Produced in association with Visit Victoria
Sport is Melbourne’s passion. For rights-holders, a partnership here means accessing the world’s best venues, access to a dedicated marketing and communications team that assist in promoting your event, an experienced and integrated events network, a proven track record of delivering successful events and genuine enthusiasm for sport unlike anywhere else. To see a whole city come alive, as Melbourne does for a major event, makes you appreciate why this is one of the world’s great sporting destinations.
– Peter Bingeman, chief executive, Visit Victoria
A ready-made market for sport
As Australia’s undisputed sporting heart, Melbourne has proven itself as an outstanding host of quality international sporting events over many decades. Major events are well organised, well-resourced and well marketed. The dedicated marketing and communications team at Visit Victoria can assist in amplifying your event with unrivalled professionalism and expertise.
Melbourne’s approach to collaboratively promoting your event sets us apart. The locals love sport, too. ‘Melburnians’ are renowned for their passionate support of events and few places in the world can equal Melbourne’s appetite for sport. Due to the depth and breadth of events on offer, Melburnians expect – and get – the best competition, venues and entertainment.
International events in Melbourne have resulted in spectacular attendance records, drawing crowds from around Australia and overseas as well as enthusiastic locals.
Event owners find Melbourne commercially appealing, safe and secure because of its growing stream of diverse sports savvy visitors with high disposable incomes, providing ease of entry into the Asia Pacific market.
Sports precinct in the heart of the city
Melbourne offers event owners a stunning backdrop for major events, whether it’s in the heart of the city or in Victoria’s diverse regions. The city’s unique characteristic is a suite of award-winning multi-purpose venues, facilities and unrivalled infrastructure within walking distance of the city centre. It is unlike any other destination when it comes to ease of accessibility for those embracing your event.
There are six international standard sporting venues in the heart of Melbourne: the Melbourne Cricket Ground (capacity 100,000); Marvel Stadium, with retractable roof (55,000); and the Melbourne and Olympic Park, containing: AAMI Park (30,050); Rod Laver Arena (15,000); Hisense Arena (10,500; 4,500 when set as velodrome); and the Margaret Court Arena (7,500).
These stunning facilities are complemented by other world-class venues on Melbourne’s fringe, including: Flemington Racecourse (capacity 120,000); Simonds Stadium (Geelong) (36,000); Lakeside Athletics Stadium (11,000); State Netball & Hockey Centre (3,000 – 8,000); Melbourne Convention Centre, Plenary Hall (5,000); Melbourne Sports & Aquatic Centre (3,000); State Basketball Centre (3,200); and the National Ice Sports Centre (1,500).
Melbourne is also home to one of the world’s greatest golfing regions – the Melbourne Sandbelt, a cluster of eight of the best golf courses in Australia just 20 minutes from the city.
The opportunity in Melbourne
Victoria is focused on acquiring the best of the best, to ensure that we maintain and develop our position as a major events city. We are committed to positioning ourselves alongside London, New York and Paris.
The Victorian Major Events Company was a world-leading agency, there is no question about that, and Visit Victoria’s mandate expands on their work. We are both a major events company and a great tourism marketing organisation.
Our strategy now sees us not only secure and manage a world-class major events calendar, but also to use those acquisitions to tell the story of Melbourne globally, highlighting the depth and breadth of the experiences available to those that visit our great city and the state of Victoria.
(Damien de Bohun, general manager, major events,Visit Victoria)
Visit Victoria is charged with delivering the best-of-the-best events in Melbourne.
Visit Victoria was established to grow Victoria’s visitor economy through tourism marketing and major event acquisition. The organisation is an amalgamation of the Victorian Major Events Company, Tourism Victoria and the Melbourne Convention Bureau.
We are uniquely positioned to bring together the best people, venues and partners with a proven foundation for event planning and execution to deliver the very best of Melbourne
Our approach sets us apart because we are committed to working with you to comprehensively market your event to Melbourne, the people that call the city home, as well as those that visit from interstate and overseas.
Visit Victoria offers:
- A holistic and agile partnership approach with the ability to tailor-make solutions for every event
- An assigned Event Marketing and Relationships Manager, providing you with continued access to experienced event professionals with extensive stakeholder networks and a committed government
- A well-resourced and knowledgeable marketing team that will explore the very best collaborative opportunities to drive higher reach and event attendance
- Dedicated public relations support, committed to amplifying your communications efforts in Melbourne
- Unrivalled access to the digital assets and marketing channels of Visit Victoria in Australia, and across the globe, driving event awareness and attendance.
