Friday, May 08, 2015

Melbourne’s MCEC expansion plans approved

News this week: Earlier this week, the Victoria state government in Australia announced funds of between US$149 million to US$165 million have been approved for the expansion of the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre (MCEC).

Stage two of MCEC’s expansion is expected to add thousands of square metres of new exhibition space and additional multi-purpose space. The MCEC reported a record three years, which welcomed 1.5 million visitors annually. The venue expansion is expected to attract an additional 74,000 international visitors annually. A timeline for the project will be announced at a later date.

Exhibition and Event Association of Australasia (EEAA) chief executive Joyce DiMascio said, “EEAA has been campaigning for a number of years for this expansion, most recently in our submission to the Victorian Visitor Economy Review, and we warmly welcome today’s announcement.” DiMascio also cautioned, “If there is one lesson governments should take from the closure of the Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre it is that disruption due to construction must be managed with the highest regard for its flow on effects to the industry.

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