Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) welcomed hundreds of international delegates for the 7th Global Botanic Gardens Congress, bringing an economic impact of $3.2 million to Melbourne.
More than 400 international visitors attended the congress from Tuesday to Thursday to hear inspiring speakers and participate in workshops and panel discussions. The Global Botanic Garden Congress is the only global congress dedicated to botanic gardens and is a key event in the calendar for botanic garden leaders and staff.
This international Congress is another event secured by Melbourne Convention Bureau (MCB) with the help of Club Melbourne’s David Cantrill, chief botanist at the Royal Botanic Gardens.
This is the first time that the Congress has ever been held in Melbourne, and it will coincide with the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria’s 175th anniversary.
Our Club Melbourne Ambassadors with the support of the Melbourne Convention Bureau has won events worth $1.02 billion to the Victorian economy since the Program started in 2005. That includes 133 business events that have brought more than 170,000 people to Melbourne.
This week’s Congress sees the continued return of international business events and delegates to MCEC from around the world as regular international business events return to Melbourne.
The Congress is one of a series of upcoming major international business events arriving at MCEC within the next year including the Global Entrepreneurship Congress 2023 and the Rotary International Convention.
MCEC is pleased that the theme for this year’s Congress Influence and Action: Botanic Gardens as Agents of Change comes with a focus on Adapting to Climate Change and exploring Greener and More Liveable Cities. This focus on a sustainable future aligns with MCEC’s ambitious sustainability strategy, to be 100 per cent powered by renewable electricity by 2028 and reduce net carbon emissions to zero by 2030.
Welcoming the event Peter King, chief executive of MCEC said: “I’m pleased to see more international events return to MCEC delivered by Melbourne Convention Bureau with the support of Club Melbourne’s David Cantrill. International business events provided a major economic contribution to Melbourne’s economy before the pandemic and we’re now seeing that return once again.
“With our own magnificent Royal Botanic Gardens in Melbourne, it’s easy to see why the event has come to our unique city. Melbourne is an ideal location for international business events and the best place to bring the world’s leading thinkers together. We’re a safe city, that provides the ultimate combination of world class event delivery, and all the experiences Melbourne provides as a destination.”
