MELBOURNE Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) has welcomed new hires across various departments, including operations, event planning and F&B.

Samantha Kent, who was from Sofitel Melbourne on Collins, joins the venue’s customer experience and optimisation team in the newly created position of business development manager. She has many years of experience in business development and events, and has worked in the UK and New Zealand across hotels and stadiums.

Neil Mather, who is named MCEC’s senior manager food and beverage, was last director of food and beverage at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre. He has worked with iconic Melbourne venues including Zoos Victoria, Melbourne Arts Centre and the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Grant Padula, who is now senior manager operations, recently played a key role in the opening of the new Melco Crown Entertainment Studio City Casino in Macau. He brings with him more than 17 years of experience gained from working in large integrated resorts and the hospitality industry.

Joining MCEC from Diversified Communications and taking on the role of planning manager, Elissa Duke has a wealth of knowledge across all aspects of event planning and execution. Duke will lead the venue’s planning team.

Prue Rogers and Paul Rumble have also taken on senior manager roles in customer experience and technology services respectively.

THE inaugural Global Exhibitions Day will be staged on June 8 this year, to commemorate the people working in the exhibitions industry and display career opportunities that the industry has to offer.

An initiative by Paris based UFI and Dallas based International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE), the campaign is expected to see participation by exhibition organisers, venues, associations and service providers worldwide.

It aims to promote the value of exhibiting for companies, the role of exhibitions for development of trade and internationalisation, as well as their role in driving innovation and competitiveness of companies.

“There are many great national and regional initiatives, addressing exhibitors, visitors, policymakers and other stakeholders. Uniting these achievements under one common umbrella will strengthen the messages and multiply the reach”, said UFI president Sergey Alexeev and IAEE chairperson Julie Smith.

THE 347-key Conrad Manila expects to generate a “pretty substantial” one-third of business from MICE when it opens in March or April, said its general manager Harald Feurstein.

Business events will come naturally for the luxury hotel as it will be connected by footbridges to SMX Convention Center in the convention and exhibition hub within the Manila Bay area.

Feurstein said the facilities are complementary.

With the hotel’s proximity to the Arena sports and entertainment venue and Manila’s business centres and tourist attractions, as well as its two levels of upscale retail shops within, Conrad Manila is also expected to draw “other market segments”.

Feurstein remarked: “We can be all things – MICE, leisure and business (travel). We’re a little bit of everything but we’re really good in all of that.”

Conrad Manila will satisfy the need for a business-friendly luxury address in the Manila Bay area, which currently offers five-star hotels in the integrated resorts of Solaire and City of Dreams, which may appeal to a different type of travellers.

The hotel’s comprehensive facilities include a ballroom for up to 1,000 pax, a junior ballroom for 450 pax, seven meeting rooms, a boardroom that can seat 20 to 50 pax and the Verandah outdoor function space for up to 400 pax.

Dining options include the Sea Lounge Bar, China Blue which is led by Chinese master chef Jeremy Leong, and Brasserie on Three which offers healthy cuisine made with organic ingredients.