Welcome to Melbourne

Welcome to Melbourne, a dynamic, exciting city where modern architecture and innovative design are juxtaposed with heritage buildings reflecting Australia's colonial history.

Melbourne captures Australia's friendly nature but with an added sense of style. It is our nation's fashion capital, the cultural events heartland, and a city passionate about sport, especially Australian Rules Football and cricket, both played at the world famous Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). 'The G', as it is fondly known, was also the central hub for the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games, the largest sporting and cultural event ever staged in Melbourne, and one of the largest events in the world. During the Games our city catered for 4,500 athletes from 71 nations, 1,500 team officials and 90,000 interstate and international visitors.

Melbourne is also home to one of the world's leading meeting and incentive events, the AsiaPacific Incentives & Meetings Expo (AIME), held annually in February.

Business event organisers choose Melbourne as it is Australia's most user friendly city for holding corporate events and conferences. Within a five square kilometre area, Melbourne offers five major convention hotels, a diverse range of multi-purpose venues and the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC).

And soon, Melbourne will have even more world-class meeting facilities. Construction is well underway on the new convention centre adjacent to the Melbourne Exhibition Centre, within walking distance of Melbourne's central business district. The convention centre is the first in Australia with a 6 Star Green Star environmental rating and will include a 5,000-seat plenary hall, a ballroom, 32 meeting rooms and a ground foyer for 8,400 guests. The convention centre precinct will be a lively hub all year round with a riverfront promenade of retail shops and public spaces, a five-star Hilton hotel and an office tower. When the new convention centre opens for business in 2009, the MCEC will be the largest facility of its kind in Australia.

In 2009, Melbourne will open a world-class 27,750 seat rectangular-pitch stadium that will cater for rugby league, rugby union and soccer games. The stadium will be located within the Olympic Park precinct, adding to Melbourne's significant sporting facilities. Melbourne is the only city in the world with three retractable roof stadiums - Rod Laver Arena, Vodafone Arena and the Telstra Dome.

Visitors to Melbourne can also take in a 360 degree view of the city from the Eureka Tower's new Observation Deck. Located 285 meters above the ground, the Deck is the highest public vantage point in Melbourne and the level above hosts the highest corporate entertainment area in Australia.

In this Planner's Guide you will discover the many products and services which can assist your business to share in the event delivery success for which Melbourne is world famous.

We hope you will also discover the unique soul of our city, captured in its many laneways which cross the city grid to reveal cafés and bars, fashion houses, boutiques, innovative cuisine, galleries, theatres and museums.

Melbourne is also the starting point to explore some of Australia's most spectacular coastlines, wildlife reserves, award winning wineries, temperate rainforests, surf beaches and historic townships.

The Melbourne Convention and Visitors Bureau has dedicated staff with the knowledge and expertise to assist you with planning your next business event, from finding the right venue, to assisting with pre and post tours of Melbourne and regional Victoria. This guide will help you to learn more about our city, the State of Victoria and our excellent facilities.

We look forward to welcoming you to Melbourne.

Yours sincerely

Tim Holding MP

Minister for Tourism

Sandra Chipchase

Chief Executive Officer MCVB