Of the grand order of folio leviathans, the Sperm Whale and the Right Whale are by far the most noteworthy. They are the only whales regularly hunted by man. To the Nantucketer, they present the two extremes of all the known varieties of the whale. As the external difference between them is mainly observable in their heads; and as a head of each is this moment hanging from the Pequod's side.
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Venues
Centrepiece is a new venue in the Melbourne tennis precinct. During the Australian Open it is the media centre, for the rest of the year it is Melbourne newest function space that boasts a 2,000 sqm Grand Hall (essentially a pillarless box that can be divided into two), a 250 seat Auditorium and 10 Studios that can accommodate around 20 pax each. Ideal for a 250 pax conference with …
April 29, 2022
For some time I have pointed out that the industry will see changes this year that will impact us until 2024 when I predict is when we will really start to rebuild. The concern I raised in the story “Bumpy road to recovery” around a sustainable industry is starting to pan out for the worse with the (currently) biggest freight service company advising staff and some key clients that …
April 21, 2022
Peter King is the long term CEO of MCEC and Melissa Sweetland is the relatively new Chief Commercial Officer. They are very pleased that the MCEC is now host of The Lume and how it almost became a COVID hospital – complete with a morgue.
April 8, 2022
Across Australia business confidence is returning, and with it, an increasing desire to reconnect in person with teams and networks. From today, the NSW Government is providing them with up to 60,000 reasons to make it happen, with a call for applications to the second round of the Accelerate Sydney Business Events Fund. Accelerate is designed to stimulate the return of business events across Greater Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong and …
April 7, 2022
It was great to be in Melbourne again and to see so many people meeting, mingling, networking and partying. The show floor Yes it was sparse. Nowhere near as many exhibitors as in previous years – especially from overseas. But that was to be expected and not to be seen as a negative. The positive was that so many exhibitors committed to a show that was still uncertain – …
March 25, 2022
As part of the Tourism Industry Reference Panel’s Interim Action Plan, the Queensland Government has launched a $7 million program dedicated to attracting business events to the three state-owned convention centres, Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, Cairns Convention Centre and Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre. The Queensland Government Convention and Exhibition Centre Economic Recovery Bid Support Program will boost the centres’ competitiveness in securing national conferences and bring …
March 18, 2022
Special events, business events, corporate events, sporting events, weather events, traffic events, military events, sales events – everything is an event these days, so just what is the event industry? When I started ASE I looked for a description of “Special Events” and came up with… The Special Event industry can be divided into five broad categories, Public Events, Corporate Events, Sporting Events, Private Events and Festivals. I also …
March 18, 2022
It is envisaged that COVID variants will remain circulating around the world until at least the end of 2023. This means we still have a long road to travel and if mainstream media don’t change how they sensationalise COVID, the impact on the events sector could continue to set back our return for some time. In my view the media are currently doing more damage to our sector than …
February 4, 2022
Victoria is the only state so far to launch an insurance package for the broader event industry. However there are numerous aspects that question whether it is just a political stunt to look like they are supporting the sector as opposed to really providing a safety net and ensuring the longevity of the industry. It can be distilled down to two main aspects. Who is actually able apply for …
January 14, 2022
Venues | Australasian Special Events
Transforming our business in challenging times
If you told me in 2019 of the challenges that lay ahead of our business at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) I would never have believed you. The pandemic presented existential questions about the future of our business. We had to close our doors for events for the first time since we opened more than 25 years ago. Our very successful business fundamentally changed overnight. Rather than …