Leaders have unveiled design drawings for the expansion of the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Center, a project that will complement the new International Convention Center slated to open in Sydney in late 2016. The initiatives are being fueled by a boom in the events industry in Australia, where officials say venues need to catch up to the blooming demand for exhibition space.
MCEC will receive a 215,000-square-foot expansion that will include new exhibit halls and additional meeting and banquet rooms. Construction is expected to be complete in early 2018, and the facility will remain in operation during the project.
When completed, ICC Sydney will boast 355,000 square feet of exhibition space as well as 70 meeting rooms, three theaters, a large flexible-use space, and two ballrooms. The project, which broke ground in 2014, is a $1.1 billion enterprise that will create Australia’s largest exhibition and event venue.
