Julia Swanson, CEO of the Melbourne Convention Bureau, and chair of the BestCities Global Alliance, outlines how collaboration drives deeper global impact
Collaboration among CVBs used to be rare. How do you see CVB partnerships evolving today?
It is evolving substantially. Ten years ago, convention bureaus were anchored in tourism, working mainly with venues, hotels, and suppliers. But the business events landscape has changed, and our clients’ needs have become more complex, so we have had to broaden our partnerships significantly.
Now, it is about creating a strong ecosystem within our destinations, connecting not just with the tourism sector, but also with government departments like economic development, energy, and the environment.
For example, we recently worked closely with the Department of Energy and Environment in Victoria to align event strategy with the state’s renewable energy agenda.
Melbourne is a member of BestCities Global Alliance. How does working with global partner cities help shape the industry?
BestCities has been a powerful platform, where we’ve been a partner for over 25 years now! As the current chair, it is exciting to see how essential knowledge sharing has become. Among partner cities, we share what is working, whether it is sustainability strategies, community engagement, or new innovations. If something succeeds in one city, chances are it will work in another, so we approach it with a mindset of ‘a rising tide lifts all boats’.
One programme we are really proud of is the Incredible Impacts initiative, where we partner with ICCA, which recognises and supports positive impact through business events worldwide. It is open to all destinations (not just BestCities members) to apply for seed grants, and it gives a global platform to innovative, impactful work that benefits our whole industry.
How do you ensure international meetings leave a lasting legacy for both Melbourne and your partner destinations?
For us, it is about being deliberate and strategic. We look at the sectors where Melbourne has global strengths, like medical research or immunology, and target events that align with these areas.
That might mean supporting major institutes like the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity or the Burnet Institute, or focusing on economic, social, or community-driven impact. It is not one-size-fits-all. We decide where we can genuinely add value, both for our local community and for the international delegates.
How is Melbourne working with regional partners in Asia-Pacific to strengthen the region’s appeal?
Asia is a growth market for us at the moment, especially post-Covid. We have built strong partnerships in China, Singapore, and Japan, including having team members on the ground in Shanghai, Kuala Lumpur, and India.
We have also just launched a major China strategy and marketing campaign with an A$43 million (US$28 million) budget, reflecting the importance of that market and our commitment to developing tailored partnerships, often involving government, trade, and educational sectors. It was the biggest government delegation our state has sent to China of that nature.
We also recently partnered with Trip.com, one of the largest OTAs in the world, which has a very strong partnership with Victoria.
Looking ahead, what does the next phase of collaboration look like for CVBs?
Having just returned from China, it is really interesting to see how client needs are changing. Whether that is partnering with wildlife charities for CSR work in the Australian bush, working with homeless charities, local education institutes, or other community groups, we are seeing some clients with a large number of people coming who are prepared to give up half a day as part of their programme.
Sustainability remains huge for us too. We are proud that Melbourne recently ranked number one in the Asia Pacific on the GDS Index, which reflects our ongoing investment in creating a sustainable business events ecosystem and a valuable toolkit component we can offer clients. Moving forward, we want to double down and do more of that, to keep innovating collaboratively for a positive legacy.
