It may only be January but 2023 is already shaping up as a huge year. The Australian Open is underway at Melbourne Park and drawing big and enthusiastic crowds. It remains one of our premier events, attracting people from around Australia and the rest of the world and puts Victoria squarely on the global stage. 

The Victorian Chamber is looking forward to hosting a number of exciting events and important initiatives to support business and help set you up for a successful 2023. Our team is on deck and ready to continue informing, supporting and advocating on your behalf. 

Just before Christmas we received the exciting news that Melbourne has been chosen to host the 14th World Chambers Congress (WCC) in 2025.  Akin to the `Olympic Games for Business’, this is a significant coup for Victoria and will open up tremendous investment opportunities for the State. 

I want to acknowledge the Melbourne Convention Bureau led by CEO Julia Swanson, Victorian Minister for Major Events Steve Dimopoulos and Tourism Australia for their support in securing the event for Victoria. The theme of the conference will be Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) and we look forward to making some exciting announcements as planning gets underway.  

We were also delighted to host International Chamber of Commerce Secretary General John Denton at the end of 2023. The AFR published an insightful piece about John over the break which you can read here.  

You may have also caught our input into the WorkCover commentary over the past week. The State has engaged with us, and rest assured we will continue to put the position of  business  forward and  keep you across our progress.  

We look forward to recommencing our premium events which include popular networking opportunities like Business After Dark; our women in business program Chamber Change and of course, our signature Victorian Chamber Presents series.  

Our first event for the year is being held on Friday 3 February at the MCG’s Olympic Room, and we are delighted to be hosting Australia’s leading middle-distance runner, Commonwealth Games silver medallist, national 800 metre record holder and Tokyo Olympic Games finalist, Peter Bol.  

In the leadup to the first regional Commonwealth Games in 2026, Peter will share his journey in an intimate Q&A and will also be joined by the CEO of the Victoria 2026 Commonwealth Games Jeroen Weimar who will discuss what business opportunities the $3 billion event will bring to our state. Tickets are still available and can be purchased here.  

I’m off for a few weeks now and will enjoy the sunshine on the Murray River for a few days before catching some of tennis  and playing  a few rounds of golf.  Scott Veenker and Chanelle Pearson, along with the rest of the Executive Team will ensure that our strong  work on behalf of business will continue.  

I hope you all get a chance to enjoy this magnificent warm weather. Have a great week and an even better 2023.