Northstar

The Indispensable Travel Industry Read Hotel chains in Asia Feature Highlight Vol. 3 Issue 12 | 17 April 2012 | www.travelweeklyweb.com | Published by Travel & Meetings Group, Ten Alps Communications Asia Pte Ltd News Six Senses acquired by US-based Pegasus Capital Advisors News Page 3 Sydney Opera House by URBANSCREEN Eva Air accepted as future Star Alliance Member Sydney Opera House's new look for Vivid Sydney THE Sydney Opera House sails will be spectacularly illuminated by multi-award German design collective URBANSCREEN during Vivid Sydney – the annual festival light and music from May 25 to June 11. URBANSCREEN will weave its creative magic over the famous landmark, and give it a trendy new look – out of the usual. The Sydney Opera House, so to speak, will be seen in a new light. As the centerpiece of Vivid Sydney, Vivid Live (May 25-June 4) will take over the Sydney Opera House with an extraordinary series of performances including exclusive concerts, unique collaborations and one-off projects from well-known artists such as Florence and The Machine, Imogen Heap and many others. Now in its fourth year, the festival features low energy light installations and large scale projections (Vivid Light), free family events, music performances and collaborations (Vivid Live); creative ideas, public talks, industry seminars, workshops and debates (Vivid Ideas). Vivid Sydney attracted more than 400,000 people last year and in 2012, it is expected that 500,000 people will attend the festival. Deputy Premier and Minister for Trade and Investment, Andrew Stoner reckons that Vivid Sydney, developed by Destination New South Wales, will inject more than A$10 million (US$10.37 million) in new money for the State. According to Destination NSW CEO Sandra Chipchase, Vivid Sydney has reinforced Sydney's position as Australia's global tourism and events city. "As the largest annual festival of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere, Vivid showcases Sydney as the creative industries hub of the Asia Pacifi c. "Vivid Sydney was recently ranked as one of the world's top ten ideas festivals by the infl uential Guardian newspaper in the UK; being named alongside SXSW and TedX is a major endorsement of the festival. "Images of the illuminated Sydney Opera House sails have been seen by tens of millions of people across the globe, in all of our key tourism markets," she said. Vivid Sydney's creative advisor, Ignatius Jones had the belief that the "best, brightest and most innovative in the creative industries" from all over the world could come together, armed with ideas, lights and music that would dazzle and amaze audiences. The festival includes free and ticketed events around Circular Quay, The Rocks, the Museum of Contemporary Art and Sydney Opera House. Every night of the festival from 6 p.m. to midnight, the Vivid Lights will be switched on around The Rocks and Circular Quay. The features will include 50 interactive and immersive light art sculptures, illuminated skyscrapers and large scale 3D mapping projections on the Opera House, the museum and Customs House. Page 8

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