Melbourne
has received a glowing report card from executives representing
international conferences following the BestCities Client Workshop
2013, held from 9 – 12 April, hosted by the Melbourne Convention
Bureau (MCB).
MCB
is a founding member of the BestCities Global Alliance: a network of
nine international convention bureaux - Berlin, Cape Town,
Copenhagen, Dubai, Edinburgh, Houston, Singapore, Vancouver and
Melbourne - which are committed to a quality assured convention
bureau service charter.
An
initiative of the BestCities Global Alliance, the Workshop was
attended by each partner city and seven potential clients with the
capacity to bring approximately 11,950 delegates to Melbourne with an
estimated economic impact of AUD $70 million.
In
addition to business development and networking forums, the Workshop
also included site inspections of Melbourne’s world-class
conferencing facilities and hotels, and a trip to the Yarra Valley.
Responding
to a survey, each executive said they would recommend Melbourne as a
conference destination and would consider Melbourne for a future
event.
One
delegate said that Melbourne had “perfect conference venues, ease
of transport, an adequate hotel base and world-class food and dining
options” and “(the city’s) conference facilities exceeded my
expectations”.
MCB
Chief Executive Officer, Karen Bolinger, said the Workshop presented
a wealth of opportunities for Melbourne.
“The
clients who attended the BestCities Client Workshop were from a wide
range of fields including aquatics and obstetrics, right through to
particle acceleration, veterinary science, emergency medicine,
microbiology and neurophysiology,” Ms Bolinger said.
“As
Australia’s intellectual capital, Melbourne excels in these fields
and is home to some of the world’s preeminent researchers,
scientists and academics, making it the perfect host city for any one
of these events.
“During
the Workshop we were able to showcase these strengths, as well as the
pinnacle of the city’s conferencing infrastructure, the Melbourne
Convention and Exhibition Centre, and some of the state’s leading
hotels including all Crown’s properties; InterContinental Melbourne
The Rialto; Hilton Melbourne South Wharf; and Grand Hyatt.”
Ms
Bolinger concluded by saying that the BestCities Global Alliance was
an important asset to MCB. “All of the clients who attended the
Workshop indicated that they would recommend working with the
BestCities Global Alliance to other association executives, which is
a great result.
“MCB
is proud to be the only Australian bureau in the BestCities Global
Alliance as it provides us with the opportunity to exchange
invaluable information with our partners, ensuring the success of any
conference held in a BestCities member city.”
