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Club Melbourne Ambassadors Celebrated for Amplifying Impact

By Maddi Devoy|

The annual Club Melbourne Ambassador Program Awards honoured twelve forward-thinking leaders for attracting significant international events to Melbourne.

Their advocacy efforts have secured Melbourne as the destination for 12 international conferences, doubling the number of successful bids achieved last year.

Collectively, the events are projected to deliver more than $62.5 million in economic impact for the State, nearly tripling the economic impact from the previous year. The events will attract over 10,000 visitors to engage in impactful conversations and experience the vibrancy of Melbourne.

Professor Frank Dunshae, Professor Alistair Moffat, Todd Harper AM, Dr Zaffar Sadiq Mohamed-Ghouse and Professor Geoffrey Metz AO were awarded for their winning bids to host major international events at Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC).

Professor Sanchia Aranda AM, Professor Ron Wakefield, Professor Grant McArthur and Professor Jonathan Shaw were also recognised for their invaluable assistance in securing events for MCEC.

The prestigious Club Melbourne Award for Excellence was presented to Professor Geoffrey Metz AO, in recognition of his unwavering dedication and advocacy for Melbourne since the program’s inception in 2005.

The renowned gastroenterologist and Director of Medical Education at Epworth Hospital has been instrumental in successfully bidding for four major international events, with a combined economic impact of $64.3 million.

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The annual awards were hosted at THE LUME Melbourne, a fitting venue for a celebration of innovation, excellence and creativity. Guests were inspired and delighted with scenes from THE LUME’s immersive experiences including Van Gough, Monet, and Da Vinci, as well as captivating images of Melbourne city and nightscape.

Club Melbourne is owned and led by MCEC with support and collaboration from the Melbourne Convention Bureau (MCB) and the Victorian State Government.

The program boasts over 80 Ambassadors in medical, science, engineering, agriculture business and community and infrastructure technologies. Together, they continue to advance Melbourne’s reputation as a global hub for academic and business excellence, and leadership.

Quote attributable to Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events Steve Dimopoulos

“Victoria continues to grow its reputation for holding world-class business events. These events not only showcase our state to the world, but also help boost our visitor economy through spending across accommodation, hospitality and broader tourism offerings.”

“Congratulations to all of the winners for their continuing efforts to bring significant international events to Melbourne.”

Quote attributable to MCEC Chief Executive Natalie O’Brien AM

“Our Club Melbourne Ambassadors are some of the best and brightest minds in our city. The annual awards night celebrates their ongoing advocacy efforts and commitments to building Melbourne’s reputation for research, business and exceptional events. And we’re so proud this year to celebrate almost triple the economic impact from the high-profile events secured for MCEC. Congratulations to all award recipients.”

Quote attributable to MCB Chief Executive Julia Swanson

“MCB would like to congratulate the annual Club Melbourne Ambassador Program Award recipients who have gone above and beyond to help secure and deliver impactful conferences for Melbourne. As Victoria’s lead agency in acquiring and delivering business events, MCB has worked closely with Club Melbourne Ambassadors to secure prestigious business events for Melbourne. Together, we make a formidable team, providing a unique opportunity to connect prominent thinkers and leaders in the promotion of Melbourne as one of the world’s premier conference and event destinations.”

The award winners are:

  • Professor Frank Dunshae, World Congress on Animal Production 2024

  • Professor Alistair Moffat, Annual International ACM SIGIR Conference on Research & Development in Information Retrieval 2026

  • Todd Harper AM, World Cancer Leaders’ Summit 2025

  • Dr Zaffar Sadiq Mohamed-Ghouse, International Symposium on Digital Earth Summit and Locate 2026

  • Dr Arvind Sinha, Asian Australian Rotorcraft Forum 2024

Bid assist winners:

  • Professor Sanchia Aranda AM, World Cancer Leaders’ Summit 2025

  • Professor Ron Wakefield, World Sustainable Built Conference 2026

  • Professor Grant McArthur, VCCC Alliance Conference 2023

  • Professor Jonathan Shaw, International Diabetes Federation Western Pacific Region 2026

  • Associate Professor Anna Boltong, MASCC/ISOO Annual Meeting 2026

  • Emeritus Professor Milton Hearn, 2nd Australian Conference on Green and Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering 2024

Club Melbourne Award for Excellence: Professor Geoffrey Metz AO for his work in securing four successful bids since 2005 with a combined economic impact of $64.3 million.