Press Release – For immediate release – 12 October 2016
Riviera Festival of Boating awarded
Queensland’s Best Corporate Event
The 2016 Riviera Festival of Boating has been formally acknowledged for excellence as Queensland’s Best Corporate Event.
This year’s festival of fun and learning was the largest and most comprehensive ever staged at the home of Riviera on Australia’s Gold Coast, attracting over 1000 registrants from around Australia and the world.
In accepting the 2016 Best Corporate Event accolade on behalf of the 500-strong Riviera team, Brand and Communications Director Stephen Milne said the 2016 Festival truly reflected the ethos of excellence that flows through every aspect of Riviera – Australia’s favourite and most-awarded builder of luxury motor yachts.
“For the Australian motor yacht enthusiast in particular, the Riviera Festival of Boating is a truly unique event that continues to grow every year,” said Mr Milne.
“Across four fantastic days, our very talented team and our experienced facilitators this year hosted over 110 educational workshops on land and on water, a number of special social events, fully narrated factory tours via the Riviera Express train ride and a spectacular red-carpet showcase of world-class luxury motor yachts on the undercover Riviera Marina.
“It is extremely gratifying that the Festival has been recognised as something genuinely special not just by our global Riviera Family of owners … but now by the Australian events industry as well.”
The 2016 Festival’s hands-on workshops spanned all aspects of boating – from weather forecasting and routine maintenance to offshore seamanship and advanced navigation, and placed a special emphasis on safety.
The Friday Ladies Luncheon & Fashion Parade was staged at the iconic Marina Mirage shopping and dining destination in Main Beach, while the spectacular Saturday evening red-carpet marina party, gala dinner and show – Viva Las Riviera – transformed part of the Riviera factory into a magnificent ballroom for almost 600 guests.
Something truly special
“Every guest at this year’s Festival will tell you there’s something very special happening in the world of Riviera right now,” said Mr Milne.
“Yes, we create and build beautiful and luxurious motor yachts that are recognised as being amongst the best in the world and we are certainly proud of our international success and our many awards attest to this dedication and skill.
“The Festival is about helping luxury motor yacht owners, and aspiring owners, to learn and develop or enhance their sea legs and experience the exhilaration and great reward of true blue-water cruising.
“It really is a privilege for our team to help our owners develop skills for the safe and confident enjoyment of their time on the water.”
Judges of the 2016 Australian Event Awards praised Riviera for its genuine commitment to helping owners realise their full boating potential.
“Well done – it’s not easy to deliver such a great event for customers,” the judges said.
“We very much liked your different approach which was to have your customers really understand their boats and the experiences they have bought into … and the safety demonstrations will probably save lives.”
Mr Milne said work has now begun in earnest for the 2017 Festival of Boating from 25-28 May at Riviera’s world-class Coomera facility – the largest of its type in the Southern Hemisphere – and motor yacht enthusiasts can register now to receive the 2017 Festival of Boating event program in advance by visiting the Events section on the Riviera website at http://bit.ly/2017FestivalofBoating
ENDS
Please click on any of the images below to download a full resolution copy
The biggest showcase of Rivieras this year included World, Australian and Queensland Premieres at the Riviera Festival of Boating.
Festival of Boating guests walk the red carpet as they enter a VIP courtyard and Festival hub, with access to a massive program of boating education and fun.
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Riviera CEO Wes Moxey with Viva Las Riviera entertainers and Riviera chairman and owner, Rodney Longhurst, aboard the 575 SUV at her World Premiere.
Riviera Brand and Communications Director Stephen Milne accepted the Best Corporate Event award on behalf of the 500-strong Riviera team at the Australian Event Awards.
The Riviera Express factory tour by train is a very popular feature of the Festival of Boating and provides a behind-the-scenes insight into Riviera’s world-class luxury motor yacht manufacturing facility on Australia’s Gold Coast – the largest of its type in the Southern Hemisphere.
The world-class Riviera factory on Australia’s Gold Coast hosted a red-carpet display of our luxury motor yachts, factory tours, over 110 educational workshops … and much more.
The 2016 Festival of fun and learning included a firm focus on boating safety, including fire-fighting procedures and an array of other essential skills.
Rafting-up was one of the many essential skills covered throughout the most comprehensive Festival education program ever in 2016.
Registrants at the 2016 Festival of Boating learn how to safely fire flares in the event they are ever required to call for assistance.
The Festival educational program of over 110 workshops covered everything from anchoring to safe operation of a tender.
Skippers workshops focus on knots, ropes and line work.
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Riviera’s stunning luxury motor yacht showcase looked spectacular under lights at the Saturday evening marina party, gala dinner and show.
Part of the world-class Riviera factory was transformed into a magnificent gala ballroom for the Viva Las Riviera dinner and show on the Saturday evening of the Festival.
Viva Las Vegas – the entertainment, the atmosphere and the elegance was described by so many guests as ‘brilliant’.
Viva Las Riviera – the first-class entertainment included a grand entrance to the ballroom in beautiful Ferrari.
Everywhere you looked at Viva Las Riviera, the entertainment was on stage and screen, and even flowed on to the dance floor.
Magician Matt Hollywood left everyone wondering with his amazing illusions, including one slightly nervous member of the crowd.
The entertainment at Viva Las Riviera was soothing, inspiring and then, simply sensational.
The quality of entertainment at Viva Las Riviera was rated as being amongst the Festival’s best ever.
Please click on the image above to enjoy some of the highlights and fun from the 2016 Riviera Festival of Boating
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Riviera – the 2015 and 2016 Australian Marine Industry Exporter of the Year – currently offers 16 different models from 36 to 77 feet across five distinctive model collections: the supremely seaworthy Flybridge range, stylish and sophisticated Sport Yachts, the sporty and adventurous SUV series, the luxurious and long-range new Sports Motor Yacht design, and the timelessly classic Belize Motor Yachts.
Having now built almost 5200 motor yachts throughout its rich 36-year heritage, the name Riviera is synonymous around the world with luxury, innovation, blue-water performance, built-to-last quality and unrivalled owner support.
In fact, Riviera is Australia’s most-awarded builder of luxury motor yachts.