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MCEC Expansion Roaring Ahead, Delivering Jobs And Big Events

21 August 2017

The Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) expansion is creating hundreds of jobs and helping the world’s most liveable city secure the biggest events.

Minister for Tourism and Major Events John Eren today announced that Melbourne has secured the Lions Clubs International Convention 2024 (LCIC24) at MCEC.

LCIC24 will be the largest cultural conference ever held in Victoria, with 13,000 Lions Club members from around the globe converging on Melbourne for the five-day annual convention.

The mega event will create 550 jobs, deliver an anticipated $84.4 million boost to Victoria’s economy and result in 48,000 bed nights booked for the city – the equivalent to filling every single hotel room in Victoria for one night.

Melbourne beat six major international cities to secure the conference, reaffirming our reputation as the major events capital.

Melbourne’s successful bid was made possible by the massive expansion of MCEC, backed by $205 million from the Andrews Labor Government.

The expansion will add nearly 20,000 square metres of new exhibition and multipurpose space, bringing an extra 74,000 international visitors each year and boosting Victoria’s visitor economy by $167 million annually.

Melbourne-based steel fabricator Stilcon is one of the many local companies working on the MCEC expansion, which includes almost 3,000 tonnes of structural steel.

The huge redevelopment will create 700 jobs over its 18-month construction period and support more than 900 new ongoing jobs across the precinct once complete.

Construction will be completed by mid-2018.

Quotes attributable to Minister for Tourism and Major Events John Eren

“Our $205 million investment in the MCEC expansion is already paying dividends – securing the biggest cultural conference in our state’s history.”

“This upgrade will ensure we’re best positioned to secure even more events – and that means more visitors, more jobs and a stronger economy for Victoria.”

Quote attributable to Minister for Major Projects Jacinta Allan

“We’re investing more in major projects than any Government in Victoria’s history and using this pipeline of work to put local jobs and Victorian businesses first.”

Reviewed 19 August 2020

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