Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre launched its new online portal, myMCEC, in February. The aim of the portal is to streamline, simplify and enhance the overall customer experience by creating a centralized location for all event documentation, which can be accessed at any time, on any device.
myMCEC was developed by Ungerboeck and it allows customers to to do a number of things. Users can review and upload important documents tailored to their event including the initial proposal, event plan and floor plans. They can also view tasks requiring completion and receive email reminders when an important milestone is happening. Other functions allow users to allocate tasks to other team members, see key MCEC contacts and make payments securely.
Anne Jamieson, MCEC’s director of customer experience and optimization, notes that myMCEC demonstrates the venue’s ongoing commitment to innovation and “customer-centricity.”
“At MCEC we encourage creativity and innovation,” Jamieson says. “We’re constantly looking for ways to create new experiences and develop innovative products to ensure the best possible experience for our customers and their guests. The portal was developed to address a common industry concern around how to manage large volumes of paperwork and multiple timelines. We created myMCEC, a digital solution, in collaboration with our customers which ensures their needs are met from the initial event planning stage through to its completion.”
MCEC worked with Ungerboek, global leaders in event management technology, to ensure myMCEC is tailored to each customer’s individual event requirements and accessible across all digital devices. Manish Chandak, president/CEO of Ungerboeck notes that the organization was thrilled to have partnered with MCEC on the myMCEC portal.
“myMCEC is a huge step forward in creating a more seamless and efficient digital experience for MCEC and its customers,” Chandak says.
Jenny Harvey, director of operations for Exhibitions & Events Australia, was involved in the planning stage for myMCEC and says that being part of the project was a great experience. “By involving end-users in the prototyping of the design of the portal, it’s led to an outcome that meets our needs as an exhibition organizer,” Harvey explains.
The new portal is likely to increase the efficiency of operations in concert with the center’s nearly complete $200 million expansion. The construction is set to wrap up in less than two months and once completed, the new space will cement MCEC’s position as the largest convention and exhibition space in Australia, with an increased total size of over 70,000 square meters.
The 20,000-square-meter expansion includes 9,000 square meters of exhibition space plus additional flexible, multi-purpose event space, 1,000 seat plenary theater, multiple meeting rooms, a banquet room and the Goldfields Cafe and Bar.
“We want to ensure our facilities suit the needs of our customers, rather than constraining them to fit within our space,” MCEC Chief Executive Peter King says.
More than 300 events have been confirmed or are being negotiated for the new expansion space, between July 2018 and the end of 2024. “Not only will this redevelopment boost tourism, it will create more than 900 new jobs and provide a massive boost to our visitor economy by attracting more events and thousands more visitors to Victoria each year,” Victorian Minister for Tourism and Major Events John Eren says.
The 1st Malaria World Congress is the first event scheduled in Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre’s expansion space. The congress is set for July 1-5 to discuss solutions to the malaria issue, one of the world’s leading health problems which causes death and severe illness to millions each year across the world. At present, there is no mechanism for all stakeholders to share information and build a solid framework for collaborative action against malaria. The inaugural Malaria World Congress, initiated by Club Melbourne Ambassadors, Professor Alan Cowman and Professor Brendan Crabb, aims to address this gap.
Club Melbourne is owned and led by Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre with support and collaboration from Melbourne Convention Bureau and the Victorian State Government. “It’s a privilege to bring together the global community who are working to help eradicate malaria, as our inaugural event in the expansion” King says.
Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre is Melbourne’s destination for big ideas and inspirational events. Hosting more than 1,000 events each year, they’re internationally renowned for their incredible range of spaces, innovative design and jaw-dropping food. For more info, visit mcec.com.au.
