Bringing global events back to Melbourne

Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) has long been a key driver of global connectivity and the knowledge economy, through the international events we host.

Now, with our partners at Melbourne Convention Bureau, we will continue to fulfil this role while helping to restart Victoria’s economy, following the announcement of three major international events heading to Melbourne in the coming years.

Supporting Victoria’s standing as a global leader in digital technology and adoption, in an Australian first, MCEC will host the largest blockchain series in the world - The World Block Chain Summit (WBS) 2022. We have also been confirmed as the destination of choice for the Association for Computing Machinery's annual international conference on multimedia - The ACM International Conference on Multimedia (ACM MM 2024) in 2024.

Combined these events are expected to deliver $5.2 million in economic contribution to the Victorian economy.

With our love of all things ‘unconventional’ MCEC, is also excited to be hosting the Global Entrepreneurship Congress in 2023, showcasing Victoria’s international reputation as a major exporter of new ideas and innovation.

Our Chair, The Hon John Brumby AO, said the topic of entrepreneurship was one close to his heart.

“MCEC is delighted to play a role in supporting Victoria’s entrepreneurial leadership and. I believe this is a terrific opportunity to reinforce Victoria’s international reputation and standing, as a major exporter of ideas and innovation. This will be a cornerstone in Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre’s events calendar, delivering vital capital not only in economic impact terms, but also knowledge sharing.”

The successful bids were led by the Melbourne Convention Bureau (MCB).

Julia Swanson, MCB Chief Executive said Melbourne has a proven track record in hosting world class business events and is renowned for its collaborative model.

“With support from the Victorian State Government and Tourism Australia’s Business Events Bid Fund Program, MCB and Global Entrepreneurship Network’s (GEN) Australian Chapter have brought together key stakeholders across the Australian startup ecosystem, including Startup Victoria, Invest Victoria, and Melbourne Connect, to deliver a successful bid proposition to the congress host association.

“In addition to delivering $12.9 million in economic contribution to our State, the GEC 2023 will advance Melbourne’s already thriving entrepreneurial sector. It will bring the right people together to help get ideas off the ground and share insights and developments that will have a lasting impact on the community.”