MCEC’s new expansion close to completion

The finish line is in sight for Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre’s (MCEC) $200 million expansion site, which is under two months away from opening.

Once completed, the new space will cement MCEC’s position as the largest convention and exhibition space in Australia, with an increased total size of over 70,000 square metres.

The 20,000-square-metre expansion includes 9,000 square metres of exhibition space plus additional flexible, multi-purpose event space, 1,000 seat plenary theatre, multiple meeting rooms, a banquet room and the Goldfields Café and Bar.

MCEC Chief Executive, Peter King said customer experience was front of mind when planning the design.

“We want to ensure our facilities suit the needs of our customers, rather than constraining them to fit within our space. A multi-purpose area with a retractable 1,000 seat theatre and adaptable meeting rooms are just two of the many flexible features throughout the new building,” Mr King said.

Over 300 events have been confirmed or are being negotiated for the new expansion space, between July 2018 and the end of 2024.

Victorian Minister for Tourism and Major Events, Hon. John Eren said the expansion will cement Melbourne as the business events capital of Australia.

“Not only will this redevelopment boost tourism, it will create more than 900 new jobs and provide a massive boost to our visitor economy by attracting more events and thousands more visitors to Victoria each year.”

The 1st Malaria World Congress will be the first event held in Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre’s expansion space, between 1 – 5 July 2018.

Malaria is one of the world’s leading health problems, causing death and severe illness to millions each year across the world.

“It’s a privilege to bring together the global community who are working to help eradicate malaria, as our inaugural event in the expansion” Mr King said.

At present, there is no mechanism anywhere in the world for all stakeholders to share information and build a solid framework for collaborative action against malaria. The inaugural Malaria World Congress, initiated by Club Melbourne Ambassadors, Professor Alan Cowman and Professor Brendan Crabb aims to address this gap.

Club Melbourne is owned and led by Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre with support and collaboration from Melbourne Convention Bureau and the Victorian State Government.