G'day USA 2010 - Australia Week - Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban Ham it Up at Black Tie Dinner in Los Angeles

Australia Week - 9 to 22 January 2010 - is that "week" or "fortnight"? When Aussies land in the States to promote our "lucky country", it takes more than a week to showcase all we have to offer.

G'Day USA kicked off in 2004 and has been a smashing success every year since then. It is an annual celebration of Australian capability in the world's most prosperous economy. It has been hosted for the last seven years to foster commercial relations and bonding between Australia and the USA with the focus on Trade, Innovation and Media Coverage. It brings together key influences in government, business and the arts, and is now one of the most effective, far reaching and comprehensive national promotions held anywhere in the world.

Australia week is produced by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), Qantas Airways, Tourism Australia and Austrade. The Chairman of the Australia Week Steering Committee is The Hon. Chris De Cure OAM, Australian Consul-General, Los Angeles.

The objective of Australia Week is to demonstrate Australia as an innovative, high growth, sophisticated economy, with leading edge research and technology in products, goods and services. The program highlights Australia's economic credentials as a desirable place in which to do business and invest, source goods and services.

Events are held in LA, Palm Springs, San Diego, San Francisco and New York

Calendar of events - full program

Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban ham it up at G'Day Australia Black Tie Dinner

G'Day USA 2010 is in full swing, but the gala Black Tie Dinner in Los Angeles on Saturday night, 15 January, is the event that draws the most extensive media coverage in both the United States and Australia. It is the publicity focal point at which high profile individuals are honored for significant contributions in their industries and for excellence in promoting Australia in the United States.

Held at the Hollywood & Highland Grand Ballroom, an Australian style dinner was prepared by celebrity chefs' Curtis Stone, Pete Evans and Wolfgang Puck. A feature of the evening was the presentation of the 2010 honorees:

Greg Norman - Excellence in Sport

Simon Baker - Excellence in Television and Film

Toni Collette - Excellence in Film and Television

During the presentations, Aussie icons actress Nicole Kidman and her husband Keith Urban of country music fame performed a parody of Down Under to Simon Baker (The Mentalist) as an award presentation surprise. Simon and his Australian wife, actress Rebecca Rigg, were clearly amused by the re-written lyrics to the chart-busting Aussie song originally recorded by Men at Work.

Previous Australia Week honorees include: Eric Bana, Cate Blanchett, Russell Crowe, Mel Gibson, Rachel Griffiths, INXS, Steve Irwin, Hugh Jackman, Nicole Kidman, Anthony LaPaglia, Rod Laver, Baz Luhrmann, Kylie Minogue, Olivia Newton-John, Phillip Noyce, Naomi Watts and Keith Urban.

The benefits to Australia and the USA of G'Day USA

G'Day USA has succeeded in reaching above the buzz of a crowded United States marketplace. Benefits in 2009 amounted to $22.5 million in trade and investment across sectors as diverse as art, food, wine, fashion, tourism and business services. Innovation and tourism are also big winners, especially Qantas. Since the promotion began six years ago, Qantas has almost doubled its capacity on the route.

In 2009, Australia-Week.com and Australia.com websites received almost 150,000 visits, with visitors spending 17,500 hours learning about Australia. Australia Week 2009 media coverage generated 600 million global audience impressions - the equivalent advertising buy of approximately $10 million.

The USA benefits greatly from the event in that various industries are exposed to availability of Australian innovations and products, thus promoting positive commercial interaction between the two countries.

Aussies who have supported G'Day Australia in the past

Many Australians have supported this event (formerly known as G'day LA) in past years. In addition to Nicole and Keith (who met each other at G'Day LA back in 2005. These are just a few:

Singer and actress Olivia Newton John

Wildlife warriors the late Steve Irwin, Terri, Bindi and Robert Irwin

Actors Mel Gibson, Russell Crowe, Eric Bana, Anthony LaPaglia

Honorary Australian John Travolta, actor and ambassador for Qantas

Sources:

Australia's Seven Network TV morning show - Sunrise

http://www.australia-week.com/

http://www.theage.com.au/travel/travel-news/qantas-offers-americans-859-return-flights-20100112-m3hj.html

http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/entertainment/heres-how-nicole-kidman-and-keith-urban-met_100135916.html

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