Doubles for Brisbane, MCEC at National MEA Awards

AUSTRALASIA – Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre (BCEC) won two of the major national award categories at the Meetings & Events Australia (MEA) Conference (26 May) on Hamilton Island. BCEC took the award for ‘Meeting Venue – 500 delegates or more’ and also clinched the ‘Association or Government Meeting of The Year’ award for its hosting of the 2014 G20 Leaders Summit. BCEC general manager, Bob O’Keeffe, said he and his team were “thrilled to be recognised”, pointing out the G20 Leaders Summit had been a unique opportunity for Brisbane and the Centre. “Its success was the result of a unified citywide effort,” O’Keefe added. The awards followed a high profile year – the biggest in the Centre’s history, he added. The Star Event Centre, meanwhile, won the Specialty Event Venue category at the MEA awards. It was the first national MEA award win for The Star, since the opening of the Event Centre in January 2013. Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) won the ‘Banqueting and Catering’ and ‘In-house AV Services’ awards, both for the second consecutive year. “With MCEC’s expansion confirmed by the Victorian Government in the recent State Budget, it’s encouraging to know that we are ranked amongst the best in Australia,” said MCEC chief executive Peter King.