Crowne Plaza Launches Largest NSW Conference Centre North of Sydney

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Crowne Plaza announces the opening of the new Crowne Plaza Hunter Valley Conference and Events Centre, providing the largest and most comprehensive regional conference and exhibition facility north of Sydney.The new Conference and Events Centre will diversify the region’s current business events mix by drawing in larger event markets and industries into the region. After much research into the growing demand for large scale gourmet experiences within Australia, clients now have the opportunity to turn their next event into a gourmet food and wine affair. Bringing the best of the Hunter Valley into the fully integrated Resort, Harvest Hunter is the Resort’s new signature events package. Harvest Hunter brings interactive live cooking stations, live entertainment, locally recognised chef’s sharing their favourite recipes, the region’s greatest wineries showcasing award winning wines and local producers sharing fresh breads, cheeses, chocolates and much more in an outdoor festival affair setting.

Robert Coates, General Manager, Crowne Plaza Hunter Valley says: “The new Conference and Events Centre will position the Hunter Valley as a leading Australian conference and events destination. Offering guests the latest technology and a light-filled design in a state-of-the-art venue with a combined 2,000 square metres of pre-function, meeting and exhibition space coupled with a unique wine country destination. We have already received large scale group bookings for 2015 resulting in 20 percent growth in business events and many in the pipeline for 2016 – it looks set to be a very busy year for us.”

To complement the new development, Crowne Plaza Hunter Valley has welcomed one of Australia’s largest providers of audio visual equipment, Scene Change, to manage the growing demand of sophisticated and advanced audio visual needs, putting the Resort in the forefront of business events.

“The technical installation is at the same level as the best of Australia’s convention centres, with high-end Barco projectors and sophisticated digital controls. Clients will get the welcoming, relaxed Hunter conference experience without having to compromise their production values,” said Scene Change co-founder, Ian Whitworth.

Daniel Fountain / 19.02.2015

Editor, Hotel Designs

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Fun fact: I’m usually the person friends rely on to organise trips, schedules, and group plans.

Workhighlights: Successfully coordinating events from planning through to delivery and seeing everything come together on the day.

Fun fact: I’m a keen cyclist and will happily bore people with copious amounts of cycling chat. My top cycling experience (so far) would have to be riding in the spectacular mountains of Crete.

Work highlights: Charles joined Forum Events in 2022. With a background in publishing, editorial media and events, Charles brings a wealth of experience to his role as Senior Production Manager. Having being involved with SPACE from the outset, he is excited to see the brand grow and develop.

Fun fact: People tell Sienna she gives off Bridget Jones vibes, and she loves to bake, always making sure there are shortbreads floating around the office

Work highlights: Sienna joined Forum Events & Media Group while studying Communications and Media, starting in the sales team where she managed and helped launch the first the PA Life Leading Venues of London SHOWCASE, where she built relationships with luxury venues across the capital. Drawn to the stories behind these spaces, she naturally transitioned into the editorial team, creating social media and editorial content. Upon graduating in June 2026, she is excited to be joining as Assistant Editor for Hotel Designs and SPACE.

Fun fact: When not working, Jess can usually be found tending to her kitchen garden in the Sussex countryside or foraging for herbs in the nearby woods. A keen grower, she recently studied a RHS Level 2 Diploma in the Principles of Horticulture during her spare time.

Work highlights: Jess joined SPACE magazine in 2022 and has since progressed from Assistant Editor to Editor. During this time, she has worked across many aspects of the publication – from shaping editorial strategy and overseeing operations to contributing to art direction and representing the brand on stage at industry events including Surface Design Show and WOW!house.

Alongside her role at SPACE, Jess has built a creative career spanning the arts, culture, design and travel sectors. Prior to joining the magazine, she spent more than a decade in the commercial art industry, in artist liaison, gallery management, and curating collections for the hospitality sector across hotels and cruise ships. During this time, she also worked on freelance projects as a writer, photographer, and creative content producer.
 
Jess studied photojournalism at London College of Communication and the Danish School of Media and Journalism and holds a first-class BA (Hons) in Culture, Criticism and Curation from Central Saint Martins.

Fun fact: Katy has spent years perfecting all kinds of accents and loves a good impersonation!

Work highlights: Katy has been with Hotel Designs since the beginning, way back in 2015 when Forum Events & Media Group acquired the brand.

During this time, she has fostered many meaningful relationships with clients from across the hospitality spectrum, as well as playing a pivotal role in the launch of The Brit List Awards, Hotel Designs MEET UPs, client-led roundtables and panel talks, brand and website redesigns, HD Wellness Sets, DESIGN POD podcast, Hotel Designs LIVE panel talk series, Accessible Design Talks and more. Katy is always on the lookout for the next opportunity to help grow the Hotel Designs brand even further.
 
Most recently Katy has stepped in to the role of Publisher at SPACE magazine, the printed bi-monthly publication focused on hotel design, architecture, and development.

Together these platforms offer a comprehensive 360-degree service encompassing digital media, print publishing, and live events – providing unparalleled value to advertisers, partners, and readers alike.