbished rooms, was treated to a macaron with caramelised popcorn to boot. A huge thank you to our Gold Coast connects in Victoria, Rhena, Brenden and Ashley for their hospitality - we can’t wait for another return (with nicer weather, please).
The shoot had extended out from the original schedule to much longer days, starting most days at 8:30am, finishing up around 11:00pm. Although, many of the scheduled talks had a heap of insightful information for marketing and management heads, so the long days were rewarded with discussions with former colleagues and unearthing hidden gems.
Wrapping up a week in the Gold Coast as a hotel event photographer, and working with voco Gold Coast, was an absolute pleasure - especially seeing some former colleagues and marketing colleagues win awards.
Carmen Olmedo collecting Marketing Excellence award for Crowne Plaza Perth
Marketing Leader of the Year going to Megan Jeganathan.
A great mentor and guy, Campbell Troy (aka Hotel Guy) taking out Commercial Leader of the Year.
And last but not least, the old team, InterContinental Adelaide winning Excellence in MICE Performance.
If you’re working in hotels, and would like an event photographer for your restaurant’s influencer menu launch, like our MiMi shoot, or are in need for an external event’s photography, feel free to touch base today - let’s chat.
