Stepping into the airconditioned Rivershed at Howard Smith Wharves brings relief from the sticky day outside.
asserted
Stepping → step → day
But not long after sitting down inside, the 150-odd politicians, powerbrokers and other members of Queensland’s business elite are up on their feet again.
asserted
politicians → sit → feet
It’s the King’s Birthday public holiday in Queensland, and Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner is wearing his green Adidas sneakers.
asserted
Schrinner → ’ → sneakers
Are you ready surrounding suburbs?” entertainer Neridah Waters asks the crowd from the stage, where she stands dressed in a spangled leotard.
asserted
she → surround → leotard
She leads the room in a dance to the Starship hit We Built This City, with local lyrics and choreography to match: think the “Sherwood shimmy” and the “Camp Hill clicks”, followed by the “Paddington punch”, the “Red Hill roll” and the “Fortitude Valley party pelvis”.
asserted
We → lead → punch
This is a snapshot of the Brisbane that Olympic organisers want to share with the world: a city that says “yes”, with a relaxed, cheeky, and friendly spirit.
asserted
that → want → spirit
The Committee of Brisbane’s lunch event, themed around Brisbane’s brand positioning, is meant to come just hours after a big reveal of the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic emblems.
asserted
event → theme → emblems
An unfortunate YouTube leak days earlier changes the tone, but doesn’t dampen the spirit in the room.
asserted
leak → change → room
Former South Bank chairman Steve Wilson and his company-director wife, Jane, who have poured millions into restoring their historic Kangaroo Point mansion – and who first proposed the new 63,000-seat Olympic stadium at Victoria Park – are among the room’s most enthusiastic dancers.
asserted
who → pour → dancers
Others spotted around the tables are Raynuha Sinnathamby, daughter of rich lister and mastermind of the Greater Springfield development Maha Sinnathamby; co-owner of James Street’s Calile Hotel, Catherine Malouf; Olympian turned millionaire property developer Mark Stockwell; and Harvey Lister, head of ASM Global, which operates Suncorp Stadium.
asserted
which → spot → Stadium
Brisbane will be the smallest city since Helsinki in 1952 to host a summer Olympics.
asserted
Brisbane → host → Olympics
Ask people overseas what they know of Australia and they might list kangaroos, koalas, the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the Opera House and perhaps Uluru.
uncertain
they → ask → kangaroos
Fewer can name Brisbane.
asserted
Fewer → name → Brisbane
Tourism Australia’s latest major ad campaign, fronted by south-east Queensland’s own Robert Irwin and an animated toy kangaroo, snubs Brisbane entirely for shots of the Great Barrier Reef, South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula and a Margaret River winery.
asserted
campaign → front → Reef
But Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner insists Brisbane punches above its weight.
asserted
Brisbane → insist → weight
“Yes, we’re friendly, yes we’ve got a great climate, but this is a truly innovative go-ahead place and a resilient place and also one that says yes to things, gives things a go,” Schrinner says.
asserted
Schrinner → ’re → go
Work to craft a new identity for Brisbane began three years ago when the Olympic organising committee surveyed 3000 people, both here and overseas.
asserted
committee → craft → people
They were asked what they thought of the Queensland capital, what they would want it to be remembered for, and what would make them want to come here.
asserted
them → ask → what
Brisbane Olympics president Andrew Liveris spruiks the city as one of the friendliest in the world – it was the only Australian city to feature in Time Out’s top 20 friendliest cities list last year.
asserted
it → spruik → list
But he mainly defines it as a “lifestyle superpower”.
asserted
he → define → superpower
“We should really let the world know about that, so that they can come and be part of it,” he says.
asserted
he → let → it
Brisbane averages more than 230 days of sunshine each year, with about 110 of those bluebird days with barely a cloud in sight.
asserted
Brisbane → average → sight
It boasts one of the youngest populations out of Australia’s major cities – the median age here is 36.5 – and is the nation’s fastest growing capital city.
asserted
age → boast → cities
Ninety-two per cent of Brisbane residents rate their overall quality of life highly.
asserted
cent → rate → life
“Millions and millions of visitors are heading our way.
asserted
Millions → head → way
Billions more will tune in ... and witness the wonders firsthand of what we have to offer: our incredible environment and nature that we care about, our warm and our welcoming people … [and] our absolute love of sport,” Liveris says.
asserted
Liveris → tune → sport
“Brisbane is having a moment.”
asserted
Brisbane → have → moment
puts it: “Brisbane is about to plug into arguably the largest brand-building, identity-shaping machine on the planet
asserted
Brisbane → put → planet
Get it right and Brisbane’s potential economic opportunity from the Olympics is $70 billion over the 20 years from 2032-2052, according to an analysis from Deloitte.
uncertain
opportunity → get → Deloitte
But Northey says the city absolutely needs its own identity, “because without it, it’s just Australia, but not Sydney”.
Williams, the Committee for Brisbane chief executive, agrees.
“For a long time, Brisbane was defined by a comparison to other cities,” she says.
asserted
she → say → cities
“Today, we’re at a point where we can confidently define ourselves on our own terms.
asserted
we → ’re → terms
A history of recent attempts in brand positioning gives some clues on what might resonate, and what to avoid.
uncertain
what → give → what
Brisbane was still in the long shadow of the Fitzgerald inquiry into political and police corruption when the nickname “Brisvegas” emerged in the mid-90s, as a tongue-in-cheek comparison of the city’s historically quiet, sleepy nightlife with the glitz and 24-hour excitement of Las Vegas.
asserted
nickname → emerge → Vegas
By 2009, then-lord mayor Campbell Newman was trying to shed that image, launching Brisbane’s “new world city” campaign.
asserted
Newman → try → campaign
More recently, Tourism Queensland enlisted beloved cartoon character Bluey and Robert Irwin to put the Sunshine State on the international map.
asserted
Queensland → enlist → map
In the campaign’s television commercial, Irwin asked: “Ever wished you could live in Bluey’s world for real life?”
uncertain
you → ask → life
But ask Associate Professor Monica Chien, an expert in destination branding at the University of Queensland, and she’ll tell you Brisbane’s identity is still evolving.
asserted
identity → ask → you
“That is both its challenge and its opportunity,” she says.
asserted
she → say → ?
When asked what words come to mind when she thinks of Brisbane, Chien replies: “Subtropical, friendly, diverse, liveable, relaxed, optimistic, sustainable, emerging.
asserted
Chien → ask → emerging
“I see Brisbane as an optimistic, subtropical and outward-looking city.
asserted
I → see → city
…and 18 more, not listed.
The Aporia
