Seeking to make Victoria a hub of hosting major business events, Melbourne Convention and Visitors Bureau (MCVB) is now eyeing Indian companies with specially designed packages and tourism schemes.
MCVB’s Chief Executive Officer Karen Bolinger said that Indian market is a major business events target for the organisation.
“The Indian market is a long-term investment for us as we continue to maintain strong relationships and build new ones with key trade partners and corporate clients through regular in-market visits, familiarisation programmes and other marketing channels in partnership with Tourism Australia and Tourism Victoria,” Bolinger said.
MCVB is currently running a week long familiarisation programme for top executives of leading Indian corporates including Hyundai Motors (India), Toshiba India, OCM, JK Lakshmi Cement, Okaya Power Ltd, Videocon and Bangur Cement in which they are being shown and demonstrated Australia’s expertise in staging world-class business events and an incentive rewards programme.
It is expected that the programme will promote the city as an event hosting destination with top company executives bringing in their own delegations in near future.
Last December, MCVB won a bid to host Amway India’s Leadership Seminar which had more than 4,000 delegates visiting Melbourne.
Official data reveals that in the year ending September 2012, 6,450 Indian delegates arrived in Australia for a convention or conference and 26,450 arrived for the purpose of business.
“The number of business delegations from India is rising but we are now increasing our focus as well which can be seen through these programmes for Indian top executives,” Bolinger said while hosting a gala dinner for the Indian corporates officials at Melbourne Cricket Ground.
“If any large business group is wanting to come over then we try to look for government funds to support the event,” she said.
Meanwhile, visiting Indian delegates raised their concerns, specifically about air services arrangements that are in place currently.
“The main hitch is that there are no direct flights from India,” Shikher Dubey, senior executive of Hyundai Motors (India) said.
According to Videocon Deputy General Manager (Marketing) Harish Marathe, “Australia is a relatively expensive holiday choice when compared to competitor destinations such as Europe and the USA. But the country is unique in a way and we are going to look at it for our next business event.”
Pranab Mohanty of Toshiba India said “the image of Australia was now changing back home and was perfect destination to host any business event.”