With international accolades pouring in, there has never been a better time for Australian exhibitors to impress the 2500 buyers expected to attend AIME 2006, the AsiaPacific Incentives and Meetings Expo, 6 & 7 June, Melbourne Exhibition & Convention Centre (MECC).

Australia recently received accolades for The World’s Friendliest Nation, Best Nation Brand, Best Tourism Brand, Cool Brand status in the Cool BrandLeaders list in the UK, and was voted first choice holiday destination by Americans, Italians and the British, if money were no object.

At AIME 2006 Melbourne Convention + Visitors Bureau (MCVB) will be joined by venues, hotels and service providers to demonstrate why Melbourne was ranked first in Australia for the most international association meetings in 2004 (International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) Statistics Report 2004, published May 2005) and voted Australia’s most liveable city and the second most liveable city in the world next to Vancouver.

Melbourne will also be updating visitors on the new, 5,000 seat Melbourne Convention Centre development due for completion in 2009. The new centre will be a world class facility unmatched anywhere in Australia, with a 5000-seat flexible plenary hall supporting meeting and banquet facilities. The new centre will be fully integrated with the existing Melbourne Exhibition Centre

Recent recipient of the Economist’s coveted title 1^st best city in Australia and 4^th best city in the world for business travel, Adelaide Convention & Tourism Authority (ACTA) will promote Adelaide’s world-class convention facilities and hotels, great affordability and accessibility.

Adelaide recorded over one million business visits in 2004, generating over 5.5 million nights for the city’s meetings industry. Business travellers account for 38% of all visitors to Adelaide.

The Perth Convention Exhibition Centre (Perth Centre) has attracted a flood of praise since its opening in August 2004. The centre has been acclaimed the top business tourism venue in Western Australia, taking out the coveted Meetings & Business Tourism title at the Western Australian Tourism Awards.

The Perth Centre also won the Venue Caterers’ title at the 2005 Gold Plate Awards and the building services industry’s Golden Service Award (‘Venues’ category) in September 2005.

Looking ahead, the Perth Centre has secured more than 450 international, national and local events through until 2009.  Projections indicate that these bookings will attract up to two million visitors.

Cairns & Region Convention Bureau (CRCB), winner of AIME’s Best Multi-Stand Award in 2005, will return to AIME in 2006. CRCB will be joined by hotels, restaurants and exhibition venues from Tropical North Queensland (TNQ), many first time exhibitors spurred on by the good reports that came back to TNQ from last year’s event.

Australia’s culinary delights have also received a bevy of awards and AIME exhibitors will be proving why.

SKYCITY Darwin will proudly show off its award winning restaurants and accommodation facilities. Evoo Restaurant, Dragon Court and Sunset Restaurant, recently won the Brolga Restaurant and Catering Award at the Northern Territory’s most prestigious tourism awards for excellence.

Judges at the Brolga Awards also presented SKYCITY with the Brolga Luxury Accommodation Award for its five star beachside hotel.

In addition to receiving the Brolga Awards, SKYCITY was also recently named a finalist for the ‘best prestigious dining venue’ at the AHA National Awards for Excellence and received a Hall of Fame Award at the 2005 Restaurant & Catering Awards for Excellence, Gala Dinner for The Boardroom (now named Evoo).

And, for prestigious dining with a difference there is Perth’s own luxury restaurant train, Spirit of the West.

The Gold Plate Finalist 2005 – Best Tourism Restaurant in the City, travels through the spectacular Avon Valley.  Each carriage, dating back to the early 1920’s, is meticulously restored to its original state.

Throughout the journey guests enjoy an award winning (Gold Plate 2004) five course meal including fine wine from Western Australia’s own Jane Brook Winery. Each meal is prepared fresh on board and uses produce from the Swan Valley and surrounding areas.