Welcome to the twentieth edition of our quarterly GeoNews which features highlights of our three core activities:

In its tenth year, the Museum Expressions Expo is a European meeting point for museum staff, product developers and the heritage community. Furthering their respective skills in museum management and retail store operations, these professionals also have the opportunity to network and build friendships with their peers from across the globe.

The Expo runs from 30 January to 1 February 2005 at the Palais des Congres in Paris, France. Advanced bookings are already exceeding the registrations seen previously at Museum Expressions. Visit www.museum-expressions.tm.fr for more information.

George Jaksic and Eamon Fenwick are attending the Expo, showcasing Mary MacKillop Place Museum, North Sydney to bring back new ideas, in addition to increasing the Mary MacKillop brand within the museum fraternity. Museum Imagineers will also be promoting its range of unique product development services to European museums attending the event.

Desmond Kennard, Eamon Fenwick and George Jaksic at the museum seminar and workshop on 7 November 2004. (Photo: Desmond Kennard)

In early November, George Jaksic and Eamon Fenwick, representing Museum Imagineers, delivered a seminar and workshop about unique product development for museums. Over 25 representatives from a variety of regional museums attended the Museums Australia Southern Highlands & Illawarra Chapter meeting at the Tongarra Museum in Albion Park, some 100km south of Sydney.

David Wells from the Bradman Museum and Desmond Kennard, museum consultant, organised the event. The seminar was titled "Merchandising, Marketing and Museums: Effective Product Development for the Educational and Institutional Market". The museum representatives showcased samples of product development from their respective institutions. The workshop's theme was to "work smarter, not harder".

This event gave many of those attending the impetus to venture into collaborative projects to support the mission of their museums with quality product development. Find out more about Tongarra Museum, the Bradman Museum and other regional museums of the Southern Highlands of New South Wales by visiting www.amol.org.au/guide and Museums Australia at www.ma.org.au for a comprehensive guide to this museum peak industry body.

Specialist pen makers Prodir, based in Switzerland, offer a wide range of high quality pens for unique promotional applications which are ideal for museum stores. Prodir have the capacity to produce high resolution colour imagery on their pens.

Following discussions during the Museum Store Association's Expo in Portland, Oregon in April 2004, Museum Imagineers has become an official Prodir partner within Australia, further expanding our unique products for museums. A selection of pens for Mary MacKillop Place Museum are being produced, featuring a full colour image of Blessed Mary MacKillop (detail from a 1925 portrait by Raffaele Gagliardi) in addition to museum branding.

It is anticipated that there will be strong demand for this product, as it combines high quality craftsmanship with great value to tell a story. You too can promote your museum or business by calling Museum Imagineers on (+61 2) 9568 2444 for an obligation free consultation and cost estimate.

Brent Street Studios is Australia's premier school of performing arts. Located at Waterloo, an inner suburb of Sydney, over 1000 students ranging from babies through to senior teens in the full time performing arts course enjoy a wide range of classes. These include ballet, tap, contemporary and jazz. Early in 2004 the Talent Development High School commenced and is growing in popularity with increasing enrolments for 2005.

Their successful Brent Street Agency is a prime source of talent for advertising, television and the movie industry. Find out more about Brent Street at www.brentstreet.com.au and they may be contacted on (+61 2) 9699 2677.

GeoGraphics Group was commissioned to design and produce a quality calendar and monthly planner for 2005. Terry Cullinane Photography was tasked with photographing groups of students from the numerous classes. Black and white images were skilfully digitised into duotones (shades of primary colours) to create a classic image and roll call of this year's students. For a lasting memento why not put GeoGraphics Group on your calendar!

The Executive Council of Australian Jewry publishes two booklets annually. These are the "Report on Antisemitism in Australia" and the "Annual Conference Report". GeoGraphics Group has assisted this august body over many years in producing both volumes which are distributed within Australia and worldwide.

The former booklet is very comprehensive, providing a general and historical background delineating antisemitism and racism issues in Australia. It also notes the effects of vilification. The latter booklet, which is over 300 pages, offers a multitude of reports of constituent Jewish organisations, affiliates and consultants.

This significant information is documented in perfect bound booklet form and GeoGraphics Group can assist your organisation in producing well designed material by contacting our team at (+61 2) 9568 2444 for an obligation free consultation.