Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre took home Gold in the Business Event Venue Award at the VTIC Victorian Tourism Awards for the second year running. The award recognises venues providing the highest quality facilities, services and events, as well as contributing to Australia’s tourism landscape.
CEO Natalie O’Brien expressed her gratitude for the recognition: “MCEC welcomes millions of visitors from around the world every year, boosting the economy and supporting the growth of local businesses. “We pride ourselves on providing world-class services and facilities, and everyone who visits leaves inspired and excited. We’re honoured to accept the award and to be recognised amongst such a high calibre of finalists.”
One of the Melbourne venue’s recent innovations is a newly-launched website with 360-degree virtual tours, allowing customers and visitors to explore the site and plan their visit.
During the year, MCEC hosted a number of high-profile events. At the 2024 ASEAN-Australia Special Summit, nine world leaders and prominent CEOs, community leaders and academics gathered to discuss trade, climate action and maritime cooperation.
MCEC was also the only venue in the Asia-Pacific region to host to the renowned BBC Earth Experience, an audio-visual journey with bespoke narration from Sir David Attenborough. Direct from the London premiere, the experience drew a crowd of over 500,000 people over six months.
MCEC also secured Bronze for Lord Mayor’s Award, which recognises businesses in metropolitan Melbourne that have demonstrated a commitment to responsible tourism. During the year, MCEC became the first convention centre in Australia to introduce a permanent Returnable Cup program, serving over 894,000 delegates with reusable stainless-steel cups. MCEC also launched its latest Accessibility Action Plan, in collaboration with consultants in the tourism industry.
