The International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) has chosen to host its Asia Pacific Client/Supplier Business Workshop in Melbourne this year.

Melbourne Convention Bureau (MCB) collaborated with the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre to develop the winning bid, which will bring 19 ICCA members and 16 of their association leaders to Melbourne in September.

The workshop is an annual event organised by the ICCA Asia Pacific Chapter giving members an opportunity to introduce their clients whose meeting they have won, and further expand their network by connecting with association clients invited by other ICCA members through this collaboration.

ICCA regional director Asia Pacific Noor Ahmad Hamid said Melbourne enjoys a well-deserved reputation as a leading global destination for business events.

“We are delighted to bring together the association community and our top members to the ICCA Asia Pacific Chapter Business Workshop, where innovative ideas are sparked,” he said.

“Thought leaders from eight countries will meet in Melbourne to discuss future collaborations that will resonate beyond meetings.

“On behalf of ICCA, we would like to thank Melbourne Convention Bureau and all its partners for their undivided support.”

MCB acting chief executive Julia Swanson said the bureau and its partners are excited to be hosting the ICCA Asia Pacific Client Workshop in September.

“We look forward to welcoming ICCA members and international association executives from across the region and highlight our famed ‘Team Melbourne’ approach,” she said.

The successful bid win was made possible by the unified approach with MCB partners, with acknowledgement to Showtime Events, Crown Hotels and Novotel Melbourne South Wharf for their collaborative Team Melbourne effort.

The Melbourne event is ICCA eleventh edition, with the previous workshops held in Xi’an 2018, Busan 2017, Fukuoka 2015, Gold Coast 2014, Macao 2013, Kuching 2012, Taipei 2011, Singapore 2008, Seoul 2006 and Kuala Lumpur 2005.