Latest news with #VABF
Sydney Morning Herald
07-07-2025
- Business
- Sydney Morning Herald
Smart choices, real value: Elevate business travel
Business overheads can be challenging to reduce, but for many companies, the effort is well worth it, and Virgin Australia understands this. In today's dynamic market, where agility and cost-effectiveness are paramount, Australian organisations need more than just flights — they need a travel partner that truly supports their operations, optimises budgets, and consistently delivers. Virgin Australia is that partner, with a comprehensive suite of benefits designed to enhance business travel for everyone — from large corporations to 'small to medium enterprises' (SMEs). Here's how Virgin Australia provides unparalleled value across choice, discounts, flexibility and reliability for Australian businesses. Strategic choice, smart discounts Savvy businesses know that competitive fares and tailored options are crucial for optimising corporate travel budgets. Virgin Australia for business partners with their clients and travel management companies in a tri-party relationship, to optimise fare discounts and stretch budgets further. They also offer a range of fare types to provide better choice and inclusions based on individual business and traveller needs. Virgin Australia's rewards program for SME customers (the Virgin Australia Business Flyer) applies a fixed rate discount on their Flex and Business class fares. This dedicated program ensures businesses gain maximum value with discounts of up to 4 per cent off Flex fares and 6 per cent off Business Class fares on domestic flights, and up to 10 per cent off international flights. The free program is designed for eligible Australian businesses with an ABN/ACN, and an annual domestic flight spend under $300,000 with Virgin Australia. Beyond discounts, Virgin Australia Business Flyer (VABF) rewards Australian businesses and their travellers via the Velocity Frequent Flyer program. Velocity rewards frequent travellers across four Status Tiers — Red, Silver, Gold and Platinum, with Forever Gold and Platinum Plus Tiers launching later this year. Higher Status Tiers unlock priority customer experiences, such as Lounge access, Priority Check-in, and Priority Boarding (where available), which can be leveraged when flying for both work and leisure. Employees can also earn personal Velocity Points and Status Credits, while the business simultaneously collects Velocity Points. Accelerated status-earn opportunities also allow businesses to fast-track to Velocity Gold. Plus, tiered earning means businesses can accumulate 1, 1.5, or 2 Velocity Points per $1 spent, depending on annual travel spend (Tier 1: <$10k; Tier 2: $10k–$50k; Tier 3: $50k–$300k annually). Businesses can further boost points through Virgin Australia Group's network of over 40 partner brands and offers across energy, payments, loans, rideshare, car hire, office supplies, and tech, enhancing their loyalty potential. There are also bonus campaigns, such as earning triple business points on eligible flights if you also earn at least one point with an eligible partner brand by July 31, 2025*. Eve Hollenkamp, executive assistant at Boardriders (the company behind iconic brands like Quiksilver, Roxy and Billabong), highlights this value. 'The Virgin Australia Business Flyer program gives us access to flight discounts, the ability to earn Velocity Points, and the opportunity to upgrade memberships,' says Hollenkamp. These accumulated points can be reinvested into the business — redeemed on future flights directly through a dedicated booking portal, or transferred to any Velocity Frequent Flyer account for other business-related travel needs, effectively managing travel budgets.
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Vancouver Art Book Fair 2025: from zines to monographs, a celebration of books as art
Vancouver Art Book Fair When: July 4-6 Where: Roundhouse Community Arts & Recreation Centre, 181 Roundhouse Mews, Vancouver Info: In a new book, Cathy Busby documents her attempts to connect with her spouse, Garry Neill Kennedy, during their final years together. A Vancouver-based artist, curator and writer with a PhD in communications, Busby has often created art using collections of materials, such as public apologies, corporate slogans, and portraits. Kennedy, who passed away in 2021, was a renowned conceptual artist credited with making the Nova Scotia School of Art and Design an internationally respected institution. They had been doing big wall paintings together for years. To help Kennedy through his dementia, Busby embarked on a project that would recall their artistic collaborations. 'It was about keeping something going, and creating familiarity,' Busby said. 'And about maintaining dignity through the process of his decline.' She began by painting the walls of his room in a care home the same white as their home. Then, when he moved to a new facility, she began a text-painting on the wall of his bathroom that read 'I Wonder,' a phrase that he often repeated. After Kennedy passed away, she began working on what would become I Wonder: Art + Care + Dementia. I Wonder: Art + Care + Dementia is among the books that will be on display at this year's Vancouver Art Book Fair (VABF). The books range from photocopied 'zines to DIY zines to elaborately bound museum catalogues. Along with a chance to peruse and purchase these volumes, visitors can engage directly with the artists, editors, and publishers behind the books. 'I think what's exciting about the fair is that, though the work is grounded in visual art, that extends many places,' said Jonathan Middleton, co-manager of VABF. 'The interests of a large museum and someone photocopying a zine aren't always the same. But there's a lot of crossover there, too.' The fair features over 100 local and international exhibitors. Among these are 29 new participants, including Odd One Out, Hong Kong's first illustration, graphic arts, and printmaking gallery; Now Place, a San Francisco-based art space and independent publisher that empowers emerging artists from the Asian diaspora; and Nothing New Projects, an independent risograph print and publishing studio based in Ottawa. Vancouver-based artists launching new publications include Hazel Meyer, whose A Queer History of Joyce Wieland is a culmination of the author's years-long research into the legacy of the pioneering Canadian artist. 'Content-wise, on one end of the scale you'll find exhibition catalogues or monographs or anthologies of more theoretical writing about art, maybe mixed with illustration,' Middleton said. 'And on the other side of the equation there are artists who are expressing their ideas and personal experiences and politics. The zine movement, for example, has a very long history and connection to activism. And there is a long history of artists using the book as a medium, as they might use canvas or clay or video.' Middleton credits the New York Art Book Fair, which was first held in 2006, with launching 'this global movement.' The Vancouver Art Book Fair, the first of its kind in Canada, launched in 2012 — two years before the closing of Oscar's Art Books, an emporium of visual delights missed by many longtime Vancouverites, including Middleton. 'I was hired there as a student, and my job was to put their entire stock into inventory. There were thousands and thousands of books. That was a very unglorious way to learn about art books.' Busby says that for her, an art book is one in which every aspect of the design and contents add to the final product. 'For example, I thought very seriously about the cover of I Wonder: Art + Care + Dementia. It's a bit of a puzzle. It's a photo of green tape on the wall. You have to get into the book to understand what it is. However, I'm very big on giving clues. I don't want people to look at the work and go, 'What the heck is this?'' Listen to classical music and opera outdoors (and for free!) this summer Made for smartphones, verticals are bringing much needed work to Hollywood North
Vancouver Sun
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Vancouver Sun
Vancouver Art Book Fair 2025: from zines to monographs, a celebration of books as art
Vancouver Art Book Fair When: July 4-6 Where: Roundhouse Community Arts & Recreation Centre, 181 Roundhouse Mews, Vancouver Info: In a new book, Cathy Busby documents her attempts to connect with her spouse, Garry Neill Kennedy, during their final years together. A Vancouver-based artist, curator and writer with a PhD in communications, Busby has often created art using collections of materials, such as public apologies, corporate slogans, and portraits. Kennedy, who passed away in 2021, was a renowned conceptual artist credited with making the Nova Scotia School of Art and Design an internationally respected institution. They had been doing big wall paintings together for years. To help Kennedy through his dementia, Busby embarked on a project that would recall their artistic collaborations. Get top headlines and gossip from the world of celebrity and entertainment. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sun Spots will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. 'It was about keeping something going, and creating familiarity,' Busby said. 'And about maintaining dignity through the process of his decline.' She began by painting the walls of his room in a care home the same white as their home. Then, when he moved to a new facility, she began a text-painting on the wall of his bathroom that read 'I Wonder,' a phrase that he often repeated. After Kennedy passed away, she began working on what would become I Wonder: Art + Care + Dementia. I Wonder: Art + Care + Dementia is among the books that will be on display at this year's Vancouver Art Book Fair (VABF). The books range from photocopied 'zines to DIY zines to elaborately bound museum catalogues. Along with a chance to peruse and purchase these volumes, visitors can engage directly with the artists, editors, and publishers behind the books. 'I think what's exciting about the fair is that, though the work is grounded in visual art, that extends many places,' said Jonathan Middleton, co-manager of VABF. 'The interests of a large museum and someone photocopying a zine aren't always the same. But there's a lot of crossover there, too.' The fair features over 100 local and international exhibitors. Among these are 29 new participants, including Odd One Out, Hong Kong's first illustration, graphic arts, and printmaking gallery; Now Place, a San Francisco-based art space and independent publisher that empowers emerging artists from the Asian diaspora; and Nothing New Projects, an independent risograph print and publishing studio based in Ottawa. Vancouver-based artists launching new publications include Hazel Meyer, whose A Queer History of Joyce Wieland is a culmination of the author's years-long research into the legacy of the pioneering Canadian artist. 'Content-wise, on one end of the scale you'll find exhibition catalogues or monographs or anthologies of more theoretical writing about art, maybe mixed with illustration,' Middleton said. 'And on the other side of the equation there are artists who are expressing their ideas and personal experiences and politics. The zine movement, for example, has a very long history and connection to activism. And there is a long history of artists using the book as a medium, as they might use canvas or clay or video.' Middleton credits the New York Art Book Fair, which was first held in 2006, with launching 'this global movement.' The Vancouver Art Book Fair, the first of its kind in Canada, launched in 2012 — two years before the closing of Oscar's Art Books, an emporium of visual delights missed by many longtime Vancouverites, including Middleton. 'I was hired there as a student, and my job was to put their entire stock into inventory. There were thousands and thousands of books. That was a very unglorious way to learn about art books.' Busby says that for her, an art book is one in which every aspect of the design and contents add to the final product. 'For example, I thought very seriously about the cover of I Wonder: Art + Care + Dementia. It's a bit of a puzzle. It's a photo of green tape on the wall. You have to get into the book to understand what it is. However, I'm very big on giving clues. I don't want people to look at the work and go, 'What the heck is this?''
