Business Events Week, organised by the Melbourne Convention Bureau (MCB) in its first year, will run from today until this Friday, 1 March and will feature more than 50 events, the centrepiece of which will be the Asia-Pacific Incentives & Meetings Expo (AIME), the Southern Hemisphere's premier event for the meetings and incentives industry, which starts tomorrow.
For the five year period 2010/11 to 2014/15, business events secured by MCB alone are estimated to have a direct expenditure impact for Victoria of $874.6 million and an estimated increase in Gross State Product of $1.6 billion1.
MCB Chief Executive Officer, Karen Bolinger, said the organisation was delighted to be taking the lead on Business Events Week in its first year.
"There is no doubt the business events industry is a quiet achiever, which not only generates economic wealth and export opportunities, but also assists with job creation and encourages research and innovation, raising global awareness about the achievements and capabilities of our scientists, academics and practitioners," said Ms Bolinger.
"Melbourne is the number one city in Australia for conferences and congresses as recognised by the International Congress and Convention Association, and will host seven of the world's largest and most prestigious medical conferences over the next two years, including the 22nd World Diabetes Congress in December for 12,500 delegates and the International AIDS Conference in 2014 for more than 14,000 delegates."
Ms Bolinger also said it was fitting that during Business Events Week, AIME would celebrate its 21st anniversary.
"In 2012, more than 3300 visitors attended AIME, with an estimated $US535 million worth of business booked as a result of the show.
"This year, more than 750 exhibitors will be in attendance, as well as over 500 buyers spanning 31 countries, all here to conduct business over two days."
1 Economic Contribution to Business Events in Victoria - Ernst & Young 2012
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