Club Melbourne celebrates 12 forward-thinking ambassadors
The annual Club Melbourne Ambassadors Program Awards has honoured 12 forward-thinking leaders for attracting significant international events to Melbourne.
The advocacy efforts of these individuals secured Melbourne as the destination for 12 international conferences, doubling the number of successful bids achieved in the previous year. These events are projected to deliver over $62.5 million in economic impact for the State and attract over 10,000 visitors to engage in impactful conversations and experience the vibrancy of Melbourne.
“Victoria continues to grow its reputation for holding world-class business events,” Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events, Steve Dimopoulos, said. “These events not only showcase our state to the world, but also help boost our visitor economy through spending across accommodation, hospitality and broader tourism offerings.”
MCEC chief executive, Natalie O’Brien AM, also said the Club Melbourne Ambassadors are some of the best and brightest minds in the city.
“The annual awards night celebrates their ongoing advocacy efforts and commitments to building Melbourne’s reputation for research, business and exceptional events. And we’re so proud this year to celebrate almost triple the economic impact from the high-profile events secured for MCEC. Congratulations to all award recipients.”
Professor Geoffrey Metz AO and The Hon. John Brumby AO Chair of Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Trust.
“MCB would like to congratulate the annual Club Melbourne Ambassador Program Award recipients who have gone above and beyond to help secure and deliver impactful conferences for Melbourne,” MCB chief executive, Julia Swanson, added.
“As Victoria’s lead agency in acquiring and delivering business events, MCB has worked closely with Club Melbourne Ambassadors to secure prestigious business events for Melbourne. Together, we make a formidable team, providing a unique opportunity to connect prominent thinkers and leaders in the promotion of Melbourne as one of the world’s premier conference and event destinations.”
The award winners:
- Professor Frank Dunshae, World Congress on Animal Production 2024.
- Professor Alistair Moffat, Annual International ACM SIGIR Conference on Research & Development in Information Retrieval 2026.
- Todd Harper AM, World Cancer Leaders’ Summit 2025.
- Dr Zaffar Sadiq Mohamed-Ghouse, International Symposium on Digital Earth Summit and Locate. 2026
- Dr Arvind Sinha, Asian Australian Rotorcraft Forum 2024.
Bid assist winners:
- Professor Sanchia Aranda AM, World Cancer Leaders’ Summit 2025.
- Professor Ron Wakefield, World Sustainable Built Conference 2026.
- Professor Grant McArthur, VCCC Alliance Conference 2023.
- Professor Jonathan Shaw, International Diabetes Federation Western Pacific Region 2026.
- Associate Professor Anna Boltong, MASCC/ISOO Annual Meeting 2026.
- Emeritus Professor Milton Hearn, 2nd Australian Conference on Green and Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering 2024.
Club Melbourne Award for Excellence:
- Professor Geoffrey Metz AO for his work in securing four successful bids since 2005 with a combined economic impact of $64.3 million.
Held at THE LUME Melbourne, the annual awards’ guests were treated to the venue’s immersive experiences, including Van Gough, Monet, and Da Vinci, as well as captivating images of Melbourne city and its nightscape.
Email the Travel Weekly team at traveldesk@travelweekly.com.au
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