The Venue Zone Blog

The city of Melbourne has several times been voted “ the most livable city” and is an absolute treat for those with a passion for the finer things in life. From authentic Australia Bush Tucker to International and noveau combinations, the Melbourne food experience is adventurous and exciting.  Add to this great Australian wines, world class entertainment and fabulous festivals, and you have a recipe for a thrilling visit. Often considered the cultural and sporting capital of Australia, Melbourne is home to the Australian Ballet and Australian F1. It places great emphasis on culinary arts, visual arts and performing arts and these forms of expression, along with film and fashion and music are influenced by both it’s ever increasing multicultural population and an equally strong local culture. Such diversity and the contrasting old and new makes Melbourne a rich and dynamic destination. The aim of Melbourne conference centres is to assist you in designing an exclusive itinerary that will cater to your particular vision.
Docklands  is Melbourne’s newest precinct and boasts the city’s largest infrastructure development  yet. This spectacular,  ultra- modern re-development  covers over 200 hectares of space with more than 3kms of the Yarra River flowing alongside and  whilst it is not expected to be complete until  2020, it is fast becoming a major tourist attraction. The Melbourne landmarks Telstra Dome, the Southern Star Observation Wheel and Southern Cross Station are located here. Transport is made easy from Docklands, with buses and trains running regularly from  Southern Cross Station or for a more novice form of transport, why not consider taking a restaurant cruise or perhaps a yacht at the end of a heavy day’s conferencing. The Majority of the accommodation offerings in this area are found in the form of small boutique hotels and practical apartment style accommodation – perfect for a special night out or a longer stay within a short stroll from the CBD over  the Yarra River. Several waterfront dining precincts can be found in the fresh and exciting Docklands, with every cuisine imaginable to be found in 100+ restaurants, bars and cafes. Take a stroll around the marinas, interesting walkways, grand plazas and historic docks, feast your eyes on the urban art displays along the way.  Nearby places to visit include the recently opened Icehouse which is the venue for the National Ice Sports Centre, the Melbourne Stadium and Harbour Town Shopping Centre.
Base yourself in the heart of the city by staying in one of Melbourne’s ‘Paris End’ hotels. Located in Melbourne’s CBD, the eastern end of Collins Street is often referred to as the ‘Paris End’ as a reference to the ‘Marvellous Melbourne’ mythology which celebrates the European influence of the area. The ‘Paris” end is home to many of the cities luxury 5 Star hotels, many with the ability to host several hundred people for conferences and events. Though this end of the city is renowned for the “high end” accommodation – you will also be able to find a small collection of practical 4 – 4.5 star hotels offering comfortable lodging and mid sized conference facilities at competitive pricing. Although modern development has destroyed some of the European flavour, it still displays  some of the country’s finest Victorian era buildings and has retained  many designer boutiques and cafes. The ease of getting around in Melbourne, either on foot or on the famous Melbourne trams, makes this a highly sought after location for accommodation. There are many attractions within the compact and easy to navigate CBD. Beginning in Collins Street itself, you have the Athenaeum and Regent theatres, The Melbourne Observation Deck at Rialto Towers and of course the wonderful architecture of  stately historic buildings. Parliament House, Old Melbourne Gaol and the Museum are all close by as are the Fitzroy Gardens which is home to the Captain Cook cottages and a model Tudor village. The iconic Chinatown is only a short walk and a visit to Federation Square is a must. This distinctive space is one of the city’s main cultural hubs and tourist centres with its distinctive architecture and large digital screen it is an  popular public space.
Southbank fronts the southern bank of the Yarra River, just opposite the Melbourne’s central business district. It’s 2 Kms of absolute river frontage is lined by generous pedestrian walkways and offers scenic views of the city skyline. One of Southbank’s drawcards is the convenience of being just across the river from the heart of Melbourne and opposite some of Melbourne’s best gardens and parklands to the east of St Kilda Road. SouthBank has some fantastic smaller style 5 star hotels – perfect for the smaller conference with minimal city distraction, and often beautiful outlooks.  It is noted for its cultural facilities including Melbourne’s leading contemporary art gallery, The National Gallery of Victoria, Australian Ballet Centre, Melbourne Recital Centre and Victorian College of the Arts, just to name a few, all have their home at Southbank.  If you prefer something a little less high brow for your entertainment then the Crown Entertainment Complex, feature the acclaimed Crown Casino, scores of restaurants, and a large cinema complex maybe for you. There is also an art centre that houses a concert hall and several theatres and of course for a little retail therapy, the multi-level Southgate shopping centre which features a host of retail outlets, restaurants and cafes that overlook the river.  Another Southgate drawcard that is sure to delight is the Eureka Skydeck. This attraction can be found on the 88th floor of Melbourne’s tallest building , The Eureka Tower. The observation deck offers spectacular views of the city and includes a glass viewing cube which projects a thrilling 3 metres out from the building  known as the “Edge”.
St Kilda is a bayside suburb 7km from the Melbourne CBD. It’s fascinating history has seen  it change from favoured suburb of Melbourne’s elite who built many palatial mansions  along its hills and waterfront to the city’s seedy red-light district, home to low-cost rooming houses post war  and then  preferred haunt of subcultures such as bohemians, punks and the techno scene in the 1960’s to it’s current re-incarnation as a popular choice for young urban professionals because of it’s proximity to the CBD. The 21st century sees St. Kilda as a lively suburb with an exciting vibe. Fitzroy Street is a popular spot with its restaurants, bars and café tables spilling onto the footpath as is Acland Street which has an eclectic mix of independent music, book and second-hand stores, restaurants, wine bars and cake shops. By day, the streets are dotted with people relaxing with a latte; by night the atmosphere is turned up a notch as clubbers come out to play. St Kilda has many Victorian terraces, historic mansions, art deco buildings and apartment blocks which all allude to it’s colourful past. Attractions include Luna Park, St Kilda Beach, St Kilda Sea Baths, the St Kilda Public Gardens, and the St Kilda Pavilion. To support this vibrant area, accommodation is varied – with some of the largest conferencing hotels in Melbourne on St Kilda Rd ( half way between the CBD and St Kilda)  In St Kilda itself is an eclectic mix of small independent venues along internationally recognised branded large venues.  It is well connected with many tram and bus services offering regular services making it easy to visit popular venues such as the Palais Theatre, the National Theatre, the arthouse cinema The Astor Theatre and the Esplanade Hotel  (known to the locals as The Espy).
Melbourne is a progressive cosmopolitan city with a perceptive view of it’s future. Melbourne conference venues share that vision and are enthusiastic about showcasing their city.  Call a Melbourne conference centre to discuss your event.