Three of Melbourne’s iconic business events venues, CENTREPIECE, the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) and Pullman Melbourne on The Park have formed a strategic alliance to create a quintessentially Melbourne ‘Meet, Celebrate and Stay’ business conferencing experience.

The partnership was created to drive national and international conferences and business events to the precinct, and comes on the back of a strong pipeline of 40 business and conference events secured by Visit Victoria for the State up until 2028, expected to deliver $150 million to the local economy[1].   

Unrivalled as Melbourne’s home of sports and entertainment, the venues’ footprint spans from the edge of the Melbourne CBD and stretches through Fitzroy Gardens and down to the Yarra River edge, encompassing Yarra Park, the iconic MCG and Melbourne and Olympic Parks. This is a compelling precinct for hosts aiming to provide a ‘postcard’ Melbourne setting, as well as the benefits of accessible transport connections including tram, train, and boat.  

“MCG Events was created earlier this year to increase business events at the iconic MCG – with a strong focus on the international incentive and domestic association market. Being able to leverage great precinct partners and celebrate our heritage and culture has been pivotal to that journey.”

Troy Stasinowsky, Director, Sales and Marketing MCG Events

When CENTREPIECE’s state-of-the-art conferencing and gala facilities opened in 2022, the precinct’s business events and conference offering was strengthened through a precinct-wide solution for hosts to ‘Meet, Celebrate and Stay’ in three of the city’s best venues, all located within walking distance.  Both CENTREPIECE and the MCG were recently named finalists in the Victorian Tourism Awards.

A unique aspect of the iconic precinct is the ability for delegates to easily move throughout, with each venue conveniently located next to one another, connected by footbridges and walking paths. Accessibility carts can also commute between the properties as required.

“The collaboration between CENTREPIECE, Pullman and the MCG has helped reposition the precinct as the ultimate Australian destination for multi-day conferences and events. Leveraging three iconic venues, a focus on Victorian food and beverage and a location set on the cusp of Melbourne’s CBD, it’s a compelling package that is already generating strong domestic and international market interest, ultimately spurring economic growth and tourism for the region.”

Jessica Manning, Head of Corporate Sales & Partnerships, Melbourne and Olympic Parks’

After a relaxing night’s stay and breakfast overlooking Fitzroy Gardens at one of 419 five-star rooms at the recently renovated Pullman Melbourne on The Park, delegates can enjoy a refreshing walk across the gardens to CENTREPIECE, taking their seat in the 2,000 square metre grand hall for the day’s agenda. Taking a break from the conference, guests can enjoy networking and socialising in one of the MCG’s event spaces that hero the stadium’s art, culture and heritage roots, or take in an Australian Football League (AFL) match or concert, before strolling back to the Pullman.

Combining forces, the three premier venues are expecting strong interest in the coming year from domestic conferencing and business events, as well as international markets including the United Kingdom, United States, southeast Asia and New Zealand.

The collaboration has already seen key industry events utilise the three venues for a ‘Meet, Celebrate, Stay’ experience including Tourism Australia’s Destination Australia Conference in February, Association Forum Conference in April, and Visit Victoria’s Destination Victoria Conference held in June.

“We’re excited to partner with the MCG and CENTREPIECE to create the ultimate events and conferencing experience in the heart of Melbourne’s sport and entertainment precinct. Following the recent $40 million renovation of our rooms, suites and executive lounge, we are perfectly positioned to ensure a comfortable, luxurious and convenient experience for guests looking to ‘meet, celebrate and stay.”

Tony Byron, Pullman Melbourne on the Park’s Director – Commercial

The Victorian State Government is also investing heavily in positioning Victoria as a leading business events destination, with $42.913 million in funding committed for the Business Events Program in the Victorian State Budget 2021/2022[1]. This will enable Melbourne Convention Bureau (MCB) to continue to build Victoria’s reputation as the nation’s top business destination, and to attract a strong pipeline of business events to the state.

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[1] Visit Victoria Annual Report 2020-21

“MCG Events was created earlier this year to increase business events at the iconic MCG – with a strong focus on the international incentive and domestic association market.”