Left and below : Melbourne Meeting Mart back in the day .
the private sector . “ These were very much the fledgling days [ of the industry ],” she says . “ It was about pulling people together . It was very basic and very naïve . But nothing has changed – the concept , the ideas , the basis of membership and the funding model from the government . That formed the basis for every bureau around
Australia . After that it grew and grew until it changed into AIME in 1991 .”
The motivation to widen the focus from Victoria to the Asia Pacific region was sparked by visits to EIBTM ( now ibtm ), which in those days was held in Geneva .
“ I would come back and look at my little show and go ‘ Oh my God , why can ’ t we do something for this part of the world here ,” she says . “ I needed to do this before someone else in Sydney did it before me . I talked to the owners of EIBTM and they could see that I was young and enthusiastic and really wanted to make a mark . So they talked me through it and give all sorts of assistance . I put this concept to my board and they thought it was never going to happen , and if it did it will go to Sydney for sure . So I said ‘ over my dead body ’.”
She then lobbied Qantas , which was starting to see the potential for meetings and group travel , to help bring the international buyers over .
“ It [ the meetings industry ] was starting to be seen as a potential growth industry here ,” she says . “ Getting the airlines on board was critical , and they agreed to support me if I could get it off the ground .
Sydney got wind that I was trying to get a Southern Hemisphere version of EIBTM , you can imagine the rivalry . But I needed the endorsement of the Asian convention bureaus , who were very strong and wellfunded . That was the beginning and we were away .”
With the new bigger show the focus started to switch from small local regions and venues to the better funded international “ all singing all dancing stands ”.
“ All the focus went on to creating Melbourne as the meetings capital of Australia and Asia ,” she says . “ There was a pull to take it to Sydney on a biannual basis , but my thinking was always about securing funding for the bureau , as it is subject to who is in power . I don ’ t think anybody understood the enormity and potential of the meetings industry . It was very much an education for people to understand the fundamental basis of the wealth coming into the community .”
Calwell finally stepped down some 20 years later , and was even offered ownership of AIME , but declined .
“ My basis for AIME was to be the income earner for the bureau ,” she says . “ Sometimes I think ‘ what a silly girl you were !’ But what we have today is the vision I created all those years ago . It is wonderful to see that .”
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Call 07 5591 0020 , email ConferencesAndEvents @ vrtp . com . au or visit us at AIME on the Gold Coast - Stand 1832 .
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