Reflecting on the past 30 years of AIME in Melbourne, Melbourne Convention Bureau (MCB) has identified some standout business event suppliers and venues “that have marvellously stood the test of time” – MCG Events, State Library Victoria, Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre and The Hotel Windsor.
The MCB says these four stalwarts of the industry reflect the quality and innovation that Melbourne is famous for.
In a salute to their ongoing contribution to the delivery of memorable business events, Melbourne Convention Bureau (MCB) shines a torch on their amazing achievements, product diversification and survival that has seen them survive even the toughest of times.
MCG Events: Championing partnerships, heritage and technology
Drawing on the heritage, culture and art of the stadium, MCG Events has truly elevated the event experience for planners and delegates.
Built-in 1853, the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) is so much more than ‘just a stadium’. MCG Events provides a broad offering to event planners, as committed to pulling off epic small-business events as they are large-scale events.
Going back thirty years, the MCG was the venue of Paul McCartney, U2 and Madonna concerts. In 2000, the Olympic flame returned to the MCG. In 2005, the first ‘Dreamtime at the G’ football match between Richmond and Essendon has held as part of NAIDOC (National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee) Week events.
Superbly located. Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre
An innovative move towards sustainability began as early as 2011 when construction began on an underground water recycling facility. In 2022, the iconic sports ground became the first major stadium in the nation to be run entirely on 100% renewable power.
In recent times, MCG Event’s product evolvement can be seen in initiatives such as offering exclusive use of the MCG Committee Room, in the heart of the coveted Members Reserve, for business events on non-event days.
Featuring spectacular views towards the hallowed turf and an exceptional range of paintings, photographs and iconic features, the Committee Room depicts the MCG’s long and proud history.
Their savvy product strategy also saw a partnership bloom with iconic Melbourne chef Guy Grossi to elevate business events in the Committee Room, with a special ‘Guests of the Grossi Dining Experience’.
For those who haven’t been fortunate enough to experience a Guy meal let alone in such a prestigious setting as the MCC Committee Room, Guy Grossi, of Grossi Florentino’s, is renowned as Australia’s most respected master of Italian food.
Grossi Florentino is one of Melbourne’s most iconic dining venues beginning in 1928 and has influenced the changing hospitality and food culture in Melbourne.
Bookable for 20-80 guests, the Grossi Dining Experience includes a four-course meal with matched wines in the Committee Room and an appearance from Guy Grossi to provide an insight into his approach to ingrained Italian traditions with Australian culture.
An additional Guy Grossi curated menu is also available to business event planners who book work functions or conferences across other MCG event spaces.
Lastly, MCG Events has continued moving with the times from a technology perspective. Upping the ante in digital event planning tools, they provide event planners with a virtual replica of the MCG including an immersive 360 walk-through of their 35 function rooms, the concourse, the arena, the bars and the dining outlets to help conceptualise an unforgettable event.
State Library Victoria: Set the stage for Showtime Event Group’s development of iconic venues throughout Melbourne
One of Melbourne’s great dames, the historic State Library Victoria has been reimagined over the last thirty years into an exciting business events venue, as well as a place of learning and discovery.
In 2019, the library completed one of its most transformative projects, with the reopening of The Ian Potter Queen’s Hall for use as a business events venue, and the restoration and enhancement of its heritage and exhibition spaces.
This ambitious renovation reinforced Melbourne’s position as a UNESCO City of Literature and its reputation as a world-class centre for culture, arts and events.
It also gave birth to an exclusive partnership with another long-time legend of the business events industry, Showtime Event Group (SEG).
Showtime Event Group creates events that offer priceless memories—not just in planning, but in total event production. From inspired food choices to stunning and unique event spaces such as the library’s magnificent Ian Potter Queen’s Hall.
As such, the library is able to offer event planners a full suite of services including catering, security and support staff, to ensure a truly memorable event. From cocktails for 500 under the dome of the La Trobe Reading Room; a refined banquet for 150 in the Isabella Fraser Room; an intimate dinner for 25 in a heritage Rotunda, or a lecture for 200 delegates in the State Library Victoria Theatrette.
Showtime Event Group Director of Experience Brad Dabbs explained ‘As Melbourne has become cemented as one of the world’s best business events destinations, the demands of the market have changed. Clients are looking for unique and immersive experiences and coming back to Melbourne time and time again. We were receiving so many requests from clients who had used our existing spaces and really wanted to work with us but somewhere new. And that is how the idea for Showtime Event Group was born.’
Launched at AIME 2018 at the Old Melbourne Gaol, the group has continued to activate Melbourne’s most iconic venues for business and social events. Since partnering with State Library Victoria in 2019, Showtime Event Group now operates 24 iconic venue spaces, including Rippon Lea Estate, Hellenic Museum, SEA LIFE Melbourne Aquarium and Polly Woodside.
Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre: Trailblazers in sustainability and innovation
Over the last thirty years, the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) has positioned itself as a leader in sustainability and innovation.
Back in 2005, the MCEC launched Club Melbourne Ambassador Program, established to bring the best conventions and exhibitions to our amazing city. One of its most recent successes is being named one of two Melbourne host venues for Victoria’s largest conference, the 2023 Rotary International Convention, expected to attract 20,000 attendees.
In 2009, the Melbourne Convention Centre officially opened as part of a major Melbourne precinct development and became the first convention centre in the world to be awarded a 6-star Green Star environmental rating.
Accolades have continued to roll in over the decades, including recognition as one of the BRW’S Most Innovative Companies in Australia in 2015.
In 2018, a major expansion increased MCEC’s event space by 25 percent and their total size to 70,000 square metres. They also continued to raise the sustainability bar by joining forces with 13 Melbourne organisations to support the development of the Melbourne Renewable Energy Project, a wind farm in regional Victoria that has offset 15 per cent of their electricity consumption.
Their trailblazing innovation and creativity continued right through the COVID pandemic, with the launch of a new brand offering under the banner ‘Home of the Unconventional in 2021, including a state-of-the-art virtual and hybrid digital event platform and THE LUME Melbourne, Australia’s first digital art gallery.
Currently, their Siddeley St carpark is being transformed into a 2,000m2 rooftop farm. Melbourne Skyfarm will feature sustainable and contemporary hospitality sites, environmental education as well as business conference facilities and event spaces. It will provide around five tonnes of produce each year, much of which will be donated to local food charities.
The Hotel Windsor: Branching beyond their walls
Currently celebrating 140 years, this 5-star Melbourne hotel icon has well and truly stood the test of time in a highly competitive industry.
More recently, The Hotel Windsor expanded their portfolio beyond the hotel’s walls, as co-owners of two restaurants, Sunda and Aru, with celebrated Executive Chef Khanh Nguyen. They also opened Parcs restaurant on Little Collins Street in June 2022.
Inspired by the flavours of the region it is named after, Sunda’s modern Australian meets Southeast Asian cuisine was a breakthrough on Melbourne’s food scene, later gaining international renown. So much so, it received a One Hat award from The Age Good Food Guide (AGFG) in 2023.
Just a 3-minute walk from the hotel in the heart of the theatre precinct, Sunda serves lunch, a pre-theatre menu and dinner. Both the upper and lower levels can be hired out for private dining and business lunches.
Their second restaurant, named after the group of islands on the pre-colonial Sino, Indonesian and northern Australian maritime route, Aru is a striking modern Australian restaurant centred around a woodfired hearth.
Aru is also the 2023 AGFG Restaurant of the Year and a 2023 AGFG Two Hat recipient.
Their third restaurant, Parcs, is helmed by one of Melbourne’s most exciting young chefs, Dennis Young. This low-waste bar and kitchen transform rescued ingredients into ferment-forward dishes and experimental cocktails.
Edited by: Peter Needham
