The video provides you with a comprehensive and interactive overview of the Melbourne Convention Centre, including a detailed description of the 5,000 seat plenary and other centre features and the surrounding South Wharf district.
Video Transcript
Exhibition Centre
[Map, zooming into Melbourne, Victoria Australia]
[Panning Melbourne city skyline focusing on the Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre]
The new Melbourne Convention Centre sets the global standard for meeting venues.
It is located in the newly developed South Warf district of central Melbourne, on the banks of the Yarra.
The centre will integrate with the existing exhibition centre to become the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.
Melbourne captures Australia’s friendly nature with an added sense of style. It is our nation’s fashion and food capital, the cultural events heartland and a city passionate about sport.
Added to this is the city’s stunning architecture which identifies Melbourne as a unique blend of old and new.
Melbourne also boasts an integrated network of trams, trains and buses which are clean safe and efficient way for delegates to move around the city and to the centre.
With more than 22,000 accommodation rooms catering to all tastes and budgets, Melbourne is a truly dedicated events city. Many of Melbourne’s hotels are located within easy walking distance of the centre including the superbly integrated new Hilton hotel tailored to the corporate market.
The South Warf development provides a picturesque river front promenade incorporating retail, restaurants, cafes, tourism facilities and a maritime precinct. A new foot bridge across the Yarra River links two significant sectors of Melbourne, Southbank and Docklands via this exciting new area.
The New Convention Centre
The new Convention Centre delivers an unequalled level of design, with an 18 metre glass facade with views to the Yarra River and the city.
This expansive glass facade allows natural light into the foyer and pre-function spaces and reduces the need for artificial light.
The centre has been awarded a six star green star environmental rating, the first in the world for a convention centre. This rating is based on a mix of initiatives that create a natural environment, reduce overall energy and use minimal non renewable resources which allow delegates to enjoy a natural environment of cool fresh air.
Four entry points lead delegates into the building itself. Foyers are visually linked to the existing exhibition centre and the outdoor public spaces allowing easy access to the Plenary Hall and meeting rooms.
Plenary Hall
The centre’s main auditorium, the Plenary Hall makes a powerful architectural statement appearing to glow through the three stories of enclosed foyer spaces.
The fan shaped design and tiered seating arrangement offer unobstructed views from every seat no matter what the convention mode. The Plenary Hall is the first 5,000 seat facility in the world to achieve this. The flexible seating configuration also provides great speed and operational efficiency in event change over.
The Plenary Hall can be divided for smaller conventions into three self contained, acoustically separated theatres. Two with seating capacities for 1,500, and one with 2,500 delegates.
The new centres 32 meeting rooms all offer a range of inbuilt audio visual and technical facilities, the most technically advanced of their kind.
Exhibition Centre
Fully integrated with the new convention centre, the Exhibition Centre offers 30,000 square metres of exhibition space and an additional 20 meeting rooms of varying sizes.
Those experiencing the Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre will be treated to some of the best cuisine Melbourne has to offer with the focus on fresh local produce of the upmost quality. The centre’s specialised staff ensure for a seamless professional event regardless of size or complexity.
Opening for business in 2009.
Opening for business in 2009, the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre is already a major Melbourne landmark complementing the city’s other iconic buildings. As well as being visually striking, its architecture and interior design will leave those who enter feeling they have truly experienced the essence of Melbourne.
It will be Australia’s largest and most advanced convention, meeting and event venue adding to Melbourne’s excellent reputation as an international events capital.