We have not long returned from a four-day trip to Melbourne to attend the 30th year of AIME (the Australian Incentive and Meetings Event). This is an annual event for professional conference organisers, in-house event organisers, venue finders, and anyone involved in the conference and events industry.
It was an awesome opportunity to network with industry peers, make connections with current and new suppliers from across the world, and be educated on what’s current, what’s new and future directions and trends in the industry.
On Sunday, the group headed in ten different directions for day trips that took us around Melbourne to view some of their “hidden secrets”, providing multiple venue ideas for events, team building, lunch and dinner locations. We all met up at the urban sanctuary The Timber Yard for afternoon tea. The Timber Yard is a unique indoor and outdoor event space designed to bring a taste of the country to the city. Located on 6,000 sqm in the Port Melbourne industrial precinct, it has been built on the philosophy of recycling and up cycling. The site has been lovingly restored, remaining true to its heritage of second-hand timber storage and fabrication.
At the end of the day, we all converged together for a sensational cocktail arrival reception at the Showtime Event Centre overlooking the Yarra River. This is another heritage venue that has lived an exciting life, originally Docking Shed 11 during Melbourne’s formative days in the 1800’s. Showtime Events Centre remains true to the rich history of the South Wharf.
On Monday, the new AIME ‘Knowledge Program’ saw an inspiring keynote from Australian tennis star, Jelena Dokic. The Knowledge Program addressed industry hot topics around the future of work including how to build a more resilient events community; how to stimulate the senses of your delegates; and how to bounce back from adversity.
Monday evening, we all celebrated AIME’s 30-years at a welcome reception hosted on the Marvel Stadium Oval. A delicious menu was created by Victorian producers, Delaware North. Entertainment from Hot Dub Time Machine celebrated 30-years of sensational dance tunes. The night concluded with a spectacular firework show. We also discovered that Marvel Stadium has over 20 function spaces that you can choose from to suit your next corporate or special event. The event spaces come complete with excellent facilities, state-of-the-art digital equipment and provide a very unique stadium atmosphere.
Tuesday and Wednesday provided us with the opportunity to have ‘speed meetings’ with a variety of suppliers including hotels, software providers, destination management companies, convention bureaus, and a multitude of other international conference and event suppliers.
We are now back in the office brimming with new ideas, location updates, venue information, and great connections, to add to our already wide breadth of knowledge recommendations for your next conference, meeting or event.
Contact us now for an obligation free quotation for your next conference or event on 02 9419 4889 or sdixon@catalystevents.com.au.