Positive Impact Guide

Positive impact guide

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Welcome to our impact hub, your resource for advice, toolkits, and guides to enhance your event's positive impact. Our team can amplify your event by connecting you with our community partners and offering resources to reduce your environmental footprint. Explore possibilities with our partners and Club Melbourne Ambassadors, give your delegates extraordinary experiences, and showcase our commitment to inclusion, diversity, and sustainability. Let's create an unforgettable event together.

Sustainable offerings

Explore the simple yet impactful ways we can help you infuse sustainability into every aspect of your event - from planning and execution to post-event.

Make a positive impact on the environment by reducing waste, offsetting carbon emissions, and embracing sustainable practices. Find food choices, event setup, transportation, energy use, waste management, and so much more.

Learn about our sustainability commitment, eco-friendly venue features, community partners, and trusted suppliers.

Dive into our sustainable events guide

Celebrate First Nations

We proudly recognise and respect the Traditional Owners of the land. We invite you to actively include acknowledgements, cultural ceremonies, educational programs, and Indigenous suppliers, making it a meaningful part of your event experience.

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Built on the banks of the Yarra River/Birrarung, Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) Acknowledges the Traditional Owners of Narrm, the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people of the Kulin Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and to Elders of all First Nations communities that visit MCEC. We recognise the ongoing significance of the Birrarung to Traditional Owners as a life source and a meeting place for millennia and seek to honour this long-standing tradition of building community and exchanging ideas on these lands.
We encourage all event organisers to make the above Acknowledgement at their events and invite you to go even further.
An Acknowledgement of Country can be made by anyone, in respect of the formally recognised Traditional Owners of the land on which an event occurs. However, a Welcome to Country ceremony can only be performed by the recognised Traditional Owners, for people visiting their Country. In MCEC’s case, this is the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung.
Welcome to Country ceremonies vary from welcome speeches to traditional dance and smoking ceremonies. To arrange a Welcome to Country or other cultural practice for an event, visit wurundjeri.com.au .
To help your delegates connect with and learn about Australia's First People, we suggest exploring the educational programs, services, and tours offered by the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation . The Koorie Heritage Trust provides educational services and walking tours along the Yarra River/Birrarung near MCEC.
Engaging First Nations suppliers in your event planning is a great way to support businesses operated by Traditional Owners. In Victoria, the Kinaway Chamber of Commerce is the leading organisation dedicated to empowering Victorian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander business owners. Their directory includes a broad range of suppliers including consultants and artists. You can explore the full list of businesses at kinaway.com.au/search .

Accessibility and inclusion

Celebrate diversity and provide an inclusive experience for all guests by working with us to accommodate wheelchair access, assistance animals, interpreters, safe spaces, prayer rooms, and all gender toilets.

MCEC is a wheelchair-accessible venue with ramp access, elevators, dedicated parking and seating that can be reserved and booked via the ticketing agent you use (our teams can assist with setting this up). We have limited wheelchairs that can be loaned for the day.
Delegates can book a wheelchair by calling +61 3 9235 8000 .
MCEC welcomes delegates with their registered Assistance and Companion animals.
Due to limited space between seating rows, booking a wheelchair-accessible bay with a carer seat may provide more comfort for both patron and animal.
Let us help you create an inclusive, accessible, and comfortable event for all your attendees and their Assistance and Companion animals.
We offer free-of-charge loop hearing assistance devices for your delegates available from our Customer Service Desks.
Auslan is the native language of the deaf community in Australia. Providing Auslan interpretation for your event or conference is a great way to make sure the content is more accessible to more people. Organisations such as Expression Australia or Auslan Stage Left can assist with Auslan interpreter bookings for your event.
When considering your event at MCEC, we prioritise creating a safe and inclusive experience for all delegates, including those with neurodiverse or specific cultural needs. We offer solutions such as safe or quiet spaces, dimmer lighting, noise reduction, prayer rooms, and more. Additional venue hire fees may apply. Let us help you provide a tailored and accommodating event that meets the diverse requirements of your attendees.
When booking, please tell us about your delegates' specific needs or requirements.
Prayer rooms for males and females can be accessed from Melbourne Convention Centre behind the main Plenary Theatre. These are available to the public but can also be used for your event on request.
MCEC is committed to ensuring all community members feel safe and included when attending events at our venue. If your delegates would prefer to have all gender toilets, we can accommodate this on request by making changes to any gendered signage of toilets as part of your event.

Inspiring speakers

Captivate your audience by partnering with an MCEC ambassador or a local research, innovation, business, medicine, or technology expert. Harness their knowledge and expertise to create an unforgettable experience.

We love working with inspirational minds to make a lasting impact on our city. That's why we established Club Melbourne, an ambassador program led by MCEC. Club Melbourne brings together local thought leaders who contribute to enhancing Melbourne's international reputation as a top event destination.
Our Ambassadors are leading experts in fields such as research, innovation, business, medicine and technology, and many are household names in Australia. So, if you’re looking for a speaker who is making a positive impact in the community through their work, one of our Ambassadors may be the right person for you.
After confirming your event at MCEC, if you would like to engage a specific Ambassador for your upcoming event, please get in touch with cmap@mcec.com.au . Our team will help you in exploring this possibility. Please note that our Ambassadors have the choice to participate in events, and they may negotiate fees directly.
View our list of Ambassadors and their expertise
Demonstrating a shared commitment to innovation, MCEC and The Startup Network have partnered to connect the vibrant startup community, industry experts, and enterprising entrepreneurs in the events industry. By joining forces, we aim to uncover exciting opportunities and foster meaningful connections between these dynamic sectors.
Victoria's startup community is home to many innovative thinkers and entrepreneurs who could be valuable speakers for your event. If you're interested in a specific topic or want to incorporate entrepreneurship into your program, we can facilitate connections with The Startup Network. Once your booking is confirmed, we can explore potential opportunities together, ensuring your event benefits from the insights and expertise of this dynamic startup ecosystem.
Please note: The Startup Network and the participation of Founders from the startup community is at their discretion, and a fee may be negotiated directly.

Add-on experiences

Elevate your event with our unique add-on experiences. From engaging team-building activities to thrilling excursions and sustainable options, these additions will create unforgettable moments for your guests.

MCEC proudly partners with OzHarvest to support their flagship corporate engagement program, "Cooking for a Cause." This unique team-building activity is available for your event delegates to participate in.
During the session, participants learn zero-waste cooking skills from OzHarvest chefs and use rescued ingredients to create gourmet meals for vulnerable communities.
- Cost: $175 p/person – tax deductible
- Extend the experience with a team lunch for $82.50 p/person
- Please note this experience is only available on Tuesdays – Thursdays for groups of at least eight people, with a maximum of 20 people in a session
- 9 am or 1 pm session times available
Get involved at ozharvest.org
Nestled along the picturesque banks of the Yarra River, known as Birrarung in the language of the Traditional Owners, MCEC is delighted to collaborate with the Yarra Riverkeeper Association to promote its conservation efforts. Here's how you can get involved:
- The Yarra Riverkeeper offers corporate volunteering packages that allow your delegates to experience the beauty of the Yarra firsthand. Whether by foot or canoe, enjoy the scenic views while cleaning the river, planting, or even spotting native wildlife.
- By participating in these corporate volunteering experiences, you get to appreciate the natural splendour of the Yarra and contribute to its preservation.
To learn more, visit yarrariver.org.au
*A tax-deductible minimum spend of $1,000 per session is required.
To enquire and confirm your booking, email corporate@yarrariver.org.au .
If you want to enhance the experience of your delegates in Melbourne/Narrm and Victoria while minimising their environmental impact, explore a variety of sustainable options via Visit Victoria’s Sustainability Guide .

Impactful donations

Why not make a corporate donation to one of our community partners at your event, or invite delegates to donate?

Our cafes have tap-and-go donation devices, or you can invite attendees to donate online. Some partners can also provide your event's tap-to-donate or 'digital donation tins'.

If you are interested, we can connect you with partners to explore these opportunities further.

Explore who our community partners are

Playing our part

Explore our sustainable initiatives, from waste reduction and responsible sourcing to renewable energy usage.

See how we are working towards creating impactful experiences that contribute to a greener and more sustainable future.

Explore more