Benefit from the expertise of Australia’s Best Convention Bureau
In 2009, the Melbourne Convention + Visitors Bureau was officially named Australia’s best at the prestigious national Meetings and Events Australia (MEA) Awards. The Award attests to MCVB’s professionalism, expert staff and record results in attracting Business Events to Melbourne. MCVB is also Australia’s only member of the BestCities Global Alliance, a Convention Bureaux network dedicated to the delivery of the world’s best service for the meetings industry. Our services, which are accredited by Lloyds as part of our BestCities membership, include: preparing and delivering presentations at conference bids; sourcing all of your convention and meeting needs, including venues and accommodation; assisting in delegate boosting to ensure the success of your event, and; creating touring options to ensure delegates enjoy unique, unforgettable experiences pre- or post-conference.
Enjoy Melbourne - officially one of the World’s best cities
Since 2002, The Economist Intelligence Unit has selected Melbourne as Most Liveable City three times, and has placed Melbourne in the top three every year. As well as being a safe, affordable, easy to navigate city, Roy Morgan Research has shown Melbourne to be Australia’s number one city for shopping, style and romance, sporting and cultural events, nightlife, and world-class restaurants. In 2008, Melbourne was voted the nation’s number one Australian destination for business travellers for the third year in a row, according to a survey undertaken by wotif.com.
Experience World class, internationally awarded Conference and Meeting Facilities
Melbourne is home to Australia’s largest and most advanced exhibition and convention space in the Southern Hemisphere. The Melbourne Convention Centre is the world’s first to be awarded a ‘6 Star Green Star’ environmental rating, earning the centre many international accolades. The convention centre is also raising the bar with its superior technology, exceptional culinary options, flexibility and service. It offers unlimited options in event planning, with 32 meeting rooms of various sizes, a grand banquet room, an entry level foyer for 8,400 guests, and a state-of-the-art 5,553 seat plenary that can be divided into three self-contained, acoustically separate theatres.
Enjoy stress-free travel - Melbourne’s superior service adds to our easily accessible Airport
Twenty two international carriers operate direct services to Melbourne with an average of 484 international flights every week to and from major destinations. Melbourne Airport is ranked within the World’s top five for quality passenger service, and is also Australia’s only airport to have won Australian Tourism Awards for general tourism services. Melbourne Airport offers a 24-hour single terminal precinct; domestic and international services are within the one building, resulting in quick, seamless transfers. Melbourne airport is just 20 minutes from the city centre.
Collaborate in Victoria – Australia’s Capital City for Medicine, Research and Innovation
Melbourne has the largest concentration of medical research institutes in Australia, and has achieved many world-firsts in medicine and research, including developing the cochlear implant and the first frozen embryo birth. These achievements have contributed to Melbourne’s reputation for being a world-leading destination for medical, research and science Business Events, with major recent wins including the International Congress of Paediatrics, the International Council of Nurses 25th Quadrennial Congress 2013, and one of the world’s top ten medical conventions, the World Diabetes Congress 2013, which is expected to attract 12,000 delegates.
See for yourself why delegates recommend Melbourne
In 2007, thousands of delegates visiting Melbourne for conventions were surveyed on their experiences of Melbourne. The results were overwhelmingly positive; not only were delegates highly satisfied with Melbourne’s public transport, friendliness, convention facilities and tourist information and attractions, but the vast majority would recommend Melbourne to both colleagues and friends as a great place to visit, with many planning to return for a holiday soon.
Experience Australia’s most convenient Convention City
Melbourne has Australia’s highest concentration of convention facilities located in the city centre.
For convention delegates, this means convenience, less time travelling between hotels and sessions, and more time for experiencing the city outside of the convention and meeting schedule. The Melbourne Convention Centre, which is integrated with the Melbourne Exhibition Centre, is part of a AUD$1.4 billion development in Melbourne’s new South Wharf precinct, including a brand new Hilton hotel, cafés, restaurants and retail shops – making the precinct perfect for mixing business with pleasure. There are approximately 15,400 hotel rooms located within the City of Melbourne alone, with more than 5,600 rooms within walking distance of the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. The new Crown Metropol, due to open in early 2010, will add a further 658 rooms to this.
Explore Victoria – a Destination unmatched in Diversity
Melbourne is home to internationally acclaimed restaurants and boutique bars, and is Australia’s number one city for shopping, culture and the arts. It is also Australia’s events capital and is even livelier when the Australian Grand Prix, the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival or the Australian Open Tennis Championships are in action. Yet, just one hour’s drive takes you to a world away. From surfing on the world-famous Bells Beach surf coast, to skiing at Mt Buller, from enjoying an Aussie barbeque at the Emu Bottom homestead, to learning to make wine on the Mornington Peninsula, few places can match the vast natural diversity on offer in Victoria. Take your pick from award-winning vineyards, world-celebrated golf courses or sumptuous day spas.
Reduce your environmental impact - Melbourne makes Going Green Simple
As part of its award-winning CSR Service, MCVB has created a series of tools to make planning and holding a green conference, meeting, event or incentive travel program in Melbourne easier than ever before. Tools and initiatives include The Melbourne’s ‘Green Credentials’ Report, which lists the green initiatives of Melbourne’s Business Events Suppliers, a Green Incentives Website, which includes low carbon impact incentive itineraries, and an Event Carbon Calculator, which calculates the carbon emissions of events held in Melbourne, and provides advice on how to offset these. The Melbourne Convention Centre is also the first in the world to be awarded a ‘6 Star Green Star’ environmental rating, providing a clean, green meeting space.
See why our record results show that Melbourne appeals to all
Over the last three years, Melbourne has seen record results, attracting a 54% increase in delegates won for the city. This is a result of the city’s exceptional facilities, reputation as a great place to visit, and MCVB’s innovative bidding strategies. From Science Fiction to nursing, from HR to diabetes, MCVB has attracted a broad range of conventions and events to the Melbourne Convention Centre from around the world, with wins to date expected to attract more than 100,000 delegates to Melbourne over the next five years.