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.”
