Melboune Convention Bureau Starts Financial Year with Ten Wins for Melbourne

The Melbourne Convention Bureau (MCB) has had a flying start to the 2013/14 financial year with 10 major international conference wins for Melbourne, Chief Executive Officer of the Melbourne
Convention Bureau (MCB), Karen Bolinger, announced recently.

These international conferences combined will inject an estimated AU$55 million into the Victorian economy and attract in excess of 10,500 delegates over the next five years, and include:

• Childhood Trauma: Understanding the Basis of Change (August, 2014)
• International Feng Shui Convention (November, 2014)
• ACM International Conference on Management of Data (May, 2015)
• Annual Conference on Global Economic Analysis (June, 2015)
• 69th Annual Assembly and International Conference of the International Institute of Welding (July, 2016)
• International Biotechnology Symposium (October, 2016)
• Annual World Conference on Carbon (July, 2017)
• International Union of Phlebology Xviii World Meeting (October, 2017)
• World Congress on Intensive and Critical Care Medicine (September/October, 2019)
• World Engineers’ Convention (November, 2019)

Ms Bolinger said that winning these conferences is a testament to the strength of Victoria’s priority sectors of medicine, science and the environment, technology and engineering, and business and education.

“Winning events in these sectors exposes our scientists and industry leaders to international best practice, boosts the skills and experience of our local workforce, and increases access for Victorian industries to international markets,” Ms Bolinger said.

“In addition, business events create positive flow on benefits for small to medium businesses throughout the state by creating significant revenue opportunities for hotels, restaurants and other service providers.

“The competition to attract these valuable international conferences from other states in Australia and countries across the globe is fierce, so it is essential that MCB takes a strategic approach to win these bids; researching, planning and bidding for business events as far out as 2028, and it’s fantastic to see it all pay off.”

Ms Bolinger concluded by saying that in securing these events, Melbourne had once again proven that it is a superior destination when it comes to access, research and technology, infrastructure and accessibility.

Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre

“Winning these events for Melbourne is a great start to the financial year and I am thrilled we have been able to achieve these results so early on; this wouldn’t have been possible without the support of MCB’s strategic partners, members, bidding partner organisations and local and state government.”

Eight out of these 10 meetings will be held at Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC).

MCEC’s Chief Executive, Peter King, said, “We look forward to welcoming delegates from around the world to MCEC for these international conferences, which are major wins for Melbourne and a significant boost to the Victorian economy.”