Melbourne secures more major international events
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23 December 2008
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The Victorian Government has secured the Australian DanceSport Championships in Melbourne for the next four years and will host the Asia Pacific DanceSport Championship in December 2011, further strengthening Victoria’s award-winning major events calendar.
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Victorian Sport and Recreation Minister James Merlino said the capacity of dance events to deliver economic and promotional benefits for the state provided an ideal fit with Victoria’s major events strategy.
“Securing the Australian DanceSport Championships and the Asia Pacific DanceSport Championship reaffirms, yet again, Melbourne’s reputation as the sporting and events capital of the world,’’ Mr Merlino said.
“The Asia Pacific DanceSport Championship will bring hundreds of competitors from 15 countries to Melbourne and will be held alongside the Australian DanceSport Championships, to create a festival of dance in December 2011.
“Melbourne is one of the world’s great sporting cities and the Brumby Government understands that supporting grassroots and elite sport is one of the keys to building stronger and more liveable communities across Victoria.’’
DanceSport Australia President Vince Bain said dance is growing in popularity as evidenced by a strong turn-out for this week’s Australian Championships and its popularity will increase with the Victorian Government’s ongoing commitment to the sport.
“Dancesport in Australia has experienced a rapid rise in popularity and participation, thanks in no small part to our calendar of world class dancesport events as well as popular television programs such as Dancing with the Stars,’’ Mr Bain said.
Mr Merlino added the Brumby Government hoped to further strengthen Melbourne’s dancesport and major events calendar by biding to host the 2012 IDSF World Standard (Ballroom) Championship.
“The World Standard Championship is the most recognized and the most established of the dancesport styles and attracts over 250 competitors from more than 50 countries as well as an exciting event broadcast into key tourism markets internationally,’’ Mr Merlino said
“To host the World Standard Championship in 2012 will be a terrific coup for Melbourne, and I look forward to presenting Melbourne’s credentials as a global dancesport city to the International DanceSport Federation next year.’’
Melbourne has also won the rights to host the World Human Resources Congress in 2012, at the new Melbourne Convention Centre, Skills and Workforce Participation Minister Jacinta Allan announced.
Ms Allan said the World Human Resources Congress would attract 2500 delegates to Melbourne and inject more than $5 million into the state’s economy.
“The Victorian Government is taking action to secure major events which drive economic growth and attract new tourism opportunities. The Human Resources Congress will boost Melbourne’s international status as a hub for business and business events,” Ms Allan said.
“Melbourne has been chosen to host this event because of our innovative marketing and bidding strategies. Our world-class new Melbourne Convention Centre, which will open next year, has already attracted 44 international conventions, bringing more than 86,000 delegates to the city.
“This is a great win for Victoria, the Australian Human Resources Institute (AHRI) and the Melbourne Convention Visitors Bureau (MCVB), whose partnership has secured the event for Melbourne & Australia in 2012.
AHRI president Peter Wilson said the World Human Resources Congress was the most significant human resources event in the world.
“Hosting the ‘Olympics’ of Human Resource conventions establishes Melbourne as a world leader in this important field,” Mr Wilson said.
“It is very exciting to have worked with MCVB and the Victorian Government to confirm Melbourne as the host city for this 2012 World HR Congress. It comes after nearly two years of careful preparation, sustained international advocacy, and competitive selection processes.
“Melbourne is the standout choice among leading world cities to attract international speakers and thousands of delegates to this Congress from Europe, Africa, North and South America, and our own Asia Pacific region.”
MCVB chief executive Sandra Chipchase said the Congress was a strong example of Melbourne’s ability to attract large international business events.
“Winning the right to host the congress against international and domestic competition underscores Melbourne’s exceptional bidding strategies, which are strengthened by the support of the Victorian Government in attracting business events to Melbourne,” Ms Chipchase said.
Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre chief executive Leigh Harry said the flexibility of the new centre and its outstanding design would bring ongoing advantages to attracting international Business Events to Melbourne.
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