Olivia Newton-John to Receive the HICAP ANZ Global Impact Award

Olivia Newton-John to Receive the HICAP ANZ Global Impact Award

Costa Mesa, California, USA – HICAP ANZ is pleased to announce it will present the HICAP ANZ Global Impact Award to Olivia Newton-John for her vision, commitment, and positive impact she has made on Australia tourism. Ms. Newton-John has been a long-standing advocate of Australia and has displayed her passion for the country in both her professional and personal pursuits. She has utilized her celebrity to elevate Australia as a destination both in her work with Tourism Australia and with the development and ownership of the globally acclaimed Gaia Retreat & Spa.

The Gaia Retreat & Spa, in the breathtaking Bundjalung Country hinterland of Byron Bay Australia, was founded in 2005 by Ms. Newton-John, along with her friends Gregg Cave, Ruth Kalnin, and Warwick Evans.

Olivia fell in love with the Byron Bay region before the area’s rise in popularity and has owned property there since the early 1980’s. While travelling the New South Wales region with her ‘bestie’ Gregg Cave, in search of country retreat home for him, they stumbled upon an old rundown property in Brooklet located in the Byron Bay hinterland.

In a true Hollywood-like ending, they ended up developing the property into a Retreat to share with the world. Since its opening in 2005, Gaia Retreat & Spa has received numerous accolades and world awards, gaining an impeccable reputation as a leading authentic Australian boutique spa experience. Some of their most recent accolades include receiving Global Hotel of the Year 2018, a first for Australia, and Luxury Boutique Retreat 2018 at the 12^th annual World Luxury Hotel Awards, World’s Leading Retreat from World Travel Awards in 2016, 2017 and 2018, and 2018 Global Winner – Luxury Spa Restaurant from the World Luxury Restaurant Awards.

Ms. Newton-John, along with Gaia Retreat & Spa’s ownership group aptly known as G.R.O.W, has exhibited a passion and commitment to ensuring that the Retreat is operated at world class standards, and maintains a distinctly Australian experience. Subsequently, this has lent the Retreat to being showcased on a global platform. Notably, it was utilized by Tourism Australia’s Media Hosting Program for ‘Oprah Winfrey’s Ultimate Australian Adventure’, which was filmed in December 2010 and was broadcast in the following year to an audience of millions in more than 145 countries.

In addition to the positive impact and awareness of Australian tourism she has provided by owning a world class Retreat, Ms. Newton-John has been an active supporter and participant in G’Day USA since its inception 15 years ago. This program has been Australia’s premier public and economic diplomacy program in the United States. G’Day USA brings together leaders from government, business, the creative industries and academia to deepen the Australia-US relationship and showcase Australia’s creative, innovative economy and society to the United States. Over the past 15 years, G’Day USA has grown into a year-long program of events with unparalleled reach and an outstanding record for delivering outcomes for partners and sponsors.

Outside her advocacy work for Australia, Ms. Newton-John, a four-time Grammy award winner, has sold an estimated 100 million records worldwide, making her one of the world's best-selling artists of all time. She is also widely known for her starring role in the musical film Grease, alongside co-star John Travolta.

Olivia is also a long-time activist focusing on environmental and animal rights issues and advocating for health awareness. One of her greatest personal achievements is raising awareness and funds for cancer research. Olivia proudly lent her name to the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness and Research Centre which opened in Melbourne in 2012. The Research Centre provides top medical research and the newest cutting-edge treatments, combined with the best in wellness care for both patients and their families. It is Olivia’s dream and belief that we will see an end to cancer.

HICAP Australia New Zealand (HICAP ANZ) serves the hotel investment, ownership and development markets in Australia and New Zealand. HICAP ANZ will be held from July 17-19, 2019 in Sydney at the Sofitel Sydney Wentworth and the offices of Co-Host, Ashurst. Visit the HICAP ANZ website, www.HICAPANZ.com, for additional information.

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The HICAP ANZ Achievement Awards recognize leaders who have achieved great success and have made game changing contributions to the hotel and tourism industry in the ANZ region. The awards focus on people who have made a difference in the world of hotel ownership/investment while moving away from the concept of honors based on seniority or age.

Formerly known as the First Awards, the HICAP ANZ Achievement Awards will be presented in 2019 in two categories; Australia First Award and Global Impact Award. The Australia First Award recognizes an individual who is a pioneer in the industry. The honoree represents a leader who has made a unique contribution to hotel management or ownership in Australia, by achieving something unique and special—a feat that is a genuine First.

The Global Impact Award recognizes an individual who has made a positive global impact on the industry. The honoree represents a leader whose business accomplishments and efforts have been impactful to the hotel industry by creating positive international awareness of Australia and its opportunities—success and impact that is genuinely global.

The BHN Group is the worldwide leader in developing and organizing conferences for the hotel and tourism investment community. With over three decades of experience, more than 160 events completed to-date, and in excess of 110,000 international delegates, these conferences have become “must attend” events for industry leaders who come together to network, conduct business, and to learn about the latest trends.

The current slate of events include: the Americas Lodging Investment Summit (ALIS) in Los Angeles; ALIS Law in Los Angeles; ALIS Summer Update; Alternative Ownership Conference Asia Pacific (AOCAP) in Singapore; Caribbean Hotel & Resort Investment Summit (CHRIS) in Miami; Hotel Investment Conference Asia Pacific (HICAP) in Hong Kong; HICAP UPDATE in Singapore; Hotel Investment Forum India (HIFI) in Mumbai; Hotel Opportunities Latin America (HOLA) conference in Miami; Hotel Investment Conference Europe (Hot.E) in London; and HICAP Australia New Zealand (HICAP ANZ) in Sydney.

The BHN Group’s website at www.Burba.com is the gateway for information about the annual conferences produced, as well as a direct link to important players in the hospitality investment world.

About Northstar Travel Group

Northstar Travel Group is the leading B-to-B information and marketing solutions company serving all segments of the travel industry including leisure/retail, corporate/business travel, corporate and sports meetings, incentives, hospitality, and travel technology.

Northstar is the owner of well-known brands including Travel Weekly, TravelAge West, Travel Weekly China, Business Travel News, Successful Meetings, Meetings & Conventions, Incentive, M&C China, Travel42, Axus Travel App, and Web in Travel. The company produces more than 80 face-to-face events in 13 countries in retail travel, hospitality, corporate travel, travel technology, sports travel, and the meetings & incentive industry. In addition, Northstar owns Phocuswright, the leading research, business intelligence, and event producer serving the travel technology industry.

Northstar Travel Group is the leading producer of hotel investment events globally, including ALIS, the largest hotel investment conference in the world and HICAP, Asia Pacific’s most important annual investment conference.

Northstar is also the majority shareholder in Inntopia, the leading SaaS e-commerce software, CRM database marketing and predictive analytics business serving the mountain destination, golf, activities, hospitality, and specialty destination travel markets.