Melbourne to debut Business Events Week

AUSTRALIA’S first Business Events Week will take place in Melbourne from February 25 to March 1, 2013.

The week-long event aims to showcase the value of business events, and will feature a string of high-profile events such as the Asia-Pacific Incentives & Meetings Expo, an invite-only CEO summit, ICCA Australia workshops and a showcase of the destination’s local produce by celebrity chefs.

Said Victoria state’s minister for tourism and major events, Louise Asher, in a press statement: “Business events generate extensive economic wealth for the local, state and national economy. In Victoria alone, business events inject more than A$1.2 billion (US$1.3 billion) annually.

“Over the next two years Melbourne will host in excess of seven of the world’s largest and most prestigious conferences including the 22nd World Diabetes Conference in 2013 and the International AIDS Conference in 2014, both of which will bring thousands of delegates to Victoria from all over the world and put our city firmly in the international spotlight.”

Karen Bolinger, CEO of the Melbourne Convention and Visitors Bureau, said: “Having a week dedicated to business events is a major coup for our industry and we firmly believe it will assist us in communicating how valuable the industry is to the Australian economy.”

Bolinger added: “Very few people are aware that as a convention and visitors bureau, our sole function is to bid for the right for Melbourne to host business events; from board meetings to corporate and incentive travel, right through to major conferences. In 2013, we hope to change that and educate Australia about this important industry which provides so much value across the knowledge sectors, tourism and beyond.”

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