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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Take an Early Lead: The Pros and Cons of Long Lead Planning

Why succumbing to uncertainty and a ‘wait and see’ approach might leave you at the back of the pack when it comes to events.

2023 may seem like the distant future right now, but with the events industry enjoying a robust and enthusiastic recovery, many venues and suppliers are already booking out.

While planners might be understandably hesitant to commit to long lead planning, it’s quickly becoming the new essential tool to ensuring a successful, high-impact event.

The benefits of booking in early are many and varied – from a broader selection of venues and suppliers to higher attendance rates - so here are just a few of our top reasons to start planning tomorrow’s events, today.

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1. More time to conceptualise

Rather than planning your ideal event concept or theme and then searching for a venue that can accommodate it, consider booking your venue and suppliers ahead of time and then letting them inspire your concept. A good event venue should be able to suggest countless ways to utilise their space practically and creatively, which saves you having to reverse-engineer your event concept and compromise based on what’s possible for your venue and suppliers.

2. A better selection of available suppliers

Don’t wait until you’ve decided every detail of your event to go in search of the perfect suppliers. With workforce shortages and supply issues impacting almost every facet of the industry, locking in a date based on availability of your preferred venues and suppliers is a smart way to avoid disappointment and ensure you’re getting the best of the best, without the stress.

3. More time for contingency planning

If you’re still a little nervous about what the future has in store, the best thing you can do is get organised early. Confirming venues, suppliers, attendee numbers etc well in advance of your event allows you time and space to consider what might go wrong and how you can manage any ‘unprecedented’ events or occurrences before they impact your end result.

4. More time to create hype!

Once you’ve locked in a venue, suppliers and event content, you can start sharing your awesome event with the world! Allowing more time for invitees to plan their visit (and share their plans with colleagues and friends) usually results in higher attendance rates and creates opportunities to attract sponsors and event partners who can help make your event stand out and get noticed.

So why wait? MCEC is currently accepting bookings for 2023 and beyond so reach out to our friendly planning team today and start discovering the possibilities.