Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) has added two Australian beverage companies, Padre Coffee and Vanguard Luxury Brands to its list of local suppliers as it continues its responsible sourcing efforts.
Padre Coffee has been synonymous with Melbourne since opening its doors in 2008. Padre has five locations around the city, including South Melbourne Market, a short walk from MCEC. Renowned for its speciality grade coffee, Padre Coffee ensures its products are of the highest quality, while prioritising fair and sustainable prices for the farmers and producers it works with.
Vanguard Luxury Brands sources the best liquor from Victoria and around Australia. It features Four Pillars Gin and The Gospel Whiskey at MCEC. Four Pillars Gin is Australia’s first carbon neutral gin distillery, and is locally distilled in the Yarra Valley, less than an hour from Melbourne. Meanwhile, The Gospel Whiskey is crafted from 100 per cent Australian unmalted rye from South Australia and locally distilled in Brunswick. The Gospel also uses 100 per cent recyclable packaging, diverts waste from landfill and donates to charities.
Vanguard also supplies MCEC with other premium local Melbourne liquor brands, such as Melbourne Cocktail Company and Aether Vodka.
MCEC’s commitment to sourcing and promoting local produce not only benefits Victorian businesses, but also contributes to its own sustainability targets by reducing emissions from transportation. Last financial year, 97 per cent of MCEC’s suppliers were Victorian-based.
“By partnering with suppliers like Padre Coffee and Vanguard that share our commitments to community and sustainability, we can ensure fantastic quality and sustainable produce, and we know our customers and visitors will love it,” MCEC’s head of F&B, Paul Kanaan, said.
Visitors to MCEC can enjoy Padre Coffee at the venue’s onsite cafes and catered events. while Vanguard liquors are available at Goldfields Café & Bar as well as on the menu at corporate catered events. Organisers can also opt for a pop-up Four Pillars activation station or Padre coffee cart at their events.
He most recently served as area general manager in Central China, where he oversaw the operations and performance of eight Hilton and Conrad hotels.
Based in Hong Kong, Schellenberger will be also be joining the Group Leadership Team.
With more than 25 years of management experience across the globe including Maldives, Dubai and Indonesia, he was most recently general manager of Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa.
FCM Meetings & Events (FCM M&E) has launched FCM Venue Finder to allow meeting planners quicker access to venues and to complete bookings.
The new booking solution for meetings and group hotel lodging for corporates is powered by Hubli. It includes over 200,000 spaces worldwide that can be booked online as well as sustainability solutions with contracting and cost controls. Detailed images and specifications of unique venues are reflected too.
Manpreet Bindra, leader of Asia, FCM M&E, said: “We believe the meetings, events, conferences, and event travel markets are ripe for disruption worldwide – this is an important step in ensuring we have best-in-class technology to deliver for a flourishing travel market sector.”
Bindra added that the new FCM Venue Finder platform was user-friendly and could effortlessly deliver seamless venue sourcing, event management bookings, innovative sustainability solutions, and cost control to simplify the dynamic events world.
Looking ahead, he noted that in-person activity levels are rising, with recent data showing that conferences and events are one of the top two reasons for travel among business owners and decision-makers.
“We’re experiencing and anticipating a steady annual growth rate of demand at 12 per cent year-on-year for in-person meetings, which means we have some exciting opportunities coming our way,” he said.