Melbourne boosts credit rating by hosting finance and innovation conference in April

The Asia Pacific Financial and Innovation Symposium will be held in Melbourne, Australia, this April thanks to support from Victoria’s Allan Labor government. Minister for economic growth Tim Pallas announced the inaugural global financial conference will be hosted in the city at The Palladium Crown, demonstrating that Victoria is a hub for financial services and business events. “Events like this build on our strong record of attracting top financial businesses to Victoria, creating economic growth and thousands of jobs,” the minister said. “Financial services are an important part of Victoria’s economy and this inaugural global expo in Melbourne will provide an opportunity for our local industry to showcase our capabilities on the world stage.” Minister for sport, tourism and major events, Steve Dimopoulos added: “Securing this event demonstrates Victoria’s world-class business events industry and ability to attract global leaders to experience everything our state has to offer.” Delivered by Visit Victoria and the Melbourne Convention Bureau, the one-day exposition will be the first of its kind for the region. Thousands of financial leaders from around the world will meet on 16 April to discuss industry trends in artificial intelligence, technology, energy transition and social governance, all with an Asia Pacific focus. The programme features global industry experts including from Blackrock and Blackstone. Victoria’s business events sector is a major driver of the state’s economy – generating an estimated A$12.6bn annually and supporting more than 84,000 jobs.