Melbourne is all for green
Karen Bolinger, CEO, Melbourne Convention Bureau (MCB), talks about the success of AIME while also telling us what makes Melbourne a unique destination for events
Tell us about MCB.
As Melbourne Convention Bureau (MCB), we are number one in the Asia Pacific in the Global Sustainability Index. That is really important to us. Melbourne is the world's second most liveable city and sustainability is a part of our DNA. For us, the social impact of any kind of event that comes to our destination remains paramount.
What made AIME different this year?
We increased the number of hosted buyers. In previous years, we were almost at 200 hosted buyers and this year, we had over 350, which was a significant leap. We also had a full-fledged knowledge programme which was brand new and was open to all hosted buyers. Last year, we did a very small programme. The activations on the show floor were also quite different.
The one thing that Talk2 Media & Events did was to ensure that during the morning tea there be a networking event.
Do you offer incentives to attract more Indian MiCE to the destination?
We speak to our
customers and have a conversation about what's important to them. We think about how we can actually bring that to life in our destination.
How did AIME fare?
The event has been fantastic; we have had wonderful feedback about the show. People are saying that they are doing business, which is obviously important for us.
People have really been engaging in some of the activities that we have been undertaking. For us, if people are booking business, then it's a win. We will now reassess the show and look at what is required to be done.
Tell us about the new infrastructure coming up in Melbourne.
We have quite a few significant five-star hotels coming up in Melbourne. These include Shangri-La, Mandarin Oriental, and The Ritz Carlton among others. The Mandarin Oriental does not have a hotel in Australia yet, and Melbourne will be the first in the country to have that.
In terms of entertainment, there are always new shows in the city. Currently, we have Harry Potter; the show is only in three places in the world - London, New York, and Melbourne.
Why Melbourne?
Melbourne is the events capital of Australia! We do business events better than anyone else.
ACCOMMODATION Over 34,220 hotel rooms within the city centre and another 9,802 in development