 has achieved the highest ever result for business events in Victoria with a 28 per cent increase from 2018/2019.){kind=link}
Melbourne Convention Bureau (MCB) has achieved the highest ever result for business events in Victoria with a 28 per cent increase in economic contribution fromsecured business events in 2018/2019
Exceeded all targets for the seventh consecutive year and secured over 226,000 room nights – enough to fill the city 13 times
Melbourne Convention Bureau (MCB) has achieved the highest ever result for business events in Victoria with a 28 per cent increase in economic contribution from secured business events in 2018/2019 financial year from the previous year, exceeding all targets and cementing business events position as the highest yielding sector in Victoria’s visitor economy.
Economic contribution for the state reached an impressive $507 million from 229 events secured, which is expected to bring over 136,000 new visitors to the state, and significantly fill over 226,000 room nights injecting $45 million in direct revenue into the accommodation sector.
The record-breaking year can be attributed to years of work resulting in several significant wins, including ‘The 2023 Rotary International Conference’, the most valuable conference ever won for the state, expected to attract 20,000 Rotary members from over 200 countries and regions worldwide and injecting over $110 million into the Victorian economy.
Other notable conferences include; ‘The International Convention of Jehovah’s Witnesses 2019’, ‘International Congress of Genetics 2023’, ‘20th International Union of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology (IUPHAR) World Congress of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology 2026’ and the ‘World Congress of Philosophy 2023’.
The series of high-profile international association conferences confirmed guarantee a strong pipeline of business and continued significant economic contribution to Victoria up to 2026, providing long term certainty for Victoria’s visitor economy.
Conferences in the health and medical sectors are the most lucrative making up 38 per cent of conferences secured in the past financial year in the field. This is a result of Victoria’s strong reputation for excellence and globally recognised medical and research facilities.
Victoria’s corporate meetings and incentive business was strong with MCB securing 132 events which will deliver over $64 million to the state’s economy and over 16,000 new visitors to Victoria.
The most significant incentive win was the ‘Jeunesse Global 2020’ which will deliver over 6,000 visitors to Victoria’s regions and inject $27.8 million into the economy, with a significant proportion to be absorbed into regional communities. Acknowledging the importance of business events to Victoria’s economy, MCB increased sales leads and business opportunities for its partners and executed a bold and innovative strategy to propel the sector forward.
During 2019 MCB launched its innovative ‘Melbourne Virtual Site Visit’ – an immersive 360 virtual reality experience featuring over 30 Melbourne venues, hotel and attractions to influence international decision-makers to choose Melbourne for their next event. MCB was globally recognised for this tool at the Skift Global Forum in New York, being awarded ‘Best AR, VR or Mixed Reality Experience’.