Coming out of Covid, we know businesses started booking events in high volumes again and at short notice. The challenge was for suppliers to keep up and rebuild their staff. Executive PA Media sat down with Julia Swanson, CEO of Melbourne Convention Bureau, to find out how things have changed in the events industry and how Melbourne maintains its reputation for being the event capital of Australia.
“Coming out of Covid, the events industry saw a quick restart. After cancelling AIME 2021 at the last minute because of the pandemic, signs of normality started showing around early 2022, when we hosted AIME in February. It kickstarted the industry and has since shown growth in every sense,” says Julia.
She says that the events industry has changed in some ways, in that lead times are shorter and decision-making is much more agile. Post-Covid, people were very much focused on health and safety, which has dissipated to a degree, and face-to-face meetings are taking precedence over hybrid events, which have almost disappeared.
Melbourne Convention Bureau mainly operates in the international market, and during Covid they continued to bid for and win long-range events. With a full pipeline, they were well-placed to continue business as usual when the events industry reopened.
Current outlook
Looking at the business events calendar for 2025, Melbourne hosted the Amway China conference with 16,000 delegates in April. In September, it will host the World Gastroenterology Conference with an expected 3,000 delegates, and the World Chambers Congress with 2,000 delegates. In December, Australia Next, in partnership with Tourism Australia, will see decision-makers visiting the city from across Asia. The 2026 calendar looks favourable already, with several large events already headed for Melbourne.
As of February 2025, the Melbourne Convention Bureau had 114 events booked out to 2028, with an estimated value of $633 million. Approximately 108,000 delegates are expected to visit during these events, with 273,000 room nights confirmed.
A reputation for events
The city has always enjoyed a reputation for being an event capital. Julia says that events are embedded in its DNA. “It’s an experiential city, rather than a ‘to-see’ city,” she says, “it’s all about the experience.”
Melbourne is a great place to experience multiculturalism, with cultural institutions like the National Gallery of Victoria, museums, art, and theatre precincts. The sporting calendar is another critical element to its success, and Julia says that the work and investment by the Victorian State Government are paying off for the broader city due to the continuous planning and investment in infrastructure to have it ready when it is needed.
Melbourne Convention Bureau continues to be a driving force behind impactful business events and bringing the world to experience Australia at its best.
Melbourne Convention Bureau owns The Asia Pacific Incentives and Meetings Event (AIME), which takes place annually in Melbourne. More on AIME 2026 here
