Home NEWS Melbourne Convention Bureau expands digital presence in China

Melbourne Convention Bureau expands digital presence in China

Feb 12, 2021

melbourne_australia — Photo Credit: Melbourne Convention Bureau

After more than 15 years’ active in-market representation across China and Hong Kong, Melbourne Convention Bureau (MCB) will deepen its engagement with one of Victoria’s most valuable business and tourism markets with the launch of a new in-language website and popular Chinese social accounts.

Clients in China will now have all the information they need for a memorable, once-in-a-lifetime event in Melbourne – the city where creativity and innovation thrive – right at their fingertips via website and YouKu. Chinese speaking decision-makers, influencers and planners can now also communicate directly with MCB’s local team in Shanghai through WeChat.

Julia Swanson

MCB Chief Executive

MCB Chief Executive Julia Swanson said the website and social tools were the latest additions to the company’s ongoing and active strategy to engage with Chinese clients and demonstrated the bureau’s commitment to the region.

“Whilst they may not be able to travel now, the appeal of Melbourne and Australia to the Chinese planners remains high. These assets, in conjunction with our in-market team and our regular Event Planner webinars, will enable the bureau to strengthen existing connections, create new and meaningful relationships, and future business opportunities.”

“We know it’s important now more than ever to be flexible and adapt the way we support events for our clients. This vital infrastructure provides a much more convenient and effective platform for Chinese clients to connect with us, communicate in real-time and an opportunity to easily search, locate and consume information about Melbourne, so that when they’re ready to plan their event, MCB is ready to help.”

“It gives us confidence when we secure a group and send them to hotels and attractions that understand what Chinese delegates are looking for,” Ms Swanson added.

julia_swanson — Photo Credit: Melbourne Convention Bureau

China is the top visitor market for Meetings Incentive, Conference, Events (MICE) groups to Victoria. Over the five years pre-COVID-19, MCB welcomed 23,000 delegates from Chinese MICE groups to Melbourne injecting $100 million in economic contribution to the Victorian visitor economy.

Melbourne is a very welcoming city for Chinese visitors, offering a multitude of exclusive experiences to suit every group. What continually sets the city apart is its personalised Team Melbourne approach and MCB partner initiatives in place to adequately cater to the Chinese traveller. The new in-language website and presence on WeChat and YouKu boast relevant and engaging content; from information about MCB and its services, local knowledge to support planning a business event in the destination, to sample incentive programs, case-studies of successful programs and the latest news on Melbourne incentive travel and business events.

Key features of the new digital presence in China include:

– popular social media channels WeChat and YouKu for relevant and real-time engagement, accessible by customised QR code
– in-market hosted website www.melbourneconventionbureau.com
– in-language content and specifically translated for Chinese MICE professionals
– responsive and fast presence (tablet and mobile-friendly), meeting the requirements of how information is accessed by MICE professionals in China
– UX considered and highly visual site, rich in imagery and video including 360 virtual reality experiences
– digital destination materials such as sample itineraries and case study videos