Latest News
SEPTEMBER 29 2015 - Article by James Beech in the Canterbury-Bankstown Express
AFTER WORK TAPAS NIGHT GAINS LIVE MUSIC PERFORMERS AND FANS EVERY MONTH IN BANKSTOWN
A NEW live music and tapas night in Bankstown is aiming to offer an alternative to going to the pub on a Friday night. The cafe at Bankstown Library and Knowledge Centre is transformed into the After Work Tapas Bar one Friday a month.
VMS Live, the performing arts wing of cafe, theatre and function room operator, Venue Management Services, launched After Work in August. It aims to attract more people to Bankstown in the evenings and offers an alternative to going to the pub.
Coloured lighting, bean bag lounge chairs, background music and a licensed bar with food to share change the ambience of BLaKC Cafe on the first Friday of the month.
Professional and up-and-coming Sydney singer-songwriters play live sets in the intimate venue from 5pm-8pm. It is free with happy hour from 5pm-6pm.
VMS Live organiser Jeannette Graham said a variety of musical styles had entertained in the intimate venue to see what fits. “We’re not trying to be a party place, it’s a chill out space with cultural and contemporary music,” Mrs Graham said. “Come down and enjoy and socialise.”
Next to perform is Sudanese born singer Yasmin Ibrahim who blends traditional songs and improvisations with modern styles, accompanied by Michael Coggins on acoustic guitar (both pictured).
Yasmin Ibrahim and Michael Coggins
photo by Carmela Roche
AUGUST 26 2015 - Press release by Wyndham City Council
NEW LOOK AND NEW MANAGEMENT FOR ENCORE EVENTS CENTRE
Wyndham City is proud to announce that Venue Management Services (VMS) has been appointed to manage the refurbished Encore Events Centre.
VMS will manage the dramatically refurbished Encore Events Centre which now boasts an improved stage, sound and acoustics – to ensure maximum benefit for the whole community.
Wyndham City Mayor Cr Peter Maynard, who is also the Portfolio Holder for Sport, Leisure and Open Spaces said the Encore Events Centre was refurbished as part of Wyndham City’s biggest ever capital works project and is now open for business.
“With rooms that can cater for 10 to 1,000 people the Encore Events Centre is ideal for a wide variety of uses - making it great for meetings, concerts, theatre, banquets and performances,” Cr Maynard said.
“We are excited about the extensive experience and credentials that VMS bring to the management of our events centre.”
Established in 2002, VMS have extensive experience in managing and marketing venues such as civic centres, town halls, performing arts centres and community facilities. The experienced and qualified team at VMS have over 100 years of combined experience in venue management and hospitality operations.
Saxon Mitchell, Managing Director of VMS said he and the VMS Team are excited about the appointment and look forward to operating the Encore Events Centre.
“It’s a fantastic facility which can be configured to suit a range of events and activities. At VMS, we are passionate about energising and activating community venues to ensure that residents reap the benefits of these amazing facilities.”
“The Encore Events Centre has so much potential and we are excited to put the centre to good use with a wide range of activations including community and business events!”
ENCORE EVENTS CENTRE
80 Derrimut Road
Hoppers Crossing Vic
now proudly managed by VMS
AUGUST 2015
VMS APPOINTS VENUE CO-ORDINATOR AT SOMERSET CIVIC CENTRE - DEBORAH HOARE
VMS welcomes Deborah Hoare to the team. Deborah joins us as the Venue and Events Co-ordinator on site at Somerset Civic Centre.
Deborah is well known in the Somerset Region for resurrecting and re-establishing the Cormorant Bay Café at Wivenhoe Dam as a major tourist drawcard at the lovely public park area of the dam surrounds.
Deborah will bring her hospitality expertise and regional knowledge to her new position at Somerset Civic Centre. With over 30 years in the customer service industry and a great love of the region, Deb is very excited about stepping into a role that supports the local community in creating and implementing wonderful events at the venue.
VMS Managing Director Saxon Mitchell said, “Wherever possible we prefer to hire locally to our venues, though it can be a challenge with the role requiring such a diverse skill set. We’re very happy to welcome Somerset local Deborah Hoare to the VMS team at Somerset Civic Centre."
Deb will work closely with Jeannette Heinze-Graham, who has been managing Somerset Civic Centre since July 2013.
DEBORAH HOARE
Somerset Civic Centre Venue & Events Co-ordinator
JULY 2015
VMS APPOINTS GENERAL MANAGER - ERICA SAMMUT
Venue Management Services (VMS) is pleased to announce the appointment of Erica Sammut to the newly created position of General Manager- Venues and Events.
With over 15 years industry experience, Erica joins VMS from recent roles at Delaware North Companies Australia at the Melbourne and Olympic Parks as Food and Beverage Manager and Spotless and Epicure at the Melbourne Cricket Ground as Event Planning Manager.
Erica will be responsible for the management of the nationwide VMS portfolio of venues and the growth of VMS further into the local and state government sector.
"We are delighted to welcome Erica to the VMS Team. This is an exciting development for VMS as we continue to grow as a leading provider of venue and event management solutions Australia-wide. Erica's extensive experience in multi-outlet venue based food and beverage management will make a significant contribution to our business" states Managing Director Saxon Mitchell.
Saxon Mitchell adds "I am incredibly proud of our growing team- it is the calibre of our collective expertise that enables VMS to provide such significant management solutions to our valued local and state government venue owners whilst creating successful events for our venue clients"
December 2014
did you know ...
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Since 2007 VMS has created and produced over 35 regional entertainment events - all with local performers, giving youth and people of all ages and talents developmental and performance opportunities in professional standard events
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VMS also supports local talents to create their own regular events - piano bars, cabarets and full scale stage musical productions
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VMS supports and creates community interest events like markets and special interest events - we work closely with community groups to help them realise ideas and also undertake event inaugruation
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VMS hires local staff and provides training opportunities and work experience for students
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VMS is currently working with local community groups to deliver a raft of brand new awesome events for 2015 - based on what the community want
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Revenue from venue hire goes back into these community initiatives
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VMS is an Australia-wide company that specialises in local government facility management and everything we know and learn is for the benefit of all the venues under our management
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VMS has specialist divisions for catering, cafe and bar operations and performing arts production and procurement
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“VMS Live”, our performing arts programming division has now centralised the buying and touring of professional shows for the benefit of all our venues
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All events open to the public are given marketing support through our website, social media and newsletters for free (professionally delivered by our national marketing department)
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VMS supports local, national and international charities
SEPTEMBER 2014
We’re excited to announce the launch of a new division of Venue Management Services: “VMS LIVE”, which will specialise in the acquisition, development, presentation and marketing of performing arts in VMS venues. VMS Live will also directly develop and implement in-house events and productions utilising local talents.
This new division will benefit VMS venues by:
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increasing show purchasing buying power
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improving marketing strategies through shared experience
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creating cutting edge marketing materials, e.g.: pod casts, videos, blogs – as well as traditional marketing and advertising
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providing professional ticketing and booking systems integration
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providing performer development workshops and performance opportunities, both in their local venues and touring to other VMS venues
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development of special initiatives with other amateur performance groups and schools (e.g.: The High School Musical Season)
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sourcing of sponsorship, other funding and partnerships
MARCH 2014
Bankstown Library & Knowledge Centre is now open. With functions spaces to hire, the Bryan Brown Theatre & BLaKC Cafe, this venue is set to become a community hub.
Watch virtual "fly-through" videos below.
Media Release . Feb 18 . 2014
Venue Management Services (VMS) has been appointed the exclusive venue manager of the new state-of-the-art Bankstown Library and Knowledge Centre including the Bryan Brown Theatre.
The multi-purpose facility encompasses four function/meeting rooms, an on-site café and bar with event catering services and a 300-seat theatre named after renowned actor and one of Bankstown’s favourite sons Bryan Brown.
The theatre will include state of the art audio visual and presentation facilities - perfect for that important product launch, client seminar or awards event.
Managing Director of VMS, Saxon Mitchell, is very excited about the differing aspects of the new facility in Bankstown.
“VMS welcomes the addition of the Bankstown Library and Knowledge Centre and The Bryan Brown Theatre to our growing portfolio of venues around Australia,” said Mr Mitchell.
“VMS has a great team ready to work with both community and commercial organisations that are looking for a brand new venue for their function, meeting and special events. Our onsite dedicated team includes specialists in hospitality, catering, event management, marketing, theatrical production and more.
“We’ve learned what it takes to make these venues a true asset to their communities. With a full-time café and bar, pleasant reading areas, exhibition spaces and even a theatre, this complex will be buzzing with appealing activities for all ages and interests - which is really the aim of all community focused venues.”
VMS is currently working along-side Bankstown City Council to finalise operational requirements and guidelines. Mayor of Bankstown, Khal Asfour, is pleased to have VMS on board to manage the centre given the skills and experience the company provides.
“This is an exciting project for our community and one that needs specialised management skills that VMS provides. Council is looking forward to working closely with the team at VMS.
”Although the venue is not quite finished, VMS can already take expressions of interest for venue hire dates and is happy to discuss the venue’s possibilities with interested parties.
VMS is a dynamic young company that specialises in the management and marketing of Local Council and Government-owned community and event venues with their guiding ethos of “connecting communities and energising venues".