MCEC contributes $383m to Vic

IN a strong sign that business events have well and truly returned, Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) contributed over $383 million to the Victorian economy in the last financial year.

MCEC hosted 349 events and welcomed 1.6 million visitors between 01 Jul 2021 and 31 Jun 2022, with event numbers, delegate attendance and economic impact for the year all continuing on an upward trend after the venue ( pictured) fully reopened to events in late 2021.

Major conferences hosted by the venue included the Asia Pacific Incentives and Meetings Event (AIME), the national NAIDOC Awards, Oz Comic Con, Melbourne Art Fair and the Good Friday Appeal’s annual Kids Day Out, which attracted more than 80,000 visitors and helped raise a record $22 million for the Royal Children’s Hospital.

The venue also doubled down on its commitment to sustainability, with the launch of a new five-year strategy and commitment to achieve net zero carbon emission by 2030, as well as donating 6,000kg of food through OzHarvest.

“We can be confident these results are a sign of things to come, as we maintain momentum toward our future return to the record-breaking revenue and impact we had in the year prior to COVID-19,” MCEC Chief Executive Peter King said.

To see MCEC’s full Annual Report 21-22, click here. MEANWHILE, the Melbourne Convention Bureau (MCB), in partnership with the Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, has secured a major global business event, the 14th World Chambers Congress (WCC).

The event will be hosted at the MCEC in Sep 2025, and is expected to fill more than 2,250 hotel room nights in the city and contribute around $3.9 million to Melbourne’s economy.