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Melbourne rockers coming to Sydney for ‘Earth Hour Unplugged

The gig, ‘Earth Hour Unplugged’, is to support the global WWF initiative, Earth Hour, where the world switches off its lights for an hour to show support for reducing our environmental impact. It’s set to be a ‘not-to-be-missed’ Marble Bar gig and a spotlight Sydney event for Earth Hour 2012.

Free to  the public, those lucky enough to secure their spot in the bar will be asked to make an Earth Hour pledge via the wall of the Marble Bar Facebook page on the night (e.g. “I pledge to take shorter showers!”), with The Hello Morning picking their favourites and making their own pledges on the night too.

Starting out as Melbourne’s best kept secret, The Hello Morning is a secret no more, having released their self-titled debut album to rave reviews in February this year. They continue to draw attention and garner critical acclaim for their unique, soulful rock sound with a pop twist and exceptional live performances. Selected to launch the Triple J Unearthed digital radio station, their loyal following is growing by the day.

With a sound, energy and presence that when performed acoustically is set to ignite Marble Bar and its original, 118-year old features, lead vocalist Steven Clifford is keyed up to play amongst the bar’s famous marble arches. He says, “We have had such a phenomenal year so far and the response to our new album has been incredible. To be selected to play for a fantastic initiative like Earth Hour Unplugged, in a live music venue like Marble Bar – host to legends in music over the decades, is just fantastic and we cannot wait.”

Beginning as a songwriting partnership between Steven Clifford (vocals/guitar) and Matt Smith (guitar/vocals) in 2004, The Hello Morning has evolved to a six-piece force that is turning heads in Australia and around the globe. The band comprises Steven Clifford, Matt Smith, Joe Cope (keyboard), Dave Maton (guitar), Dave Oxley (bass) and Matthew Vance (drums/percussion).

The Hello Morning’s debut album was released last month and their first track, ‘Stone Cold Lover’ is out now on iTunes.

The original bar of the Campari brand -”The Camparino” – returns to The Gallery, Milan.The story of Campari is linked to that of Milan and of its iconic locations such as the Vittorio Emanuele II Gallery, where the Campari and Camparino bars are located, the latter still today the Mecca par excellence of the Milanese aperitif-drinker.“The Camparino” – historically known as the bar of the Campari brand – returns to the Vittorio Emanuele II Gallery in Milan, with a new, modern interpretation of the famous original sign. One of the symbols commonly associated with Milan, alongside fashion and design, The Camparino was the birth place of the aperitif tradition.
Andrea Conzonato, Chief Marketing Officer, Gruppo Campari says: We are extremely proud to once again be able to call the flagship bar of the Campari brand ‘The Camparino’. This is the traditional birth place for aperitif-drinkers from Milan and around the world. Campari is returning to the symbolic home-place of its origins, to the bar that witnessed the birth of the aperitif moment, which has become synonymous with friendship, conversation and conviviality.”

The Gold Coast’s newest luxury hotel, the $700million Hilton Surfers Paradise rolled out the red carpet on Wednesday November 16 to celebrate their grand opening with over 250 VIP guests including star performer, Australian songstress Delta Goodrem.

Celebrity supporters including hotel ambassador and Channel Seven personality Liz Cantor, former Miss Universe Australia and Celebrity Apprentice star Jesinta Campbell, radio presenter Lizzie Lovette, Australia’s Next Top Model’s Charlotte Dawson and the boys from Bondi Rescue joined other VIPs as they celebrated around the hotel’s spectacular 1500sqm outdoor pool deck.

Hilton and Brookfield Multiplex dignitaries Vice President Operations Hilton Worldwide Australasia, Ashley Spencer and Managing Director Construction and Development Brookfield Multiplex, George Kostas joined High profile business and industry leaders and tourism figureheads including Tourism Queensland CEO Anthony Hayes and Gold Coast Tourism CEO Martin Winter joined

Australian singer songwriter Delta Goodrem returned to Australia from Los Angeles to headline the grand opening event, with guests also entertained by the real-life mermaids adorning the Pool Deck.

Guests of the event were treated to a menu created by Luke Mangan as well as cocktails by the hotel’s FIX bar master mixologist Grant Collins, where the official after party was held.

Crown Chairman James Packer, along with Shane Warne and Joe Hachem  officially launched their first joint collaboration – Club 23 ,on Monday 7 November 2011. Located at the premium east-end of Australia’s most prestigious integrated resort, Crown Melbourne, Club 23 is set to be one of Australia’s most exclusive club lounges. With opulent and rich design partnered with state of the art gaming facilities, Warne and Hachem worked closely with Crown to bring Club 23 to life.
“We are excited about Club 23 and love this concept of an elegant and sophisticated bar and gaming area within one of Australia’s best hotels, Crown Towers. Our challenge was to recreate the feel of our favourite lounges and gaming rooms from across the globe, and bring this experience to Melbourne. I am confident that we have managed to capture that buzz and excitement when you walk through the door,” says Shane Warne.

International A-listers attended the star studded party held at The Darling

Sydney’s new one-of-a-kind entertainment venue, The Star, celebrated its opening in style this evening with Stevie Wonder performing an electrifying set to 800 VIP guests. In a once in a lifetime moment, Stevie was welcomed on stage by A-list actor and long-time fan Leonardo DiCaprio.

DiCaprio, who revealed that Stevie Wonder is his favourite performer of all time, introduced the music icon at the party and said how much he has always admired and looked up to him.  Held in the lobby of The Star’s new five-star hotel The Darling, the party was a star studded affair with Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire, Russell Crowe, Entourage actor Adrian Grenier, Elle McPherson, Joel Edgerton and Sacha Baron Cohen and Isla Fisher attending.

This is the first official appearance of Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire in Sydney, since arriving to film Baz Lurhmann’s The Great Gatsby. Other VIP guests who attended the event included Jennifer Hawkins and Jake Wall, Glenn McGrath and Sarah Leonardi, Erika Heynatz, Sophie Falkiner, Laura Csortan and Chris Joannou, Lachlan and Sarah Murdoch, Megan Gale and Kate Ritchie.

Each week Bavarian Bier Café will release a new Oktoberfest pure bier across its seven Sydney locations. The best consumer law ever made, the 1516 legislation, declares that all German beer can only contain four ingredients; hops, malt, yeast and water. This is the reason why the bier at the Bavarian Bier Café is so pure.
Complementing the Oktoberfest biers is a mouth‐watering Oktoberfest menu. Seven special festive foods will be introduced every fortnight, best enjoyed with a stein of your favourite bier of course! Why not try the warm and hearty traditional Brewmaster’s Bier stew, served with a bacon and sauerkraut napkin dumpling? Wash it down with Hofbräu München Oktoberfestbier, and finish off with deliciously creamy apple strudel for something special!
Any traditional Oktoberfest would not be complete without some foot‐tapping, lederhosen‐swinging musical entertainment, brought to you across all Bavarian Bier Cafés by an awesome Oom‐pa‐pah band and accordion enthusiast Fritz Von Trout!
You’ll feel like you’ve stepped straight into Munich with Bavarian Bier Café staff dressed from head to toe in traditional Oktoberfest attire and venues decorated to create that authentic festival feel.
What’s more, you could turn that taste of Oktoberfest into the real thing with a competition to win a trip for two to Munich for Oktoberfest 2012, valued at $10,000! Check out the facebook page (www.facebook.com/BavarianBierCafe) for full details and terms and conditions.
Don’t miss your chance to sample these special lager brews produced once a year for the iconic bier festival:
Löwenbräu Oktoberfestbier 6.2% alc – authentic ‘Wies’ style lager bier. Rich and flavoursome, malty with perfectly balanced hops.

Spaten Oktoberfestbier 5.9% alc – experience the bier the Lord Mayor of Munich taps on the opening day.

Hofbräu München Oktoberfestbier 6.3% alc ‐ a rich, full‐bodied lager bier beautifully suited to traditional Bavarian cuisine, with a delicious bitter taste and high alcohol content.

Paulaner Oktoberfestbier 6.0% alc – yellow‐gold seasonal speciality with a light hops taste. Each year, over a million steins are served at the Munich Oktoberfest.

Hacker‐Pschorr Oktoberfestbier 5.8% alc ‐ smooth and easy drinking! Subtle malt caramels balanced with hints of nut and citrus and a slightly bitter finish.

So dust off your dirndl, lift out your lederhosen and come and enjoy the best Oktoberfest Sydney has to offer. Celebrate great tasting bier, food and entertainment the Bavarian way!

On Tuesday September 27, the annual Ralph Lauren Pink Pony campaign walk and breakfast reception took place . This year the event commenced with a group walk around Sydney’s Harbour foreshore and Botanical Gardens, followed by a reception at BLUE Sydney, Woolloomooloo. The walk and reception were free of charge, in the hope of raising awareness for the charity and sales of the RL Pink Pony products, with proceeds to Women living with Breast Cancer.
It saw around 200 people join in on the day and brought attention to the event and cause, ahead of Breast Cancer Awareness month in October.

Sydney’s new one of a kind leisure and entertainment venue, The Star, premiered last night , with the first of a series of launch events.
The $870 million transformation of Star City includes the re-orientation of the building to embrace Sydney Harbour and the city skyline. Once complete, The Star will boast more than 20 restaurants, bars and cafes, a new luxury boutique hotel and 16 room spa, upscale retail collection, a 4000 capacity entertainment centre and world class gaming areas.

Larry Mullin, CEO of Echo Entertainment Group, which owns and operates The Star, says the redevelopment represents one of the biggest tourism and entertainment investments in Australia today.
“By forging partnerships with leading chefs, retailers, designers and entertainers, in The Star we’re creating the sort of integrated entertainment destination that will drive both domestic and international tourism.”
“This $870 million investment will position us as a powerful force in entertainment and gaming. We’re also proud that we have been able to create 1500 construction jobs and nearly 1000 ongoing positions in one of the biggest hospitality recruitment drives this city has seen in many years,” Mr Mullin said.

NSW Minister for Tourism and Major Events, George Souris, said the investment in The Star is a vote of confidence in the Harbour City, its status as Australia’s global city and its attraction to interstate and international visitors.
“I congratulate the operators of The Star, a total entertainment complex which will help propel Sydney as the premiere tourist destination not just in Australia, but in the entire Asia/Pacific area.”
“The redevelopment is truly magnificent and it has transformed the venue into something of which NSW can truly be proud,” Mr Souris said.
Created by internationally acclaimed events producer David Grant, the ceremonial opening will feature a dazzling light and visual arts display, centered on The Star’s new glass facade harbourside entrance.

Around 250 guests were picked up by motor yachts from The Rocks and brought to Pyrmont Bay where they walked the red carpet to a viewing platform. The new harbourside frontage is made up of 147 flags of clear glass which form a giant screen on which a spectacular visual display unfolded.

The world’s biggest fashion and shopping event, Vogue Fashion’s Night Out (VFNO),  illuminated Sydney’s CBD shopping precinct once again last night. Following the success of last year’s event and the upgrading of Sydney’s retail precinct as a world-class shopping destination, 600 retailers  participated.Jessica Gomes was Vogue Fashion’s Night Out (VFNO) ambassador.

“With more than 600 stores and designers taking part, Fashion’s Night Out on September 8 is the biggest fashion and shopping event in the world and a great free night out for everybody who loves shopping. Fashion’s Night Out is when the world of Vogue comes to life giving shoppers the opportunity to meet Vogue editors, designers and celebrities and shop like a Vogue VIP”.said Jessica.

Vogue Australia Editor-in-chief Kirstie Clements said: “The premise behind the Vogue Fashion’s Night Out is to show our support of the Australian fashion industry. Vogue Australia is delighted to engage consumers in a free event which is truly a global celebration of fashion and shopping. This is the exclusive world of Vogue brought to life. It’s the opportunity for every person to shop like a Vogue VIP for one night only. With the revitalisation of the Sydney CBD and hundreds of brands involved, this year’s event will be more exciting than ever.”

The VFNO charity of choice, Fashion Targets Breast Cancer®, was  supported through a series of fundraising activities at the event.

Crown announced that one of the world’s most high profile actors and producers Sarah Jessica parker will be a special guest at the Crown Marquee at Flemmington on Crown Oaks Day on Thursday 3rd November, as part of her film tour ” I DONT KNOW HOW SHE DOES IT ”
Crowns General Manager of Public relations , Ann Peacock said today, ” We are absolutely delighted to be welcoming Sarah Jessica Parker to Melbourne. Not only is she a highly respected award winning actress and producer she is also a wife, mother to three children, fashion designer and perfumer.”
“Ms Parker is a ubiquitous New York fashion icon and her attendance at the Crown Oaks Day (traditionally Ladies Day) will add to the international cache of the day. Its a perfect match on this most traditional of race days.”