Melbourne's event stars

We’re designing the centre in such a way that we’d be able to run conferences of that size with virtually no crossover between the different events.



For the past decade or so – though they’d never admit it – Melbourne has been Sydney’s – ugly stepsister when it came to meetings and events.

Sydney had the glamour associated with being an Olympic Games city, had a convention centre that wasn’t separated from its exhibition centre by a river, and was the world’s leading destination for association meetings in 2000.

The worm has certainly turned and Melbourne looks forward to the prospect of a 5,000-seater auditorium that is linked to “Jeff’s Shed”, the Melbourne Exhibition Centre on Southbank. In addition, one of Australia’s marketing superstars, Sandra Chipchase, has just taken over as chief executive of the Melbourne Convention & Visitors Bureau.

The AUD$1 billion development that links Southbank with Melbourne’s urban redevelopment of Docklands includes: •5,000 seat, 6 star energy-rated Convention Centre;
•5 star Hilton Hotel
•Office and residential tower
•Riverfront promenade of retails shops, including cafes, bookstores and wine merchants
•Premium-brand homemaker retail complex
•Investment in public spaces, including a partnership with the National Trust for a revitalised Maritime Museum

Long-serving managing director of the Melbourne Exhibition & Convention Centre (MECC), Leigh Harry says the major advance the centre – planned to be operational by the beginning of 2009 – would give Melbourne would be the ability to simultaneously host meetings with delegate numbers of around 2,500, 1,500 and 1,000.

“We’re designing the centre in such a way that we’d be able to run conferences of that size with virtually no crossover between the different events. We have a 10,000 sq m foyer space and will be able to segregate registration and catering areas with minimum disturbance.

“We’re looking at a superb piece of urban renewal and I believe Melburnians, interstate and overseas visitors will be delighted when it all comes together,” says Harry. No decision has been made with regard to the existing Melbourne Convention Centre, but Harry ruled out it being a competitor venue to the MECC.

Sandra Chipchase is known in the meetings and events sector as a human dynamo and brings immense experience at many levels to her new position. Her experience covers tourism and business events marketing, major events, sponsorship and commercial business management, and she brings a wealth of regional, national and international experience to the role.

Chipchase held several senior management positions with the Australian Tourist Commission (now Tourism Australia), including two years in the former Melbourne head office and postings in Frankfurt, Chicago and New York. She returned to Australia to join the Sydney Convention and Visitors Bureau as general manager for Marketing.

In 1999, she was headhunted to become the executive director of the Australia Pavilion project team at World EXPO 2000 in Hanover, Germany, which achieved record results for Australia.

In 2001, she joined the Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority as executive director of Marketing & Communications. Chipchase introduced new branding and public events for The Rocks and Darling Harbour precincts, and initiated several successful new commercial tourism products and activities, such as the Rugby World Cup Live Sites. She created sponsorship deals, which produced record revenue and visitation levels.

Chipchase held the position of executive director for Commercial Partnerships and Visitor Services at the Authority, where her role encompassed property portfolios and commercial businesses, plus leasing and management agreements for the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre and the Sydney Entertainment Centre. Her division generated around $AUD 90 million in revenue each year.

A graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, Chipchase currently serves on several industry-related committees and boards. She was also responsible for introducing the landmark Sydney Convention Delegate
Study – the largest of its type in the world – and wrote the first multimillion-dollar Olympic Games sponsorship deal with VISA in Australia.

Centre sets new benchmark for clean and green
The consortium that secured the bid to build the MECC has an ecological sustainability development (ESD) model as its bedrock philosophy. It is a philosophy that has ensured ESD is integrated at all levels, not simply some additional infrastructure bolted on at the end of the design process.

The result is a mix of design, function and operations, ensuring the conference delegate experiences a natural and healthy environment. The provision of fresh air at low level and a maximum of natural light provide the dual benefit of visitor comfort and a reduction in the volume of natural resources required to operate the facility.



The builders say the new MECC will excel with:
•The first application of a privately operated black-water treatment plant in a public facility in Australia
•Maximisation of the northern facade and the minimisation of east and west aspects through effective site planning
•Implementation of effective shading elements to the north, as well as the exposed eastern and western corners
•Use of spectrally selective low-E glazing to all facades to control heat gains while promoting thermal comfort and natural light availability
•Extensive application of 100 per cent outdoor air systems, with no re-circulated component throughout the facilities to enhance air quality.
Sustainable energy consumption is improved through:
•Displacement ventilation to the Plenary Hall and Foyer, providing quality conditioned air and creating an excellent indoor environment quality
•Designated waste recycling area in order to maximise re-use of waste generated on site
•Materials selection governed by sustainability of primary materials
•Fittings and switches all selected and positioned in order to minimise energy consumption
•Provision of facilities to best accommodate public-transport users and users of alternative modes of transport, such as cyclists
•Maximising natural light and ventilation throughout.