Star Quality

The very best conference destinations boast a range of venues and attractions for every taste
and every budget and Melbourne stands proudly as just such a place.

Follow this link to conference and convention venues in >> Melbourne City >> Melbourne Suburbs >> Melbourne Airport area.

Melbourne, the city by the Yarra, goes from strength to
strength, winning more fans and accolades every day.
In August last year, the prestigious AIPC – Association Internationale des Palais de Congres – at their Annual Congress voted the Melbourne Exhibition & Convention Centre (MECC) one of the top ten convention centres in the world. In the client-based survey of convention centres, respondents were questioned on a variety of the competing centres’ attributes including technical equipment, catering and location.

Overall, the MECC was rated the best in the world for its exhibition area as well as receiving the only perfect score for the positioning and quality of hotels within its immediate surrounds.

MECC is quietly proud of being the first convention and exhibition centre in Australia to gain certification to the new Quality System – AS/NZS ISO 9001:2000. Such innovation is nothing new; in 1997, the centre became the first venue in Australia to achieve ISO 9002:1994.

Lightning-Fast Technology

MECC has also entered a partnership with Macquarie Corporate that will see the introduction of a full digital network from April 2004. This network will offer users of both the Melbourne Exhibition Centre and Melbourne Convention Centre outstanding connectivity and the flexibility to simply “plug in” anywhere at a very competitive cost.

New broadband, fibre optic cabling will provide high-speed data connections with provision for higher speeds if required, Voice Over IP and Wireless capacity.

A major advantage of the new network will be the unlimited, instant access available anywhere in the centre from the exhibition floor, meeting rooms or theatres. Access will be quick, easy and user-friendly and most importantly there will be no load restrictions, time limit or minimum charges. So, whether it’s a standard connection all-day or additional download capacity for a short period, charging will be applied on a user-pays basis.

Bringing The World To Melbourne

Melbourne as a destination also scooped the pool at last year’s Meetings Industry Association of Australia’s (MIAA) National Awards, taking out prizes for “Meeting of the Year – over 500 delegates” and “Event of the Year”.

The Meeting of the Year category was won by organisers of the 6th World Congress of Chemical Engineering, which was held at MECC. Event of the Year went to ParaQuad Victoria for their “Breakout” corporate fundraising event, which saw such personalities as MECC’s Chief Executive, Leigh Harry, “imprisoned” to raise money for ParaQuad.

Fresh from its success hosting the XIX International Congress of Genetics in July last year, the Melbourne Convention & Visitors Bureau is celebrating winning the International Conference on Functional Mapping of the Human Brain (OHBM) in 2008. It is estimated that the conference will attract more than 1,500 delegates, generate 4,500 room nights and contribute an estimated economic impact of over $7 million to the Victorian economy. Other bid victories include the International Federation of Air Traffic Controllers Associations (IFATCA) in 2005.

The Windsor, considered to be the oldest five star hotel in Australia celebrated its 120th anniversary last year. This grand hotel, with 180 guestrooms and suites and one of Melbourne’s most stylish function spaces in the Grand Ballroom, opened in 1883. It was then called the Grand Hotel but within three years had a new owner and a new direction as one of the then-fashionable “temperance” hotels that banned alcohol.

Such fashion faded and The Grand returned to its usual role in 1897. In 1923, it was renamed The Windsor to celebrate the visit to Australia of the Prince of Wales. It was threatened with demolition in the mid 1970s (the Victorian Government saved it by purchasing the property). The Oberoi Group acquired the lease in 1980 and purchased the hotel in 1990. Since then, more than $30 million has been spent restoring it to its former glory.

A Wealth Of Choice

Melbourne’s newest hotel may also one day be considered one of Melbourne’s grand heritage assets. The 465 room Crown Promenade Hotel is the sister property to the 482 room Crown Towers Hotel. In combination, the two hotels now offer conference organisers the ability to hold meetings for up to 2,500 delegates or residential conferences for up to 700 delegates. The Crown Promenade Hotel includes its own dedicated meetings facility, known as the Crown Conference Centre. This includes a 750 seat Plenary Hall, plenary rooms, 10 meeting rooms and exhibition space for 30 booths.

Hotel facilities include The Deck with two outdoor terraces, a 25 metre swimming pool, and the Club Lounge. Food and beverage outlets include the Tonic Bar and Mesh restaurant.

Conference organisers already know the exciting Crown Entertainment Complex, which encompasses conference and banqueting facilities for up to 1,500 people, Australia’s largest casino, an internationally-branded shopping arcade and Riverside dining with 40 restaurants and bars, four nightclubs, a cinema complex and 900 seat showroom.

Improvements Inside And Out

Crown is just one of a number of organisations that have banded together to form the YarraBanks Convention Precinct. Other partners include the Melbourne Exhibition & Convention Centre (MECC), Federation Square and the Holiday Inn and Sheraton Towers hotels.

YarraBanks is a revolutionary marketing scheme that seeks to place individual commercial competition to one side in order to sell the destination.

The refurbishment of the Carlton Crest Hotel Melbourne’s Grand Waldorf Ballroom, unveiled last year, is part of an ongoing program that will continue into 2004. Ballroom improvements include new carpets and new wall finishes. The Grand Waldorf Ballroom is a unique column-free space. Originally built in 1990, the 1,070 square metre venue has a capacity for 1,350 people theatre style.

Morgans at 401 is a new conference and events facility located in the heart of Melbourne’s CBD. By day, it would be difficult to imagine what lies behind the fashionable Collins Street frontage of Morgans at 401 cafe-restaurant. Yet step through into the specialist gallery and exhibition space which doubles as an excellent venue for receptions and beyond is a 170 square metre exclusive-use conference and function centre, capable of seating 200 people theatre style or 140 for banquets.

Stylish Abodes

An 18 square metre break-out or private dining room is also available for hire. Since opening early in 2002, Morgans at 401 has attracted a wide-ranging clientele including Lend Lease and numerous government departments. A recent major function was arranged for the launch of CI Events.

Another classy only in Melbourne meetings and function option is No 7 Alfred Place. Formerly home to the stylish Mietta’s restaurant, the 120 year old building has four meeting rooms over two floors, hosting gatherings as intimate as a 10 person business session to cocktails for 250 people. Acquired by the Stamford Hotels and Resorts Group in 1999 as part of the Stamford Plaza Melbourne, the heritage building is resplendent following an extensive refurbishment. An outstanding example of Victorian architecture, No 7 Alfred Place boasts decorative high ceilings, chandeliers and a central grand staircase.

Elsewhere In The City

The rapidly expanding northern suburbs of Melbourne now have a new hotel and conference facility to call their own. The Hotel William on Bell Street is part of a major redevelopment of the former PANCH Hospital in Preston and had its official opening in July 2003.

Facilities include an outdoor swimming pool, basketball and volleyball court and barbeque facilities. There are five conference rooms and an auditorium seating up to 150 people.

Close to the celebrated vineyards of the Yarra Valley, yet only 18 kilometres from the centre of Melbourne, the Eltham Gateway Conference Centre has attracted, as recent corporate guests, Rio Tinto and Australia Post. Under new management, an extensive refurbishment program has been in place since August and is now nearing completion. Improvements include upgraded air-conditioning, especially in the larger guestrooms.

The Eltham Gateway has three conference rooms and a boardroom as part of Mains restaurant. The largest, the 140 square metre Gateway Room can seat up to 150 theatre style or 85 for banquets.