THE annual gathering of feng shui practitioners and enthusiasts from around the world will head to Melbourne this year, making it the first International Feng Shui Convention (IFSC) to be held in Australia since the event’s inception in 2004.
To be held on November 15 and 16 at Novotel Melbourne St Kilda, IFSC is organised by the team at the International Feng Shui Association (IFSA) Australia Chapter.
“However, we had valuable support from the Melbourne Convention Bureau (MCB). It scouted potential venues and made a shortlist for us. It helped me put together a formal proposal which I submitted to the executive committee just to reassure them that we were able to commit fully to an event of such scope. A representative of MCB also came with me to help inspect the venue. The bureau also printed marketing materials for us and referred us to suppliers. MCB basically helped us lay the groundwork for the convention,” said Janene Laird, president of the chapter, in an interview with TTGmice e-Weekly.
Laird added that various leaders at the association headquarters had also chipped in to take up various responsibilities in the planning and execution of the event.
IFSC is expected to draw more than 200 attendees from countries such as Holland, Romania, Canada, Japan, China and Brunei.
Highlights at the event include two-track lectures that will see seminars running concurrently in two rooms, allowing a more diverse range of topics of be presented and discussed. Some 25 globally recognised speakers will lead the lectures, with topics touching on feng shui’s influence on certain business sectors such as architecture, interior design and real estate, for instance.
“We want to create a robust programme that isn’t just all academic presentations that appeal only to my colleagues and I, but one that encourages the public to come and learn more about feng shui, and how it can help their business and support their clients,” Laird explained.
The programme also includes an annual general meeting for association members, workshops and networking opportunities.
