Analyzing Spatial Design Of Conference Venues In Melbourne - Essay.

Choose a destination such as a city or region to focus on and within that destination, select a venue that meets the requirements of the small conference from scenario 1.

From the same destination select a different venue that meets the requirements of the medium sized conference in scenario 2.

Then from the same destination select yet another different venue that meets the requirements for the large conference from scenario 3.

For each selected venue critically analyse how its spatial functional design relates to the operational requirements discussed in Assignment 1.

Important note: A real life destination and actual venues within that destination should be used in this assignment.

Introduction: stating what will be discussed in the report followed by an overview of your chosen destination as a business events location and your rationale for choosing it. A description of the method you used in findings suitable venues

Explanation of chosen venue and critical analysis of how venue spatial design meets operational requirements for each of the conference scenarios:

Conference Scenario 1

Conference Scenario 2

Conference Scenario 3

Explanation of Chosen Venue and Critical Analysis

The chosen location for this report is Melbourne, Australia. Melbourne is the hub for business events, seminars and conferences, and one of the most eminent and popular locations in Australia (Melbourne.vic.gov.au 2017). Organization of conferences is a daunting task, but as soon as the venue has been decided, the other things fall in place naturally (Yeoman et al. 2012). This report would be looking into the spatial, functional and operational aspects of three conference venues. Previously three scenarios were discussed in which three sizes of conferences and their requirements were assessed. This report would be based on that assessment, recommend three venues for those scenario conferences and discussions would be carried out to find out about their spatial design and how that meets the operational requirements. To find these venues, a thorough search of the venue lists in Melbourne were conducted and they were studied to tally with the requirements of the conferences and finalized.

In the first scenario, the small conference has been selected for featuring workshops and forums. The conference would be including 100-200 delegates and 10 exhibitors. The event would continue for a span of 2 days. The need is to make sure the venue is nearer and appropriate for travelling. It must also have the atmosphere of choice. Accessibility, tranquillity and legal permission are other important aspects that needs to be considered while deciding the venue (Valverde 2012). Moreover, there must be the availability of enough rooms for accommodating this number of people. With each room having the capacity to accommodate more than 200 people, 4 rooms minimum would be the requirement. There must be space for housing a podium and some usable stage space. Other than the function rooms some spacious halls would also be required. With around 1 exhibitors, these wide halls would support them displaying effectively all the items they have in hand and in turn achieve their objectives. These halls would also be handy in case there is a need for the participants to discuss things over some refreshments. These halls must allow the staff of the venue to fix things up and set stage for other sessions. Availability of an extra room would help serve as dining hall.

In Melbourne, the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) is a prestigious conference center. It is the first institution in the world that has explored the moving image in all the different manifested forms: film, video games, art, television and new media. The architecture is carried out by Federation Square and the center is a host to several film screenings, exhibitions, talks and other creative workshops. ACMI has the capacity to host banquet, cocktail and theatre-style functions from 20 to 400 guests, which is ideal for conferences, launches, meetings, celebrations and corporate functions. The place features flexible spaces and modern settings, and there is availability of options for interactive events, styling, break-out spaces, pre-event drinks and registration areas. The place has world-class facilities, studio green screen, in-house audio visual, and two state-of-the-art cinemas that present dynamic presentation opportunities. ACMI helps bring every event vision to life. The imaginative and prominent spaces of ACMI can meld segments of current exhibitions into the event, giving an extraordinary foundation to establish a persisting connection for your guests. Transport is in proximity and car parking is available at Federation Square and in Flinders Street. Lessen Rowland brings unparalleled ability passing on basic experiences while leading new rules of significant worth and advancement. The area of the 1307 sq metre. The ceiling height of the place is 26.7 ht metre (ACMI 2017).

Conference Scenario 1

In terms of the second scenario, a three-day conference with 600-1599 delegates and 50 exhibitors would not be able to adjust in the requirements of the first scenario. As discussed previously also, the location aspect is important when choosing avenue for such conferences. Accessibility and attitude of a specific location are significant when shaping the willingness to adjust and understand (Ganthalera and Lehnerb 2014). It is all the more complicated when these delegates and exhibitors are plan plenary sessions and some other concurrent sessions daily, all the while funding themselves. An attractive location and accessible restaurant are important to be considered when planning for such conferences. In terms of plenary sessions, the venue should be big and spacious, and must be strategically meant for being a conference room. For such requirements of 50 exhibitors, the room must at least be of dimensions as 14000 - 18000m2 for making sure that all the aspects are taken care of. Such dimensions must ensure that all the exhibitors have the space to display their items. A podium is a must for addressing all the delegates. The room must also be well equipped with sanitary facilities for all the visitors. In terms of conference needs, the venue must check out in terms of furniture availability, tasteful décor, and even napery for making sure everyone is taken care of. The venue must consider having sufficient rooms, beddings, with no issue of lighting or power supply. The issue of food and beverage must be taken care of for accommodating all preferences (Rogers and Davidson 2015).

Melbourne Park Function Centre in Melbourne is the heart of sports and entertainment. The location host around 600 events and it attracts more than 2.5 million people. It is the home to a long list of the most iconic and word class experiences. The place is mostly known for being the host location of the Australian Open and some of the city’s most celebrated sports and entertainment events, both national and international. It is an unrivalled location between Melbourne’s CBD and Botanic Gardens, bound by the Yarra River. The park contains 40 hectares of area.  The special combination of function rooms, stadiums, arenas and suites that offer the ultimate time flexibility for hosting a wide range of events of any size. The park is sent up in opposition to the huge backdrop of the city’s skyline. The park has sufficient on-site car packaging, making it easier for the next events. The area of the park is 1800 sq m (Melbournepark.com.au 2017).

Conference Scenario 2

In terms of the third scenario, these previously discussed scenarios would not work if the conference involved 3500-5000 delegates and 400 exhibitors. For sessions like plenary and other concurrent ones to run smoothly the best option liaising with a reputed destination management company who are adept at conducting the initial preparation in the best interests of delegates (Mair 2013). These kind of companies helps delegates in accessing the venue by means of travel facilities, which also involves legal, informational and convenient means of transport. These companies also make preparations in advance for the different accommodation facilities for making sure all the visitors are taken care of. They build up programs that meet the people needs of leisure, networking, social and other forms of programs. The available rooms must have the space for hosting exhibitions and conferences minus any hurdles. The sanitary facilities at the time of such conferences needs to be at the best condition so that no one’s health is put at risk. For accommodating all relevant technologies, power supply and wire connections must be put to perspective. Additionally, internet services, communication facilities and other related items are needed to be put in perspective for ensuring smoother operations (Rogers 2013).

The Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) is the best place for connecting with everything that is needed for a successful event -  leading technology, wonderful and huge space, award winning food menu and the expertise for bringing all of this together. MCEC has multi-functional plenary, 30,000 square meters of pillar-less exhibition space and 53 meeting rooms. The place hosted everything starting from conventions, meetings and exhibitions to tradeshows, gala dinners and concerts. The center is located on the banks of the river Yarra in South Wharf. The place offers majestic city views, and just two stops away from the airport and a walk’s distance from the Melbourne city center. It has the capacity to host at least up to 5,500 attendees, offering large and intimate spaces, top technology, succulent food and wine, and highly experienced staff. All these make the MCEC the best and popular choice of conference center in Melbourne, and the whole of Australasia. It is truly the place for hosting conferences, as was voted by the World Travel Awards, 2012 (MCEC 2017).

Conclusion:

In conclusion, it can be commented that the business events industry is all about facilitating meetings that helps dispersal of information among people. It is a form of art that asks for investors in this sector for considering different aspects like number of conferences, number of delegates and exhibitors involved. The idea of preparing beforehand is correct. It helps provision of enough rooms, facilities and refreshments. It is important that plenary sessions get to provide delegates a good experience. The three discussed venues would be perfect for the previously discussed scenarios. They are the best options available in Australia.

References and Bibliogaphy:

ACMI. 2017. Film, TV, Video Games, Digital Culture & Art Museum. [online] Available at: https://www.acmi.net.au/ [Accessed 8 Sep. 2017].

Bladen, C., Kennell, J., Abson, E. and Wilde, N., 2012. Events management: An introduction. Routledge.

Ganthalera, A. and Lehnerb, O.M., 2014, April. Success Factors of Academic Conferences: A Conjoint Analysis. In ISCONTOUR 2014-Tourism Research Perspectives: Proceedings of the International Student Conference in Tourism Research (p. 89). BoD–Books on Demand.

Jones, M., 2014. Sustainable event management: A practical guide. Routledge.

Mair, J., 2013. Conferences and conventions: A research perspective. Routledge.

MCEC. 2017. Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. [online] Available at: https://mcec.com.au/ [Accessed 8 Sep. 2017].

Melbourne.vic.gov.au. 2017. Melbourne as a smart city - City of Melbourne. [online] Available at: https://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/about-melbourne/melbourne-profile/smart-city/Pages/smart-city.aspx [Accessed 8 Sep. 2017].

Melbournepark.com.au. 2017. Melbourne Park Function Centre. [online] Available at: https://www.melbournepark.com.au/ [Accessed 8 Sep. 2017].

Rogers, T. and Davidson, R., 2015. Marketing destinations and venues for conferences, conventions and business events (Vol. 14). Routledge.

Rogers, T., 2013. Conferences and Conventions 3rd edition: A Global Industry. Routledge.

Valverde, M., 2012. Everyday law on the street: City governance in an age of diversity. University of Chicago Press.

Yeoman, I., Robertson, M., Ali-Knight, J., Drummond, S. and McMahon-Beattie, U. eds., 2012. Festival and events management. Routledge.