MELBOURNE THE DESTINATION
Melbourne’s History
Melbourne was founded on the mouth of the Yarra River in 1835 during the reign of England’s King William IV. Melbourne boomed in the 1850's as a result of the gold rush in the region to the north. Today, Melbourne has a reputation of being the home of the country's finest restaurants, shopping and art, and is acknowledged as the country's most important medical research centre.
Melbourne the Business Events City!
Melbourne has a long history of staging major international and national events, constantly adding to its infrastructure and establishing a reputation as one of the world’s leading events destinations. It will provide a dynamic and exciting backdrop from which to host your Congress.
Melbourne is a purpose built convention and event destination - with all of its major venues and accommodation centrally located and easily accessible. These advantages were recognised when the Association Internationale des Palais de Congress in Geneva voted Melbourne the World’s Best Convention City at its inaugural awards in 2000. Wide tree-lined boulevards, freeways and a fully integrated transport system allow for ease of access to all venues for the many people who year round bring their own personal buzz to Melbourne’s events calendar. Melbourne’s colourful streetscapes and reputation as a safe and friendly place also make it a great walking city.
Melbourne is one of the world’s leading major events capitals
Melbourne’s expertise in staging major events was highlighted recently through its hosting of the 2006 Commonwealth Games. For 12 days in March, Melbourne’s infrastructure and event venues were at full capacity. The Games attracted 90,000 international and interstate visitors, as well as 4500 athletes from 71 nations and 1500 team officials. The Games and other major events held regularly in Melbourne such as the Spring Racing Carnival, Melbourne International Arts Festival, Australian Open Tennis Championships, the Formula 1 Foster’s Australian Grand Prix and Australian International Airshow, all place Melbourne on the global stage as a major events city.
Our Experience and Expertise
Melbourne is a purpose built events destination, with a long history in staging large scale events commencing as far back as 1880 right up to the present day having just hosted the 18th Commonwealth Games in March 2006.
A progressive, pro-business State Government has also resulted in Melbourne having the largest concentration of national and multinational businesses headquartered in the city and an established infrastructure that is second to none. Melbourne has a strong track record in attracting and successfully hosting international and national conferences and exhibitions in a professional manner. Here is just a sample:
| Major Hallmark Events | Attendance |
|---|---|
| Australian Open Tennis Championships | 500,000 |
| Australian International Airshow | 180,000 |
| Foster’s Australian Formula One Grand Prix | 360,000 |
| The Melbourne Food & Wine Festival | 250,000 |
| The Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show | 123,700 |
| Rip Curl Pro (Surfing, Bells Beach) | 15,000 |
| Australian Football League Grand Final Week | 100,000 |
| Spring Racing Carnival (Melbourne Cup) | 376,770 |
| Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix | 348,7000 |
| Major Congresses – Past and Future (a snapshot) | Attendance |
| Congress Baptist World Alliance (2000) | 10,000 |
| 4th World Stroke Congress (2000) | 3,000 |
| 6th International Congress on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific (2001) | 4,800 |
| XVI International Congress of Audiology (2002) | 2,000 |
| World Masters Games (2002) | 23,000 |
| XIX International Congress of Genetics (2003) | 2,700 |
| World Conference on Health Promotion & Health Education (2004) | 2,900 |
| Congress of the International Association for Child & Adolescent Psychiatry & Allied Professions (2006) | 1,200 |
| International Conference on Yeast Genetics and Molecular Biology (2007) | 1,000 |
| IBRO World Congress of Neuroscience (2007) | 2,250 |
| World Psychiatric Association International Congress (2007) | 4,500 |
| World Indigenous Peoples Conference on Education (2008) | 4,000 |
| Amway (China) Leadership Seminar (2008) | 10,000 |
| International Brain Mapping Conference (2008) | 1,700 |
| Parliament of the World’s Religions (2009) | 10,000 |
| International Congress of Applied Psychology (2010) | 2,500 |
| International Congress for the Chemistry of Crop Protection (2010) | 1,500 |
| International Congress of Parasitology (2010) | 2,000 |
| World Congress in Internal Medicine (2010) | 4,000 |
| International Conference of the International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (2010) | 2,000 |
| International Botanical Congress (2011) | 3,500 |
Multicultural Melbourne
Melbourne is one of the world’s multicultural success stories. The city’s multicultural history stems back to the 1850’s gold rush, when people from all parts of the globe flocked to Victoria to seek fame and fortune.
Today Melbourne boasts over 233 different ethnic communities, 180 different languages plus 116 religious faiths and this enriches the cultural life of the city, not to mention the culinary experiences on offer – which means that Melbourne can comfortably accommodate the religious, dietary and language requirements of almost any nation.
Safe, Secure and Friendly
Australia is a politically stable, safe and hospitable country and Melbourne, despite its size, is regarded as one of the world’s cleanest, safest and friendliest destinations, and was recently awarded the title of ‘The World’s Friendliest Nation’ according to the latest Anholt-GMI Nation Brands Index (NBI). This latest Anholt-GMI index looked at how nations ranked each other. The poll of 10,000 people around the world found that Aussies were seen as the friendliest people across the board.
Melbourne has Australia’s lowest per capita crime rate – and has become the first major city in the Southern Hemisphere and only the third major city in the world to be recognised as a safe community (source: World Health Organization, 2000).
The City of Melbourne employs an ongoing Safe City Policy, covering all aspects that would impact and be of importance to delegates. Safe City Taxi Ranks, Safe City Cameras, Safe City Car Parks, City Ambassadors, Welcome Shop Programs amongst many more initiatives ensure local and international delegates can look forward to a safe and secure convention.
Visas
All visitors (other than those travelling on a New Zealand passport) travelling to Australia from overseas, including those attending Congresses, are required to obtain a Visitor/Business Visa. This type of visa allows a business person to take a short visit of up to three months to Australia. Examples of appropriate activities include a conference, negotiation or an exploratory business visit. A single entry or multiple entry Visa may be issued. Visas are available from Australian Visa Offices, such as Australian Embassies, High Commissions and Consulates. They are also available in ETA format.
Australia's Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) is an electronically-stored authority for travel to Australia for short-term or business entry. The ETA is the most advanced and streamlined travel authorisation system in the world. It replaces the visa label or stamp in a passport and removes the need for application forms. It enables visitors to Australia to obtain authority to enter at the same time as they book their travel arrangements. ETA’s are available to passport holders from over 30 countries and locations. In addition, a recent innovative enhancement to ETA arrangements allows a traveller to apply for an ETA over the Internet.
The APEC Business Travel Card provides travel help for business people from Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) economies. The card simplifies business travel, and gives accredited business people pre-cleared entry to participating APEC economies. Card holders enjoy pre-cleared short-term entry to participating economies, therefore eliminating the need to individually apply for visas; multiple entry to these economies; and faster immigration processing on arrival via access to fast track entry and exit through special ‘APEC’ lanes at major airports. There are currently 16 APEC economies participating in the ABTC scheme with more expected to join this year.
Climate
Melbourne is the southern-most capital city on the mainland and offers a temperate climate. It has one of Australia’s lowest rainfalls and is very hospitable by international standards, having been compared to Greece.
Australia's climate and the fact that it is the driest continent on earth makes it a fabulous holiday destination all year round, whatever you're planning to do. Such temperate conditions make al fresco dining, sublime days on the beach or the water, outdoor barbeques, and a huge variety of sports a way of life here.
