Supercharging the visitor economy
A strategic blueprint for the Melbourne Convention Bureau
Together for good – the client challenge
As a part of Visit Victoria, the Melbourne Convention Bureau (MCB) leads the acquisition and delivery of national and global business events for Melbourne and regional Victoria.
A powerhouse for the Victorian economy, MCB partners with the Victorian State Government, City of Melbourne, Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, and over 250 private enterprise partners to advance Melbourne and Victoria’s position as a premier business events destination on the global stage.
MCB operates in a global business events ecosystem that is evolving at a rapid rate, including:
The growth of viable business event destinations across the world creating a more intensely contested marketplace;
Increasing geo-political imperatives for evidence of the social, economic and environmental value that business events create and deliver; and
The emergence of AI and robotics, social networks, service automation and digital trust transactions meaning the business events of 2020 will look and feel vastly different in 2030
MCB engaged Cube Group to develop a strategic blueprint that explored these key drivers and positioned the organisation to stay ahead of industry trends and seize opportunities for innovation.
Bringing the right thinking and people to the table
Drawing on our past work with Visit Victoria and the Australian Association of Convention Bureaux (AACB), we designed a 360-degree engagement program to connect with MCB’s people, partners, clients and key industry stakeholders, including:
Meaningful insight (inside out) – we empowered MCB’s people to share their unique experiences and lived experiences, encouraging internal teams to think big and be bold.
Valued perspectives (outside in) – we unlocked fresh perspectives about MCB’s future direction, and asked industry partners and stakeholders to disrupt our thinking. We augmented these viewpoints with high quality business events industry research, trend analysis and benchmarking.
The positive change we delivered
Our work came together into a strategic blueprint for MCB that positioned the organisation to navigate a fast-changing global business events ecosystem.
By applying our ‘DOPA’ model (below), we linked big ideas to pragmatic action, and established a compelling strategic narrative for MCB’s future that won support from the organisation’s people and key stakeholders.
More information about MCB is available via https://www.melbournecb.com.au/
Insights for inquisitive minds
Creating tighter linkages between major and business events and tourism can significantly amplify outcomes for the visitor economy – an integrated approach means more visits, longer visits and greater expenditure.
Achieving integration requires joined-up thinking, an appetite for innovation and a spirit of co-production from the actors making up the ecosystem.
The global business events marketplace is fiercely contested. Unique value propositions and product offerings are vital to differentiate destinations and cut-through the noise.
“A vibrant business events industry means a vibrant Victoria.”
Ben Schramm
Managing Partner, Cube Group
