Home of the unconventional, they do things a little differently at MCEC by bringing fresh ideas and imagination to every event. They happily turn concepts on their head to make each experience momentous.

Welcome to another edition of Fast Five – our series where we ask some of the most influential and exceptional business leaders five questions to get a behind-the-scenes look at some of Australia’s most dynamic businesses.

In this edition we spoke to Natalie O’Brien AM, Chief Executive of MCEC. Natalie has more than 25 years’ experience driving change and growth in the organisations that she has led. She was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in 2019 for significant service to tourism, food and the community of Victoria.

1. This is your first year as Chief Executive of MCEC. How have you settled into the role and what have been some of the more enjoyable moments or achievements so far?

It’s been a whirlwind eight months for me in my new role as Chief Executive of MCEC. So far, we’ve welcomed many amazing events and I’ve been lucky to experience the venue in full swing on multiple occasions!

I’ve had the pleasure of attending events like the 30th Anniversary of AIME, the Good Friday Appeal Kids Day Out and Bluesfest over Easter long weekend, and more recently Rotary International Convention which saw 14,000 Rotarians from 120 countries visit us and Melbourne and Olympic Parks. The variety and scale of some of these events are incredible and a huge credit to the event organisers and wonderful MCEC team.

I’m proud to have recently launched MCEC’s new strategic direction and company values. Developed alongside my leadership team with input from employees, this has been a wonderful opportunity to reset, adjust our priorities and excel at what we do best – delivering a high-quality service that delights our customers.

MCEC has been a leader in sustainability, and we continue to implement new initiatives to minimise our impact on the environment. We know how important sustainability and corporate social responsibility is to our employees, customers, and stakeholders. I was proud to launch our Inclusion and Diversity Strategic Framework earlier this year and reaffirm our commitments to gender equality, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander reconciliation, sustainable and inclusive procurement and equal access for people of all abilities.

Lastly, I must highlight my excitement for the future Nyaal Banyul Geelong Convention and Event Centre. As someone originally from Geelong, this is an exciting project that will build on the strengths of the region, support local supply chains and employment, and create economic growth. I’m thrilled to work alongside the Wadawurrung Traditional Owners and Plenary Conventions to honour First Nations culture and knowledge and leave a lasting impact on the region.

2. You have vast experience in events and tourism. How is the sector recovering post-COVID and is there more appetite than ever for people to get out to exciting events, conferences and exhibitions?

There is a fervent desire for people to reconnect and gather in a face-to-face capacity. We experienced our largest month on record with over 89,000 visitors attending 76 events at the Centre during the month, topping pre-COVID centre attendance.

We’ve seen an enthusiastic return to in-person events over the last couple of years. But while our customers have returned, their behaviour and expectations have changed. We’re seeing much shorter event lead times. Customers are looking to host events within three to six months of first enquiring, compared to previous years when lead times could be anywhere from one to three years in advance.

3. By extension, what lessons has MCEC heeded to enhance the visitor offering and experience over this time and into the future?

We have continued to receive feedback that sustainability and corporate social responsibility is incredibly important to customers and recently launched our Positive Impact Guide. This is an online toolkit to help our customers incorporate social corporate responsibility when hosting their events with us. The guide helps customers consider recognition of Traditional Owners, connect with our leading community partners, and enhance the sustainability of their events, things that we know are increasingly important to event delegates and organisers.

Delegate dietary requirements have evolved and our menu offering has shifted to cater for all tastes, lifestyles, diets, and occasions. Our menus have an increased focus on being inclusive and sustainable, highlighting local produce from across Victoria. We aim to deliver a diverse and extraordinary culinary experience for every guest, every time.

Our partnership with THE LUME Melbourne is one of the great success stories to come from the pandemic. It allowed us to expand our outlook on the types of experiences we offer at MCEC. It’s a wonderful option for event organisers to provide multi-sensory events on an unrivalled scale and showcase their brands to guests like never before.

We’ve also just announced that MCEC will be home to the BBC Earth Experience from 27 October. With bespoke narration from David Attenborough, the jaw-dropping attraction will give visitors the opportunity to explore the extraordinary diversity of our seven continents on an epic scale. Again, this provides an exclusive opportunity for event organisers and visitors that can only be experienced at MCEC.

We recently launched a new website with the inclusion of 360-degree virtual tours, showcasing MCEC’s state-of-the-art facilities and spaces to customers from around Australia and the world. With 20 per cent of current website users from overseas, this exciting feature enables customers and visitors to virtually explore MCEC’s spaces, no matter where they are browsing from.

4. There is a lot of excitement around the development of Nyaal Banyul Geelong Convention and Event Centre. What will this development bring to Geelong and Victoria more broadly?

Nyaal Banyul Geelong Convention and Event Centre (Nyaal Banyul) will showcase Geelong’s unique attractions, local businesses, products, talent and celebrate the very best of the region. The Centre will host a wide range of events from large-scale corporates, international music, theatre and large sporting events. Additionally, Nyaal Banyul will align to regional growth sectors like health, education, and advanced manufacturing as well as enhance career pathways and address skill shortages across a range of industries.

The Centre name, Nyaal Banyul was generously gifted by Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation (WTOAC) returning Wadawurrung language to country. We’re excited to continue working with Wadawurring Traditional Owners to honour First Nations culture, values and knowledge and share this with people from around the world.

5. Can you give a sneak peek at any significant events or developments from MCEC?

Looking ahead, we’re excited to be hub for Melbourne International Games Week, hosting multiple events at the Centre in early October. One of our favourite gaming events each year is the Penny Arcade Expo (PAX), Australia’s biggest gaming festival that brings together passionate gamers from across the country. We’ll also host flagship Games Week events like the Games Connect Asia Pacific (GCAP) industry conference which will see local studios and developers connect with games leaders from around the world.

2024 will be MCEC’s 10th year hosting the Good Friday Appeal’s Kids Day Out. We love hosting that event every year, with many of our team members volunteering their time to support the cause, and next year’s event is sure to be extra special.