Melbourne secures 40 business events worth AUD$150m

Melbourne Convention Bureau (MCB), Australia, has announced it has secured 40 business events worth AUD$150m (US$109m). This adds to MCB’s pipeline of 118 business events between 2022-2028 that the Bureau says will attract 133,495 delegates, filling 387,372 hotel room nights and injecting $804m into Victoria’s visitor economy. Julia Swanson (pictured), chief executive of MCB, said: “Driving economic and social progress for Victoria by securing and delivering world-class business events, has provided MCB with a strong sense of direction in the shadow of the Covid-19 pandemic.” Deborah Beale, chair of the MCB Board, acknowledged the strength and stability afforded through the Victorian Government’s long-term investment of $41.3m in MCB over four years and stated it has been a significant factor in enabling the Bureau to continue its business development for larger international association events, and a focus on driving short-term business via the domestic market. The funding programme provided business event organisers with a significant cash injection to support costs for hosting their events in Melbourne. The events approved at the close of the financial year and to be held in 2022, are expected to deliver $102m in economic contribution to Victoria.