11 Aug 2016
To celebrate the unveiling of designer hotel QT Melbourne, with its distinctly creative edge, today marks the launch of #RoomNumberRedo, an exciting creative project in the lead up to the highly anticipated opening on September 5. #RoomNumberRedo will give entrants the opportunity to win a hot ticket to the launch in September and an overnight experience at the hotel.
Melbourne creatives (or eager creatives from around Australia if they truly want to express themselves) can enter #RoomNumberRedo by creatively interpreting a QT room number from 1 – 101 in any way imaginable - think paintings, dance, song, photography, a piece of writing or even a performance – the possibilities are endless! Whatever it is, it needs to be submitted via Instagram using the hash tags #RoomNumberRedo and #QTMelbourne.
With the competition now open, each week high-profile judges will select the most creative interpretation #RoomNumberRedo submissions, awarding the winners an overnight stay at the unique and quirky designer hotel, and a golden ticket to the much anticipated launch where their work will be on display.
All movers and shakers within their creative industries, the panel of ten judges include Australian Artist and Designer Gemma O'Brien, Art Director and Curator Fabio Ongarato, accomplished Melbourne based DJ and Los Angeles restauranteur Grant Smillie, ACMI Senior Curator Sarah Tutton, Australia's first professional Instagrammer Lauren Bath, Australian Contemporary Artist Elliott Routlegde, Model and Presenter Kris Smith, Melbourne-based Street Style Photographer Liz Sunshine, Founder & Publisher of Broadsheet Nick Shelton and Cummins & Partners Global Chief Strategy Officer Adam Ferrier.
QT Hotels & Resorts Group Managing Director, David Seargeant said the competition hopes to attract Melbourne's and some of Australia's most unique and imaginative spirits.
“QT Hotels & Resorts are all about connecting with the fabric of their respective city, the beating heart of their local communities and ultimately this is truly expressed through the creative arts - #RoomNumberRedo captures the essence of this philosophy perfectly,” David said. “We want the launch of QT Melbourne to be shared with the heart and soul of the Melbourne creative community, #RoomNumberRedo will really enable this.”
Located in the heart of the Melbourne CBD and only a short stroll to the exclusive Collins Street shopping precinct, QT Melbourne will bring bold design and eclectic experiences, all with a touch of quirk, to the city's cultural heartland through its 188 rooms and newly inspired drinking and dining establishments. A hotel unlike any other, QT Melbourne promises to excite when it opens its doors this September.
For more information and to see which room numbers are available, visit: www.RoomNumberRedo.com
Want to find out more about QT Melbourne? The website is now live and accepting bookings from September 5: https://www.qthotelsandresorts.com/melbourne/
Notes to the Editor:
Judging will take place over a five week period and the panel of judges includes:
Gemma O'Brien
Australian Artist
Gemma O'Brien is an Australian artist specializing in lettering, illustration and typography. After completing a Bachelor of Design at the College of Fine Arts in Sydney, Gemma worked as an art director at Animal Logic and Fuel VFX before deciding to fly solo as a commercial illustrator in 2012. Her typographic work takes on a variety of forms, from calligraphic brushwork, illustration and digital type, to large scale hand-painted murals. She splits her time between advertising commissions, gallery shows, speaking engagements, and hosting hand-lettering workshops around the world. A number of her projects have received the Award of Typographic Excellence from the New York Type Directors Club, in 2015 she was recognized as an ADC Young Gun and in 2016, named one of PRINT Magazine's New Visual Artists.
Fabio Ongarato
Art Director
Melbourne-based Fabio Ongarato is at the forefront of innovation when it comes to branding, positioning, image, art direction, interior environmental design, installations and signage. Fabio's unique approach to design reflects in his passion for contemporary photography and art direction, and his work spans across a variety of different fields such as fashion, corporate, arts and architecture then deliberately crosses the boundaries between them. Fabio has won numerous national and international awards, including D&AD and the prestigious ISTD London award.
Having previously worked across the QT Hotel & Resort portfolio, Fabio and his team are responsible for QT Melbourne's branding and identity.
Sarah Tutton
Senior Curator, ACMI
Sarah Tutton is a Senior Curator at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI). Over the past fifteen years, she has worked across many of Melbourne's key visual arts and cross-art form organizations, including Asialink Arts, Australian Centre for Contemporary Art, Experimenta Media Arts and Next Wave Festival. Sarah has worked both at a board and organisational level, as well as working as an independent curator and arts consultant. Sarah is a board member of The Social Studio, a social enterprise dedicated to improving the lives of young Australians who come from a refugee or migrant background and who may have experienced barriers to accessing education and/or securing employment.
Grant Smillie
House Music DJ & Restauranteur
Grant Smillie is an accomplished ARIA award-winning DJ with his own record label and two Melbourne ventures under his belt, Ponyfish Island and Melbourne City Brewing Co. Now based between USA and Australia, Grant's impressive portfolio has grown into a diverse mix of businesses which include a hospitality-based enterprise, Botanical Group USA, an award-winning multi-level Asian eating house located in West Hollywood called E.P. & L.P., ID Collective; a creative communications agency, and a bespoke management agency, Creative Vision Management Group (CVMG), created in 2014 and catering for those in the music and hospitality space.
Elliott Routledge
Australian Contemporary Artist
Elliott is an Australian contemporary artist based in Sydney. Across his career, he has shown work and installed major public murals all around the world. He has shown in galleries and installed murals throughout the world in such places as London, Vienna, New York, Melbourne, Tokyo, Paris, Singapore, Amsterdam, Hong Kong and extensively throughout Australia. Elliott's practice spans across canvas paintings, handmade sculpture and large scale public murals. He was most recently a feature of the Art & About Festival in Sydney, and has also been shown in the Museums Quartier, Vienna as a part of his 2014 Residency.
Kris Smith
Model & Presenter
Kris Smith is a stylish and well-liked television presenter, host, former professional athlete and Myer Ambassador. Originally hailing from Manchester, Kris came to Australia in 2008 and, with his good looks and down to earth personality, quickly carved out a successful modeling and television presenting career in his adopted home.
Lauren Bath
Photographer and Social Media Influencer
Lauren Bath is a chef turned photographer turned social media influencer thanks to her success on the popular photo-sharing site, Instagram. An early adoption of the platform saw Lauren's followers skyrocket way before Instagram was widely used as it is now. In early 2013 Lauren saw potential with her 200,000+ followers and quit her job to become Australia's first professional Instagrammer, a title she earned by her ability to monetize off her social media reach and Instagram style photography. Lauren continues to grow her skills set and now specialised in putting together her own Instagram campaigns, drawing on her extensive knowledge of influencers and marketing.
Nick Shelton
Founder and Publisher of Broadsheet
Nick Shelton is the Founder and Publisher of Broadsheet, a digital publication covering food, drink, fashion, art and entertainment across Australia. Having launched in late 2009 in Melbourne Broadsheet now has an audience of 1.3 million unique monthly visitors, a staff of 25 and operates in five cities. In 2015, Broadsheet published two hardcover cookbooks and ran a pop-up restaurant for 2 months in collaboration with 25 Melbourne restaurants, cafes and bars. Broadsheet Media also runs Scout, an employment classifieds business with a focus on the hospitality, creative services and retail industries.
Liz Sunshine
Fashion Photographer, STREET SMITH
Liz is a fashion photographer based in Melbourne. Gaining experience assisting and volunteering for photographers she admired, Liz realized her passion and talent for shooting on the streets. Deciding to become a freelance photographer, she created the pseudonym STREET SMITH to document the seamless effort of Melbourne street style. Liz enjoys the freedom to roam around the city, capturing its individuality and meeting interesting people.
Adam Ferrier
Global Chief Strategy Officer, Cummins & Partners
Adam is a consumer psychologist, and Global Chief Strategy Officer and partner at Cummins & Partners.
He completed his Clinical Psychology Thesis in 'Identifying the underlying constructs of cool people', and for a short while was a global cool hunter. Continuing the slide from the moral high-ground Adam joined ad agency, Saatchi & Saatchi, before starting Naked Communications Asia Pacific in 2004. Naked grew to be one of the most successful agencies in Australia, and was later sold. During this time Adam's work received many accolades, winning at top award shows such as Cannes Lions, The Effies, Clio, ADMA and various other meaningless acronyms. Adam is a regular commentator on TV, including being a regular panelist on the Gruen series, His book 'The Advertising Effect: How to Change Behaviour' was published (Oxford University Press) this year.
About QT Hotels & Resorts:
QT Hotels & Resorts first put its stamp on the Australian tourism sector with the launch of QT Gold Coast in 2011. The unique and exciting property delivered the first injection of QT's signature designer spaces with bold entertainment and an intriguing, yet relaxing, guest experience. Now one of Australia's most loved and dynamic hotel brands, the family of properties include QT Gold Coast, QT Port Douglas, the flagship QT Sydney, QT Falls Creek, QT Canberra and the newly opened QT Bondi.
Adding to its portfolio, QT is set for expansion with new properties to open in the next year, including QT Melbourne, QT Museum Wellington and QT Queenstown in New Zealand – marking QT's first international properties.
For media enquiries please contact:
Tabitha Russell
Account Manager
Reymond Communications
131A Chapel Street, Windsor, VIC 3181
PH: +61 426 361 804
E: tabitha@reymondcommunications.com.au
W: www.reymondcommunications.com.au
Jessica Fornito
PR Manager
QT Hotels + Resorts Melbourne
133 Russell Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
PH: +61 428 201 462
