MCVB announces record room nights and best ever financials

AUSTRALASIA – The Melbourne Convention and Visitors Bureau (MCVB) has announced that the 2011/12 financial year saw the MCVB deliver its best results on record in terms of estimated room nights and forecasted economic impact.
 
MCVB secured 210 international and national business events for Victoria, a 62 per cent increase on the 2011/12 full year target. “These events will deliver an estimated economic impact valued at A$361m (US$361m),” its Chairman, Chris Barlow, said.
 
Speaking at the bureau’s Annual General Meeting, held at RACV City Club Conferences and Events, Barlow added that one of the year’s most significant achievements was the announcement that Melbourne will host the International AIDS Conference 2014, a major contributing factor to the year’s results.
 
“As the largest medical conference ever to be held in Australia, the conference is expected to bring 14,000 delegates and generate $80m in economic impact for the state of Victoria,” he said. “It is encouraging to see that in a financial climate that is still uncertain MCVB continues to produce results and make a real impact on both the state economy and the local business events industry.”
 
The 2011/12 financial year also saw a number of initiatives implemented by the organisation’s new Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Karen Bolinger. “Bolinger commenced her role as CEO in November 2011 and was quick to develop a new strategic direction for the organisation in light of the increasingly competitive nature of the business events industry both nationally and globally,” said Barlow.
 
Announced in May, the new Strategic Business Plan aims to position Melbourne as the premier destination for business events in the world. The plan includes a strategic organisational restructure of the Marketing and Communications Department, now operating under the title: Commercial Partnerships, headed up by Edwina San.
 
Other key activities during the year included the celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Asia-Pacific Incentives and Meetings Expo (AIME), the introduction of the organisation’s new positioning campaign: Melbourne IQ: The Intelligent Choice for Conferences, while the 2011 annual Asia Roadshow visited Shanghai, Hong Kong, and for the first time, Mumbai.
 
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