Announced at a gala ceremony in Melbourne, on 30 November, the Victorian Business Event Venue of the Year Award recognises venues that achieve excellence, provide high quality facilities and events for business visitors, and have a positive impact on tourism.
In 2022-2023, MCEC hosted 694 events and welcomed more than 2.6 million visitors, generating $805 million revenue.
“MCEC’s ambition is to be the best, to lead and to bring real value to our customers and community,” says MCEC chief executive Natalie O’Brien AM.
“This award recognises our work and confirms our reputation as a leader in Australia’s event sector.
“We continued to innovate and offer new, immersive experiences to cater to the diverse interests of our customers and visitors, strengthening our position as a premier destination for events.”
MCEC is enhancing its standing as a venue committed to sustainable event hosting practices.
“While successfully delivering a diverse range of events, MCEC also built on our commitment to sustainability and community,” says O’Brien.
“We moved closer to our goal of eliminating single-use plastic, saving more than 1.3 million disposable cups from landfill, and improving disposal of organic waste.
“We grew our community partnerships program to make a total in-kind contribution of $2.2 million to leading Australian charities who share our values of sustainability, inclusivity and unconventional thinking.”
O’Brien also acknowledges the efforts of the entire MCEC team in achieving the Business Event Venue of the Year Award.
“While we have a remarkable venue, we also have remarkable people,” she says.
“The entire MCEC team helped to design and deliver memorable events; continuously improve and expand our products, services and operations; and generate benefits for Melbourne and Victoria.”
The city of Geelong was also recognised at the VTIC Victorian Tourism Awards with three MICE companies receiving top gongs across four categories.
Geelong Gallery took gold in the category of Cultural Tourism; Searoad Ferries won in the categories of Major Tour and Transport Operators; and Accommodation at Curlewis won in the 4-4.5 Star Deluxe Accommodation category.
The Geelong Cats’ hospitality arm, Higher Mark, also received bronze in the Business Events Venues category.
Geelong Gallery and Searoad Ferries were also inducted into the Victorian Tourism Awards Hall of Fame after winning gold in their respective categories for three consecutive years.
“We are so proud of the winners and finalists for their remarkable contributions to growing Geelong and the Bellarine’s visitor economy,” says Tourism Greater Geelong and the Bellarine executive director Tracy Carter.
“While we’ve always known just how special our local industry is, it’s incredibly satisfying to see our members recognised on a state level.”
The Victorian Tourism Awards, hosted annually by the Victoria Tourism Industry Council, recognises business excellence, together with outstanding innovation, industry professionalism and collaboration within tourism.
