Building up the events capital
CMW pings some questions Down Under for Melbourne Convention Bureau chief executive Julia Swanson.
Tell us about your early career in hospitality, and how you moved into destination marketing.
I spent 13 years in the hotel sector, initially in operations and then into an area director of sales and marketing role. I loved that sector but was drawn to having a broader scope of promoting the city I love to an international audience.
Business events is an amazing sector to work in; we work with such a variety of venues, professional conference organisers, hotels, event producers and exhibition companies. We are also fortunate to work with global leaders in science, medicine, business and academia, for whom we can help build international collaboration platforms. It is very rewarding seeing business events come to life and deliver real economic and social outcomes for the city.
Host your next business event in Melbourne, Australia
Whilst it’s been a challenging time for the events and industry and travel has been put on hold – inspiration for planning for your next event is never far away!
Deciding where to host your next future international business event? Let Kylie the Koala take you on a tour of Melbourne – Australia’s creative, cultural and innovation capital. A city that drives and supports success, a place of exploration and discovery, and where the world’s brightest thinkers gather to reward, innovate and motivate.
Helping clients navigate the challenges presented by Covid-19 is Melbourne Convention Bureau’s (MCB) top priority. MCB has created a Safe Events Melbourne microsite to assist you in planning your event in Melbourne with confidence.
How MCB can help get you started with bringing your future event to life
Brimming with a vibrant multicultural population, live music and arts scene, incredible culinary dining experiences, and inspired hidden alleyways, Melbourne, Australia has much to offer conference organisers and delegates alike.
Crowned ‘Oceania’s Leading Meetings and Conference Destination’ at 2020’s World Travel Awards, for the seventh year running, Melbourne offers international associations and professional conference organisers the highest concentration of conference facilities in Australia, including the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) – one of the largest event spaces in the southern hemisphere. The destination, considered one of the world’s most liveable cities, also has sophisticated event infrastructure and an innovative, sustainable supply chain. When the time is right, Melbourne Convention Bureau (MCB) is here to help you plan your future conferen