AUSTRALASIA - Australia’s largest convention and exhibition space is set to expand after the Victorian State Government pledged AUD$190-210m (USD$149-165m) for a long-awaited upgrade.
Stage two of the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre (MCEC) will add thousands of square metres of new exhibition space and more multi-purpose space to the venue.
The MCEC has reported a record three years, welcoming 1.5m visitors annually, despite being forced to turn away one in five business opportunities due to lack of space.
MCEC chief executive Peter King said the announcement was welcome news for the industry.
“$580m (USD$456m) of economic contribution is generated annually from MCEC’s activities and the expansion is estimated to generate an additional $175m (USD$137m) annually,” Mr King said.
Exhibition and Event Association of Australasia (EEAA) chief executive Joyce DiMascio said the move would free up the state’s event calendar to stage new shows.
But DiMascio cautioned that the project had to be carefully managed.
“If there is one lesson governments should take from the closure of the Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre it is that disruption due to construction must be managed with the highest regard for its flow on effects to the industry,” DiMascio said.
The expanded venue is expected to attract an additional 74,000 international visitors annually.
Victorian Minister for Tourism and Major Events, John Eren, said: “Major events keep our hotels full, our bars buzzing and our economy strong.”
“No one does events quite like Victoria, but we can’t become complacent. We have to work hard to stay number one.”
A timeline for the project is expected to be announced later this year.
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