May 11, 2021 | By Bronwen Largier
Industry association Meetings & Events Australia has announced the return of its flagship Evolve event in a condensed form, to take place on July 1 this year at Sofitel Melbourne on Collins.
The day will comprise over 18 plenary and concurrent sessions around the theme ‘Building Confidence through Best Practice’.
Satellite events in Sydney and Brisbane will supplement the main event hub and sessions will also be delivered virtually through EventsAir’s recently launched 3D iteration of their OnAir platform.
There will be a Welcome Event the night prior to sessions and the event will wrap up with the annual MEA Industry Awards dinner.
MEA Chair Nigel Collin said the industry was looking for leadership and support through pandemic recovery and Evolve would deliver.
“We hope to see in excess of 500 event professionals from across Australia and New Zealand attend in person in Melbourne.
“People are eager to get back to what they do best, face to face events,” he said.
Alongside major partnerships with Melbourne Convention Bureau (MCB), Accor and EventsAir, the City of Melbourne is also showing its support of the event.
“We want the world to know that Melbourne is open for business and the best place to host events. We are totally committed to bringing back the buzz to our city and supporting local jobs,” said City of Melbourne Lord Mayor Sally Capp.
MCB Chief Executive Julia Swanson encouraged the industry to get back together face to face, saying actions speak loader than words.
“If we’re really serious about driving recovery of our sector, we need to lead by example, and reconnect and reengage in-person at business events.
“With that front of mind, we look forward to seeing the events sector gather here in Melbourne at the live hub of Evolve 2021.”