MCI to help deliver
C2 Melbourne
Event management organisation MCI Group
has joined forces with C2 International
to help bring the business conference to
Melbourne for the first time.
Together with the support of the Victorian
Government and Melbourne Convention
Bureau, MCI Group will help deliver C2
Melbourne in November, bringing together
commerce and creativity to explore trends,
opportunities, disruptions and shifts in
the industry. This will be the first time
the popular business event has been
held outside Montreal, Canada, since its
inception six years ago.
C2 president Richard St-Pierre said
Melbourne is the ideal location for the 2017
conference.
“As the team at C2 was imagining where
we may go for the first ever large scale C2
outside of Canada, we sought cities with a
rich culture, an intoxicating energy and a
readiness to work together to set the stage
that will reset imagination and unleash new
ideas for business leaders, innovators and
creatives from around the world,” he said.
Cairns
Convention
Centre secures
$176m upgrade
The Queensland 2017-18 Budget
has delivered good news for the
Cairns Convention Centre, with $176
million allocated to fund the centre’s
expansion. The expansion will include a
refurbishment of the existing centre plus
the addition of new exhibition space and
meeting rooms.
“The continued commitment by the
State Government will allow the Cairns
Convention Centre to grow in line with
the aspirations of the city, with new
hotels, new aquarium and continued
strong investment in the city heart, it
really is an exciting time in Cairns,”
said Cairns Convention Centre general
manager Ross Steele.
“We look forward to progressing our plans
for construction which is expected to
commence following the Commonwealth
Games basketball preliminaries which will
be held at the Centre in April 2018.”
Events boost
for tourism
in Victoria
Major events have provided a boost for
Victoria’s domestic visitor numbers, with
the latest National Visitor Survey revealing
positive results for the state.
Domestic overnight visitors to Victoria
increased 6.2 per cent to 22.5 million and
day trip visitors increased 6.4 per cent to
49.3 million. The amount spent on day
trips in regional Victoria increased by
almost 10 per cent.
Victoria Tourism Industry Council (VTIC)
chief executive Brad Ostermeyer attributed
the positive results to Victoria’s strong
events calendar, reputation for cultural
tourism and an investment boost in
intrastate marketing.
“Key iconic events such as the Australian
Open and the Australian Formula 1 Grand
Prix bring more people here,” he said.
“This period also coincides with the launch
of the Wander Victoria campaign, which
targeted Melburnians and encouraged
them to visit regional Victoria.”
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Korea number one for global congresses
Korea has ranked
number one for global
congresses hosted in
2016, according to the
Union of International
Associations (UIA).
UIA’s recent International Meetings
Statistics Report revealed Korea hosted
997 meetings in 2016, a 12 per cent
increase on the year before.
Las Vegas Convention Center set to expand
The Las Vegas Convention
Center District has
received final approval
for a major $1.4 billion
expansion and renovation
project adding more
than 55,000sqm of exhibition space and
accompanying meeting rooms and support
space. The expansion is expected to be
finished in 2023.
Dubai emerges as top meetings city
Dubai has emerged as one
of the top 10 destinations
for international meetings,
according to the latest
International Meetings
Statistics Report. Previously
ranked 14 th in the 2015 edition, Dubai has
moved up the list to claim the 10 th spot with
a total of 180 meetings taking place in 2016,
a 24 per cent increase on the previous year.
Business events a cash cow for Kiwis
Business events in New
Zealand will deliver
NZ$311 million to the local
economy and bring nearly
100,000 people to the
country. The estimated
value from all conferences bid for and
won in the current financial year to date
is NZ$39.7 million, with an expected $33
million from secured incentive business.
Auckland expo wins major accolade
Construction exhibition
Auckland Build Expo
has won the Best
Tradeshow Launch
award at the Association
of Event Organiser’s
Excellence Awards 2017 held in London.
Auckland Build 2016 featured a 120-booth
exhibition, a two-day conference, as well
as workshops, demo areas, networking
parties and live entertainment.
www.cimmagazine.com Convention & Incentive Marketing, Issue 4, 2017 7