A$118 million business events boost for Melbourne

Melbourne Convention and Visitors Bureau (MCVB) has secured business events for Melbourne during 2002 worth more than $118 million to the local economy, announced MCVB CEO Gary Grimmer.

“The 28 events won during 2002 will bring more than 27,000 delegates to Melbourne, who will spend almost 109,000 nights in Melbourne and Victorian accommodation,” said Mr Grimmer.

The economic benefit will carry through the next seven years, with events won during 2002 being staged as far away as 2010.

“This is a fantastic result for a challenging year, which began with the after-effects of September 11 and the collapse of Australia’s second airline, Ansett, and ended while we were still mourning the tragedy of Bali,” said Mr Grimmer.

“These positive figures indicate strong global confidence in Melbourne as a business events city, and the industry’s resilience and optimism bode well  for the future,” he said.

The largest event won during 2002 was ENVIRO 2006, an environment forum which will attract 5,500 delegates and inject a staggering $30 million into the local economy. Coming in second, the Zonta International Convention will see around 2,200 delegates visit Melbourne, with an economic impact of  $14.6 million.

Other business events won during 2002 include the 2004 International Conference on the Reduction of Drug Related Harm, a pioneering forum for drug policy development; and the 10th World Congress on Endometriosis in 2008, which Melbourne won over competitors Singapore and Athens.