Leaders` search starts at Skyline Rotorua

NEWSLETTER OF THE SKYLINE GROUP OF COMPANIES • ISSUE 33
LOOKING FOR LEADERS: Sir Peter Blake Trust chief executive Shelley Campbell (front) joined Skyline
Rotorua’s Neville Nicholson, Rotorua Chamber of Commerce’s Roger Gordon and previous emerging
leader winner Annette Fale at the launch of the trust’s 2011 leadership awards.
Photo courtesy of The Daily Post, Rotorua.
Leaders’ search starts
at Skyline Rotorua
Skyline Rotorua was the natural
choice to launch the search for
great leaders in an exciting national
awards event.
General Manager Neville Nicholson was
instrumental in hosting the Rotorua
Chamber of Commerce Business After 5
event, which doubled as the Sir Peter Blake
Trust Leadership 2011 Awards.
Trust Chief Executive Shelley Campbell
explained how Rotorua was the ideal
heartland base for the occasion.
“We have a real agenda for launching the
national awards here this year. We want to
SKYLINE ENTERPRISES
encourage you to put forward your own
local leaders and showcase the talent we
know is in this region,” she told guests.
The trust was set up following the death of
sailor and environmentalist Sir Peter in the
Amazon in 2001.
“We take his unique leadership and use
this to raise awareness and to inspire New
Zealanders to great things,” explained Ms
Campbell.
“He was, by his own definition, an
ordinary Kiwi bloke who believed in his
country and the potential of its people,
particularly its young people, to achieve
T: 64 +3 441 0377 F: 64 + 3 441 0394 E: [email protected]
great things on the world stage,”
she added.
Speaking from the Skyline lectern,
Chamber CEO Roger Gordon said
Rotorua was a relevant choice for
the launch.
“It is very appropriate, when you think
about it. We have quite a number of
national leaders within our community.
“And we have some truly remarkable
young people who are already leaders in
our society,” he said.
People in
numbers at
Sentosa
More than a million luge rides is a
pretty impressive success story for
Skyline Luge Sentosa.
Green duo
dig in for
the day
The magic numbers keep on coming
with a two per cent growth on budget
in the photo sales department too, and
operations manager Rab Sadir knows
exactly where the responsibility lies.
“None of these figures would have
appeared if not for the commitment
and hard work of the people in the
company,” he says.
“Kudos to all the staff members
of Skyline Luge Sentosa for a job
well done over the past year and
the extraordinary efforts, especially
throughout the busy months, when
every day feels like a public holiday
with streams of guests coming through
to enjoy our rides,” he adds.
Captain captures
the crowds
Even when there’s a staff full of superheroes there’s still room for the genuine
article to make his presence felt.
“He was a real hit with the crowd and
streams of people got near him to capture
unique photos,” says Rab.
So when Sentosa Boardwalk was officially
opened – a themed walkway access into
Sentosa with two-way canopy-covered
travelators - Captain Gravity was front and
centre, strutting his stuff, shaking hands
and spreading the Skyline brand.
“Usually the captain comes out at the
weekends, peak periods and on public
holidays, but this was a very special
occasion and, as ever, he was great fun
and a joy to watch,” adds Operations
Manager Rab Sadir.
Rudy takes off!
It was a sad day when the Sentosa team said goodbye to one of the company’s
original staff members this year.
Rudy Ali has moved on to a higher plane, literally, as he’s started a new career as a
flight attendant.
“He’s a great lad and an excellent shiftleader and we wish him all the best in his future
endeavours” Says Rab.
No secrets in the
Skyline service
Recognition for Skyline in Sentosa has
come from the industry too, with local
monitor programs rating the company
highly.
“We’ve had a great year with guest
service recognition programs as we’ve
had several winners from our company
in the Sentosa WAVE (Welcomed.Assured.
Valued.Recognised) Service Star Awards,”
says Rab.
WAVE is a recognition program
organised by Sentosa for individuals
and teams who have delivered a ‘WOW!
Sentosa experience’ to our guests,” he
explains.
It would be easy to perform when you
know the judges were coming but
Skyline Sentosa staff have also been
recognised for great service delivery at
any time, as Rab explains.
“We’ve also participated in a mystery
shopper programme to identify service
performance standards and although
it’s not easy to score well in mystery
shopping the overall results were
extremely positive and encouraging.”
April’s Accor Earth Guest Day was a
chance for staff to do their bit for the
enviroment, and Leisure Lodgers were
no exception.
Front Office staff Rickie Kewene and
Katrina Hyde gave up their free time
to help plant trees at the Orokanui Eco
Sanctuary.
More than 80 trees were planted that
day and everyone came up smiling,
despite the odd sore back.
Figures
growth is
bittersweet
Mercure Leisure Lodge staff are always keen to see business getting
brisk but big numbers in February and March were tinged with
sadness too, as the property filled with displaced, earthquake-struck
Cantabrians.
“It was a terrible time all round but it was good to be able to offer people some sort
of comfort after everything they’d been through,” says Manager Jan McDougall.
Three of the four Christchurch Accor hotels remain closed until further notice, being based
in the CBD area, but remaining properties have been doing their bit to help out financially
too.
“During March all Accor’s New Zealand properties contributed $2 for every room night
sold to help raise funds for the Red Cross,” says Jan.
“Every little bit helps and Red Cross is an organisation that knows how to spend the
money where it’s most needed,” she adds.
Head chef on
a plate again!
Wining an award once is
impressive. Taking it the
second year too is astonishing.
But getting it for a third time
in a row is just too good for
adjectives!
That didn’t bother head chef Paul
McArthur (right) one bit though,
as he and his team picked up yet
another gold plate from the Beef
and Lamb Hall of Excellence.
“Naturally we know how great
the kitchen team is, and so do our
guests, but to be recognised by
industry professionals three years
running is a whole new level of appreciation,” says Jan.
“It’s an excellent achievement and it looks like every time Paul gets an award it inspires him to
turn everything up another notch. We can’t wait to see what’s coming next!” she adds.
SKYLINE LUGE SENTOSA
T: 0065-6274-0472 F: 0065-6273-0906 E: [email protected]
Dunedin is now starting to
gear up for the Rugby World
Cup. This historic event is now
less than 4 months away. The
new stadium is on target to be
completed for the first game
on the 10th September. The
new stadium will be a fantastic
asset for the city of Dunedin,
and will be show cased around
the world. Dunedin will play
host to 4 pool games during
September and October. This
is bound to bring an influx of
domestic and international
visitors to the city, and they will
indeed be treated to a warm
Dunedin welcome throughout
their stay. The Stadium will
also be used for the 1 and only
Elton John concert in New
Zealand in November.
MERCURE LEISURE LODGE T: 64 +3 477 5360 F: 64 + 3 477 5460 E: [email protected]
Fun like it was
mentor be
Queenstown Big and Little Buddies hit
Skyline for a fun day out and found it a
perfect bonding experience.
The local scheme gives children a few
hours a week to enjoy the company
of a mentor and Skyline’s the ideal
location.
“There’s such a range of activities here, all
designed for people to share. It’s exactly
the sort of forum where this scheme can
do its work to its full capabilities,” says
General Manager Blair Deasy.
Winners, in any language!
Employee of the quarter is a keenly
fought contest at Skyline Queenstown
and the long-awaited results are ready
to be made public!
Admin manager Wayne Rose says what
everybody’s thinking with his citation,
“Obrigado Elisa – mantenha o bom
trabalho!”
Back of house winner Elisa Largura
joined the company in 2007 as a
weekends reservationist before making
the leap to an administration and
cashier role.
On the front line, Chris Dickson has
brought a wealth of experience
and knowledge from many years in
legendary Canadian resort, Whistler.
She’s recognised all round as an
asset both to the department and
the company and the votes
underlined that.
Trio take over
Three new managers have taken up
their positions as part of the Skyline
Queenstown team.
So keep an eye out for Taika Brooks in HR
and quality, Andrew Clattenburg in the
restaurant and Kate Vyskrebentseva on
reservations.
Enthusiasm, dedication, passion and a great
rapport won him the title and functions
manager Kylie Elliot has high hopes for him;
“Thanks for all your hard work Chris, next stop
employee of the year!”
BUDDY SYSTEM. New friends and
mentors get together on the luge.
SKYLINE QUEENSTOWN
Big wheels keep on turning
The pedal’s well and truly to the metal
at Skyline Queenstown with more
than 33,000 mountain bikers getting
themselves into the track action.
More than 1,000 people took their bikes
up the gondola on the first day alone
and there’s no sign of interest waning
yet.
“We’ve had some amazing media
coverage with bike magazines on both
sides of the Tasman giving us good space
and awesome reviews,” says General
Manager Blair Deasy.
“And that’s generated huge amounts
of riders coming to find out what it’s all
about. They go and tell their friends and
the whole thing just keeps on picking up
impetus by itself. It’s been a great move,”
he adds.
Bikers hook their rides on to gondola
mounted racks to reach the start of the
trails.
Once at the top there’s a choice of
ability-rated tracks to come down, from a
“We’ve been lucky enough to play host to
the world champion Athertons,” says Blair.
More than 1,000 couples dropped in
looking for information and inspiration,
and Skyline’s functions department
caught a great deal of attention
with a bridal table decked out in real
Queenstown style, complete with a
background of the magnificent view.
SKYLINE QUEENSTOWN
Blue Peaks staff have
become video stars since
a documentary team
swooped on the property
as part of a reality TV
presentation…
“They’ve been training here in Queenstown
and have raved about the facilities and
tracks. That’s a fantastic endorsement from
mountain biking royalty!”
At the other end of the scale, groups like
the local primary school teachers who
gave the course a good going over.
Competitions have arrived too with
the Corona Dirtmasters Downhill and
the Outside Sports Super D six hour
endurance race in April.
“The season’s been really exciting with
customers and staff all enjoying the
thrilling new facility,” say Blair.
Mountain moved for marketing
Auckland’s Grand Wedding Show
was taken up a notch when Skyline
Queenstown made its first appearance at
the Skycity Convention Centre event.
Staff get the final word
steady-as-she-goes introduction, right up
to something that brings in the real stars.
“They weren’t quite as fast as the
Athertons but they gave it a good go.
They spent a good few hours exploring
and taking in the views on Hammy’s Track,
the new, six kilometre easy run,” says Blair.
There was no shortage of interested
parties interested in, well, parties,
especially as the pastry team had
supplied some special tasty chocolate
favours to hand out.
Interest was so high that the team was
on the road again as Skyline Views went
to press, this time to Invercargill and a
home fixture in Queenstown!
T: 64 +3 441 0101 F: 64 + 3 442 6391 E: [email protected]
T: 64 +3 441 0101 F: 64 + 3 442 6391 E: [email protected]
Skyline cuisine
harvests a
following
When the show’s all about food and wine
it’s a safe bet Skyline Queenstown will
be there, and the team certainly took a
starring role at this year’s Gibbston Harvest
Festival.
It’s the fourth time the team, led by the
indomitable Captain Gravity, has had a
stall at the event, and they’ve made a
splash every time.
This year’s event was held at Peregrine
Winery and Skyline filled the place with
the scent of pork belly wraps, plus the
taste sensation of Vietnamese chicken
noodle salad, mini cheese and crackers
and a show-stopping cherry chocolate
mousse.
Central Otago wines played a great part with
something to match every Skyline course
and trade was brisk throughout the day.
The captain got out and about too, with
his trademark ‘High Fours’ shared with
legions of children for a great day out in
the Gibbston Valley air.
An inspector
calls… just in time!
Well, perhaps that’s a little
exaggeration, but when
Blue Peaks was named as
a finalist in the Chamber of
Commerce Queenstown
Westpac Awards, staff
were interviewed on
camera for an awards night
presentation.
The long-awaited completion of the latest
Blue Peaks renovation saw the last lick
of paint added well in time for the busy
winter season.
“It wasn’t quite ‘The Osbournes’ but they did a great job of representing us on film and
we’re very proud of the team’s achievements in making it to the final selection,” says comanager Michael McMillan.
The ‘medium sized business’ category attracted an impressive number of entries and
Blue Peaks cemented its place among some of Queenstown’s finest names.
“We came away with a plaque as a memento of our achievement and it’s something
we’re all proud of,” says Michael.
Green Peaks!
The Blue Peaks team may not look like
eco-warriors but they’re doing their bit
for the planet.
A wide range of environmental projects
is underway and that work hasn’t gone
unnoticed.
“A bonus during the Qualmark visit
was the recognition of our effort for
environmental sustainability and
BLUE PEAKS LODGE the awarding of silver status for our
‘Responsible Tourism’ drive,” says Michael.
Recycling; eco-enviro friendly appliances;
reduction in electricity use as a result
of appliance and fitting usage, and the
commitment made to the community
were all mentioned in the citation which
makes Blue Peaks an example to inspire
all accommodation properties to start
their own sustainability initiatives.
“The apartments look wonderful and
guests are more than pleasantly surprised
when they enter the room,” says comanager Anne McMillan
The project’s end coincided with a visit
from Qualmark inspectors, who appeared
more than satisfied.
The Qualmark team was there to consider
Blue Peaks’ standard of presentation and
method of business.
“Both four-star lodge and four-star-plus
apartments have been enhanced by the
quality of the upgrading of furnishings,”
explains Anne.
Now the apartments have been finished
work will be focused on completing the
lodge project.
“The lodge refurbishment will take some
time yet but the changes, to drapes,
bedding and decor are very noticeable.
It was most encouraging to have the
Qualmark assessor comment so favourably
on the thoughtful planning and work all
for the guests’ comfort,” says Anne.
T: 64 +3 442 9224 F: 64 + 3 442 6847 E: [email protected] www.bluepeaks.co.nz
New attraction boldly goes…
The country’s most recent tourism
addition takes activities not only
into a new dimension, but into four
of them!
Skyvue is New Zealand’s first ever 4-D,
64-seater simulator, to add to Skyrides’
reputation for thriving on the cutting
edge.
“Skyvue continues the tradition of
innovative New Zealand tourism
products, comparable to the luge
launched by Skyline 25 years ago,” says
Skyline Enterprises chief executive Jeff
Staniland.
“It complements perfectly what we are
doing and adds to what is available in
Rotorua,” he adds.
Positive progress for city
at Christchurch Casino
Christchurch Casino management
have announced they are ready to
re-open and provide the people
of Christchurch and visitors with
a safe and exciting entertainment
destination.
The Skyvue Voyager II was created by
Space Dome Technologies for the Elmiger
family when they decided to take the
plunge into tourism after 30 years as
earthmoving contractors.
They’ve worked with Space Dome and
Skyline for six years to develop and finetune the simulator.
“It’s been a very long journey, but we
are finally here. This is quite something
for Rotorua and for the Bay of Plenty in
general,” says Tony Elmiger.
The simulator has an 8x3m screen and the
entire mechanism moves in all directions
Photo courtesy of The Daily Post, Rotorua.
to add the fourth dimension of motion to
the standard 3-D experience.
The big screen will also be available for
sporting events with dining and viewing
packages at Skyline a possible future
product.
“The potential is huge,” says General
Manager Neville Nicholson.
“Space Dome Technologies also built the
Voyager I, located at Auckland’s MOTAT,
which is visited by 200,000 people a year,
Given the all clear, the casino has
been described as ‘structurally sound’
suffering only superficial damage with
some remedial work necessary during
the closure.
Table stars in cable cars!
Casino CEO Brett Anderson (above)
says: “The resilience of the complex is
accredited to its ongoing design and
maintenance upgrades throughout its
16 years of operation.
Valentines Day guests were the first to experience another first
for New Zealand, ‘Dine in the Sky’, which sees dinner served
inside gondolas as they move up and down to the complex.
“We are excited about being able
to provide our patrons with an
entertainment destination in the central
city. Our re-opening will hopefully be
the catalyst for a lot of neighbouring
businesses to open, creating a buzz in
the city once again.”
The venue has always been renowned
as a top entertainment complex in
Canterbury. Proudly New Zealand’s
first established casino it is home to
500 gaming machines, 36 table games,
two contemporary restaurants, three
bars and an unbeatable atmosphere to
match.
CHRISTCHURCH CASINO T: 64+3 365 9999 E: [email protected] www.christchurchcasino.co.nz
so the sky’s literally the limit, and space
too, now!” he adds.
Dining at Skyrides has always been a moving experience for
lovers of cuisine, but now that’s being taken literally.
With staff positioned at both terminals, guests’ drinks orders are
taken care of when the doors open, with food courses served
fresh from the kitchen at the top.
The whole fascinating experience is timed to be enjoyed over
90 minutes to two hours and bookings, as you’d expect, are
absolutely essential.
It took some nifty design to match the impressive thinking
behind the concept, but now custom-built tables can be fitted
into the gondola cabins, allowing four people to enjoy their
meals together.
Executive chef Fred Kreutmayer has produced a triumph of a
four-course menu to complement the innovation and match
twilight views across Lake Rotorua and the surrounding Bay of
Plenty countryside.
Spaces are currently limited to just 10 gondolas, making this the
country’s most exclusive dining choice.
The evening starts with an aperitif served after boarding, along
with a starter to enjoy on the first leisurely journey to the top
terminal.
As well as enjoying the view, that time can be taken up deciding
on a main course from the menu, and while staff get busy
preparing that, an entrée is served for the downward leg.
SKYLINE ROTORUA T: 64+7 347 0027 F: 64+7 348 2163 E: [email protected]
Festival first title
on the table
There’s a vacant crown on offer at
Queenstown’s newest cards challenge
when the Winter Festival Texas
Hold’em tournament makes its debut.
The title comes with some great prizes
and look out for high rollers and
star guests making this a celebrity
showdown of epic proportions.
Just $35 buys you in to try your luck,
your skill and your cool to earn a place
in Festival history on Tuesday, June
28. Have you got the nerve?
Get hot, get spotted
Skyline
at Sky City!
ticketholders
offer
SkyCity Queenstown Casino looks
set to keep visitors warm once
again this winter, but this time the
temperature’s rising on the Hot Spot
promotion.
Weekly cash giveaways can be earned by
players using their Action Rewards card,
and that means the chance to win up to
$1,250.
Two randomly selected ‘Hot Spots’ mean
gamers using their card can be in the
right place at the right time for a $50
handout.
The selections are made three times
throughout each Wednesday evening
at seven, eight and nine o’clock, and at
10pm the winners go into the big draw.
You can join Action Rewards free simply
by signing up at the cashier’s desk within
any SKYCITY site.
Warm up at
Queenstown’s
party time
Skyline ticket-holders aged 20 upwards
can bring in their Skyline Queenstown
gondola ticket to SkyCity Queenstown
Casino, and swap them for a $5 match
play token.
As always, there’s a lot happening
at SKYCITY Queenstown Casino this
winter, So check it out online at www.
skycityqueenstown.co.nz and sign up
to the newsletter to be the first to hear
about the latest offers and events.
Whatever’s going on this year in the
freezing Winter Festival temperatures
outrside, the heat’s turned up at SkyCity
with some sizzling entertainment.
Every Friday and Saturday night there’s live
music into the small hours, with some of
the best singers and instrumentalists in
town wowing the crowds.
And Mardi Gras night’s a top Tuesday
with the LA Social Club and Almost Abba
keeping the official after party crowd
dancing and singing along to every 70s
favourite you can think of.
SKYCITY QUEENSTOWN CASINO T: 64 +3 441 0400 E: [email protected] www.skycityqueenstown.co.nz