'Evolved' events for Carnivale 2015
Tuesday March 17 2015, 5:33pm
Carnivale 2015 will feature ‘evolved’ versions of two well-loved events previously managed by now-defunct Events NQ, general manager Roy Weavers says.
Mr Weavers faced a scramble to find a manager for the events after Events NQ, which was owned by Cairns mayor Bob Manning, folded in late February.
Events NQ managed the Sheraton Longest Lunch and the Food, Wine and A Taste of Port Events, which will now be handled by Port Douglas-based caterers Roux Blond.
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The Longest Lunch, starting at 11:30 on May 22, has been moved to the shoreline of Rex Smeal Park and will now feature a social marquee and a welcome glass of champagne and oyster.
Food, Wine and A Taste of Port has been rebranded into Feast Port Douglas, and will start at 5:30pm on May 23, also at Rex Smeal Park.
Feast Port Douglas will feature a full line-up of live entertainment and the ticket price has been dropped from $69 to $45..
The ticket system for the bar will remain, but attendees can now either redeem unused tickets for cash at the end of the night or donate the proceeds to a charity of their cause.
Mr Weavers said the changes to the events represented an ‘evolution’ from their previous formats.
“The marquee for Longest Lunch will function as the centre of attention for anyone looking to mingle,” he said.
“It’s really I think bringing the focus back to the social aspects of the Longest Lunch, which is important.
“There will be some light entertainment throughout the day but I think that the focus really should be on people getting together to enjoy good food in wonderful surrounds.
“Feast Port Douglas is planning for about 2000 people and there’s huge demand - they have people from Melbourne and from Brisbane in parties of 10 or 15 calling about seats.
“One of the great things about it is that it has unreserved seating, so there is a wide variey of seating options - if you want to do a formal round-table dinner you can do that, or you can have a more relaxed and informal sit down on rugs and cushions, even.
“Through this we are trying to move the event’s image away from the corporate side and back toward a more family-oriented message.”
Other tweaked and updated events for Carnivale 2015 include the Avenue of the Arts, with Mr Weavers describing it as ‘anything you can think of in the art world, we’ll have the local version and you’ll be able to talk to the artist who created that work you’re looking at’.
There’s also the all-new two-day Radiant Festival on the Sugar Wharf, focusing on health and wellbeing, and the two-nighter Craft Beer and Cider Festival, which will showcase exotic beers and ciders from around Australia and the world.