Frequently asked questions
What is the purpose of the Pinnacle High Achievers conference?
- Rewarding and thanking our high performers
- Providing exposure to the HRLT and networking opportunities within the job family
- Provide stretch and build on the current capabilities of the group
- Invest in each individual and accelerate their development
- Opportunity for us to leverage talent and provide real cases that are big picture challenges
Who will be going to Pinnacle 2014?
Approximately 60 employees from HR & Corporate Affairs within Australia and New Zealand will participate in Pinnacle with the HR Leadership Team.
What is the criteria to be chosen as a HR and Corporate Affairs High Achiever?
Pinnacle participants are nominated by General Managers across HR & Corporate Affairs each year based on a minimum performance benchmark of two consecutive full year performance ratings of HA or OS. Beyond this benchmark, participants will have distinguished themselves through their continued commitment to our values and overall contribution to Westpac Group.
How will participants be notified?
Participants will be personally invited by their General Manager during February 2014.
Is my partner able to participate in the event?
No, partners have not been invited to this event.
How do I get to the Pinnacle event?
Participants who live within the Sydney metropolitan area have the choice of making their own way to Château Élan or joining a coach which will be provided.
The coach will depart Sydney CBD (14 Carrington Street) at 9:00am on Thursday, 27 March 2014.
For interstate and international participants, economy class air travel will be provided from your nearest regional or city centre. The current flight schedule departing selected cities can be found on the ‘Travelling participants’ page on the Pinnacle intranet homepage. The schedule will be updated when any significant changes occur to flight times.
Regional flights will be booked on a case by case basis once all finalists have registered.
Return transfers from Sydney airport to the resort and an airport hotel (if applicable) will be arranged for your stay. Once you have registered for the event, an Events Team member will contact you to confirm your details.
What time is the resort check-in and check-out times?
Check-in at the Château Élan is 2:00pm and check-out is 11.:0am.
Will there be a dress code for the conference?
The dress code for the conference is casual attire (appropriate for work events). There will be a dinner held during the evening that requires smart casual attire.
What are the travel arrangements for getting home after the conference?
A coach will be provided between the resort and the following locations:
- Sydney CBD
- Sydney airport (return transfer only)
- Newcastle airport (return transfer only)
The coach will depart Château Élan at 3pm on Friday, 28 March 2014 and is estimated to arrive in the city and the airport at 6:00pm and 6:30pm respectively.
What are the overnight accommodation arrangements?
All guests will be staying at the Château Élan Resort, situated in the heart of the Hunter Valley. Participants will be allocated a private room for the duration of the event.
What are the travel arrangements for transfers to and from my home city/town?
Travel to/from airports in your home town/city is at your own arrangement and expense.
Can I extend my flight and/or accommodation arrangements before or after the conference?
All participants may extend their stay. Requests for flight and/or accommodation extensions must be made at the time of registration and any additional costs pertaining to the extension will be the responsibility of the participant.
The accommodation rate for extending your stay at Château Élan is $279 per room per night and is subject to availability at the time of booking. Breakfast is an additional charge at $28 per person.
What are my costs when I stay at Château Élan?
Accommodation and meals (as part of the conference) will be provided by the Pinnacle program. Extras such as room service, mini bar usage, in house movies etc. will be at the expense of guests. Participants will be required to provide their personal credit card details during registration which will be supplied to Château Élan to cover any such incidental costs.
Additionally, if you request extension accommodation, this will be charged to the credit card provided.
Car parking is complimentary for all resort guests.
Do I need to request leave to cover the time I am away from work?
You are not required to use any leave to cover this occasion. However, if you choose to extend your stay for personal reasons past the organised dates, you will need to apply for annual leave.
Does the Pinnacle Awards conference fall under the Westpac Group's Code of Conduct guidelines?
Yes, all attendees must adhere to Westpac's Code of Conduct during the Pinnacle Awards conference. We suggest participants remind themselves of the content of policies such as Alcohol and Drugs in the Workplace, Discrimination and Harassment, and Dress and Personal Appearance. Details for the Westpac Group's Code of Conduct can be found in PeopleExpress, under the 'Working in the Westpac Group' left hand menu link.
I have a question that hasn't been covered.
If you have any further questions that are not covered here or on the Pinnacle site, please email your question to alexandrabaker@westpac.com.au.
