Presence of modern infrastructure, significant knowledge institutions and unique destination experiences are giving Melbourne star appeal
It’s not everyday you’re asked to organise a small swimming pool at your conference venue so a few fairy penguins can swim in it. Or arrange for a few cars to be hoisted to the ceiling of the venue space for display. But that’s the kind of request the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) is getting used to.
You could say it comes with the territory as Melbourne reinforces its attractiveness as a host for trade association meetings. In fact, Melbourne appears to have the lion’s share for the sector.
“We probably outperformed any other Australian city especially where the international associations sector is concerned,” said Melbourne Convention Bureau’s CEO Karen Bolinger. “A lot of it has to do with our infrastructure and we have significant institutes here. For example 41 per cent of Australian life sciences companies are based in Melbourne.”
It is also a highly profitable market. Eighty per cent of MCB’s business comes from the trade associations sector, representing A$134 million (US$99.3 million) in revenue over the 2015/2016 financial year. Over at the MCEC, the city’s flagship facility for conferences, bookings for trade association meetings now accounts for half of total income with last year’s earnings hitting A$40 million.
And by all accounts, that percentage is set to grow. “We’ve had our best year ever in 2016 with a 15 per cent increase in performance over the previous year,” said Peter King, MCEC CEO. “People are comfortable with what we deliver as a destination and also a venue, with a high quality of customer experience in things like food and technology services,” he said.
The biggest industries attracted to Melbourne are in the medical, pharmaceutical and scientific space, accounting for 36 per cent of all association bookings in 2016. Among the 160 association events the MCEC secured last year, bookings included the International Society for Stem Cell Research Annual Meeting 2018, the World Federation for Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology 2019 and the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons Annual Scientific Congress 2020.
King said the opening of the Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre (VCCC) last year played a significant part in attracting bookings. “The VCCC is a world leading cancer research and treatment centre all in one location. And it’s right next to a few other world-class hospitals and teaching facilities so that precinct is providing incredible impetus to the world in medical and science research,” he remarked.
Another key to the MCEC’s success is the adoption of an ambassador programme which it partners with MCB. The programme appoints leaders in various fields to represent Melbourne on the world stage and help secure hosting international conference rights in Victoria state.
“(The 130 ambassadors) help us identify potential conferences that travel around the world in their specific area of expertise and we try to bring them to Melbourne to support the growth of the local industry. That’s been an incredibly successful process that’s attracted over 100 conferences in the last few years specifically related to those sectors we’re targeting,” said King.
In 2015/2016 these ambassadors helped secure 12 conferences for the bureau, worth A$91 million to the state.
As for adding entertainment value to conferences and meetings, MCB and its partners are well in that space too, collaborating with what’s readily available in Melbourne’s rich food, arts and events landscape that may not be obvious to visiting trade association planners.
“These could be things like wellness activities or organising a Secret Garden pop-up in summer,” said Bolinger. “There have also been visits to coffee factories to learn the science of making coffee and walks through non-traditional laneways to explore artwork that end up with a behind-the-scenes look at the Melbourne Theatre Company.”
Nicolena Oborn, group director of sales at Crown Hotels where association meetings account for up to 50 per cent of its business mix, said getting to Australia is a hurdle for many event planners. “But once they get here, they really appreciate what we have to offer. Our flight connectivity to the city, ease of getting around and lack of pollution are big pluses. And it helps that Melbourne has been hailed the most liveable city in the world six times running,” she said.
