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AusLeisure

THE LEADING SOURCE OF INFORMATION FOR THE LEISURE INDUSTRY

 
 
 

Author

Nigel Benton

About the author

Nigel Benton

Co-founder/Publisher, Australasian Leisure Management

Born in the English county of Dorset, Nigel Benton is the co-founder and Publisher of Australasian Leisure Management, Australia, New Zealand and the Asia-Pacific’s only magazine for professionals in all areas of the leisure industry and the www.ausleisure.com.au website - the go to news resource for industry leaders and professionals.

With a long-term commitment to communicating all that is best about the leisure industry (aquatics, attractions, entertainment, events, fitness, parks, recreation, sport, tourism and venues) his career has been defined by an ability to develop and implement industry communications.

Starting his career working in heritage visitor attractions and then adventure travel in Africa and the Middle East, an interest in writing about his experiences led to his change of career into magazine journalism and publishing.

In addition to publishing, Nigel speaks on marketing communications at a range of industry events.

He was made a Life Member of the World Leisure and Recreation Association in 2006 and is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society (London).

In 2020, he launched the new Asian Leisure Business website.

As of October 2024, he was inducted into the Australian Fitness Awards Roll of Honour at the 2024 AUSactive National Awards.

Among a range of published works and features, his comments on a Blog (blogspot) from 2007 to 2011, when this website went live in its current form, may be interesting to reflect back on.

His philosophy on life is to be kind to all and to indulge those that you love.

His passions include family, Newcastle United and motorcycles (especially British ones) as well, until February 2025 when she left us, caring a little pug named Stella.

Click here to connect with him via LinkedIn.

Papua New Guinea Government reveals stadium plan for new NRL franchise

Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape has advised that the country’s new NRL team franchise will play its home matches at Port Moresby’s 25,000-capacity Sir Hubert Murray…

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Feb 26, 2025 Nigel Benton Government / Sport / Venues /

 
 

AFL’s Hawthorn announces sale of Waverley Park home

Hawthorn Football Club has announced that its Waverley Park home in Melbourne’s east is up for sale, with an asking price of $20 million. With the AFL club set to move to its new…

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Feb 22, 2025 Nigel Benton Finance / Sport / Venues /

 
 

Live Nation reveals 2024 as ‘biggest year’ for live music

Live Nation Entertainment has revealed that 2024 “was live music’s biggest year yet, as artists toured the world and fans turned out in record numbers”. Revealing its full…

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Feb 21, 2025 Nigel Benton Entertainment / Finance / Sport / Ticketing / Venues /

 
 

Bendigo Stadiums takes on management of Swan Hill Stadium

Following a formal tender process for the lease contract, Swan Hill Rural City Council has announced the appointment of Bendigo Stadiums as the new facility manager for its Swan Hill…

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Feb 20, 2025 Nigel Benton Recreation / Sport / Venues /

 
 

Queensland Government to reveal Brisbane Olympic and Paralympic Games Delivery Plan on 25th March

The Queensland Government has advised that it will release the Delivery Plan for the 2032 Olympics and Paralympics - that is expected to include an announcement on the main stadium and…

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Feb 18, 2025 Nigel Benton Design / Finance / Government / Sport / Venues /

 
 

60 years on from the Freedom Ride campaign for Indigenous rights and facility access

This week marks 60 years from the 1965 Freedom Ride - a major milestone in the civil rights of Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander people in Australia - during which a group of…

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Feb 16, 2025 Nigel Benton Aquatics / Culture / Government / Legal / Recreation /

 
 

Regeneration Projects advises of progress in making Melbourne’s Yarra River swimmable

The ambitious goal to make Melbourne's lower Yarra River/Birrarung swimmable is making progress with the Walk Talk Swim Birrarung environmental education program being designed to empower…

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Feb 11, 2025 Nigel Benton Aquatics / Environment / Recreation /

 
 
 
Australasian Leisure Management
 

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AusLeisure

THE LEADING SOURCE OF INFORMATION FOR THE LEISURE INDUSTRY

 
 
 

Authors

Belinda Lawton

National Manager - Strategic Communications and Partnerships, Royal Life Saving Society - Australia

A communications professional focused on the not-for-profit and government sectors, with a specific interest in international development. I have extensive experience in government relations and journalism.

Click here to connect with Belinda via LinkedIn.

Arnold Williams

Marketing Manager, Hygiene Express

Arnold Williams is Marketing Manager at Sydney-based Hygiene Express.

Ned Coten

Chief Executive and shareholder, EngageRM

Ned Coten is Chief Executive and shareholder of EngageRM, a business and Marketing Automation, CRM and Data Analytics platform for the sport and entertainment vertical.

Ned is a former athlete and sports management leader and the immediate past President of Basketball Australia, while continuing to sit on the Competitions Commission of basketball’s world body, FIBA. He also Chairs the Advisory Board for The Contenders, one of Australia’s leading brand strategy agencies and owns and operates two successful self storage businesses.

He has investments in Aged Care, Property and Technology, while continuing as an active mentor for aspiring business leaders.

Ned has extensive experience in leadership, sports management, consumer branding, sales and marketing. He is a former CEO of a number of Australia’s leading sports organisations and has operated multiple businesses as a senior executive, investor, board chair and director over the past 30 years.

Ned holds an MBA from the University of NSW and has written a book on branding and marketing for sport.

While attending the Australian Institute of Sport, Ned represented Australia at the 1983 World Junior Basketball Championships in Spain. He had a brief career in the National Basketball League and co-founded the Goldfields Giants in Western Australia’s State Basketball League. He holds relationships across sport and business within Australia and globally and remains a passionate and committed volunteer, with continuous service throughout his life.

Michael Palmer

Editor, TentHVAC

Michael Palmer is an outdoor enthusiast who likes to go on weekend backpacking trips with his dog Rory.

He likes writing and works as an editor at TentHVAC, a collective of enthusiasts who love travel, backpacking, and camping. . 

Ian Mullane

Chief Executive, Keepme

Ian Mullane is the Founder and Chief Executive of Keepme, a revenue acceleration platform dedicated to increasing operator revenue through AI-powered insights and tools. He is also a respected thought leader, white paper author, regular keynote speaker at industry events globally, GymNation Board member and member of the ukactive Digital Futures Council.

With a career that has seen him work with some of the biggest players in FinTech including his position as Chief Operating Office at Sungard, Ian was also the owner/operator of the fitness business Vanda in Singapore for more than a decade.

Alhasan Kaabous Alzaabi

Vice President of Operations, Farah Experiences

Alhasan Kaabous Alzaabi has served as the Vice President of Operations at Abu Dhabi-based Farah Experiences since 2017, overseeing the operations across all of Yas Island’s theme parks: Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, Yas Waterworld, and Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi.

Dr Ken Marriott

Dr Ken Marriott trained as a geographer with special studies in urban land uses, agriculture and climatology.

Having, in 1979, completed a PhD in geography at Monash University, with his research focused on the effectiveness of then-current leisure and recreation planning strategies he went on to be Managing Director of the leisure planning consultancy HM Leisure Planning Pty Ltd from 1984 until his retirement in 2016.

His book, Community Leisure and Recreation Planning, co-authored with John Tower and Katie McDonald from Victoria University in Melbourne, was published by Routledge early in 2021. 

He wrote on the need for leisure and recreation planners and providers to drive effective action on climate change in Australasian Leisure Management issue 146.

He can be contacted on email at ken.marriott@hmleisureplanning.com 

2nd September 2021 - LEISURE AND RECREATION PLANNERS NEED TO TAKE MORE DECISIVE ACTION ON CLIMATE AND WEATHER CHANGE

19th December 2020 - NEW COMMUNITY LEISURE AND RECREATION PLANNING TEXT A PRODUCT OF AUTHORS’ DECADES OF EXPERIENCE