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Leisure and Gaming news and insights for Australia’s small and medium business owners and entrepreneurs. Read the latest leisure and gaming news, trends and features and entrepreneur interviews about the leisure and gaming industry. Or search for leisure and gaming on SmartCompany. |
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News
Copyright laws in focus after Optus wins rights to transmit free-to-air television shows on delay Madeleine Heffernan Optus has been cleared to record and transmit free-to-air television shows to consumers with little delay via PCs, smart phones and tablets, in a ruling that has angered the national football codes and fellow telco giant Telstra. | Thursday, 2 February 2012 |
Hotels association says rostering rules confusing, encourage industry to use casual rather than permanent staff Madeleine Heffernan The Australian Hotels Association says rostering rules are creating confusion among hoteliers, and encouraging them to take on casual workers rather than permanent workers. | Monday, 16 January 2012 |
Tourism bodies say 24-hour tourism industry struggling with penalty rates Madeleine Heffernan Tourism bodies say the industry is struggling with penalty rates, and warn that the expiration of enterprise bargaining agreements will put further strain on operators. | Sunday, 15 January 2012 |
Packer eyes another big investment in Perth casino, as Chinese tourism soars Madeleine Heffernan James Packer is believed to be eyeing another massive investment in Crown's casino in Perth, talking with the state Government about acquiring land for a new hotel and entertainment complex. | Friday, 13 January 2012 |
Insurance payout delays, soaring premiums pressure Queensland tourism operators post-Yasi Madeleine Heffernan Queensland tourism experts say operators have made good progress recovering from Cyclone Yasi, but long waits to receive insurance payouts and soaring premiums have been too much for some operators to bear. | Thursday, 12 January 2012 |
Queensland resort stops taking guests a year on from Cyclone Yasi Madeleine Heffernan The Far North Queensland boutique resort Elandra Mission Beach has closed its doors to guests and is believed to be shifting its focus from tourism to conferences and functions. | Tuesday, 10 January 2012 |
Tourism earnings reach five-year low, but local operators upbeat on new visitors, investments Madeleine Heffernan The gap between what Australians spend overseas and what tourists spend here has widened, with earnings from international tourism nearing a five-year low at the end of 2011. | Friday, 6 January 2012 |
THE LIGHTER SIDE: Christmas clean out James Thomson Christmas time provides a great for a giant clean up...except if you are a certain big guy from the North Pole | Thursday, 22 December 2011 |
Ticketek fined $2.5 million for anti-competitive muscling of start-up rival Oliver Milman Ticketing giant Ticketek has been fined $2.5 million by the Federal Court for anti-competitive behaviour towards Lasttix, a start-up rival. | Thursday, 22 December 2011 |
Your last minute guide to the 2011 Melbourne Cup James Thomson A sensational betting plunge on one of the few Australian horses left in the Melbourne Cup is the big story this morning. | Monday, 31 October 2011 |
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Trends
Groupon makes a loss in first quarter Patrick Stafford Group buying giant Groupon has made a loss in its first quarter trading as a publically listed company. | Wednesday, 8 February 2012 |
Google hires Apple executive for new project Patrick Stafford Search giant Google has hired a former Apple executive for a new project, a new report from VentureBeat claims. | Monday, 6 February 2012 |
Features
Tourism’s long road back Madeleine Heffernan Once a famed tourist destination known for its vibrant cities, beautiful beaches and remarkable outback, Australia is now a net exporter of tourism. How will it recover its past glory? | Wednesday, 16 November 2011 |
On the right track IBISWorld The horse and sports betting industry is undergoing significant change, as governments abandon their holdings in state-based TAB operations to effectively develop a national wagering market. | Tuesday, 15 November 2011 |
How I improved franchisee satisfaction by dumping email Patrick Stafford GameTraders founder Mark Langford talks about making a calculated decision to stop using email and instead talk to franchisees over the phone. | Thursday, 12 May 2011 |
Lights, camera, action Robert Bryant, IBISWorld A rolling economy will set film production in motion in the coming years. | Tuesday, 12 April 2011 |
No holiday for tourism operators Robert Bryant, IBISWORLD Intense competition in the global tourism sector means more tough times are ahead for Australian operators. | Tuesday, 18 January 2011 |
How I created a special business unit dedicated to culture to keep staff turnover low Patrick Stafford Bruce Poon Tip’s Canadian travel business uses some unusual methods to keep staff loyal, inlcuding a secret Culture Club. | Thursday, 28 October 2010 |
Movements of the motel industry Robert Bryant, IBISWorld Rebounding economic conditions coupled with a downward trend in unemployment should see the motel accommodation industry grow. | Tuesday, 21 September 2010 |
Tourism tetchy Robert Bryant, IBISWorld Marginal growth in the tourism sector can be attributed to unfavourable exchange rates, high fuel prices and of course, the recent GFC. | Tuesday, 2 February 2010 |
The highs and lows of racing Robert Bryant The lingering effects from the 2007 Equine Influenza, plus the GFC, has seen Australia's horse and dog racing industry flag. | Tuesday, 24 November 2009 |
Curtain call on the silver screen? Robert Bryant The economic climate and the popularity of home theatre systems and pay-TV has seen a surge in stay-at-home entertainment and a decline in cinema-going. | Tuesday, 20 October 2009 |
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Entrepreneur Zone
Brendon Levenson Madeleine Heffernan Jetts Fitness founder Brendon Levenson says the financial crisis has shown that the 24-hour, no-contract fitness model can withstand dire conditions. | Tuesday, 29 November 2011
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How the iPhone rescued me Patrick Stafford The extraordinary popularity of iPhone Apps has helped protect Melbourne game developer Firemint from the worst of the downturn. | Thursday, 2 July 2009
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Singing the praises of creativity Amanda Gome Tania de Jong is a trained opera signer and entrepreneur who has managed to combine for-profit ventures with social entrepreneurship. | Tuesday, 2 June 2009
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GameTraders game plan Patrick Stafford Mark Langford attributes the rosy revenue of his franchised chain GameTraders to a re-emphasis in his business model. | Thursday, 23 April 2009
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Travelcorp's holding pattern Patrick Stafford Principal Helen Logas has survived before by pursuing an aggressive strategy, and says if businesses want to survive they must do the same. | Thursday, 19 March 2009
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A better (video) game plan Patrick Stafford Video game innovator Infinite Interactive is facing multiple challenges, including funding, the erosion of revenues through piracy, and plain old geography. Principal Steve Fawkner tells how he is meeting these head-on | Wednesday, 11 February 2009
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Recruiter rides the outsourcing wave Amanda Gome Andrew Banks heads the winning HR firm Talent2, and has built a highly successful and lucrative career from making canny calls on recruitment trends. He tells AMANDA GOME about his strategies and predictions. | Tuesday, 14 October 2008 |
Digital directions Amanda Gome John O’Neill, the chair of online strategy and digital agency Komosion, talks to AMANDA GOME about shaking the status quo in the face of the changing online space. | Thursday, 18 September 2008 |
Digital directions Amanda Gome John O’Neill, the chair of online strategy and digital agency Komosion, talks to AMANDA GOME about shaking the status quo in the face of the changing online space. | Tuesday, 26 August 2008 |
Life after Destra, and the digital future Amanda Gome Dominic Carosa, 33, was until two months ago, the founder and chief executive of digital media and entertainment company Destra Corporation. He talks to AMANDA GOME about life after Destra, the lessons he learnt, his new plans and how the digital world is | Monday, 23 June 2008 |
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