An exclusive club set up to boost Melbourne’s business events industry has a lot more to celebrate than its impending second birthday.

Figures just revealed show ambassadors of the Club Melbourne Ambassadors Program have also helped secure nine international conventions for the new Melbourne Convention Centre, injecting close to $210 million in the Victorian economy.

The program was established by the Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre and the Melbourne Convention and Visitors Bureau as a way to optimise Melbourne’s involvement in the lucrative business events market. 

Members must meet strict criteria to be considered and unlike many other ambassador programs which pull on celebrities to bring in business, the Club Melbourne Ambassadors Program is focused on brains not brawn. 

Starting with just 20 members in 2005, it now boasts 80 of the intellectual leaders in the science, medical and research fraternities in Victoria, fifteen of whom were inducted in time for its second anniversary this week.

Members include the likes of former Nobel Prize winner Professor Peter Doherty, member of the UN General Assembly and founder of the first drug for type two diabetes Professor Paul Zimmet; and the creator of the first intelligent software agent to fly a space mission on NASA’s space shuttle Professor Michael Georgeff. 

A strong list of women are represented too, including one of Australia’s most influential scientists and 2007 Australian Thinker of the Year, Professor Jenny Graves, former Lieutenant-Governor of Victoria Professor Adrienne Clarke and Director of the World Health Organisation (WHO) centre for mental health Professor Helen Herrman.

Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre chief executive Leigh Harry says the business events industry globally has grown significantly, but Australia’s share of associated meetings amounts to just four per cent of the market, so this program is vital in ensuring the long term success of the industry.

“It’s by no means an easy market, the ambassadors work incredibly hard to secure new business and they’re often up against countries which are investing millions just to ensure they win the business and reap the significant economic rewards it brings.”

He says while they’ve done an outstanding job to date, the job will be made even easier, by the fact that Melbourne is building new infrastructure to host large conventions.

“The State Government has invested $370 million into the construction of a new Convention Centre which will open for business in 2009. That kind of Government support is crucial in securing new large international conventions. Without the infrastructure, you simply can’t even bid for the larger conventions.”

The new centre will have a 5,000 seat plenary hall which due to its configuration will be unequalled to anything in the world.