Sunday 6 July 2008

Meet Tiger Island’s newest superstars, Sumatran tiger cubs SHANTI, JAYA and NDARI

After three weeks of being identified by the distinctive markings on their tails, our newborn Sumatran tiger cubs finally have names. Chosen from entries to competitions run with the TODAY show and The Sunday Mail, along with an internal competition for Dreamworld staff, the cubs have been named ‘Shanti’, ‘Jaya’ and ‘Ndari’.

Congratulations go to Poehere Boosie from Dreamworld’s Food & Beverage department whose striking suggestion of ‘Jaya’ was picked for one of our little girls last week. Indonesian for ‘victory’ Jaya was chosen by Poehere for its significance to the survival of the species.

Said Poehere, “I think Jaya is a really special name as each cub born at Dreamworld is a victory for the survival of the Sumatran tiger population. I wanted to find something really special and the name is a reflection of what we are trying to achieve with our tiger breeding. Jaya just touched me, I thought it was beautiful.”

Short, simple and easy to call were pre-requisites for making the short list, ‘Ndari’ and ‘Shanti’ topping the bill when Tiger Island voted for their favourites from 4500 public suggestions.

Indonesian for ‘full moon’, ‘Ndari’ was chosen from the national entries submitted to the TODAY show and reflects her big, moon shaped eyes. The name ‘Shanti’, meaning inner peace in an ancient Indian language, was chosen from entries to The Sunday Mail in both Sydney and Brisbane. True to her name, Shanti is the mellower of the tiny tots with sisters Jaya and Ndari the feistier of the bunch.

Head down to the Tiger Island nursery to watch our newest superstars Jaya, Ndari, and Shanti wrestle, play, and grow up before our eyes.

Tuesday 1 July 2008

Big Brother House opens for inspection from July 26 with special winner appearance EKKA Wednesday

Refurbished one bedder (sleeps 15 people) featuring open-plan living, sound-proof confession room, extensive surveillance system and outdoor gym is now available for inspection; located just 20 minutes from Surfers Paradise and 40 minutes from Brisbane. Combi van, ninjas and resident deep voice negotiable.

Like it or love to hate it, Big Brother House is the most scrutinized address in Australia and a venue the majority of Australians either know or want to know. With the last of the 2008 residents about to be evicted, the door of the house is set to open for public inspection on July 26 offering Dreamworld guests the chance to see what life was like on the inside.

With thousands of hours of footage beamed into more than a million viewers’ homes each season, the Big Brother house is as much a television personality as its infamous residents.

Said Chief Operating Officer Kevin Bradley, “House tours give guests the opportunity to walk in the housemates’ shoes and imagine what it’s like to be watched 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It’s a surreal experience if you’ve been watching the house every day for three months.”

Talking guests through their own experience, the winner of Big Brother 2008 will make a special appearance at Dreamworld Studios on EKKA Wednesday, August 13. Truly ‘So many worlds in one’ Dreamworld provides a cost effective alternative to braving the EKKA crowds on show day.

Said General Manager Sales Cathie McBean, “Dreamworld is a carnival, a zoo, a movie theatre and a television studio in one location for one entry price. With over 40 rides included in the general admission ticket, parents don’t have to worry about reaching into their pockets for every single activity.”

For fans who can’t wait until August for their EKKA day Big Brother fix, the 2008 Big Brother runner up will appear at Dreamworld on July 26 to sign autographs and take happy snaps with their adoring public.

Ms McBean added that “As household budgets tighten, RACQ has a fantastic offer for Queensland members with a one day world pass that provides access to both Dreamworld and WhiteWater World for a flat rate of $50. Offering the option to come back for a second day free within 14 days of entry, it’s an affordable alternative to one day at the EKKA.”

The Big Brother house is also opening for corporate functions and Christmas parties to be used as a backdrop for household product launches, sales and marketing planning sessions, breakout sessions and social club gatherings. It has the capacity for 150 guests in addition to the landscaped gardens and a huge outdoor games arena.

House tours are included in Dreamworld’s general admission price while corporate functions and parties can be booked through our Special Events team on (07) 5588 1111.

Big Brother House opens for corporate events and functions on July 26, 2008

Refurbished one bedder (sleeps 15 people) featuring open-plan living, sound-proof confession room, extensive surveillance system and outdoor gym is now available for inspection; located just 20 minutes from Surfers Paradise and 40 minutes from Brisbane. Combi van, ninjas and resident deep voice negotiable.

With the last of the 2008 residents about to be evicted, the door of the Big Brother House is set to open on July 26 for a new type of tenant: event organizers looking to put “wow” into their corporate events and end of year parties.

Over the past seven years, the house has been used as a backdrop for household product launches, sales and marketing planning sessions, breakout sessions and social club gatherings. The indoor area has the capacity for 150 guests in addition to the landscaped gardens and a huge outdoor games arena. Most functions are held from 7.00pm and 11.00pm.

Catering and entertainment options are at the discretion of the event booker and range from themed party nights to Friday Night games and television crews taking footage of the evening for later viewing.

The trump card, however, is the chance to experience life as a housemate, from kicking a footy in the backyard to confessing secrets in the diary room chair.

“We don’t hide anything. Corporate groups and clubs have free range of the facilities and they are welcome to take over. Just don’t upset Big Brother, as he will be watching,” warned Deborah Holland, Dreamworld’s National Sales Manager – Groups & Events.

Events Operations Coordinator Adele Cumerford agreed that everyone loves the voice of Big Brother; an entertainer trained to interact with delegates and single out extroverts for unusual challenges.

“We work with corporations to merge the personality of the two brands and add weight to the function being held in the Big Brother House. A sports company once booked Ninjas in balaclavas to spice up their social function while a supermarket chain primed Big Brother to use paging terminology,” Adele said.

“It was great to hear Big Brother step out of character and demand a price check on the Peking duck pancakes served to the group. At one stage there was a spill in the kitchen and he directed a company’s maintenance team to go to section 2 to clean it,” she said.

The house has also been booked for serious business needs such as product launches and boardroom meetings. In the past, key buyers and media were invited to Big Brother’s notorious bedroom for the launch of a range of mattresses. The backyard has also been used to unveil a new-generation lawn mower.

Ms Holland commented that hiring the house for a social gathering or end of year party is a novel way to reward the younger workforce known for prioritizing culture over corporate loyalty, and the price is about the same as an upmarket restaurant.

“Big Brother has traction with a huge number of Australians between 15 and 25 years. If you want to tap into Generation Y, then this is a good place to grab their attention,” she said.

“Most young people have watched the show, they know what’s happening and they are excited to put themselves in that picture. Telling friends they are booked for a function at the Big Brother House packs more punch than going to a local restaurant.”

Exclusive use of the Big Brother House for up to 150 reception style, including Big Brother character voice and security guard to ‘evict’ the guests is $2200.00. A three hour standard drink package starts from $30.00 per person, and canapés start from $16.00 per person.