Driven by record-breaking groups and a surge in high-yield retail spend, the city’s incentive sector is entering a new era of scale
Melbourne’s incentive pipeline from Asia is showing strong momentum, with conversion being driven by repeat visitation, and a growing appetite for experiences that go beyond the expected.
According to Melbourne Convention Bureau CEO Julia Swanson, the city is seeing tangible results from this shift.
“In FY24/25, we secured around A$80 million (US$53.5 million) worth of incentive business events. In 2026, more than 130 incentive programmes are estimated to visit Melbourne, bringing approximately 13,000 international delegates to both the city and regional Victoria,” said Swanson.
Much of that growth is being fuelled by returning incentive groups, prompting planners to look for experiences that feel new and differentiated.
“As more delegates come back for a second or third time, the need for unique experiences becomes even more important,” she noted.
Purpose-led programmes are also converting strongly, with organisations wanting their incentive programmes to reflect company values and ethos. As a result, experiences that incorporate CSR elements or purpose-driven activities are becoming increasingly popular.
These shifts are translating into sustained year-on-year growth across the Asia Pacific incentive market.
“All our key incentive markets from Asia are performing well,” said Swanson. “China is particularly strong off the back of Amway China’s Leadership Seminar. India is also solidly growing, and South-east Asia is a really strong performer.”
The turning point came in April 2025, when Amway China brought 16,000 delegates to Melbourne, the largest incentive group ever hosted in Australia. The scale and visibility of that programme has since become a catalyst for global enquiry, illustrating what is possible when destination infrastructure is paired with creative event design.
“Amway delivered some truly standout experiences, including the creation of a custom hot air balloon, which flew over the city and the Yarra Valley. That led to inquiries from many of our key incentive markets including the US, China, India and South-east Asia. People told us, ‘I didn’t know you could do that in Melbourne’,” said Swanson.
The economic impact from incentive groups has been undeniable. Chadstone The Fashion Capital, Australia’s largest shopping destination, has seen incentive visitation more than double in 2025 compared with the previous year, driven largely by the Amway China programme and Malaysia’s BE International, which brought 1,300 delegates in November.
“The number of incentive groups has increased, but the number of visitors has been tenfold, largely due to those two programmes,” said Ian McDougal, business development executive for tourism at Chadstone.
He shared that Amway delegates alone delivered a 48 to 1 return on investment when comparing hosting costs with retail spend. International incentive travellers spent about A$1,000 per visit, with some markets spending significantly more.
For Orange Incentive House’s managing director Vidya Hernanto, Melbourne’s diversity is a drawcard for her Indonesian clients.
“Melbourne and Australia are good options because they have everything,” she said. “In contrast, Europe is mostly about history and art, so it’s not popular with Indonesians. They don’t want to listen to the Michelangelo story; they just want to take pictures in front of the statue.”
However, she said there was still room to grow awareness for Melbourne’s offer.
“In terms of suppliers, we are very satisfied. We can easily find menus and hotels, and public transport is very accessible. But there is more potential for my clients to really understand the city as an incentive destination,” said Vidya.
Budget dynamics are also evolving. Swanson noted that buyers are increasingly prepared to invest when programmes deliver a clear wow factor.
“After launching our new China strategy, we found that buyers are prepared to spend if you can create something with a wow experience,” she said.
Looking ahead, Melbourne’s bookings calendar includes the National Insurance Elites Incentive Tour in May 2026, expected to bring over 1,000 delegates.
Meanwhile, The Asia-Pacific Incentives and Meetings Event (AIME), held in February, continues to serve as a flagship platform. AIME 2025 generated projected business transactions of A$400 million within the year, a 21 per cent increase on the previous year.
