The (Mel)bourne identity

20/04/2011

Often listed in the Economist’s Most Liveable cities, the 2nd most populous city in Australia and UNESCO “town of literature” combines Victorian-style architecture with state-of-the-art developments.

Among its cutting edge accomplishments, the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) leads the field. The most advanced conference centre in the southern hemisphere, the MCEC is a multi award-winning venue recognized for its exceptional environmental and design features, among the latest being: the 2010 Victorian Architecture Medal, the 2009 BPN Sustainability Award and a nomination for the 2010 World Travel Awards in the “Australasia’s leading meetings and conferences centre”. The first and only centre in the world to achieve a 6-star Green Star rating, it is an exemplary venue of sustainability (glass façade, black water recycling, solar power) which even provides meeting planners with a “green check list” of options to make sure each detail of their event is environmentally friendly. Able to accommodate up to 5,500 people, the MCEC hosts 1,000 events per year equipped with a 396-room 5-star Hilton Plus Hotel integrated within the centre itself. ‘Our city now has one of the most architecturally stunning and environmentally savvy convention and exhibition centres in the world - surrounded by everything that depicts Melbourne. It really is an outstanding asset for the city and state’, says Chief Executive Leigh Harry.

A hub for leisure and business tourism in Oceania, the capital of the Australian state of Victoria counts 300 international arrivals per week in the airport and possesses 24,400 hotel rooms of which 15,400 can be found in the city centre. Many hotels have opened their doors in the past couple of years including the Cullen in Prahran (Art Series Hotel Group), designed by the artist Adam Cullen as well asorthe Crown Metropol composed of 3 hotel properties (guest rooms and studio-style accommodation) and a conference centre: Australia’s only convention facility purposefully built within a hotel complex. Its main attraction is “the apartment”, a unique design space on the 25 ^th level. Business clients can also meet up in “the office” – to which clients can attest does not look like the British Ricky Gervais’ Office –whose 4 meeting rooms can welcome up to 50 people. Melbourne abounds in top-of-the-line properties such as, among others, the refurbished InterContinental Rialto Hotel (253 guest rooms), the 5-star Victorian Windsor Hotel built in 1883 offering clients a proper lesson inofstyle, the Grand Hyatt located in the Central Business District (CBD), or the Sebel & City Gate Albert Park (28 convention areas) in front of Albert Park Lake, home of Australia’s Grand Prix track, not far away from the CBD.

As a sustainably aware city, the Melbourne Convention Bureau gives meeting planners a carbon calculator and a green-dedicated website where one can set up green incentives. They can, for instance, enjoy a walk in Port Philipp Bay, a cruise on the Yarra River or a drive on the Golden Mile Heritage Trail ,to the Victoria Pyrenees or on the Great Ocean Road, a scenic drive where you will admire the monolithic 12 Apostles rocks. There is clearly no shortage of things to do and discover!

www.mcec.com.au

www.mcvb.com.au