Scentre Group (Owner of Westfield destinations in Aus and NZ)

We were delighted to have been awarded the most Compelling Experience Award for Westfield Chermside’s Brisbane Festival activation at last night’s Shopping Centre Council of Australia Marketing Awards.     Jacqui Waine, our General Manager Marketing & Community, said: “Our business is focused on achieving growth through attracting more people to visit our Westfield destinations more often and for longer. Our partnerships and customer activations contribute to customer visitation as people seek out exciting experiences that are unique to our Westfield destinations.    “I’m incredibly proud of all the events, activations and cultural moments our Marketing and Community team brings to life for our Westfield customers throughout the year.   “Winning this award for our activations is important and well-deserved recognition of the team’s contribution.   “The Brisbane Festival experience at Westfield Chermside saw our destination become a satellite site for festival performances, hosting a three-week program of entertainment that enlivened and delighted, culminating in Kidchella. Congratulations to Anne-Maree Butler, Natasha Gribble, Natalie Kussrow.   “Thank you to all of our teams for their continued focus on the customer and creating welcoming and vibrant Westfield destinations that connect and enrich communities every day.”

Australia’s favourite home cook, Nagi Maehashi of RecipeTin Eats and her equally famous Golden Retriever, Dozer, were welcomed by hundreds of customers for the Sydney leg of her Australian book launch tour this weekend, held exclusively in our Westfield destinations.  Richard Schmid, Head of Marketing Activations & Brand Partnerships, said “Our team is focused on working closely with our business partners to unlock exclusive experiences, reflective of the current interests of our customers.     “Knowing how well the release of her newest cookbook 'Tonight' would resonate with our customers, we are excited to partner with publisher Pan Macmillan Australia, offering the exclusive opportunity to meet Nagi Maehashi in our Westfield destinations across Australia.    “The response has been very positive, with Nagi and her Golden Retriever, Dozer receiving an incredible reception by our community.     “We saw hundreds of eager fans at Westfield Parramatta, Westfield Miranda and Westfield Warringah Mall. Nagi stayed for over 3 hours to chat, signing copies of her new cookbook, and featuring in many selfies with fans.    “The exclusive signing session and meet and greet, is just another example of how we can leverage the strength of our relationships with key business partners, providing unique experiences for our customers.”     #exclusiveexperience #businesspartner

Over the school holidays, we welcomed Disney fans of all ages dressed in their Prince and Princess best, as our teams delivered ‘Spark Magic’ at our Westfield destinations.    Richard Schmid, Head of Marketing Activations & Brand Partnerships, said “This phase of our collaboration with The Walt Disney Company has brought captivating storytelling sessions, interactive moments and magical experiences featuring some of the most cherished characters from the worlds of Disney Princess to our customers.     “Customers travelled far and wide to attend the once in a lifetime experience at Westfield Chermside, Southland and Parramatta this month, to meet Disney’s Cinderella for her first ever Australian appearance. Tickets to the meet and greet sessions sold out across all three centres, with all proceeds donated to the Make-A-Wish Australia Foundation.    “Our customers have also experienced ‘A Disney Princess Adventure’, a bespoke immersive experience. We worked closely with Disney to produce a short film and custom build a miniature Disney Princess castle that transforms into an enchanting library to pop up in our Westfield destinations, creating a fully immersive, globally unique experience.    “The continued success of our collaboration with Disney has allowed us to foster a deep relationship and unlock world first, exclusive opportunities, creating unique and memorable moments for our customers.” 

Tom Atallah, our Senior Legal Counsel, recently returned from three months primary carers’ leave spent with his daughter Georgie. Talking about his parental leave Tom said: “Of all the things that Georgie and I did together during my leave, the highlights were at home in the afternoon playing with blocks on the mat. I realised that all the monotonous daily tasks that you try to rush through when you’re working, are really enjoyable when you have the time. "That’s the gift that our parental leave policy really gives you – time – and nothing is more important than that. “I’m so grateful to Scentre Group for not only having our parental leave policy but encouraging people to use it and being genuinely supportive when they do. Parental leave is just one example of how Scentre Group genuinely cares for its people and creates the place for us to thrive both in and out of the workplace.” Read more: https://lnkd.in/gkeu8ySG

Reflecting over a decade-long commitment to supporting football and community initiatives in the Western Sydney region, we have announced the extension of our partnership with Western Sydney Wanderers FC until the end of the 2025/26 season. Our Group Director Customer, Community and Destinations, Lillian Touma (Fadel) said: “We’re thrilled to be extending our long-term partnership with the Western Sydney Wanderers for a further two years. “Our business has a deep connection to Western Sydney. As a foundation partner, we’ve been supporting the Wanderers for 12 years now and it is one of the ways we continue to foster strong engagement with our local communities. “We’re looking forward to cheering the Wanderers alongside our customers at their first game this weekend.” Elena Petroska, Head of Marketing, Destinations and Retailer Partnerships, said “Spanning across our five Western Sydney destinations - Westfield Burwood, Westfield Liverpool, Westfield Mount Druitt, Westfield Parramatta, and Westfield Penrith, the renewed partnership agreement will allow us to collaborate with the Wanderers to create exclusive experiences, plus provide access to tickets and money can’t buy opportunities for our customers. “We know our customers are passionate about the Western Sydney Wanderers and are excited to continue our support and commitment for the team alongside our community.” #strategicpartnerships #community

We know our success comes from our people. So we brought outside thinking into our organisation by partnering with the USC Marshall School of Business to build our people’s capability. Maria Stamoulis, Director Human Resources, said: “USC is ranked as one of the United States’ premier schools and is recognised for its emphasis on entrepreneurship and innovation. “Over six months, 17 of our leaders completed a bespoke Innovative Enterprise Leadership Program on campus in Los Angeles. Their immersion in USC’s world-class setting, supported our leaders develop skills to create innovative, customer-centric solutions. “To establish this mindset across our entire leadership team, USC Professors Rebecca Heino, PhD, Abby Fifer Mandell and Gregory H Patton, Ph.D. recently joined our CEO’s annual Ambition Forum. They guided our 200-strong leadership team through a day of interactive sessions that reflected fundamental parts of the full program. “We know our success comes from our people, and partnering with USC is an important investment in our people and the future of our business.” Find out more: https://lnkd.in/gzWJBZ2V

Today, our Westfield destinations are hosting celebrations across Australia and New Zealand as we announce our Westfield Local Heroes for 2024. Our National Community Manager, Pamela Wilson said: “We are thrilled to announce the Westfield Local Heroes 2024 grant recipients and recognise the positive change they are driving in our communities. “Our heroes across Australia are making a difference in their communities through their tireless work in areas like domestic violence support, emergency aid, and youth development. Their dedication is truly remarkable, and we’re honoured to support their impactful initiatives. “As we round out the seventh year of the program, we continue to be amazed by the incredible contributions these individuals make, and we’re excited to shine a light on their achievements.” This year, we received a record number of votes from 71,500 members of our community to award $1.24m in grants to 125 individuals and their organisations. Since its inception in 2018, the Westfield Local Heroes program has contributed $8.6million to over 860 community organisations. Discover your Westfield Local Hero here: https://lnkd.in/gyxQMVK3 https://lnkd.in/gQ2hbbm #community

Earlier this year, as part of our employee benefits offering and our ongoing collaboration with The Walt Disney Company, we gave one lucky employee the chance to win a trip to Disneyland Resort in California to see Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge. Having recently returned from her once in a lifetime trip, we spoke to Monica S., Agency Sales Executive, to hear about her new friend R2D2, and the lasting impact of her Disney experience. On finding out she had won the competition, Monica said: “I am a Disney fanatic, so winning this prize was a dream come true! I truly felt like the luckiest person alive and am just so grateful for this opportunity. “There were so many highlights as the Disney experience is truly like no other. The level of detail and planning by their team provides you with a unique, curated experience, making you feel as though the magic of Disney has been created just for you. “One of my (many) favourite moments was when we had the chance to create our own Droid at the Droid Depot in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. We met R2D2 outside and he personally chaperoned us to the Depot. It felt as if I was in the movie! “In my time at Scentre Group I have been presented with nothing but opportunities, support, and recognition. Employee benefits such as this once in a lifetime trip are a great part of our story and just one of the many reasons it’s a special place to work.” #employeebenefits

Recently thirteen of our South Australian team members came together to walk 21km, raising $4,000 in funds and awareness for Operation Flinders Foundation.     Peter Cavallaro, Centre Manager Westfield Marion, said “Operation Flinders, a Westfield Local Heroes Alumni organisation and ongoing community partner of ours, is a charitable organisation who run wilderness programs, transforming the lives of young people by placing a focus on resilience, purpose and connection.    “This was our team’s second year participating in the City to Summit, a 21km trek from the Adelaide CBD through the Adelaide Hills. Whilst the event is a challenging experience, both physically and mentally, it presents an invaluable opportunity to build deeper connections with our peers and witness the impact that Operation Flinders has on the lives of young people in our community.” Georgia Graham, Marketing Executive, said “During the 7-hour trek, we immersed ourselves in the Operation Flinders experience, learning about the foundation and speaking to Operation Flinders program participants.     “It’s great to be part of an organisation that supports us taking time out to be able to volunteer at fundraising events which support our community.” Providing our team members with two volunteer days per year to work with charities, not-for-profit organisations or community-focused groups, or to donate blood, plasma or platelets is one way we seek to engage, give back and integrate with our local Westfield communities.    #volunteering #responsiblebusiness #community 

On Tuesday, Christian Dior Couture unveiled its new Australian boutique on Level 4 at Westfield Bondi. "We are delighted to welcome Dior to Westfield Bondi”, said Westfield Bondi Centre Manager, Luke Caleo. “The addition of Dior to our growing stable of luxury retail experiences is incredibly exciting for our destination, which this year celebrates its twentieth anniversary. “The arrival of Dior at Westfield Bondi is an example of how we are continuing to deliver on our strategy to provide extraordinary experiences for our customers, and one we expect to become a favourite among our community."