Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) Acknowledges the Traditional Owners of Narrm, the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people of the Kulin Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and to Elders of all First Nations communities that visit MCEC.

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Ambassadors Honoured for $95 Million Conference Boost

14 Club Melbourne Ambassadors were last night awarded for securing nine international conferences in 2018 at the Program’s annual awards ceremony held at MCEC.

These nine conferences are expected to generate an estimated $95 million in economic impact to the state of Victoria and deliver 63,700 delegate days.

Since its inception in 2005, Club Melbourne Ambassadors have helped secure 144 events for Melbourne, contributing over $910 million in economic impact.

Presenting at the awards ceremony, Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Trust Chairman, John Brumby AO acknowledged the significant contribution Ambassadors make through volunteering both their time and expertise to the Program.

“At MCEC, we feel we have a responsibility to proactively develop and invest in new event ideas to attract new business to Melbourne – and our Ambassadors compliment this perfectly,” Mr Brumby said.

“Our industry looks to Melbourne and this Program as a true success story in the benefit it provides to Victoria - over $910 million and counting. We’re incredibly excited by the future and the opportunity to really innovate in this space.”

Melbourne Convention Bureau (MCB) CEO Karen Bolinger said the MCB is proud to support and partner with MCEC, and the Victorian State Government on the Club Melbourne Ambassador Program.

“It is thanks to our genuine collaborative effort that we benefit from the Club Melbourne Ambassadors great minds – by working together in a true partnership to showcase why Melbourne is the premier destination in the Asia Pacific for Association events,” Ms Bolinger said.

“Together, we make a formidable ‘Team Melbourne’ and a winning recipe for success.”

Club Melbourne is owned and led by MCEC in collaboration with the Melbourne Convention Bureau and the Victorian State Government.

The 14 Club Melbourne Ambassador award recipients are:

  • Associate Professor Greg Adamson (Bid Assist) - IEEE Standards Association Board of Governors Meeting (BOG) 2019

  • Mr John Bartlett (Bid Assist) - 11th Interdisciplinary World Congress on Low Back and Pelvic Girdle Pain 2022

  • Professor Robin Batterham AO (Bid Lead) - XXXI International Mineral Processing Congress 2022

  • Professor Philip Batterham (Bid Lead) - XXIII International Congress of Genetics 2023

  • Professor Julie Bernhardt AM (Bid Assist) – Stroke Conference (official name and date under embargo)

  • Professor Arthur Christopoulos (Bid Lead) - 20th IUPHAR World Congress of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology 2026

  • Professor Geoffrey Donnan AO (Bid Assist) – Stroke Conference (official name and date under embargo)

  • Mr Stephen Durkin (Bid Assist) - XXXI International Mineral Processing Congress 2022

  • Dr Cathy Foley (Bid Lead) - 7th International Conference of Women in Physics 2020

  • Professor Jayashri Kulkarni (Bid Assist) - CINP World Congress 2022

  • Professor Sarah Maddison (Bid Lead) - 7th International Conference of Women in Physics 2020

  • Professor Alistair Moffat (Bid Assist) - International Conference on Advanced Information Systems Engineering (CAiSE) 2021

  • Emeritus Professor Phillip Nagley AM (Bid Assist) - 26th International Congress of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 2024

  • Professor Hans Westerbeek (Bid Assist) - 11th Interdisciplinary World Congress on Low Back and Pelvic Girdle Pain 2022