STORY:
Brisbane Cancels New Year's Eve Events

Costs and staff unavailability are reasons in Australian city

Several event organizers and restaurateurs in Brisbane Australia have cancelled New Year's Eve celebrations because of costs of staging events on the eve to 2000 and the unavailability of staff. According the the Australian News Network, The Brisbane Convention Centre ­ which had proposed a New Year's Eve ball ­ and a large hotel, which asked not to be named, are among those to cancel their plans over the past week.

The story says The Treasury Casino heads a group of other key Brisbane venues and restaurants which are now re-considering their options of what to do on the big night.

The convention centre's manager of communications, Gail Sawyer, said the venue had "no choice" but to cancel its ball. "We would have had to charge more than $250 a ticket, and after surveying our regular clients, we discovered that people just aren't prepared to pay that kind of money," she said . "An uncertainty of the availability of staff is also a major reason for our decision," Sawyer said.

The convention centre is now holding a "New Year's Eve ball" on December 17. Every one who had a booking for the original event has been notified by mail and the convention centre has offered to find them alternative venues. Several other restaurants and clubs also confirmed that they were still uncertain as to whether they would offer any kind of New Year's Eve function.

The Hospitality Training Association's CEO, Mandy Raine, said the nature of this year's special New Year's Eve required massive staff increases on a short-term basis. "People who are involved with hospitality as a 'fill-in' position will possibly opt for the 'party of the year' over working, no matter what financial incentives are offered,"Raine said.

Source: Australian News Network

DATE: 6/28/99

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