Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre
THE past week has seen Melbourne Convention Bureau (MCB) securing two conference wins – the 11th World Congress on Developmental Origins of Health and Disease 2019 (DOHaD 2019), and the 2020 Meeting of the International Federation of Orthopaedic Manipulative Physical Therapists (IFOMPT 2020).
The biennial DOHaD, touted as the only gathering worldwide for specialists in the field of research in prevention of disease in early life, will be held in Melbourne for the first time.
The four-day event will take place at Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) and is expected to attract over 800 scientists, clinical researchers, obstetricians, paediatricians, public health professionals and policy leaders in the discipline of foetal and developmental disease.
Minister for Tourism and Major Events, John Eren, said: “Events of this calibre put Melbourne and Victoria (state) on a world stage, and contribute significantly to our economy. Business events are the highest yielding sector of the Victorian visitor economy, delivering an economic contribution of A$9.98 billion (US$7.5 billion) and 65,000 jobs annually.”
Come October 2020, MCEC will also play host to the world’s leading musculoskeletal physiotherapists, who will exchange knowledge, share research and celebrate innovation in the neuromusculoskeletal physiotherapy sector, during IFOMPT 2020.
MCB said that this meeting would generate A$5.5 million for Victoria, and attract 1300 international and local delegates.
Eren added: “Staging the big international conferences provides valuable returns for all Victorians. It means more business for our hotels, restaurants and other small businesses – and that means more jobs for locals.”
