Wow Australian media, how you like to blow shit out of proportion. What am I talking about? Well if you’ve been on social media today at any point you’ll have seen that Sydney venue Cruise Bar is getting a lot of crap for the models which were part of their live art installation’s at their venue relaunch last night.
Now before you think “oh this is just another story and someone jumping on the bandwagon of a trending article”, guess what I was unlike most of the other people commenting, was actually a guest and in attendance at the event last night. Yep the photos on my social media accounts were taken with my own phone and I was there and experienced firsthand what’s now turned into a somewhat witch hunt and with feminists jumping and taking to social media to encourage people to boycott the venue.
So would you like to hear an opinion of someone that was actually at the event? A woman? A media and events industry professional and someone that works in the industry who probably has more right to comment than most others? Then read on.
I’m often invited to media launches and events, and usually decline. Having a long and successful career in the events industry I’ve become somewhat jaded to attending events. All the long hours put in behind closed doors, the gathering of information and putting together guests lists, the planning and logistics and while on the day of the event everyone swans in for a few hours of free food and booze, by the end of it you’re feed are killing you, you’ve not had time all day to pee and you end up grabbing a kebab on the way home. As someone that puts on the party, the glamour is non-existent for you. The stress levels through the room and you’re just glad when it’s done and you get to go home. I’ve had a long relations with Cruise Bar in that I’ve never worked for them or their venues, but more that I’ve been a customer at the venue.
With the placement of the venue and the amazing view why wouldn’t you entertain and take people there when you visit Sydney. The cocktails and drinks were always top notch, and again that view. I’d attended events and training events there, had staff that worked there and friends in the past. When the venue along with others was told by the Sydney Port Authority that their leases were either being terminated or that they’d have to close due to upgrades to the facilities, it was a bit of a shock. From a business and marketing perspective I was like “Wow that’s a lot of lost revenue over New Year’s Eve” and I hear that settlements were made due to loss of earnings and the effects it had on business. I too would be pretty annoyed if I was staff member that had my job lost or that bookings had to be moved around too if a patron.
Anyway, the unofficial opening for the venue was to have it up and running for Vivid Sydney. Again, that view. That experience and to have great food, drinks and hospitality in the city like that is amazing. I RSVP’d to the event and the PR firm coordinating the event in the lead up were amazing and accommodating. I’d been invited for a private tasting, but jumped at this event as I knew it would be a showcase.
I was interested to see the transformation and unlike most in attendance I wasn’t there for the free bar tab and food, I wanted to see what the group had done to the venue. We’re talking about the C-inc Hospitality Group headed up by Chris Cheung. The Group most recently sold The Bourbon in Potts Point (to the Iris Hotel Group, my previous employers), they still have the Coogee Bay Hotel and by no means is this Chueng’s first rodeo. The Groups had many successful venues in their portfolio. It was going to be a great and class event and I knew they would go all out.
The staff were welcoming, the drinks were flowing and the food was delicious and there was plenty of it. The music good and the refit and refurbishment was a garden party means nautical. It was pretty and stylish but didn’t blow me away. Cute but I’d seen better fit outs downstairs.
Upstairs was the most noticeable transformation where the previously located Restaurant with a fine dining feel has been transformed into a much cooler and moody cocktail bar. Black walls with a oriental meets colour mural to greet you and it was dark and swanky. The room was packed and for good reason, this is where the 2 models adorned in fruit were showcased on the dessert and fruit display, surrounded by chocolate fountains, marshmallows and an array of exotic goodies.
We thought it was pretty cool, as did most others and there were plenty of people snapping pictures, talking to the girls and interacting. After years working in Kings Cross and even across other venues in Australia, I’ve seen more tits and arse in girls who are “dressed” for a night out. I’m more offended when I see a girl bend over to pick up her dropped debit card on George St and see all that she’s not wearing in the way of panties. Gross.
These girls were elegant and not trashy in any way shape or form. Their hair make-up beautiful, they were styled and in position and everything perfectly placed. They were wearing beige panties and with perfectly placed bunches of bananas the most you saw was a bit of side boob. As a women I was admiring the beauty of the girls and thinking that I’d need at least 10 more bunches of bananas to cover my breasts. Damn. I said hi to the girls, they chatted, I told them I liked their top and they giggled. It was fun, well natured and they were pleasant. I would imagine that they were paid for the evening, that this would be great for their modelling portfolio and we made a bit of banter between our friends vis sms. It was different it was fun, it was tasteful.
Later in the night after a new champers in the girls were gone (it was at that point of the night, around 9pm where after an open bar tab things shift and people start to get that creeper and heaps horny look in their eyes). A lot of dudes and suits had appeared and it was smart that whoever had organised the girls had them removed from the room as to ensure they weren’t subject to any crass behaviour from scumbags with too much booze in them, who at that time of the night would have bene thinking with their dicks.
I was “Yeah that’s smart having them pack up now, let’s eat some fruit”. See as a women and a business events mind I would have done the same thing. In years past I’ve had female podium dancers to look after, I’ve had roommates that were strippers (who made way better money than I did and paid and supported their way through Uni). I decided that I’d even souvenir one of the bunches of bananas from the table (which the girls had on as a bra) and held it up to my cup size, yep I wasn’t getting that gig anytime soon.
When I woke up today to see that this was a trending event and across all media I had 2 reactions. 1 “Are you fucking serious, ugh I hate the media and these people that go on a witch hunt and use “feminism” as their bandwagon de jour”. 2 “Awesome what a PR win, best everyone now knows who they are”. If that was me I would be pumped. You’re venue getting all this exposure, regardless it’s all these people who now know who you are. As we say any PR is good PR.
What annoys me – people comment who weren’t there and make comments on behalf of the venue, the business or the guests. That they imply that the girls were held there against their will. They were paid, they were hardly enslaved or had a gun held to their heads. Not once did I hear “If you don’t stay still there with those coconuts you’ll be fed bread and water and given 10 lashes”. It didn’t happen, they didn’t look under duress.
People saying that they should boycott the venue? Please have you seen the state of our nightlife and industry in Sydney already? Yeah that’s a great idea and perfect for tourism. To the feminists, I’m a woman and I don’t agree with your views and I’d be quite happy for you to stop assuming or thinking you know what we want or that you ought to speak on our behalf. You’re doing us no favours, your putting women back to the dark ages, enough.
To the venue, thanks for your hospitality and a great night. To the beautiful fruit bearing models, good on you for being body confident and great role models. You made me realise that a) I need to get more fruit in my life and diet and b) I need to get my arse to the gym.
Look for the positives, don’t fuel the fire that’s a witch hunt for no reason! Cruise Bar, I wish you all the success and please continue to invite me to your events. I had a blast! Thanks for the invite and opportunity at Co Create Communications PR
