Melbourne will host 27 events in 2023, including the SIASS, and the Rotary International Convention which is expected to attract 20,000 delegates. Photo Credit: Arts Centre Melbourne
Melbourne will host the Symposium of the International Association for Shell and Spatial Structures (SIASS) in 2023 — some 25 years since this meeting of the world’s top engineers, architects and builders last gathered on Australia’s shores.
The event is expected to attract more than 500 delegates attending in-person at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, with an economic contribution in excess of AU$2 million (US$1.45 million).
Melbourne Convention Bureau (MCB) Chief Executive, Julia Swanson, attributed the win to the city's history in the creative integration of structural engineering and architecture, and added that the event programme will include technical tours showcasing architectural points of interest.
“Melbourne has been at the forefront of lightweight structural systems such as lattice, membrane, and shell structures — from the famed Sidney Myer Music Bowl, the iconic spire at the Arts Centre Melbourne, to AAMI Park, to name a few,” she said.
Bid leader, Professor Mike Xie from RMIT University, also highlighted the strong support from MCB, as well as from the Victorian State Government.
This year, MCB has secured a total of 41 business events for Melbourne, which are expected to attract some 40,000 delegates and inject AU$147.7 million of direct revenue to the Victorian business events supply chain.
Of these, 27 events will run in 2023, including SIASS and the Rotary International Convention, which is expected to attract 20,000 delegates and deliver more than AU$88 million to the economy — making it the most valuable convention ever secured for Victoria.