CIM NEWS MAGAZINE Issue 8 2016 | Page 18

Case study Finish Line at State Library Victoria In March 2016, State Library Victoria hosted a black-tie fundraising dinner to support its Vision 2020 redevelopment project. The evening's program ranged across several event spaces around the Library, beginning with a red carpet welcome in the Keith Murdoch Gallery, followed by a speech and pre-dinner drinks in the bluestone setting of Experimedia. Here, guests were served champagne and canapés while viewing unique horseracing-inspired items from the State Collection, accompanied by live harp music. Guests then enjoyed fine dining in the Cowen Gallery, surrounded by artworks from the Library's Pictures Collection. The evening culminated in roving desserts and a cognac bar, accompanied by a sound and light show across the domed ceiling of the La Trobe Reading Room. the 2016 Savour Australia Restaurant and Catering Hostplus Awards for Excellence. “We’ve been fortunate enough to win that award three times in the last four years,” says Roberts. “I think it really cements us as not just one of the top venues in Brisbane but rather one of the top venues in Australia.” With an accolade like that, it comes as no surprise that next year Customs House will participate in the World’s 50 Best Restaurants awards, which is being hosted in Melbourne for the first time. As the host of the Queensland leg of the event, Customs House will welcome chefs, media and delegates from all over the world, showcasing the venue on an international level. international delegates into Melbourne and offer those unique Victorian experiences to complement other things that are happening around the city,” she says. For the State Library Victoria, the majority of events come from the domestic market, however commercial manager Alix Massina says the Library is looking at ways to attract more international events. Among the State Library’s 22 interconnecting buildings dating back to the 1850s, the Experimedia Room