Visitors on the forecourt steps beneath the sails of the Sydney Opera House

International destination

Australia for corporate offsites and incentive trips from India

Harbour ballrooms in Sydney, convention centres in Melbourne and the Gold Coast, and the Great Barrier Reef from Cairns, with non-stop flights of about 12 hours from Delhi. ICE India organises offsites, incentive trips and conferences across Australia, with the venues, hotels and flights between cities arranged together.

Plan an event in Australia
Getting there
Non-stop flights of about 12 hours from Delhi to Sydney and Melbourne, and from Bengaluru to Sydney. One stop from other cities
Best months
September to November and March to May for the cities, June to October for the Great Barrier Reef
Suits
Dealer meets, conferences, incentive trips and leadership offsites for 50 to 2,000 people
ICE India in Australia
Planned by ICE India, with vetted local partners on the ground.

Why companies choose Australia

  • Cities, reef and desert in one trip

    A harbour city, a food-and-arts capital, a coral reef and a red desert, all reached by domestic flights of one to five hours.

  • Ballrooms for large groups

    The Grand Ballroom at ICC Sydney seats 2,000 for dinner, and Melbourne's Plenary hall seats up to 5,500.

  • A harbour that sells the trip

    Sydney Opera House and the Harbour Bridge supply the backdrop for an incentive trip's photographs, with nothing to build.

  • Reef and rainforest

    A day on the Great Barrier Reef from Cairns, then the rainforest at Kuranda, makes a programme guests remember.

  • Wildlife up close

    Koalas and kangaroos at a wildlife sanctuary, penguins at sunset on Phillip Island, and the Twelve Apostles on the Great Ocean Road.

  • Indian food in every city

    Sydney and Melbourne both have Indian restaurants that take large groups, so vegetarian guests are well served.

Australia for corporate groups

Australia suits groups that want a programme as well as a venue. The cities have large hotels and purpose-built convention centres, and every programme can add a day outdoors: a harbour cruise, a reef trip or a night in the desert.

Most Indian groups pick two bases. Sydney and Melbourne make the classic pairing, Sydney and Cairns add the Reef, and the Gold Coast suits a beach-and-theme-park incentive.

Australia is also a destination for government study tours. For group flights, hotels and visas to Australia, see corporate travel.

Visas for Indian passport holders

Every traveller needs a visa before leaving India. ICE India manages the applications for the entire group.

Visitor visa
Indian passport holders apply online for the Visitor visa, subclass 600, through the Australian government's ImmiAccount. The eVisitor and ETA are not open to them, and each traveller lodges a separate application.
Which stream
The Business Visitor stream covers conferences, trade fairs and seminars, with stays of up to three months. Incentive trips and leisure programmes use the Tourist stream.
Processing time
ICE India files group applications at least eight weeks before departure.
Documents
A passport valid for the whole stay, proof of funds, proof of employment or business, the programme and bookings, and English translations of any document in another language.
After lodging
The Department can ask an applicant for biometrics or a health examination. ICE India tells the group at once, so appointments are not missed.
Visa on arrival
There is none. A visa must be granted before the flight.

Two days groups plan around in Australia: the Great Barrier Reef and Sydney Harbour

A day on the Great Barrier Reef and an evening on Sydney Harbour. Groups tend to centre the trip on one of the two.

A snorkeller over the reef and a guest on the dive platform of a tour boat on the Great Barrier Reef

Snorkelling, glass-bottom boats and a pontoon on the reef

The Great Barrier Reef

Boats leave the Reef Fleet Terminal in Cairns in the morning. A pontoon trip to Moore Reef takes about one hour 45 minutes each way, with around four hours at the reef.

Guests snorkel, ride a glass-bottom boat or a semi-submersible, and visit an underwater observatory, with a buffet lunch on the pontoon. Non-swimmers see the reef without getting wet.

Time
A full day, from about 10:15 am to 5:30 pm.
Group size
Groups of 50 or more are booked as a block on a scheduled boat, well ahead of the date.
As the gala night
The reef is the day programme. The gala dinner that evening moves to a hotel ballroom in Cairns.
Food
A buffet lunch on the pontoon, with vegetarian meals requested when booking.
Guests on the deck of a Sydney Harbour cruise boat taking photographs

The Opera House, the Harbour Bridge and Darling Harbour from the water

Sydney Harbour cruise

Sydney is at its best from the water. Cruises leave from Circular Quay and Darling Harbour, pass the Opera House and turn under the Harbour Bridge as the city lights come on.

A leadership team charters a small boat for lunch. A larger group takes a whole vessel for a gala dinner, with staging, a band and the awards ceremony on deck.

Time
Three hours is the usual lunch or dinner cruise.
Group size
Magistic Two takes up to 375 guests, and the Sydney 2000 from Captain Cook Cruises takes up to 700.
As the gala night
A seated dinner on board with live music and the awards on deck.
Food
Buffet or plated menus; vegetarian and Jain dishes are briefed to the kitchen beforehand.

Where to go in Australia

Australia is a continent, so most programmes pick two or three bases and fly between them. Each city below has hotels with ballrooms for groups of 100 or more.

Aerial view of Sydney at sunset with the Opera House, Harbour Bridge and city skyline
Visitors strolling past market stalls and cafe tables on a street in The Rocks, Sydney

Harbour, Opera House and the largest convention centre

Sydney

Sydney is where most Australian programmes begin. The Opera House, the Harbour Bridge and Bondi Beach all sit within a short ride of the hotels at Circular Quay, The Rocks and Darling Harbour, so a group can stay in one place and still see the city.

ICC Sydney stands on the Darling Harbour waterfront, and the conference hotels around it suit large meetings. Evenings are easy to fill: dinner in the harbourside restaurants, a night cruise, or a seated gala in a hotel ballroom.

Large groups divide across venues. A conference of 1,000 or more fits the ballrooms at Hyatt Regency or Hilton, while the Grand Ballroom at ICC Sydney seats 2,000 for dinner. Smaller leadership groups often prefer The Rocks, where Shangri-La stands a short walk from the bridge and the ferries.

Where groups stay
Circular Quay and The Rocks for harbour views, Darling Harbour for the convention centre and its restaurants.
BridgeClimb
Groups of 10 or more book together, and a corporate climb can end with dinner.
Opera House
Guided front-of-house tours, and backstage tours in parties of 12.
Indian dinner
Manjits Wharf on Darling Harbour takes large groups, with banquet menus and views over the water.
Selected corporate venues in Sydney
HotelAreaRoomsEvent venuesLargest indoor venue (sq ft, theatre)
Hyatt Regency SydneyDarling Harbour87823Grand Ballroom: about 9,150 sq ft, 1,100
Shangri-La SydneyThe Rocks, Circular Quay side56418Grand Ballroom: about 7,210 sq ft, 700
Hilton SydneyCBD, George Street59828Grand Ballroom: about 8,675 sq ft, up to 1,100
The yellow facade and green dome of Flinders Street Station in central Melbourne
Visitors on the boardwalk along the clifftops of The Nobbies on Phillip Island

Laneways, sport and the Great Ocean Road

Melbourne

Melbourne is Australia's arts and food capital, with tram-lined streets, hidden laneways such as Hosier Lane and a cricket ground that Indian visitors love. Grand Hyatt Melbourne stands on Collins Street, while Crown Towers sits at Southbank beside the Yarra River.

The Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre is at South Wharf, a short walk along the river. Beyond the city, day trips run to Phillip Island, the Great Ocean Road and the Dandenong Ranges, and each can end back in Melbourne for dinner.

Melbourne suits groups that like a programme with variety. A morning of sessions at the hotel can be followed by a laneway walk, a stadium tour and dinner in a city restaurant. Longer outings, to Phillip Island or the coast, work best with a full day or an overnight stay.

Melbourne Cricket Ground
A 75-minute guided tour, with the sports museum alongside.
Phillip Island
About 140 km away, a drive of 90 minutes or more. Penguins come ashore at sunset.
Great Ocean Road
The Twelve Apostles are about 250 km away, so most groups stay overnight.
Indian dinner
Curry Vault and Elchi both take group bookings in the city centre.
Selected corporate venues in Melbourne
HotelAreaRoomsEvent venuesLargest indoor venue (sq ft, theatre)
Grand Hyatt MelbourneCollins Street55015Savoy Ballroom: about 11,300 sq ft, 1,120
Crown Towers MelbourneSouthbank481Not availablePalladium: about 22,070 sq ft, 2,300
The Surfers Paradise skyline above the beach on the Gold Coast
A red kangaroo resting in the sun at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary

Surf beaches, theme parks and wildlife

Gold Coast

The Gold Coast is a long surf coast, with the skyline of Surfers Paradise at one end and resort hotels at Broadbeach. It suits incentive groups who want beach time, theme parks and a gala night in the same trip, without changing hotels.

Broadbeach is the business end of the coast. The Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre and The Star Grand stand there, with restaurants close by. RACV Royal Pines is inland at Benowa and has its own ballroom with a 24-metre LED screen.

Programmes here often pair a morning in a ballroom with an afternoon outdoors. The Events Centre Ballroom at The Star Grand seats 1,100 for dinner, and JW Marriott at Surfers Paradise has a ballroom for 800 theatre-style, so a group can stay close to the beach.

Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary
The favourite half-day, with koalas, kangaroos and walks through green hills.
Theme parks
Several large parks sit inland from the beach and suit a full free day, with coaches arranged for the group.
Where groups stay
Broadbeach for conferences and restaurants, Surfers Paradise when the beach comes first.
Indian dinner
Saffron Indian Gourmet in Broadbeach caters for functions.
Selected corporate venues in Gold Coast
HotelAreaRoomsEvent venuesLargest indoor venue (sq ft, theatre)
The Star GrandBroadbeach5927Events Centre Ballroom: about 17,520 sq ft, 2,300
RACV Royal Pines ResortBenowa, inland from the coast333Not availableRoyal Benowa Ballroom: about 16,150 sq ft, 1,500
JW Marriott Gold Coast Resort & SpaSurfers Paradise2168JW Grand Ballroom: about 7,700 sq ft, 800
Cairns Esplanade looking across Trinity Bay with green mountains behind
The Kuranda Scenic Railway crossing a bridge above forested hills in the Barron Gorge

The gateway to the reef and the rainforest

Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef

Cairns is a small tropical city on the water, and it is the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef. The airport is about 7 km from the centre, and most hotels are 10 to 15 minutes away. Reef boats leave every morning from the Reef Fleet Terminal.

Hotels line the Esplanade and the marina. Shangri-La The Marina has a poolside terrace for 400 guests at a reception, and Pullman Cairns International fills 16 floors in the city. Evenings are relaxed, with the Esplanade Lagoon and the waterfront restaurants close by.

Cairns also works as an add-on to a Sydney or Melbourne programme. A reef day and a rainforest day fill two full days, and the hotel ballrooms take a gala dinner for 300 to 600 between them. Hilton Cairns stands on the Esplanade, a short walk from the lagoon.

Reef day
A pontoon at Moore Reef, with about four hours on the reef.
Skyrail and Kuranda
A cableway over the rainforest to Kuranda village, and a scenic railway back.
Hot air balloon
Dawn flights over the valley, popular with incentive groups.
Quad bikes
All-terrain tours for groups who want an active afternoon.
Selected corporate venues in Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef
HotelAreaRoomsEvent venuesLargest indoor venue (sq ft, theatre)
Pullman Cairns InternationalCairns city32411Grand Ballroom: about 5,380 sq ft, 600
Shangri-La The Marina CairnsThe Marina, Pierpoint Road255Not availableBallrooms 1 and 2 combined: about 3,290 sq ft, 380
Hilton CairnsThe Esplanade263Not availableGrand Ballroom: about 3,040 sq ft, 300
Aerial view of the Perth skyline and Elizabeth Quay on the Swan River at dusk
Swimmers and walkers at The Basin, a rock-sheltered pool on Rottnest Island off Perth

The Swan River, Fremantle and the Indian Ocean

Perth

Perth is Australia's sunniest capital, set on the Swan River. Its centre has hotels, restaurants, shops and cultural precincts, and one of the world's largest inner-city parks, Kings Park, sits beside it.

Within 30 minutes of the centre, groups reach the Swan Valley, the state's oldest wine region, and the port town of Fremantle. A ferry leads to Rottnest Island, where visitors cycle between beaches. Crown Perth, across the river at Burswood, holds ballrooms, a theatre and several hotels under one roof.

Perth hotels sit in two clusters. Hyatt Regency Perth stands on Adelaide Terrace, east of the centre, with a ballroom of 870 sq m. Crown Towers is a resort of its own at Burswood, with a Grand Ballroom that holds 1,800 in theatre style. Both suit conferences of 1,000 or more.

Crown Perth
The Crown Ballroom holds 2,600 in theatre style, and the Crown Theatre about 2,300.
Swan Valley
Wine tasting and long lunches in the oldest wine region of Western Australia, under 30 minutes from the centre.
Rottnest Island
Beaches and bike rides, with a ferry crossing from the mainland.
Fremantle
A historic port with markets, cafes and sunset dinners by the water, reached from the centre in under 30 minutes.
Selected corporate venues in Perth
HotelAreaRoomsEvent venuesLargest indoor venue (sq ft, theatre)
Crown Towers PerthBurswood, across the river500Not availableGrand Ballroom: about 19,910 sq ft, 1,800
Hyatt Regency PerthAdelaide Terrace36616Grand Ballroom: about 9,365 sq ft, up to 1,000
Uluru glowing red-orange across the desert grassland at sunrise
Thousands of glowing light stems across the desert at dusk in the Field of Light at Uluru

The red centre, at sunrise and sunset

Uluru

Uluru, also called Ayers Rock, is a sandstone monolith in a national park and sacred to the Anangu people. It changes colour from sunrise to sunset, and groups come for the stillness as much as the sight.

Everyone stays at Ayers Rock Resort, a self-contained village in the desert. Sails in the Desert has the main ballroom, and the Uluru Meeting Place conference centre is within walking distance. After dark, the resort turns the desert into the dining room.

Programmes here are short, usually one or two nights between other cities. Sails in the Desert has 228 rooms and Desert Gardens Hotel has 218 more, with views of Uluru. Larger groups divide between the two hotels and share the resort's dining and event spaces.

Sounds of Silence
A dinner under the desert stars for up to about 300 guests, the best-known evening at the resort.
Field of Light
An art installation of 50,000 spindles of light across the desert floor, with a dining option for 110 guests.
Wintjiri Wiru
A sunset dinner for about 250 guests with a drone and light show over the desert.
Tali Wiru
A private open-air dinner for 20 guests on a dune top, for a small leadership group.
Selected corporate venues in Uluru
HotelAreaRoomsEvent venuesLargest indoor venue (sq ft, theatre)
Sails in the DesertAyers Rock Resort2286Tjungu Ballroom: about 4,155 sq ft, 420
Desert Gardens HotelAyers Rock Resort218Shares the resort's event spacesTjungu Ballroom at Sails in the Desert: about 4,155 sq ft, 420

Flights from the main Indian cities to Australia

Groups land at Sydney (SYD) or Melbourne (MEL), then take domestic flights. From Sydney, Melbourne is about 1 hour 30 minutes, Cairns 3 hours 10 minutes, Uluru 3 hours 35 minutes and Perth 5 hours.

Reaching Australia
FromAirportNon-stop flightsOne-stop routes
DelhiIndira Gandhi International (DEL)Air India to Sydney, about 12 hours 35 minutes, and to Melbourne, about 12 hours 15 minutes. Qantas flies Delhi to Melbourne from late October to MarchNon-stop
BengaluruKempegowda International (BLR)Qantas to Sydney, about 11 to 12 hoursNon-stop
MumbaiChhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International (BOM)NoneSingapore with IndiGo and Singapore Airlines, about 16 to 19 hours in all. Or Delhi with Air India
ChennaiChennai International (MAA)NoneSingapore or Kuala Lumpur, or Delhi with Air India
HyderabadRajiv Gandhi International (HYD)NoneSingapore or Kuala Lumpur, or Delhi with Air India
KolkataNetaji Subhas Chandra Bose International (CCU)NoneSingapore or Kuala Lumpur, or Delhi with Air India
KochiCochin International (COK)NoneSingapore or Kuala Lumpur, or Bengaluru for the Qantas non-stop
AhmedabadSardar Vallabhbhai Patel International (AMD)NoneDelhi with Air India, or Singapore
Pune, Jaipur and other citiesLocal airportNoneConnect through Delhi, Bengaluru or Mumbai on one ticket

Convention and exhibition centres

For conferences beyond hotel capacity, three cities have purpose-built centres. Each has a ballroom or plenary hall, and exhibition space that divides into smaller halls.

  • The glass exterior of the International Convention Centre Sydney beside Darling Harbour

    Darling Harbour

    ICC Sydney

    Australia's largest convention centre, on the waterfront at Darling Harbour, with a ballroom across the whole top floor.

    • Grand Ballroom: 2,000 seated dinner
    • Darling Harbour Theatre: 2,500 seats
    • Exhibition space: about 35,000 sq m
  • A large audience in the Plenary Hall at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre

    South Wharf, Melbourne

    Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre

    A riverside complex a short walk from Southbank, built around a plenary hall that divides into three.

    • Plenary: up to 5,500 seats
    • Plenary: 1,270 seated dinner
    • Total floor area: about 70,000 sq m
  • The main entrance of the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre at Broadbeach

    Broadbeach

    Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre

    A centre in the middle of Broadbeach, for events from 10 delegates up to 6,000, with hotels, restaurants and the beach nearby.

    • 22 meeting rooms
    • Exhibition space: about 10,000 sq m
    • Events of 10 to 6,000 guests

Where to hold the evenings

Room for a full group to hold the gala, share an Indian meal or take on a team challenge.

  • Gala dinner venues

    Hotels and licensed venues with a stage, sound and a seated dinner. Capacities are for seated dinner.

    • Grand Ballroom, ICC Sydney: 2,000
    • Palladium, Crown Towers Melbourne: 1,500
    • Plenary, Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre: 1,270
    • Events Centre Ballroom, The Star Gold Coast: 1,100
    • Sounds of Silence, Uluru: about 300
    • Sydney 2000, Captain Cook Cruises: 620

  • Indian restaurants for groups

    Sydney and Melbourne have Indian restaurants of every kind, and several take large groups and private events. Menus for vegetarian and Jain guests are fixed beforehand.

    • Manjits Wharf, Darling Harbour
    • Lal Qila, Sydney
    • Grand Bavarchi, Parramatta
    • Curry Vault, Melbourne
    • Elchi, Melbourne
    • Saffron Indian Gourmet, Broadbeach

  • Team activity venues

    Activity venues that handle full groups, from team-building days to incentive programmes.

    • BridgeClimb Sydney: group and corporate Climbs, with dining afterwards
    • Magistic Two, Sydney Harbour: up to 375 guests
    • Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, Gold Coast
    • Sunlover Reef Cruises, Cairns
    • Skyrail Rainforest Cableway, Cairns
    • Field of Light, Uluru

What groups do in Australia

  • Sydney Opera House

    Guided tours of the front-of-house spaces, or an early-morning backstage tour with breakfast in the Green Room. Backstage parties are limited to 12, so large groups go in turns.

  • BridgeClimb

    A guided climb to the top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Groups of 10 or more book together, and a corporate climb can end with dinner.

  • Melbourne Cricket Ground

    A 75-minute guided tour of the stadium where legends have played, with the sports museum alongside. A favourite with cricket fans.

  • Phillip Island Penguin Parade

    About 140 km from Melbourne. Little penguins come ashore at sunset, so the trip is an evening outing.

  • Twelve Apostles

    Limestone stacks on the Great Ocean Road, about 250 km from Melbourne. It is a long day, so most groups add an overnight stop.

  • Puffing Billy

    A preserved steam railway through the Dandenong Ranges from Belgrave, with a journey of about one hour 15 minutes.

A sample programme in Australia

A sample route for 80 to 150 guests, with one working morning, a gala evening on the harbour and an Indian dinner. Cairns can be swapped for Melbourne or Uluru, and the rest changes with the brief.

4 nights, 5 days

  1. The Sydney Opera House lit up at duskDay 1

    Arrival and the Opera House

    Flights from each office reach Sydney airport, and every guest is met on arrival. Check in at a hotel at Circular Quay or Darling Harbour, then walk to the Opera House forecourt. Dinner is an Indian menu at Manjits Wharf on Darling Harbour.

  2. Holidaymakers on the golden sand of Bondi BeachDay 2

    Conference, Bondi and a harbour dinner

    The morning is a session in the hotel ballroom; the afternoon goes to Bondi Beach and the clifftop walk. In the evening the group boards a harbour vessel for the gala dinner, with the awards on deck.

  3. People swimming in the Esplanade Lagoon in CairnsDay 3

    Fly to Cairns

    A morning flight of about three hours from Sydney to Cairns. The afternoon is free at the Esplanade Lagoon, and dinner is at the hotel with the reef briefing for the next day.

  4. A banded wrasse swimming among corals on the Great Barrier ReefDay 4

    A day on the Great Barrier Reef

    Boats leave the Reef Fleet Terminal at about 10 am for a pontoon at Moore Reef, with snorkelling, a glass-bottom boat and lunch on board. The group is back in Cairns by 5:30 pm for a free evening.

  5. A Skyrail gondola over the rainforest canopy near CairnsDay 5

    Kuranda and departure

    The Skyrail Rainforest Cableway rises over the canopy to Kuranda village. After lunch, coaches return to Cairns for the flight south to Sydney and the flights home.

Food, souvenirs and shopping in Australia

A separate shopping day is rarely needed: gifts and food can be bought in the free time between sessions and sights.

  • Local food to try

    Seafood in Sydney and Cairns, and bakery treats everywhere.

    • Sydney rock oysters, at the Sydney Fish Market
    • Barramundi, a local fish served at Cairns waterfront restaurants
    • Meat pies, a hot lunch at any city bakery
    • Lamingtons, sponge cakes coated in chocolate and coconut
    • Pavlova, a meringue dessert with fruit and cream
    • Anzac biscuits, oat and coconut biscuits

  • What to bring home

    Chocolate biscuits, nuts and wool are the usual gifts.

    • Tim Tam biscuits, from any supermarket
    • Macadamia nuts, plain or chocolate-coated
    • Merino wool scarves and jumpers
    • Ugg boots, from Australian makers in the city shops
    • Opals, set in jewellery, from jewellers in The Rocks, Sydney
    • Aboriginal art prints, from galleries and the resort at Uluru

  • Where to shop

    Weekend markets for gifts, big malls for brands.

    • The Rocks Markets, Sydney: crafts and souvenirs at weekends
    • Paddy's Markets, Haymarket: gifts and souvenirs
    • Queen Victoria Market, Melbourne: food and gifts
    • Pacific Fair, Broadbeach: a large shopping centre
    • Cairns Night Markets, on the Esplanade
    • Chadstone, Melbourne: a large mall with international brands

When to go

Australia's seasons are the reverse of India's. Spring (September to November) and autumn (March to May) suit Sydney and Melbourne best, with mild days. July is the coldest month, with highs of about 17°C in Sydney and 14°C in Melbourne.

The Reef is best from June to October, when the water is clear and the sea calm. The wet season from November to May brings heavy rain to Cairns, and stinger suits are worn for swimming. Uluru is best from May to September.

January and February
Peak beach months in Sydney and on the Gold Coast, with the hottest days. Book ballrooms early.
June to October
The Reef is at its clearest, and June is its busiest month, so book boats ahead.
May to September
Cool, dry days at Uluru, though nights can drop to freezing.

Australia at a glance

Australia travel guideThe cities, the coast and the outback in one film.

  • We engaged the services of ICE India for managing our Annual Meet at Hotel Novotel Hyderabad. We have been dealing with ICE India for many events and the fact that we have engaged them numerous times is an indicator of our satisfaction of their standards of service. The principle of the company, Mr. Mufaddal Dahodwala, personally gets involved in the event, right from the planning stage until execution. He adds tremendous value by giving his inputs on what & how to be done. His personal touch to the events is truly appreciated. The Hyderabad event was very successful and much appreciated by the attendees, a smooth flowing event without hiccups.

    Karthik RamanChief Distribution Officer, IDBI Federal Life Insurance Co. Ltd.

  • Dear Mufaddal and Shreya, This was our first event and we approached ICE India for support. You both were very calm, composed and able to make decisions at once, quickly. You were able to understand our needs and always happy to help even when the plan changes last minute. You are very organized in your work which leads to minimum last minute issues – which we all know are bound to happen. We had a fantastic experience and were treated with thorough professionalism right from planning, organizing and executing the event. It was a fabulous experience working with you both and we cannot thank you enough for executing it so well. Kind regards, Gita

    Gita WaghelaTalwar, Thakore and Associates

  • Mufaddal & his team gave us a new insight & a different perspective about our event. They showcased it beautifully, gave us invaluable tips and made it a huge success. Our event is a multi-faceted one and not easy to understand & implement. They were very professional, creative and worked hard to meet our deadlines. Thank you very much Mufaddal and all the best to you & your team.

    Kusuma RaoPresident, Rotary Club of Bombay Powai (Powai Fest 2017)

Planning an event in Australia: questions

Is alcohol allowed at a corporate dinner in Australia?

Yes, in licensed venues such as hotels, convention centres and cruise vessels. ICE India confirms the licence with the venue when the dinner is booked.

How do you cater for a big vegetarian or Jain group?

The hotel kitchen or caterer is briefed before arrival, menus are reviewed each day and restaurants are scouted first, so vegetarian and Jain guests eat full meals instead of side dishes.

Can we combine two cities in one trip?

Yes. Sydney to Melbourne is about 1 hour 30 minutes by air, and Sydney to Cairns about 3 hours 10 minutes. Domestic flights run many times a day, so a group moves in a morning.

Is there a time difference with India?

Yes. Sydney, Melbourne and Cairns are 4½ to 5½ hours ahead of India, depending on daylight saving, and Perth is 2½ hours ahead. ICE India keeps the first evening easy, so the group rests after the long flight.

Compare destinations

  • Destination

    Singapore

    A short flight from India for city hotels, large ballrooms and a polished incentive programme.

  • Destination

    Bali

    Beach resorts, villa dinners and temple tours for incentive trips.

  • Destination

    Japan

    Tokyo conferences and Kyoto culture, for groups who want a longer flight and a different pace.

Photographs via Wikimedia Commons: -wuppertaler (CC BY 4.0); Sam Wilson, Kgbo, Nichollas Harrison, Chris Olszewski, KeepActive Australia, JustARandomEditor123, DaHuzyBru, Thomas Adams, Wildvik and the WT-shared Queensland contributors (CC BY-SA 4.0); Steve Evans (CC BY 2.0) and the Commons contributor "Uploaded" (CC BY 2.0); Philip Mallis and Adam Jones (CC BY-SA 2.0). Other photographs are from Unsplash and public sources, and remain the property of their owners.