Media Release

23 November 2009

SCHOOLIES SHOULD BE SAFE IN THEIR ACCOMMODATION

Off-site letting agents are jeopardising the safety of schoolies, by blatantly ignoring laws relating to maximum numbers of guests in hotel rooms.

Schoolies.com General Manager Luke Jamieson said that at one stage there were around 100 schoolies lined outside the front of Mantra Circle on Cavill who did not have photo identification to enter the building.

"We are trying to create a safe and secure environment in all of the buildings accommodating schoolies this week, but our efforts are constantly being undermined by off-site agents who continue to ignore the rules and regulations of the building and put guests at risk," said Mr Jamieson.

"From a fire and safety perspective, room capacities must be respected. After 7pm, only registered guests, with photo identification will be allowed into the building."

"We are trying to stop over-crowding of rooms and to create a safe environment for all of our guests."

Schoolies.com is the largest provider of accommodation to school leavers over the schoolies period of 21 November through to 13 December. The company has invested more than $1 million into additional support services and sponsorship for schoolies. More than $900,000 has been spent on additional security.

"These off-site letting agents are cashing in on the event and are not considering their duty of care to the guests, the owners of the accommodation nor the tourism industry," said Mr Jamieson.

17 November 2009

OFFSITE LETTING AGENTS RIP OFF SCHOOLIES

Unscrupulous offsite letting agents are doing the wrong thing by school leavers by overcrowding apartments and overcharging during the schoolies festival.

General manager of schoolies.com Luke Jamieson said some offsite letting agents are ignoring regulations for maximum capacities in rooms and charging each guest exorbitant rates without offering any benefits in return.

"School leavers who book through some offsite letting agents are not protected with the benefits enjoyed by other schoolies who booked through official channels," said Mr Jamieson.

"They do not receive photo identification and do not have access to reception facilities for check-in or on-site management for queries or issues during their stay."

"These off-site letting agents are simply taking a free ride and are not contributing the costs of crucial services like security.

"They are not providing any infrastructure or support for the school leavers and are just cashing in."

Schoolies.com spends more than $1 million in additional support services over the three week festival which commences on Saturday.

"We have invested more than $900,000 in extra security patrols and vigilantly regulate the number of people staying in each room to ensure that room capacities are not exceeded and that our guests are safe and comfortable.

"We have employed one security officer for every 20 schoolies booked through schoolies.com, but this does not cover the number of schoolies booked through offsite letting agents," said Mr Jamieson.

Schoolies.com provides $30,000 cash sponsorship to the state government for official schoolies events and provides accommodation for support staff including more than $25,000 in free rooms for the army of Red Frog Volunteers who provide exceptional services at the Gold Coast festivities.

The 28,000 schoolies who have booked through schoolies.com will also receive a 24-hour help line for accommodation enquiries for students, parents and property managers, free photo ID cards to allow for easy identification when entering accommodation houses and ensuring visitor numbers are regulated. They also receive free discount booklets with special exclusive deals such as meal offers and tour attractions as well as safety messages and maps and free access to download schoolies photos.

"These offsite letting agents have not made any contribution to the infrastructure for the week or for tourism in general," said Mr Jamieson.

"These agents are taking a free ride and giving reputable operators a bad name in the process, without making any contribution to the tourism industry."

13 November 2009

SCHOOLIES SAFEST WHEN THEY BOOK WITH REPUTABLE OPERATORS

Offsite letting agents, selling accommodation to schoolies, are taking a free ride according to Australia's leading schoolies accommodation provider schoolies.com.

Schoolies.com general manager Luke Jamieson said off-site letting agents selling accommodation in Mantra and BreakFree branded buildings have not contributed to any of the additional services being provided during the three week schoolies period from November 21 through to December 13.

"We are providing more than $1 million in additional support services for schoolies and these off-site letting agents are simply cashing in on our initiatives," said Mr Jamieson.

Schoolies.com has invested around $900,000 in additional security patrols at its buildings accommodating schoolies.

"We are also carefully regulating the number of people staying in each room to ensure that room capacities are not exceeded and that our guests are safe and comfortable.

"It makes it very difficult for us to do the best thing for the reputation of the schoolies when we have off-site agents selling rooms and ignoring rules and regulations set down by the building managers."

In addition to increased security, the 28,000 schoolies who have booked through schoolies.com will also receive a 24-hour help line for accommodation enquiries for students, parents and property managers, free photo ID cards to allow for easy identification when entering accommodation houses and ensuring visitor numbers are regulated.

They also receive free discount booklets with special exclusive deals such as meal offers and tour attractions as well as safety messages and maps and free access to download schoolies photos.

12 November 2009

STRONG SCHOOLIES BOOKINGS

The financial woes of the past 12 months have not hindered.the end-of-year celebrations for school leavers celebrating the annual schoolies festival which runs from November 21 through to December 13.

More than 28,000 school leavers have booked rooms through www.schoolies.com. The booking numbers are on-par with last year.

Schoolies.com general manager Luke Jamieson said bookings for 2010 are already strong. "While the numbers of schoolies sounds large, in reality they represent only half a percent of the number of people we look after all year," said Mr Jamieson.

He said the company has also invested more than $1 million in additional services for the school leavers including additional security patrols in buildings accommodating schoolies, a 24-hour help line for accommodation enquiries for students, parents and property managers, free photo ID cards to allow for easy identification when entering accommodation houses and ensuring visitor numbers are regulated.

Other services, especially for schoolies, include free discount booklets with special exclusive deals such as meal offers, and tour attractions as well as safety messages and maps and the co-ordination of "Evolution" dance parties at nightclubs in Surfers Paradise. These are no-alcohol, schoolies only, fully supervised events, held in week one and week two of the schoolies period.

Schoolies.com also provides $30,000 cash sponsorship to the Queensland Government for official schoolies events and provides accommodation for support staff and funding more than $25,000 of rooms for the army of Red Frog Volunteers who provide exceptional services at the Gold Coast festivities.

Schoolies.com operates as a booking agent on behalf of more than 110 accommodation houses from Lorne in Victoria through to Magnetic Island in North Queensland. Around 90 percent are staying on the Gold Coast with 10 percent of bookings at Byron Bay (NSW), Lorne (Vic), Airlie Beach, Sunshine Coast and Magnetic Island.

Of the school leavers booked through schoolies.com, 13,700 (49%) are from Queensland who will be celebrating from 21 to 29 November; 10,400 (37%) are from New South Wales and 3,600 are from Victoria who will be predominantly be celebrating from 29 November to 6 December.

Further media information:
Susan Boyd, Public Relations Manager, Mantra Group - (07) 5631 2543 or 0412 365 122
susan.boyd@mantragroup.com.au

Click to view the Schoolies Fact Sheet.