The year is passing by very quickly as we look forward to May and all the challenges ahead.

The year is passing by very quickly as we look forward to May and all the challenges ahead.

The year is passing by very quickly as we look forward to May and all the challenges ahead.

These have been made all the more so with the announcement by our executive officer, Nandini Bose, that she has decided to take an exciting opportunity and so has officially resigned from the Chamber of Commerce.  

Nandini will be a hard act to follow and will be sadly missed by all of us on the chamber. During her time working for the Docklands Chamber she has exhibited an enormous passion for all things Docklands.  We wish her well in her new workplace adventure.

As an interim measure, and pending a full recruitment process by members of the Chamber of Commerce, Alan Maxwell has kindly agreed to act as caretaker pending a replacement being formally appointed. This process is already underway, so watch the chamber website for further details.  

Our next networking event is a joint venture with Destination Docklands on May 19.  The event will be an invaluable opportunity to connect with the two Docklands organisations. We hope to see you all there again.  It promises to be a great evening at Etihad Stadium’s newly refurbished Terrace Bar.  Please RSVP and come along. Nandini will be putting in a special appearance, so you will be able to say goodbye to her as well.

The Melbourne Regatta Day is once again being convened to celebrate Melbourne’s birthday on Saturday, August 30 – “Melbourne Day” and will provide Melburnians with the opportunity to celebrate our rich maritime heritage and our great asset – the waterfront!

On the day, a spectacular flotilla of private and commercial vessels will mass in Victoria Harbour for a Blessing of the Fleet ceremony.

Vessels will be available for private charter and this will provide the perfect opportunity for businesses to entertain clients or reward workers.  Additionally, access to some vessels will be available to the general public free of charge.  Everyone who boards the vessels will enjoy the unique and magical perspective of Docklands and Melbourne from the water.

The event is supported by the City of Melbourne, Docklands Chamber of Commerce, Yarra River Business Association, Melbourne Ports and Waterways and the Melbourne Day Committee.

Your chamber is encouraging all Docklands businesses to get on board with this event – together we can make it into a spectacular success!  Larger businesses and corporates are invited to find out more about hiring individual vessels or sponsoring vessels for public access.  We should all take pride in our own backyard, which is the waterfront … we are so lucky!  For more information on corporate bookings have a look at http://www.cruisemelbourne.com.au or call Jeff Gordon on 0439 317 449.

Following the success of last year’s Water Rat Race “amazing race-style” Corporate Challenge the event is returning to Docklands on May 9. Team entries have now closed. This is a “Race around Docklands” with your work mates for the chance to win fantastic prizes and the bragging rights of winning the 2014 Water Rat Race!

It is also an excellent way to test your knowledge on all the great destinations in Docklands! Teams will be dressing up in a theme with prizes and bonus points being awarded to the best-dressed team. Big thanks to Etihad Stadium, Walker Group, Servcorp and the City of Melbourne for their support of this event.

Melbourne is hosting the 20th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2014)
It is the premier gathering for those working in the field of HIV, as well as policymakers, people living with HIV and others committed to ending the epidemic.
Docklands is only a few minutes walk away from the conference centre and we expect that our visitor numbers will be greatly increased over that time.  

Your chamber is working with the City of Melbourne team to ensure that Docklands is a welcoming place for AIDS 2014 delegates and visitors.  
We are discussing a number of exciting ideas around a “Paint the Town Red” theme.  Several larger buildings and major Melbourne attractions have already pledged to turn red and we are encouraging participation in the theme.

Additionally, we are looking to support businesses which wish to put together a special offer or package for conference delegates.  We are still working out the logistics of how this will be promoted.
PAXAus 2014 is the largest consumer videogame and tabletop festival in America, and for the first time it has expanded internationally to Australia! PAXAus was first held in Melbourne last July, with tens of thousands of people attending the three-day event.

In 2014, PAXAus will be held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre in Southbank from October 31 and is expected to see an increase in attendance of more than 35 per cent.
Your chamber is engaging with PAXAus organisers and Tourism Victoria to help the precinct engage with the thousands of visitors who will attend the exhibition before, after and over the course of the weekend.  We will bring you opportunities as they are developed.  

The Moon and the Sun starring Pierce Brosnan, Kaya Scodelario, Benjamin Walker, William Hurt, Pablo Schreiber, Ben Lloyd-Hughes and Fan Bingbing is filming in Docklands from Tuesday, May 6 from approximately 5pm until 5am each night. Location manager Stephen Brett has advised all filming will take place throughout Melbourne and its surrounds, along with a studio component at the Docklands Studios Melbourne.

The location filming includes a proposed three-night period at Melbourne City Marina involving the re-creation of a ship in a stormy Northern Sea at night in the year 1648. Various special effects will take place throughout the filming nights in order to create the illusion of a storm. It might be worth your while having a walk past, if you are in the area.

For more information on items in this article you can visit the chamber website http://www.docklandscc.com.au or contact Alan at [email protected]. In the meantime, enjoy May here in beautiful Docklands and see you all in June.

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