Melbourne's New Developments

Melbourne is an international destination named as one of the world's most liveable cities. New developments continue to build this reputation. The latest include new meeting and convention spaces, hotel developments, world-class arts and tourism attractions, sporting facilities and new city precincts.

Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre

To achieve a '6 Star Green Star' environmental rating, a building must represent world leadership in its innovative environmental design features and sustainability - the new Melbourne Convention Centre has accomplished just that.

As the first convention centre in the world to be awarded a '6 Star Green Star' environmental rating, the centre, which opened in July 2009, is also raising the bar with its technology, exceptional culinary options, flexibility and service.

The new centre offers unlimited options in event planning, with thirty-two meeting rooms of various sizes, a grand ballroom, an entry level foyer for 8,400 guests, and a state-of-the-art 5,000 seat plenary hall that can be divided into three self-contained, acoustically separate theatres.

The newest and most sophisticated, yet still simple to use audio visual, communications and information technology available is in-built into every meeting room, allowing event organisers and guest speakers unprecedented self-manageable capabilities. This also saves clients time and money.

The new Melbourne Convention Centre is part of a $1.4 billion development including a brand new Hilton hotel, cafés, restaurants and retail shops. Fully integrated with the existing Exhibition Centre, it is the most advanced exhibition and convention space in the Southern hemisphere.

The Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) makes Melbourne home to Australia's highest concentration of convention facilities located in a city centre.

For convention delegates, this means convenience, less time travelling between hotels and sessions, and more time experiencing this fascinating city outside of the conferencing schedule.

Sitting right in the heart of Melbourne with a stunning 18-metre tall glass façade fronting the Yarra River, the centre is easily accessible from every direction by foot, car or public transport and is surrounded by cafés, bars, shopping and fine restaurants.

To view the MCEC on-line interactive guide and take a virtual tour around the new Melbourne Convention Centre, log on to the MCEC's award-winning website at:
www.mcec.com.au

Melbourne Recital Centre
Melbourne Theatre Company

Melbourne's newest venue, the $128 million Melbourne Recital Centre (MRC) and MTC Theatre project, opened its doors in February 2009.

Lovers of chamber music take their seats in the wood-lined 1000-seat Elisabeth Murdoch Hall or the more intimate 150-seat Salon. The recital centre has several venues suited to receptions, concerts, conferences, presentations and meetings.

Melbourne Theatre Company has recently moved into its new home beside the MRC on Southbank Boulevard. There are four spaces within the new MTC Theatre that are available for hire - the 500-seat Sumner Theatre, the Lawler Studio which has a 150 seat capacity, and two VIP rooms with great views.

South Wharf

South Wharf will be Melbourne's newest business and dining precinct. It will include the MCEC, an office and residential tower, 10,000 square metres of riverfront promenade and retail spaces, and 60,000 square metres of lifestyle retail space.

The precinct will also include one of Melbourne's biggest shopping centres, a five-screen cinema and 3,000 car parking spaces.

The development also includes the 5-star Hilton Melbourne South Wharf, a new hotel with 396 hotel rooms, 26 suites, and 32 spacious apartments. The hotel is now open for business.

South Wharf offers business travellers easy access from the airport and a short stroll to Docklands and the city centre. Tram routes stop on three sides of the precinct and Victoria's major regional rail hub, Southern Cross station, is located within five minutes' walk.

Hotel Developments

Melbourne is ranked as one of the world's top convention cities, and offers delegates ample accommodation choices with more than 14,800 rooms.

The construction of three new hotels will ensure Melbourne retains this status. A 396-room Hilton Melbourne South Wharf Hotel recently opened as part of the Melbourne Convention Centre development in the city's newest precinct; South Wharf.

The Ascott Group (Ascott) is investing $136.2 million in the development of a 398-unit serviced residence in Melbourne's CBD. Citadines Melbourne on Bourke will be Ascott's first Citadines in Australia and will open in the second half of 2010.

At an estimated cost of $300 million, Crown Metropol, in the Crown Entertainment Complex is scheduled to open in May 2010. Australia's largest hotel will boast 658 rooms, bringing the total number of hotel rooms available at Crown to more than 1600. Located close to Melbourne's Exhibition Centre, the hotel will also offer its own conference facilities.

As well as new developments, some of Melbourne's most trusted hotel brands are undergoing refurbishments. The InterContinental Melbourne The Rialto on Collins has recently undergone a $60 million refurbishment and joined the InterContinental family. The historic 10-storey 5-star hotel has 253 rooms and stylish new restaurant and bar spaces.

The Grand Hyatt has recently undergone a $45 million redevelopment of its public foyers, lobbies and bar and dining spaces as well as a luxury retail precinct.

Waterfront City

Melbourne's exciting new entertainment and lifestyle precinct, Waterfront City, combines retail, commercial and residential developments and offers a mix of restaurants, alfresco cafés and bars, a picturesque public marina and a busy events calendar.

Open for business since late 2008, Harbour Town at Waterfront City is an open-air shopping precinct. Harbour Town includes 41,000 square metres of retail space, offering more than 200 shops and outlets and a food and entertainment precinct.

Melbourne Rectangular Stadium

The construction of a world-class stadium to host soccer, rugby league and rugby union matches will add to Melbourne's status as the world's best place to hold a sports event. It is expected to be completed by the end of 2009.