More than 20,000 Rotary members from around the world will be heading for Victoria, with Melbourne selected as the host city for the 2023 Rotary International Convention.
Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events Martin Pakula today announced that Melbourne has won the right to host the event, with the support of the Andrews Labor Government’s Major Events Fund.
The 2023 Rotary International Convention is the most valuable convention ever secured for Victoria, and will attract 20,000 delegates, delivering more than $88 million to the Victorian economy and creating 530 jobs.
The host city decision was handed down following a successful site inspection with key decision makers from Rotary International.
Convention bids of this scale are made possible by the Labor Government’s $205 million expansion of the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.
The expansion has added nearly 20,000 square metres of new exhibition and multipurpose space, which
will boost Victoria’s visitor economy by $167 million annually.
Business events and conventions generate $11.2 billion and over 92,000 jobs to the Victorian economy every year.
Rotary’s International Convention is held annually, serving as a networking platform to bring members together to share projects, advice and to establish new friendships from around the world.
Locally in Australia there are 1,064 Rotary clubs and 28,000 members. Their work improves lives at both the local and international levels, from helping families in need in their own communities to working toward a polio-free world.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Tourism and Major Events Martin Pakula
“Events of this calibre put Melbourne and Victoria on the world stage and boost our economy. That’s why we’ve backed this bid to bring the 2023 Rotary International Convention to Melbourne.”
“Securing the 2023 Convention allows us to showcase the very best that Victoria has to offer visitors from across the globe, provides opportunities for local businesses and creates jobs.”
Quote attributable to Melbourne Convention Bureau Chief Executive Officer Karen Bolinger
“Victoria is a world-leader in the business events sector, and we intentionally pursue events of this size and scale as they deliver significant benefit back to the State, as well as create further bidding opportunities from other worldwide associations that hold numerous major international conferences.”
Reviewed 19 August 2020