Event Planners on Why Melbourne Makes a Great Location

Melbourne is a winning location for any event. It is Australia’s cultural, sporting, food, fashion, and business capital with natural beauty and a globally revered reputation as a knowledge and innovation hub.

Plus, the Melbourne Convention Bureau (MCB) provides government-backed logistical and financial support, bringing success to international events in Melbourne. They gather case studies in abundance.

And as the pinnacle of conferencing facilities built on the picturesque Yarra River with everything the city has to offer on our doorstep, Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) makes the perfect setting.

But don’t just take our word for it. Read on for quotes from real-life event organisers planning international conferences on why they chose Melbourne as their destination.

Global Entrepreneurship Congress 2023

The Global Entrepreneurship Congress (GEC) is coming to MCEC this coming March 27-30, 2023, thanks to a successful bid from the MCB to bring the event to Melbourne. It will be the first time the annual congress is held in Australia.

Always hosted in rising entrepreneurial cities, the event will gather entrepreneurs, investors, ecosystem builders and policymakers with common goals. They aim to identify new ways to help founders start and scale new ventures worldwide, bring ideas to life and drive economic growth while expanding human welfare.

Hosting the GEC here makes sense: Melbourne is Australia’s most innovative city, according to the Innovative Cities Index. And 30% of Australia’s top 100 young entrepreneurs come from Melbourne.

Managed by leading professional conference organiser MCI Australia, the GEC 2023 is set to attract more than 2,500 delegates from 170 countries.

Upon announcing Melbourne as their 2023 destination city, the GEC wrote: “Melbourne, with a population of almost 5 million, is Australia’s second largest city. It is regarded as the cultural and fashion capital of Australia and renowned for its fine restaurants: a true multicultural city with more than one quarter of Melbourne’s inhabitants born overseas.

“Compact and diverse, Melbourne and Victoria are a perfect playground for adventurers and wildlife lovers, foodies, and road trippers.”

The ACM International Conference on Multimedia 2024

Melbourne recently won the rights to host the Association for Computing Machinery’s annual International Conference on Multimedia (ACM MM) in 2024.

The conference will take place at MCEC from October 28-November 1. It is a significant world event for the multimedia industry, showcasing scientific achievements and innovative industrial products.

ACM SIGMM Chair Prof Alberto Del Bimbo said: “The ACM SIGMM Steering and Executive Committees are absolutely thrilled to select Melbourne as the host city for 2024.

“The strong support of MCB, the Victorian Government and Tourism Australia along with the expertise that Victoria and Australia have in digital technologies and multimedia will ensure the event is a great success for our global community.”

World Engineers Convention 2019

Known as the Olympics of Engineering, World Engineers Convention (WEC) gathers the greatest engineering minds from around the world. The international convention is held every four years and seeks to solve some of the biggest problems facing our world today and in the future.

In 2019, the event marked 100 years. Melbourne won the bid to host the convention, attracting more than 1,300 delegates from over 70 countries.

Organised by World Federation of Engineering Organisations with Engineers Australia, the theme for the event was Engineering a Sustainable World: The Next 100 Years. And the focus was on the management of precious natural resources with values of ethics and social responsibility at the forefront.

Dr Marlene Kanga, President of World Federation of Engineering Organisations said: “Melbourne was chosen for a number of reasons. You have a great Convention Centre, we had great support from the Melbourne Convention Bureau, and of course Melbourne is one of the most liveable cities in the world.”

She added: “One of the most important parts of a convention is the aspect of a legacy. So it’s not just a meeting where people come together, but it’s a foundation for further development, innovation, and other projects and programs.”

International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis Congress 2019

The International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis (ISTH) marked its landmark 50th anniversary at the incredibly successful ISTH Congress at MCEC from July 6-10, 2019.

State and nationwide support from City of Melbourne, State of Victoria and MCB came together to win the bid for Melbourne. The city’s world-class capabilities to host a conference with unbeatable travel offering and an impressive ambassador program were highly regarded in decision-making.

Logistically, MCEC’s infrastructure and location in the heart of Melbourne reinforced the city as the ideal destination for the congress. We worked to shortlist a selection of sites carefully tailored for the customer’s needs.

But what cannot be overstated is the city’s global reputation as a leader in the health and medical sector. Melbourne’s revered success in this field attracts experts to collaborate, connect and inspire, allowing delegates to tap into local knowledge and innovation. And hosting ISTH in this part of the world saw many delegates from the Asia-Pacific region attend for the first time.

In the lead-up, MCB hosted four site visits so the customer could fully experience and understand how Melbourne could deliver their business event. Stops included tours of MCEC, hotels, National Gallery of Victoria, dinners at unique restaurants, a walking tour of the city centre, accommodation, and more.

Michelle Dial, ISTH Meeting Manager said: “Each site visit was extremely valuable in the planning of the meeting.”

World Cube Association Speedcubing World Championship 2019

The 10th World Cube Association (WCA) Speedcubing World Championship presented by Rubik’s came to MCEC in 2019. More than 1,600 delegates from around the world gathered in Melbourne for the long weekend of puzzle-solving competitions from July 11-14.

What is speedcubing exactly? Well, the 2019 Championships saw competitors from 52 countries battle it out to solve spectacularly challenging cube- or twist-based puzzles the fastest. The biennial event has a cult-like following. It’s serious fun.

World Cube Association Board of Directors member, Bob Burton said: “Australia is very strong among the speedcubing community with many Aussies taking out titles each year. This combined with Melbourne’s collaborative approach to winning business and its city’s competitive factors, makes Melbourne the ideal spot to host this year’s championship.”

Australian Dental Exhibition 2021

Australia’s largest dental event, the Australian Dental Exhibition (ADX) came to Melbourne from May 6-8, 2021. Leaders in dentistry experienced the latest innovations, technologies and techniques, while delegates got to network in person with professionals from across the industry.

Taking place at MCEC, ADX Melbourne attracted over 5,000 attendees from all over the country. In addition to 9,000+ square metres of exhibition space, ADX Melbourne hosted key professional bodies representing dentists and allied oral healthcare professionals providing a strong programme of seminars and social networking events.

AIDIA CEO Kym De Britt said: “We are incredibly excited to be hosting this year’s ADX in Melbourne. Getting to this point underscores the terrific support received from MCB when starting to plan the event.”

Ready to discover the difference? Reach out to the team and start planning your event on MCEC.