RISING returns

Never let it be said that winter is “downtime” in the Yarra River Precinct.

Over the past decade various authorities have worked very hard and creatively to bring life into our colder months, encouraged by the success of Hobart’s Dark Mofo and Sydney’s Vivid.

The new RISING festival returns in June, with plenty to see and do in this precinct, as well as right across the CBD. Fed Square, Arts Centre Melbourne and the Melbourne Recital Centre feature special performances. Those worth checking out are Electric, which will project onto the side of Hamer Hall for the festival duration; Shadow Spirit, upstairs in Flinders Street Station; Spark every night in Fed Square; and the 10,000 Kazoos special musical event in Fed Square on 10 June. See the full program of events at rising.melbourne

Another event worthy of note for the business community is the next Yarra River Business Association (YRBA) lunch, being held on Thursday, June 15 upstairs in Beer De Luxe, Fed Square.

Guest speakers will present on the new Melbourne Sentiments Tourism Survey, which now has six months of statistics under its belt to report. The new-era technology being employed measures the sentiment of people regarding Melbourne’s tourism and hospitality assets, as expressed through the vast social media networks and channels. It makes for fascinating listening and is directly relevant to anybody in a tourism or hospitality related business.

Anyone can attend and a special welcome is always extended to Southbank residents. For $77 per head, you get a two-course meal with all refreshment, pre and post lunch refreshment, plus the valuable information. These lunches really plug you into the business community of the precinct and are not to be missed. You can book using a credit card at yarrariver.melbourne/lunch

You have probably noticed that worked has resumed on Southbank Promenade. We are hoping that the area directly in front of the western end of Southgate, alongside the pedestrian bridge, will look as good as that completed in front of Hamer Hall last year. It will give us more pedestrian space and a new, hard-wearing surface to take Melbourne’s busiest tourism precinct into the next 20 to 30 years.

We are coming to the end of the Resident 3006 survey period, which is being run in conjunction with the council to determine what type of experience, including food and beverage, residents are seeking for their suburb. Please give us seven minutes of your time to provide valuable feedback. In exchange, you will be in the running for 11 dining prizes.

As always, for information about the myriad of things to see and do in this precinct, head to yarrariver.melbourne. For “what’s on” information specific to this precinct, bookmark yarrariver.melbourne/events. To join as a business member, head to yarrariver.melbourne/join