To offset its expansion, Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) has joined forces with several Melbourne organisations – including the University of Melbourne and City of Port Phillip – to support the development of a wind farm project near Ararat in regional Victoria.
MCEC’s involvement will enable it to purchase renewable energy certificates equivalent to the projected electricity consumption for its current 20,000-sqm expansion project. The positive environmental impact doesn’t hurt either.
“As an important public asset, it is our duty to improve our environmental impact and live up to the sustainability expectations of our stakeholders,” says Leighton Wood, chief operating officer at MCEC. “Our venue is growing by 25%, with the project giving us the ability to offset our expanded building with renewable energy certificates.”
MCEC’s US$15 million expansion will feature 9,000 sqm of multi-purpose event space, new exhibition halls, additional meeting rooms and a banquet room. Once completed, it will position the venue as Australia’s largest convention and exhibition space with an increased total size of over 70,000 sqm.
The new space will officially open late this year with 220 events in the pipeline beginning mid-2018.
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