LIONS WIN BREAKS VIC RECORD

MELBOURNE is set for an $84 million windfall in 2024 after being named the host city for one of the largest events on the international conference circuit.

The 13,000-delegate Lions Clubs International Convention will be held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) over five days in Jun 2024 and is tipped to be the biggest conference ever secured for Victoria.

It will be the second time the event has been held in Australia, having been staged in Sydney in 2010, and will create a hotel boom worth 48,000 room nights for the Victorian capital.

The event was won through a partnership between the Victorian Government, the City of Melbourne, Lions Australia and the Melbourne Convention Bureau (MCB).

Victoria’s Minister for Tourism and Major Events John Eren linked the conference to the current extension of the MCEC.

“Our investment in the MCEC expansion is already paying dividends to the state by bringing more major events to Victoria, delivering more money and creating jobs for Victorians,” Eren said.

MCB ceo Karen Bolinger said the size and reputation of the event would help other bidding opportunities in the future.

“With community at the heart of Lions Clubs International, MCB facilitated city-wide collaboration to work towards delivering a powerful legacy in Victoria, providing opportunity for knowledge exchange, collaboration between nations and community initiatives which will be felt long after the conference takes place,” Bolinger said.