Australians Say G'Day to Americans During G'Day USA: Australia Week 2008

Australians Say G'Day to Americans During G'Day USA: Australia Week 2008

January 17 - 26, 2008 Events in Los Angeles and New York

Kylie Minogue, Julian McMahon, Olivia Newton John, Terri & Bindi Irwin and Khaliah Ali Join Together to Celebrate Australia from Coast to Coast

LOS ANGELES and NEW YORK, Dec. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- This January, the best of Australian culture, fashion, food and business will be celebrated in Los Angeles and New York with the largest annual foreign country promotion in the United States -- G'Day USA: Australia Week 2008. G'Day USA: Australia Week 2008, which is in its fifth year, includes Australian celebrities and businesses such as food & wine products, trade and investment professionals, film and art experts, star athletes, fashion designers and tourism experiences come together in more than 25 events from Los Angeles to New York. Activities will begin in Los Angeles from January 17-21 and continue in New York from January 21-26. In addition, there will be month-long Australian in-store promotions at Bristol Farms (LA) and Citarella (NYC) stores and an online auction, the Great Aussie Auction.

"Five years ago we started this promotion in Los Angeles and this year we saw more than 400 million global audience impressions," says The Honorable John Olsen, AO, Australian Consul General in New York and Australia Week Steering Committee Chairman. "For 2008 we are planning an even more diverse range of events so Americans can truly experience a unique two-week Australian cultural journey."

G'Day USA: Australia Week promotes Australia in a series of events that are open to the public to demonstrate that Australia is a unique place to visit with an innovative, sophisticated and vital economy. G'Day USA will open in Los Angeles on January 16 with the Aussie Youth Festival at a local college campus. The following day introduces an energy and climate change symposium entitled The Road to Renewables. On January 19, Los Angeles hosts G'Day USA's signature event, the Australia.com Icon Gala Dinner at the Renaissance Hotel where Kylie Minogue will be honored for her contribution to the entertainment industry and Award-winning director Phillip Noyce will receive the Excellence in Film Award. Fellow Australian, Olivia Newton John is scheduled to perform on the evening and celebrated chef Wolfgang Puck will share the kitchen with Australian chef Neil Perry to create an Aussie dinner featuring fresh ingredients flown in from Australia. On Monday, January 21, the Los Angeles portion of G'Day USA comes to an end with the Melbourne Australia CEO Golf Day, a golf tournament hosted by famed Australian golfer Ian Baker Finch. New events to Los Angeles is the Pulse Australian Directors Showcase, a selection of Australian short films and a cricket match called The Hollywood Ashes between traditional 'enemies' England and Australia.

The 2007 inaugural New York events established a platform for the philanthropic, fashion and financial sectors and in 2008 the momentum continues. The opening event in New York will be the Queensland Government Walk on the Wildside Benefit Dinner on January 22 at Frederick P. Rose Hall, home of Jazz at Lincoln Center. This event will be held in partnership with Wildlife Warriors Worldwide and attended by Terri and Bindi Irwin in order to raise the profile of their global foundation and to honor the original wildlife warrior, Steve Irwin. US Ambassador for Wildlife Warriors, Khaliah Ali -- author, fashion designer, talk show host and daughter of legendary boxer Muhammad Ali -- will attend this event. Immediately following this event will be the post-dinner performance of Australia Plays Broadway in The Allen Room at Jazz at Lincoln Center. This performance event will feature a diverse range of performances from some of Australia's finest cultural talent including: Award-winning singer Shannon Noll, multi-platinum rock band Eskimo Joe, the Australian Dance Theater and the Qantas Choir, Indigenous performers Christine Anu and Richard Walley, and Metropolitan Opera singer, Rachelle Durkin amongst other artists. The following day, January 23, will feature a day long symposium called Innovation Day, presenting Australian innovation and investment potential to US business and industry executives. On January 24, Australia Walkabout Planet Oz presented by Conde Nast will focus on Australia's eco and World Heritage tourism experiences. A select group of contemporary Australian fashion designers will be showcasing their collections at the Fashion Showroom Event from January 23-25. On January 26, guests will attend G'Day USA's closing event, the Merino 200 Jacob's Creek Australia Day Black Tie Gala where Australian actor and Nip|Tuck star Julian McMahon will be honored with the Excellence in Entertainment Award for his contribution to the entertainment industry.

Australia's food and wine will also be a big focus of this year's G'Day USA. Australian celebrity chefs, Shannon Bennett, Luke Mangan, Neil Perry and Hollywood chef Wolfgang Puck will bring Australian cuisine to the palates of G'DAY USA participants. Each will incorporate their own signature native twist on their menus with fresh ingredients flown in from Australia.

In addition to experiencing culinary delights at G'DAY events, US consumers will be able to taste the flavors of Australia via simultaneous supermarket promotions in Bristol Farms and Citarella stores in Southern California and New York. Additionally, more than 30,000 buyers will explore more than 100 Australian food and beverage products at one of America's most important trade events, the 2008 San Diego Fancy Food Show. New Yorkers will be able to sample some of Australia's best wine during the Wine Australia Festival.

And for those that can't make the events in Los Angeles and New York, the Great Aussie Auction will run from January 17 until February 15, with more than 20 unique eco-tourism experiences on offer.

G'Day USA: Australia Week is produced by the Los Angeles and New York offices of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Tourism Australia, Qantas Airways and Austrade. In addition to the founding partners, Australia Week is supported by six State Governments and more than 35 sponsors. For more information about events including complete descriptions, locations and how to purchase tickets, please visit http://www.australia-week.com/.

   G'Day USA: Australia Week USA Key Events include:    In LOS ANGELES        G'Day USA Ausfilm Industry Breakfast at Hollywood Roosevelt,       January 16       Invitation Only        G'Day USA Pulse Australian Directors Showcase at Paramount Studios,       January 17       Invitation Only.  In partnership with the Australian Film Finance       Corporation        G'Day USA Aussie Youth Day with Roadtrip Nation at Cal Poly Pomona,       January 16       Presented by Tourism Australia contact cellson@tourism.australia.com        G'Day USA Energy & Climate Change Symposium -- The Road to Renewables       at Century City, January 18       Supported by Australia's State and Territories, Fedex, Geothermal,       Holland and Knight, Macquarie        G'Day USA Australia.com Black Tie Gala at the Renaissance Hollywood       Hotel, January 19       Tickets start at $300.  Presented by Penfolds, Westfield and Qantas       Airways and Ausfilm        G'Day USA Hollywood Ashes and Aussie Picnic at Woodley Park,       January 20       Free admission.  Presented by Qantas Airways        G'Day USA Melbourne Australia CEO Golf Day at Trump National Golf       Course, January 21       In Partnership with Travel + Leisure Golf, Presented by Australia.com       and Qantas Airways        San Diego Fancy Food Show at San Diego Convention Center,       January 13-14       Presented by Australian Trade Commission (Austrade)        G'Day USA Great Aussie Auction online at       http://www.greataussieauction.com/       Presented by Tourism Australia contact cellson@tourism.australia.com        G'Day USA Bristol Farms, January 1-31        Satellite Event        Modern Australian Art and Australian Architecture at the Museum of       Design Art + Architecture, January 18     In NEW YORK        G'Day USA Queensland Government Walk on the Wildside: Benefit for       Wildlife Warriors at Jazz at Lincoln Center, January 22       Tickets start at $1,000; contact Fiona.gosschalk@dfat.gov.au.       Presented by MargiArt and Pratt Industries and supported by Banrock       Station.        G'Day USA Sydney Presents Australia Plays Broadway at Jazz at Lincoln       Center, January 22       Tickets $50 - $150; contact robert.archibald@dfat.gov.au.  Presented       by Sydney.        G'Day USA Innovation Competition at the Waldorf=Astoria Hotel,       January 23       Contact savona@lisalori.com        G'Day USA Innovation Lunch at the Waldorf=Astoria Hotel, January 23       Contact Michelle.lee@dfat.gov.au        G'Day USA Australia's R&D/ Innovation Ecosystem at the       Waldorf=Astoria, January 23       Presented by CSIRO.  Contact Imogene.thomson@dfat.gov.au        G'Day USA Australian National University 'Energy of Asia' Event at the       Waldorf=Astoria, January 23       Contact Imogene.thomson@dfat.gov.au        G'Day USA Wholesale Fashion Showroom Event at The Australian Consulate       General, January 23-25       Contact Leslie@Laforce-stevens.com        G'Day USA Wine Australia Festival at Cipriani Wall Street, January 24       Tickets $70/advance $80/at door; contact       Jan.steubing@wineaustralia.com        G'Day USA Financial Services Lunch at the Waldorf=Astoria Hotel,       January 25       Tickets contact venture@advance.org        G'Day USA Australia Walkabout Planet Oz at Conde Nast Publications,       January 24       Invitation Only.  Presented by Tourism Australia and Conde Nast       contact cellson@tourism.australia.com        G'Day USA Merino 200 Jacob's Creek Australia Day Black Tie Gala at the       Waldorf=Astoria Hotel, January 26       Presented by Westfield Tickets $250-$300; contact       australiaday@aaanyc.org        G'Day USA Citarella Supermarket Promotion, January 1-31        Satellite Events        David Larwill & The Western Desert Artists Exhibit at Donna Karan       Studio, January 21        Australian Documentary Screening 'In the Company of Actors' at the       Brooklyn Academy of Music, January 23        Paul Rigby Retrospective at Robert Steele Gallery, January 23        Women of the Pilbara Book Launch at The Australian Consulate General,       January 28    

For more information about all G'Day USA: Australia Week 2008 events, including ticket purchases, visit http://www.australia-week.com/

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Source: Tourism Australia

CONTACT: Michelle Lee of Australian Consulate General, +1-212-351-6552,
Michelle.lee@dfat.gov.au; or Carly Ellson of Tourism Australia,
+1-310-695-3215, cellson@tourism.australia.com

Web site: http://www.australia.com/
http://www.australia-week.com/

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Profile: International Entertainment