2. Cliftons Location Survey Report | November 2011
Executive Summary
Cliftons was the first company in Australia to build Sydney
dedicated Computer Training Rooms to meet the needs of There were a few surprises with the Sydney data. The main
the industry. As the first to market there was no one was the decline of North Sydney as a preferred location
benchmark to compare ourselves to, or against. High on down from 8% in the 1999 survey to just 3% in 2011 and the
my list of questions was “where to build” the first facility? strength of Darling Harbour locations. The strong
Having a commercial property background the city (CDB) dominance of the CBD with the highest score in the survey
really seemed like the only answer to me, so after of 85% is consistent with the earlier survey.
looking at the best training companies of the day I decided
that that was where we needed to be and the first Cliftons The relatively poor demand for Chatswood and North Ryde
venue came to be in George Street, Sydney. are consistent with earlier findings and are interestingly low
especially when considering the strong IT related industry
The rest is history, or is it? In 1999 there was a bases they both boast.
continued push to look at facilities outside the CBD with
North Sydney, North Ryde and Chatswood all being It is likely that Sydney’s strong radial transport network
pushed by various drivers and stakeholders. Oracle, one centring on the CBD has resulted in such a strong
of our major clients was considering relocating their North preference.
Sydney training venue and they came to us and asked Melbourne
the same question we had in 1997. We undertook some The main surprise in the Melbourne data was the weak
research of existing training venues in Australia and the preference for St Kilda Road, with less than 1%, which is
United States and found mixed results in terms of location. often touted as Melbourne’s second location to the CBD.
The American experience was especially confused with The CBD scored 69% with good support from the
no real patterns emerging other than different cities had surrounding areas of Docklands and Southbank, 9% and 4%
different dynamics; these were not readily applicable to respectively. Regional locations had the highest preference
Australia. We then decided to go to the student base and in the survey of 8% for Dandenong and Camberwell at 10%.
look at what they wanted. Melbourne has a dominantly radial public transport network.
On the way we visited the concept of journey to work and
Singapore
journey to a training venue, and specifically the concept of
Singapore had the second highest demand for the CBD
modal split, that is the number of transport modes a
within the survey of 82% with strong support from Marina
student had to employ to get from home to the venue.
Bay. Suntec scored particularly badly which may mirror the
There is a large amount of data that indicates that more
experience of Melbourne’s St Kilda Road and Sydney’s North
than two modal splits will deter most people from
Ryde and North Sydney. Hong Kong’s Quarry Bay performed
undertaking a journey on a regular basis.
slightly better in comparison to Suntec.
Location Preference Singapore boasts a linear integrated Mass Rapid Transit
In this follow up study, attendee location preferences were (MRT) system and the late opening of a station servicing
sought across Asia Pacific locations. While there are large Suntec may have influenced this result.
differences between cities like Singapore and Melbourne
the results are statistically valid and provide strong insights Hong Kong
into location preferences, similarities and differences. Interestingly Hong Kong had the lowest preference for the
CBD district of Central at 65%. There was strong support for
Overall there is a very strong preference of 75% for CBD the near CBD location of Admiralty as a second choice at
locations. This preference ranges from 85% in Sydney down 44% and there was little support for Kowloon side districts
to 65% in Hong Kong. It is interesting to note that the CBD like Tsim Sha Tsui at 7.5%.
was also a consistently high second preference location at
25% ranging from 20% in Singapore to 29% in Hong Kong. This could be a factor of Hong Kong’s advanced multi
Near CBD locations were usually the highest second pref- orbital Mass Transit Railway (MTR) system and supporting
erence and second highest first preference. bus network. This however does not explain Wanchai’s poor
showing at 2%.
There was no significant variation in location preference
when analysing results from students compared to I hope you find the following report as informative and
instructors, computer based training compared to seminar useful as we have. As always, we look forward to your
events or self funded attendees to company funded ones. feedback.
From this data there is little doubt that the primary location
of a training venue across all the cities surveyed really has
to be the CBD. The location theorists and CBD property
developers and owners must be rubbing their hands
together with glee! Andrew Cameron
Managing Director and Founder, Cliftons
3. Cliftons Location Survey Report | November 2011
Contents
Cliftons Location Survey - November 2011......................................................... 1
Presenters and Course Attendees....................................................................... 2
Length of Journey................................................................................................. 4
Mode of Travel to Cliftons.................................................................................... 5
Mode of Travel to Work....................................................................................... 7
Time to Venue - Modes of Transport................................................................... 8
Venue Location Preferences................................................................................. 9
Sydney Location Preferences............................................................................... 11
Melbourne Location Preferences......................................................................... 12
Hong Kong Location Preferences......................................................................... 13
Singapore Location Preferences........................................................................... 14
External Influences on Location Preferences....................................................... 15
Location Conclusions............................................................................................ 17
New Zealand Addendum...................................................................................... 18
Auckland Location Preferences............................................................................ 19
Wellington Location Preferences......................................................................... 20
Summary of the Findings...................................................................................... 21
Brisbane | Sydney | Canberra | Melbourne | Adelaide | Perth
Auckland | Wellington | Singapore | Hong Kong | Global Affiliates
www.cliftons.com | enquiries@cliftons.com | 1800 629 088
4. Cliftons Location Survey Report | November 2011
1. Cliftons Location Survey - November 2011
The Cliftons Location Survey was undertaken in November 2011 to assess attendee location preferences for training,
conference and event venues in Australia, Hong Kong and Singapore. Continuing research will be undertaken targeting
additional cities and countries in the region.
Over 600 respondents attending courses or events at a Cliftons venue in Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore or
New Zealand were surveyed.
The effects of:
• travel methods;,
• length of travel;
• type of event or course;
• length of event or course;
• type of attendee;
• home and work location;
• habitual travel time;
• travel methods to the workplace;
• experience attending events and courses at other venues; and
• other influencing factors were evaluated.
Trends and correlations between the factors mentioned and the respondents stated location preferences were analysed.
The overwhelming preference at each location was for central city venues. All factors analysed correlated to support CBD
locations as the location of choice for an event, conference or training venue. Surprisingly, even the small percentage of
respondents with multiple modal split transport methods and longer travel times to the city, predominantly elected the
CBD as their location of choice.
Data Collection
614 responses were collected for the initial study. Phase one of the Location Survey focuses on the results from Australia,
Hong Kong and Singapore. Further data will be collected from New Zealand and other locations.
Country of origin was found to have no statistical significance on location preference (city centre or other district).
Brisbane | Sydney | Canberra | Melbourne | Adelaide | Perth
Auckland | Wellington | Singapore | Hong Kong | Global Affiliates
www.cliftons.com | enquiries@cliftons.com | 1800 629 088 1
5. Cliftons Location Survey Report | November 2011
2. Presenters and Course Attendees
Of the 614 respondents, 18% were instructors and 82% course attendees. There was no statistical significance attributed
to being an instructor or attendee for location preference.
Interestingly, instructors and presenters use significantly more buses than students and event attendees. Also event
attendees catch significantly more trains than presenters. This applied both to travel to work and travel to the Cliftons
venue that they were visiting that day.
How did you travel here today?
Brisbane | Sydney | Canberra | Melbourne | Adelaide | Perth
Auckland | Wellington | Singapore | Hong Kong | Global Affiliates
www.cliftons.com | enquiries@cliftons.com | 1800 629 088 2
6. Cliftons Location Survey Report | November 2011
Presenters and Course Attendees Cont’d
How do you usually travel to work?
It took students slightly longer than instructors to travel to Cliftons. 54% of instructors took less than 30 minutes to reach
their venue destination, compared to 44% of students taking less than 30 minutes. Over 90% of instructors and attendees
travelled for less than one hour to reach a Cliftons venue.
Brisbane | Sydney | Canberra | Melbourne | Adelaide | Perth
Auckland | Wellington | Singapore | Hong Kong | Global Affiliates
www.cliftons.com | enquiries@cliftons.com | 1800 629 088 3
7. Cliftons Location Survey Report | November 2011
3. Length of Journey
The way people travel to work and to event and training venues was explored.
The length of journey to work directly correlated to length of journey to event and training venue. Similar travel times
were reported for both normal travel to work, and travel to the Cliftons venue. 4% more respondents reached Cliftons
within 15 minutes (20%), compared to place of work (16% within 15 minutes). No doubt this is a reflection of the Cliftons
venue CBD locations and proximity to public transport.
Over 70% of respondents took less than 45 minutes to travel to work or Cliftons.
Travel time to Work
Travel time to Cliftons Venue
It took students slightly longer than instructors to travel to Cliftons. 54% of instructors took less than 30 minutes to reach
their venue destination, compared to 44% of students taking less than 30 minutes. Over 90% of instructors and attendees
travelled for less than one hour to reach a Cliftons venue.
Brisbane | Sydney | Canberra | Melbourne | Adelaide | Perth
Auckland | Wellington | Singapore | Hong Kong | Global Affiliates
www.cliftons.com | enquiries@cliftons.com | 1800 629 088 4
8. Cliftons Location Survey Report | November 2011
4. Mode of Travel to Cliftons
When the mode of travel to Cliftons venues was analysed a significant majority (83%) of those travelling to a Cliftons
venue used one mode of transport only. Further 14% of respondents used two modes of transport and only 3% used
three or more modes of transport to reach the designated Cliftons venue. This reduced modal split to predominantly a
single mode of transport and may be a reflection of Cliftons venues’ CBD locations and particularly the venues proximity
to public transport.
Travel to Cliftons - modal split
Brisbane | Sydney | Canberra | Melbourne | Adelaide | Perth
Auckland | Wellington | Singapore | Hong Kong | Global Affiliates
www.cliftons.com | enquiries@cliftons.com | 1800 629 088 5
9. Cliftons Location Survey Report | November 2011
Mode of Travel to Cliftons Cont’d
Country and city data showed no correlation to number of modes of travel with percentages replicating overall survey
respondent location.
For those travelling by a single mode of transport to a Cliftons venue, the primary method of travel was train (40%),
followed by bus and walking. These three modes of transport accounted for over 75% of travel. This was not statistically
different to the full respondent survey.
For the full respondent survey, the predominant means of transport to Cliftons venues was train (48%), followed by
walking and bus both at 21%. The “means of transport” percentages below add up to more than 100% as some travelers
took multiple forms of transport – e.g. drive and train or train and walk, to reach their destination.
How did you get to this Cliftons Venue today?
(Single mode of transport)
Brisbane | Sydney | Canberra | Melbourne | Adelaide | Perth
Auckland | Wellington | Singapore | Hong Kong | Global Affiliates
www.cliftons.com | enquiries@cliftons.com | 1800 629 088 6
10. Cliftons Location Survey Report | November 2011
5. Mode of Travel to Work
The majority (80%) of those travelling to work used one mode of transport only, 16% used two modes of transport and
only 4% used three or more modes of transport to reach their workplace.
It was found that respondents had a slightly higher level of acceptance for more than one mode of transport when
travelling to their regular place of work compared to when travelling to a training, conference or event venue. The
difference was not statistically significant with only an additional 3% using two or more modes of transport for travel to
work as compared to travel to a training or event venue.
Travel to Work - modal split
Brisbane | Sydney | Canberra | Melbourne | Adelaide | Perth
Auckland | Wellington | Singapore | Hong Kong | Global Affiliates
www.cliftons.com | enquiries@cliftons.com | 1800 629 088 7
11. Cliftons Location Survey Report | November 2011
6. Time to Venue - Modes of Transport
The majority of those travelling to Cliftons using a single mode of transport arrived in less than 30 minutes (52%) and by
45 minutes, 75% of single mode travelers had reached their destination. This shows some variance from the overall group
(see earlier graph), where 48% had a travel time of 30 minutes or less.
Travel time to Cliftons - Single Mode
Those travelling by two or more means of transport (17%) predominantly took 30 – 60 minutes to reach their destination
(60%), as compared to 40% of the single mode of transport group whose trips where generally shorter (52% less than 30
minutes).
Travel time to Cliftons - 2 or more modes
Brisbane | Sydney | Canberra | Melbourne | Adelaide | Perth
Auckland | Wellington | Singapore | Hong Kong | Global Affiliates
www.cliftons.com | enquiries@cliftons.com | 1800 629 088 8
12. Cliftons Location Survey Report | November 2011
7. Venue Location Preferences
Overall there was a strong preference for CBD locations with 75% of the respondents preferring the CBD. This preference
ranges from 85% in Sydney down to 65% in Hong Kong. CBD location preference was slightly higher for the single mode
of transport group (76%).
Venue Location - 1st preference
Brisbane | Sydney | Canberra | Melbourne | Adelaide | Perth
Auckland | Wellington | Singapore | Hong Kong | Global Affiliates
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13. Cliftons Location Survey Report | November 2011
Venue Location Preferences Cont’d
The second location preference was more diversely split than the clear CBD first preference. It is interesting to note that
the CBD was also a consistently high second preference location at 25%, ranging from 20% in Singapore to 29% in Hong
Kong.
Near CBD locations were usually the highest second preference and second highest first preference.
Venue Location - 2nd preference
Brisbane | Sydney | Canberra | Melbourne | Adelaide | Perth
Auckland | Wellington | Singapore | Hong Kong | Global Affiliates
www.cliftons.com | enquiries@cliftons.com | 1800 629 088 10
14. Cliftons Location Survey Report | November 2011
8. Sydney Location Preferences
Sydney displayed a strong preference of 85% for a CBD first preference location. All other districts rated fewer than 5%
as a first preference location. For second preference locations, Darling Harbour rated highest at 32% followed by Sydney
CBD and North Sydney, both at 24%.
There was a 50% response rate for second preference venue location, however for subsequent preferences the response
rate dropped to 20 – 30%. The significant drop in responses for a second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth preference location
indicate little interest in alternative locations away from the CBD.
North Ryde Chatswood
3% 3%
Parramatta
4%
North
Sydney
3%
Sydney CBD
85%
First Preference Second Preference Darling
Harbour
Sydney CBD 85% Sydney CBD 24%
North Sydney 3% North Sydney 24% 4%
Chatswood 3% Chatswood 8%
North Ryde 3% North Ryde 5%
Parramatta 4% Parramatta 6%
Darling Harbour 4% Darling Harbour 32%
Brisbane | Sydney | Canberra | Melbourne | Adelaide | Perth
Auckland | Wellington | Singapore | Hong Kong | Global Affiliates
www.cliftons.com | enquiries@cliftons.com | 1800 629 088 11
15. Cliftons Location Survey Report | November 2011
9. Melbourne Location Preferences
In Melbourne the CBD rated 69% as a first preference location with some interest in Docklands, Dandenong and
Camberwell all at 8% to 10%.
For a second preference location, Docklands at 28% was closely followed by the CBD at 25%. For the third preference
locations Docklands (36%) and Southbank (32%) where the clear favourites.
Again a significant drop in response rate for subsequent location preferences indicates lack of interest outside the strong
first choice location of Melbourne CBD.
First Preference Second Preference
Melbourne CBD 69% Melbourne CBD 24%
St Kilda Road 1% St Kilda Road 19%
Docklands 9% Docklands 20%
Southbank 4% Southbank 26%
Dandenong 8% Dandenong 5%
Camberwell 10% Camberwell 7%
Melbourne CBD
Camberwell
Docklands
9% 69% 10%
Southbank
4%
St Kilda Road
1%
8%
Dandenong
Brisbane | Sydney | Canberra | Melbourne | Adelaide | Perth
Auckland | Wellington | Singapore | Hong Kong | Global Affiliates
www.cliftons.com | enquiries@cliftons.com | 1800 629 088 12
16. Cliftons Location Survey Report | November 2011
10. Hong Kong Location Preferences
The CBD of Central rated as the first preference at 65% with all other districts rating fewer than 8% as a first choice. Hong
Kong was the only place to indicate potential interest for additional locations outside the Central business area as 2nd or
3rd venue locations.
Admiralty rated highly as a second choice location at 43%. Wanchai was the strongest third choice location rating over
30%.
First Preference Second Preference Sha Tin
Central 65% Central 23% 6%
Admiralty 8% Admiralty 43%
Wan Chai 2% Wan Chai 4%
Causeway Bay 6% Causeway Bay 14%
Tsim Sha Tsui 7% Tsim Sha Tsui 11%
Sha Tin 6% Sha Tin 1%
Quarry Bay 6% Quarry Bay 5%
Tsim
Sha Tsui
7%
Central 6%
65% 2%
6%
Causeway
Quarry
Bay
Wan Bay
Chai
8% Admiralty
Brisbane | Sydney | Canberra | Melbourne | Adelaide | Perth
Auckland | Wellington | Singapore | Hong Kong | Global Affiliates
www.cliftons.com | enquiries@cliftons.com | 1800 629 088 13
17. Cliftons Location Survey Report | November 2011
11. Singapore Location Preferences
Singapore had the second highest demand for CBD location at 82%. The second preference was less clear with Riverside
and Orchard Road both rating 28% and the CBD close behind at 20%. The third preference location was fairly evenly split
between Suntech, Marina Bay and Orchard Road all around 25%.
Singapore also demonstrated a significant drop in response rate for subsequent location preferences indicating a lack of
interest for locations away from the strong first choice of Singapore CBD.
First Preference Second Preference
Singapore CBD 82% Singapore CBD 20%
Riverside (Civic) 0% Riverside (Civic) 28%
Orchard Road 3% Orchard Road 28%
Marina Bay 12% Marina Bay 12%
Suntec 0% Suntec 12%
East Coast 3% East Coast 0%
3% 3%
Orchard Rd East Coast
0%
Singapore Suntec
0%
Riverside CBD
(Civic)
12%
82%
Marina Bay
Brisbane | Sydney | Canberra | Melbourne | Adelaide | Perth
Auckland | Wellington | Singapore | Hong Kong | Global Affiliates
www.cliftons.com | enquiries@cliftons.com | 1800 629 088 14
18. Cliftons Location Survey Report | November 2011
12. External Influences on Location Preferences
Respondents were asked about the importance of “convenience” and what other factors where important to them in
their choice of preferred venue location. Convenience was rated as extremely or very important by 87% of respondents,
indicating this is a primary criterion for choice of venue. Selection of a location not considered “convenient” could lead
to loses of up to 87% of a potential audience.
How important is convenience?
Respondents rated a range of external factors relating to convenience. 71% selected easily accessible by public transport
as extremely important and 51% indicated that a safe secure area was extremely important. Other factors rated as fairly
to extremely important including familiarity with a location and access to shops and commercial amenities. Car parking
rated lowest in importance to venue location.
When asked to list “What do you like most about this venue?” 58% of respondents listed location and ease of access as
the most important features. This was followed by staff and facilities at 21%.
Brisbane | Sydney | Canberra | Melbourne | Adelaide | Perth
Auckland | Wellington | Singapore | Hong Kong | Global Affiliates
www.cliftons.com | enquiries@cliftons.com | 1800 629 088 15
19. Cliftons Location Survey Report | November 2011
Other Factors
Some of the factors analysed were found not to correlate specifically to venue location choice. The type and length of an
event or course and whether it was company sponsored or personal choice did not impact CBD location preference.
How long is the event you are attending at Cliftons?
Are you attending a computer based course or seminar event?
Brisbane | Sydney | Canberra | Melbourne | Adelaide | Perth
Auckland | Wellington | Singapore | Hong Kong | Global Affiliates
www.cliftons.com | enquiries@cliftons.com | 1800 629 088 16
20. Cliftons Location Survey Report | November 2011
Are you attending a course run by your company or a third party?
Location Conclusions
This study provides a clear direction for event and training venue location in Melbourne, Sydney, Hong Kong and
Singapore. All results indicate a strong preference (75% of respondents) for a central city location. All factors analysed
correlate to support CBD city locations as the location of choice for an event, conference or training venue. Factors
significantly impacting the preference for a CBD location are convenience, ease of access by public transport networks,
shorter travel time and modal split of two or less forms of transport.
It can be concluded that the Cliftons Location Survey, November 2011 findings strongly suggest central city locations are
the best choice for attracting the most attendees to an event or training course.
Brisbane | Sydney | Canberra | Melbourne | Adelaide | Perth
Auckland | Wellington | Singapore | Hong Kong | Global Affiliates
www.cliftons.com | enquiries@cliftons.com | 1800 629 088 17
21. Cliftons Location Survey Report | November 2011
New Zealand Addendum
The survey commenced in Wellington and Auckland at the same time as the survey in the body of the report, during
phase one. However the recovery of the data and the subsequent analysis of that data were not completed in time for
inclusion in the original report.
This addendum briefly outlines the results of the survey principally re-enforcing the findings of the original report. The
graph below summerises the updated sample split which highlights an increase in sample size for New Zealand to 16%
and a proportionate reduction for the other locations.
Data Collection Location
Brisbane | Sydney | Canberra | Melbourne | Adelaide | Perth
Auckland | Wellington | Singapore | Hong Kong | Global Affiliates
www.cliftons.com | enquiries@cliftons.com | 1800 629 088 18
22. Cliftons Location Survey Report | November 2011
1. Auckland Location Preferences
Auckland showed a much broader split of location preferences than the other locations. CBD was still the strongest
preference with 59%, slightly below the average for the other locations. North Shore rated strongly as first preference at
17% and Viaduct scored strongly at 10%.
Almost 80% of respondents nominated a second preference with the majority of second preferences for the CBD with
34%. Viaduct with 29% scored strongly as a second preference in excess of the second preferences for Australia,
Singapore and Hong Kong.
17%
North Shore
10%
Viaduct Auckland CBD
59%
5%
Newmarket
First Preference Second Preference
Auckland CBD 59% Auckland CBD 34%
Viaduct 10% Viaduct 29%
Newmarket 5% Newmarket 8%
Mt Wellington 6% Mt Wellington 5% 3%
North Shore 17% North Shore 8% Manukau
Manukau 3% Manukau 3%
6%
Mt Wellington
Brisbane | Sydney | Canberra | Melbourne | Adelaide | Perth
Auckland | Wellington | Singapore | Hong Kong | Global Affiliates
www.cliftons.com | enquiries@cliftons.com | 1800 629 088 19
23. Cliftons Location Survey Report | November 2011
2. Wellington Location Preferences
Wellington showed an 82% first preference for the CBD comparable with Singapore and Sydney. Porirua at 9% was the
strongest other location with the remaining districts at 3% each.
There was a response rate of over 50% for the second preference with City Fringe having the strongest response rate at
38.89%, substantially in excess of the other leading second preferences. CBD scored strongly with 27.78% and Petone
and Lower Hutt recording 11.11% and 16.67% of second preferences but with the smaller sample size slightly
exaggerating the percentages.
9%
Porirua
3%
Lower Hutt
3%
Petone
Wellington CBD
82%
3%
City Fringe
First Preference
Wellington CBD 82%
City Fringe 3%
Petone 3%
Lower Hutt 3%
Porirua 9%
Brisbane | Sydney | Canberra | Melbourne | Adelaide | Perth
Auckland | Wellington | Singapore | Hong Kong | Global Affiliates
www.cliftons.com | enquiries@cliftons.com | 1800 629 088 20
24. Cliftons Location Survey Report | November 2011
Summary of the Findings
The New Zealand survey did not define whether a respondent was a presenter or an attendee.
The statistics for transport to work were different from the rest of the survey. More people drove to work and the venue
(58.8% and 42.5% respectively). A significant number walked to the venues (40%) with Wellington showing that 50% of
respondents walked to the venues. Bus was the dominant form of public transport with 20% of respondents
overall. These results are consistent with the general views that Wellington has better public transport than Auckland and
the car is by far and away the preferred mode of transport generally.
Again the significant majority, 69% utilised a single mode of transport to get to work and for travel Cliftons venues. As was
similar to the Australian results.
The results for location preference were very similar to the rest of the results with in excess of 67% expressing the CBD as
their first preference. Wellington was 82%, significantly higher than Auckland at 59% where North Shore scored strongly
as first preference at 17%. Auckland CBD was also a strong second preference as was Viaduct with 34% and 29%
respectively. Wellington’s strongest second preference was City Fringe at 38.89%.
Convenience as a factor was consistent with the results for the sample in phase 1 and security was once more a key
consideration.
Brisbane | Sydney | Canberra | Melbourne | Adelaide | Perth
Auckland | Wellington | Singapore | Hong Kong | Global Affiliates
www.cliftons.com | enquiries@cliftons.com | 1800 629 088 21
25. :
Location
Location
Location
Cliftons Location Survey
November 2011
The survey data and results were compiled by:
Vanessa Green, Managing Director at Crimson Cartwheel.
Vanessa is an experienced Regional Senior Executive with an established record
of business growth and pro-active management across Asia Pacific. She has a
bachelor of Arts in Communication & Media Studies as well as a Bachelor of
Science, Psychology.
For more information on this survey, please contact enquiries@cliftons.com
26. Cliftons Location Survey Report | November 2011
Executive Summary
Cliftons was the first company in Australia to build Sydney
dedicated Computer Training Rooms to meet the needs of There were a few surprises with the Sydney data. The main
the industry. As the first to market there was no one was the decline of North Sydney as a preferred location
benchmark to compare ourselves to, or against. High on down from 8% in the 1999 survey to just 3% in 2011 and the
my list of questions was “where to build” the first facility? strength of Darling Harbour locations. The strong
Having a commercial property background the city (CBD) dominance of the CBD with the highest score in the survey
really seemed like the only answer to me, so after of 85% is consistent with the earlier survey.
looking at the best training companies of the day I decided
that that was where we needed to be and the first Cliftons The relatively poor demand for Chatswood and North Ryde
venue came to be in George Street, Sydney. are consistent with earlier findings and are interestingly low
especially when considering the strong IT related industry
The rest is history, or is it? In 1999 there was a bases they both boast.
continued push to look at facilities outside the CBD with
North Sydney, North Ryde and Chatswood all being It is likely that Sydney’s strong radial transport network
pushed by various drivers and stakeholders. Oracle, one centring on the CBD has resulted in such a strong
of our major clients was considering relocating their North preference.
Sydney training venue and they came to us and asked Melbourne
the same question we had in 1997. We undertook some The main surprise in the Melbourne data was the weak
research of existing training venues in Australia and the preference for St Kilda Road, with less than 1%, which is
United States and found mixed results in terms of location. often touted as Melbourne’s second location to the CBD.
The American experience was especially confused with The CBD scored 69% with good support from the
no real patterns emerging other than different cities had surrounding areas of Docklands and Southbank, 9% and 4%
different dynamics; these were not readily applicable to respectively. Regional locations had the highest preference
Australia. We then decided to go to the student base and in the survey of 8% for Dandenong and Camberwell at 10%.
look at what they wanted. Melbourne has a dominantly radial public transport network.
On the way we visited the concept of journey to work and
Singapore
journey to a training venue, and specifically the concept of
Singapore had the second highest demand for the CBD
modal split, that is the number of transport modes a
within the survey of 82% with strong support from Marina
student had to employ to get from home to the venue.
Bay. Suntec scored particularly badly which may mirror the
There is a large amount of data that indicates that more
experience of Melbourne’s St Kilda Road and Sydney’s North
than two modal splits will deter most people from
Ryde and North Sydney. Hong Kong’s Quarry Bay performed
undertaking a journey on a regular basis.
slightly better in comparison to Suntec.
Location Preference Singapore boasts a linear integrated Mass Rapid Transit
In this follow up study, attendee location preferences were (MRT) system and the late opening of a station servicing
sought across Asia Pacific locations. While there are large Suntec may have influenced this result.
differences between cities like Singapore and Melbourne
the results are statistically valid and provide strong insights Hong Kong
into location preferences, similarities and differences. Interestingly Hong Kong had the lowest preference for the
CBD district of Central at 65%. There was strong support for
Overall there is a very strong preference of 75% for CBD the near CBD location of Admiralty as a second choice at
locations. This preference ranges from 85% in Sydney down 44% and there was little support for Kowloon side districts
to 65% in Hong Kong. It is interesting to note that the CBD like Tsim Sha Tsui at 7.5%.
was also a consistently high second preference location at
25% ranging from 20% in Singapore to 29% in Hong Kong. This could be a factor of Hong Kong’s advanced multi
Near CBD locations were usually the highest second pref- orbital Mass Transit Railway (MTR) system and supporting
erence and second highest first preference. bus network. This however does not explain Wanchai’s poor
showing at 2%.
There was no significant variation in location preference
when analysing results from students compared to I hope you find the following report as informative and
instructors, computer based training compared to seminar useful as we have. As always, we look forward to your
events or self funded attendees to company funded ones. feedback.
From this data there is little doubt that the primary location
of a training venue across all the cities surveyed really has
to be the CBD. The location theorists and CBD property
developers and owners must be rubbing their hands
together with glee! Andrew Cameron
Managing Director and Founder, Cliftons
27. Cliftons Location Survey Report | November 2011
Contents
Cliftons Location Survey - November 2011......................................................... 1
Presenters and Course Attendees....................................................................... 2
Length of Journey................................................................................................. 4
Mode of Travel to Cliftons.................................................................................... 5
Mode of Travel to Work....................................................................................... 7
Time to Venue - Modes of Transport................................................................... 8
Venue Location Preferences................................................................................. 9
Sydney Location Preferences............................................................................... 11
Melbourne Location Preferences......................................................................... 12
Hong Kong Location Preferences......................................................................... 13
Singapore Location Preferences........................................................................... 14
External Influences on Location Preferences....................................................... 15
Location Conclusions............................................................................................ 17
New Zealand Addendum...................................................................................... 18
Auckland Location Preferences............................................................................ 19
Wellington Location Preferences......................................................................... 20
Summary of the Findings...................................................................................... 21
Brisbane | Sydney | Canberra | Melbourne | Adelaide | Perth
Auckland | Wellington | Singapore | Hong Kong | Global Affiliates
www.cliftons.com | enquiries@cliftons.com | 1800 629 088
28. Cliftons Location Survey Report | November 2011
1. Cliftons Location Survey - November 2011
The Cliftons Location Survey was undertaken in November 2011 to assess attendee location preferences for training,
conference and event venues in Australia, Hong Kong and Singapore. Continuing research will be undertaken targeting
additional cities and countries in the region.
Over 600 respondents attending courses or events at a Cliftons venue in Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore or
New Zealand were surveyed.
The effects of:
• travel methods;,
• length of travel;
• type of event or course;
• length of event or course;
• type of attendee;
• home and work location;
• habitual travel time;
• travel methods to the workplace;
• experience attending events and courses at other venues; and
• other influencing factors were evaluated.
Trends and correlations between the factors mentioned and the respondents stated location preferences were analysed.
The overwhelming preference at each location was for central city venues. All factors analysed correlated to support CBD
locations as the location of choice for an event, conference or training venue. Surprisingly, even the small percentage of
respondents with multiple modal split transport methods and longer travel times to the city, predominantly elected the
CBD as their location of choice.
Data Collection
614 responses were collected for the initial study. Phase one of the Location Survey focuses on the results from Australia,
Hong Kong and Singapore. Further data will be collected from New Zealand and other locations.
Country of origin was found to have no statistical significance on location preference (city centre or other district).
Brisbane | Sydney | Canberra | Melbourne | Adelaide | Perth
Auckland | Wellington | Singapore | Hong Kong | Global Affiliates
www.cliftons.com | enquiries@cliftons.com | 1800 629 088 1
29. Cliftons Location Survey Report | November 2011
2. Presenters and Course Attendees
Of the 614 respondents, 18% were instructors and 82% course attendees. There was no statistical significance attributed
to being an instructor or attendee for location preference.
Interestingly, instructors and presenters use significantly more buses than students and event attendees. Also event
attendees catch significantly more trains than presenters. This applied both to travel to work and travel to the Cliftons
venue that they were visiting that day.
How did you travel here today?
Brisbane | Sydney | Canberra | Melbourne | Adelaide | Perth
Auckland | Wellington | Singapore | Hong Kong | Global Affiliates
www.cliftons.com | enquiries@cliftons.com | 1800 629 088 2
30. Cliftons Location Survey Report | November 2011
Presenters and Course Attendees Cont’d
How do you usually travel to work?
It took students slightly longer than instructors to travel to Cliftons. 54% of instructors took less than 30 minutes to reach
their venue destination, compared to 44% of students taking less than 30 minutes. Over 90% of instructors and attendees
travelled for less than one hour to reach a Cliftons venue.
Brisbane | Sydney | Canberra | Melbourne | Adelaide | Perth
Auckland | Wellington | Singapore | Hong Kong | Global Affiliates
www.cliftons.com | enquiries@cliftons.com | 1800 629 088 3
31. Cliftons Location Survey Report | November 2011
3. Length of Journey
The way people travel to work and to event and training venues was explored.
The length of journey to work directly correlated to length of journey to event and training venue. Similar travel times
were reported for both normal travel to work, and travel to the Cliftons venue. 4% more respondents reached Cliftons
within 15 minutes (20%), compared to place of work (16% within 15 minutes). No doubt this is a reflection of the Cliftons
venue CBD locations and proximity to public transport.
Over 70% of respondents took less than 45 minutes to travel to work or Cliftons.
Travel time to Work
Travel time to Cliftons Venue
It took students slightly longer than instructors to travel to Cliftons. 54% of instructors took less than 30 minutes to reach
their venue destination, compared to 44% of students taking less than 30 minutes. Over 90% of instructors and attendees
travelled for less than one hour to reach a Cliftons venue.
Brisbane | Sydney | Canberra | Melbourne | Adelaide | Perth
Auckland | Wellington | Singapore | Hong Kong | Global Affiliates
www.cliftons.com | enquiries@cliftons.com | 1800 629 088 4
32. Cliftons Location Survey Report | November 2011
4. Mode of Travel to Cliftons
When the mode of travel to Cliftons venues was analysed a significant majority (83%) of those travelling to a Cliftons
venue used one mode of transport only. Further 14% of respondents used two modes of transport and only 3% used
three or more modes of transport to reach the designated Cliftons venue. This reduced modal split to predominantly a
single mode of transport and may be a reflection of Cliftons venues’ CBD locations and particularly the venues proximity
to public transport.
Travel to Cliftons - modal split
Brisbane | Sydney | Canberra | Melbourne | Adelaide | Perth
Auckland | Wellington | Singapore | Hong Kong | Global Affiliates
www.cliftons.com | enquiries@cliftons.com | 1800 629 088 5
33. Cliftons Location Survey Report | November 2011
Mode of Travel to Cliftons Cont’d
Country and city data showed no correlation to number of modes of travel with percentages replicating overall survey
respondent location.
For those travelling by a single mode of transport to a Cliftons venue, the primary method of travel was train (40%),
followed by bus and walking. These three modes of transport accounted for over 75% of travel. This was not statistically
different to the full respondent survey.
For the full respondent survey, the predominant means of transport to Cliftons venues was train (48%), followed by
walking and bus both at 21%. The “means of transport” percentages below add up to more than 100% as some travelers
took multiple forms of transport – e.g. drive and train or train and walk, to reach their destination.
How did you get to this Cliftons Venue today?
(Single mode of transport)
Brisbane | Sydney | Canberra | Melbourne | Adelaide | Perth
Auckland | Wellington | Singapore | Hong Kong | Global Affiliates
www.cliftons.com | enquiries@cliftons.com | 1800 629 088 6
34. Cliftons Location Survey Report | November 2011
5. Mode of Travel to Work
The majority (80%) of those travelling to work used one mode of transport only, 16% used two modes of transport and
only 4% used three or more modes of transport to reach their workplace.
It was found that respondents had a slightly higher level of acceptance for more than one mode of transport when
travelling to their regular place of work compared to when travelling to a training, conference or event venue. The
difference was not statistically significant with only an additional 3% using two or more modes of transport for travel to
work as compared to travel to a training or event venue.
Travel to Work - modal split
Brisbane | Sydney | Canberra | Melbourne | Adelaide | Perth
Auckland | Wellington | Singapore | Hong Kong | Global Affiliates
www.cliftons.com | enquiries@cliftons.com | 1800 629 088 7
35. Cliftons Location Survey Report | November 2011
6. Time to Venue - Modes of Transport
The majority of those travelling to Cliftons using a single mode of transport arrived in less than 30 minutes (52%) and by
45 minutes, 75% of single mode travelers had reached their destination. This shows some variance from the overall group
(see earlier graph), where 48% had a travel time of 30 minutes or less.
Travel time to Cliftons - Single Mode
Those travelling by two or more means of transport (17%) predominantly took 30 – 60 minutes to reach their destination
(60%), as compared to 40% of the single mode of transport group whose trips where generally shorter (52% less than 30
minutes).
Travel time to Cliftons - 2 or more modes
Brisbane | Sydney | Canberra | Melbourne | Adelaide | Perth
Auckland | Wellington | Singapore | Hong Kong | Global Affiliates
www.cliftons.com | enquiries@cliftons.com | 1800 629 088 8
36. Cliftons Location Survey Report | November 2011
7. Venue Location Preferences
Overall there was a strong preference for CBD locations with 75% of the respondents preferring the CBD. This preference
ranges from 85% in Sydney down to 65% in Hong Kong. CBD location preference was slightly higher for the single mode
of transport group (76%).
Venue Location - 1st preference
Brisbane | Sydney | Canberra | Melbourne | Adelaide | Perth
Auckland | Wellington | Singapore | Hong Kong | Global Affiliates
www.cliftons.com | enquiries@cliftons.com | 1800 629 088 9
37. Cliftons Location Survey Report | November 2011
Venue Location Preferences Cont’d
The second location preference was more diversely split than the clear CBD first preference. It is interesting to note that
the CBD was also a consistently high second preference location at 25%, ranging from 20% in Singapore to 29% in Hong
Kong.
Near CBD locations were usually the highest second preference and second highest first preference.
Venue Location - 2nd preference
Brisbane | Sydney | Canberra | Melbourne | Adelaide | Perth
Auckland | Wellington | Singapore | Hong Kong | Global Affiliates
www.cliftons.com | enquiries@cliftons.com | 1800 629 088 10
38. Cliftons Location Survey Report | November 2011
8. Sydney Location Preferences
Sydney displayed a strong preference of 85% for a CBD first preference location. All other districts rated fewer than 5%
as a first preference location. For second preference locations, Darling Harbour rated highest at 32% followed by Sydney
CBD and North Sydney, both at 24%.
There was a 50% response rate for second preference venue location, however for subsequent preferences the response
rate dropped to 20 – 30%. The significant drop in responses for a second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth preference location
indicate little interest in alternative locations away from the CBD.
North Ryde Chatswood
3% 3%
Parramatta
4%
North
Sydney
3%
Sydney CBD
85%
First Preference Second Preference Darling
Harbour
Sydney CBD 85% Sydney CBD 24%
North Sydney 3% North Sydney 24% 4%
Chatswood 3% Chatswood 8%
North Ryde 3% North Ryde 5%
Parramatta 4% Parramatta 6%
Darling Harbour 4% Darling Harbour 32%
Brisbane | Sydney | Canberra | Melbourne | Adelaide | Perth
Auckland | Wellington | Singapore | Hong Kong | Global Affiliates
www.cliftons.com | enquiries@cliftons.com | 1800 629 088 11
39. Cliftons Location Survey Report | November 2011
9. Melbourne Location Preferences
In Melbourne the CBD rated 69% as a first preference location with some interest in Docklands, Dandenong and
Camberwell all at 8% to 10%.
For a second preference location, Docklands at 28% was closely followed by the CBD at 25%. For the third preference
locations Docklands (36%) and Southbank (32%) where the clear favourites.
Again a significant drop in response rate for subsequent location preferences indicates lack of interest outside the strong
first choice location of Melbourne CBD.
First Preference Second Preference
Melbourne CBD 69% Melbourne CBD 24%
St Kilda Road 1% St Kilda Road 19%
Docklands 9% Docklands 20%
Southbank 4% Southbank 26%
Dandenong 8% Dandenong 5%
Camberwell 10% Camberwell 7%
Melbourne CBD
Camberwell
Docklands
9% 69% 10%
Southbank
4%
St Kilda Road
1%
8%
Dandenong
Brisbane | Sydney | Canberra | Melbourne | Adelaide | Perth
Auckland | Wellington | Singapore | Hong Kong | Global Affiliates
www.cliftons.com | enquiries@cliftons.com | 1800 629 088 12
40. Cliftons Location Survey Report | November 2011
10. Hong Kong Location Preferences
The CBD of Central rated as the first preference at 65% with all other districts rating fewer than 8% as a first choice. Hong
Kong was the only place to indicate potential interest for additional locations outside the Central business area as 2nd or
3rd venue locations.
Admiralty rated highly as a second choice location at 43%. Wanchai was the strongest third choice location rating over
30%.
First Preference Second Preference Sha Tin
Central 65% Central 23% 6%
Admiralty 8% Admiralty 43%
Wan Chai 2% Wan Chai 4%
Causeway Bay 6% Causeway Bay 14%
Tsim Sha Tsui 7% Tsim Sha Tsui 11%
Sha Tin 6% Sha Tin 1%
Quarry Bay 6% Quarry Bay 5%
Tsim
Sha Tsui
7%
Central 6%
65% 2%
6%
Causeway
Quarry
Bay
Wan Bay
Chai
8% Admiralty
Brisbane | Sydney | Canberra | Melbourne | Adelaide | Perth
Auckland | Wellington | Singapore | Hong Kong | Global Affiliates
www.cliftons.com | enquiries@cliftons.com | 1800 629 088 13
41. Cliftons Location Survey Report | November 2011
11. Singapore Location Preferences
Singapore had the second highest demand for CBD location at 82%. The second preference was less clear with Riverside
and Orchard Road both rating 28% and the CBD close behind at 20%. The third preference location was fairly evenly split
between Suntech, Marina Bay and Orchard Road all around 25%.
Singapore also demonstrated a significant drop in response rate for subsequent location preferences indicating a lack of
interest for locations away from the strong first choice of Singapore CBD.
First Preference Second Preference
Singapore CBD 82% Singapore CBD 20%
Riverside (Civic) 0% Riverside (Civic) 28%
Orchard Road 3% Orchard Road 28%
Marina Bay 12% Marina Bay 12%
Suntec 0% Suntec 12%
East Coast 3% East Coast 0%
3% 3%
Orchard Rd East Coast
0%
Singapore Suntec
0%
Riverside CBD
(Civic)
12%
82%
Marina Bay
Brisbane | Sydney | Canberra | Melbourne | Adelaide | Perth
Auckland | Wellington | Singapore | Hong Kong | Global Affiliates
www.cliftons.com | enquiries@cliftons.com | 1800 629 088 14
42. Cliftons Location Survey Report | November 2011
12. External Influences on Location Preferences
Respondents were asked about the importance of “convenience” and what other factors where important to them in
their choice of preferred venue location. Convenience was rated as extremely or very important by 87% of respondents,
indicating this is a primary criterion for choice of venue. Selection of a location not considered “convenient” could lead
to loses of up to 87% of a potential audience.
How important is convenience?
Respondents rated a range of external factors relating to convenience. 71% selected easily accessible by public transport
as extremely important and 51% indicated that a safe secure area was extremely important. Other factors rated as fairly
to extremely important including familiarity with a location and access to shops and commercial amenities. Car parking
rated lowest in importance to venue location.
When asked to list “What do you like most about this venue?” 58% of respondents listed location and ease of access as
the most important features. This was followed by staff and facilities at 21%.
Brisbane | Sydney | Canberra | Melbourne | Adelaide | Perth
Auckland | Wellington | Singapore | Hong Kong | Global Affiliates
www.cliftons.com | enquiries@cliftons.com | 1800 629 088 15
43. Cliftons Location Survey Report | November 2011
Other Factors
Some of the factors analysed were found not to correlate specifically to venue location choice. The type and length of an
event or course and whether it was company sponsored or personal choice did not impact CBD location preference.
How long is the event you are attending at Cliftons?
Are you attending a computer based course or seminar event?
Brisbane | Sydney | Canberra | Melbourne | Adelaide | Perth
Auckland | Wellington | Singapore | Hong Kong | Global Affiliates
www.cliftons.com | enquiries@cliftons.com | 1800 629 088 16
44. Cliftons Location Survey Report | November 2011
Are you attending a course run by your company or a third party?
Location Conclusions
This study provides a clear direction for event and training venue location in Melbourne, Sydney, Hong Kong and
Singapore. All results indicate a strong preference (75% of respondents) for a central city location. All factors analysed
correlate to support CBD city locations as the location of choice for an event, conference or training venue. Factors
significantly impacting the preference for a CBD location are convenience, ease of access by public transport networks,
shorter travel time and modal split of two or less forms of transport.
It can be concluded that the Cliftons Location Survey, November 2011 findings strongly suggest central city locations are
the best choice for attracting the most attendees to an event or training course.
Brisbane | Sydney | Canberra | Melbourne | Adelaide | Perth
Auckland | Wellington | Singapore | Hong Kong | Global Affiliates
www.cliftons.com | enquiries@cliftons.com | 1800 629 088 17
45. Cliftons Location Survey Report | November 2011
New Zealand Addendum
The survey commenced in Wellington and Auckland at the same time as the survey in the body of the report, during
phase one. However the recovery of the data and the subsequent analysis of that data were not completed in time for
inclusion in the original report.
This addendum briefly outlines the results of the survey principally re-enforcing the findings of the original report. The
graph below summerises the updated sample split which highlights an increase in sample size for New Zealand to 16%
and a proportionate reduction for the other locations.
Data Collection Location
Brisbane | Sydney | Canberra | Melbourne | Adelaide | Perth
Auckland | Wellington | Singapore | Hong Kong | Global Affiliates
www.cliftons.com | enquiries@cliftons.com | 1800 629 088 18
46. Cliftons Location Survey Report | November 2011
1. Auckland Location Preferences
Auckland showed a much broader split of location preferences than the other locations. CBD was still the strongest
preference with 59%, slightly below the average for the other locations. North Shore rated strongly as first preference at
17% and Viaduct scored strongly at 10%.
Almost 80% of respondents nominated a second preference with the majority of second preferences for the CBD with
34%. Viaduct with 29% scored strongly as a second preference in excess of the second preferences for Australia,
Singapore and Hong Kong.
17%
North Shore
10%
Viaduct Auckland CBD
59%
5%
Newmarket
First Preference Second Preference
Auckland CBD 59% Auckland CBD 34%
Viaduct 10% Viaduct 29%
Newmarket 5% Newmarket 8%
Mt Wellington 6% Mt Wellington 5% 3%
North Shore 17% North Shore 8% Manukau
Manukau 3% Manukau 3%
6%
Mt Wellington
Brisbane | Sydney | Canberra | Melbourne | Adelaide | Perth
Auckland | Wellington | Singapore | Hong Kong | Global Affiliates
www.cliftons.com | enquiries@cliftons.com | 1800 629 088 19
47. Cliftons Location Survey Report | November 2011
2. Wellington Location Preferences
Wellington showed an 82% first preference for the CBD comparable with Singapore and Sydney. Porirua at 9% was the
strongest other location with the remaining districts at 3% each.
There was a response rate of over 50% for the second preference with City Fringe having the strongest response rate at
38.89%, substantially in excess of the other leading second preferences. CBD scored strongly with 27.78% and Petone
and Lower Hutt recording 11.11% and 16.67% of second preferences but with the smaller sample size slightly
exaggerating the percentages.
9%
Porirua
3%
Lower Hutt
3%
Petone
Wellington CBD
82%
3%
City Fringe
First Preference
Wellington CBD 82%
City Fringe 3%
Petone 3%
Lower Hutt 3%
Porirua 9%
Brisbane | Sydney | Canberra | Melbourne | Adelaide | Perth
Auckland | Wellington | Singapore | Hong Kong | Global Affiliates
www.cliftons.com | enquiries@cliftons.com | 1800 629 088 20
48. Cliftons Location Survey Report | November 2011
Summary of the Findings
The New Zealand survey did not define whether a respondent was a presenter or an attendee.
The statistics for transport to work were different from the rest of the survey. More people drove to work and the venue
(58.8% and 42.5% respectively). A significant number walked to the venues (40%) with Wellington showing that 50% of
respondents walked to the venues. Bus was the dominant form of public transport with 20% of respondents
overall. These results are consistent with the general views that Wellington has better public transport than Auckland and
the car is by far and away the preferred mode of transport generally.
Again the significant majority, 69% utilised a single mode of transport to get to work and for travel Cliftons venues. As was
similar to the Australian results.
The results for location preference were very similar to the rest of the results with in excess of 67% expressing the CBD as
their first preference. Wellington was 82%, significantly higher than Auckland at 59% where North Shore scored strongly
as first preference at 17%. Auckland CBD was also a strong second preference as was Viaduct with 34% and 29%
respectively. Wellington’s strongest second preference was City Fringe at 38.89%.
Convenience as a factor was consistent with the results for the sample in phase 1 and security was once more a key
consideration.
Brisbane | Sydney | Canberra | Melbourne | Adelaide | Perth
Auckland | Wellington | Singapore | Hong Kong | Global Affiliates
www.cliftons.com | enquiries@cliftons.com | 1800 629 088 21
49. :
Location
Location
Location
Cliftons Location Survey
November 2011
The survey data and results were compiled by:
Vanessa Green, Managing Director at Crimson Cartwheel.
Vanessa is an experienced Regional Senior Executive with an established record
of business growth and pro-active management across Asia Pacific. She has a
bachelor of Arts in Communication & Media Studies as well as a Bachelor of
Science, Psychology.
For more information on this survey, please contact enquiries@cliftons.com
