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Melbourne conferences leave a stronger legacy – how?
MELBOURNE HAS A HISTORY OF HOSTING HIGH-IMPACT CONFERENCES. FROM AIDS 2014 TO WORLD INDIGENOUS CANCER CONFERENCE 2024, HOW HAS THE CITY BEEN ABLE TO CREATE THESE LASTING LEGACIES?
I n 2014, Melbourne hosted a conference that changed thousands of lives.
AIDS 2014 was an event where world leaders, including former US President Bill Clinton, called for a renewed commitment to fighting HIV / AIDS. It led to Australia pledging an additional A $ 200m to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. It set the stage for the Fast-Track Cities initiative, which has since helped over 500 cities worldwide adopt ambitious HIV response strategies. The event also sparked increased collaboration between the Burnet Institute and international health organisations, accelerating research into HIV prevention methods that continue today.
The list goes on. In 2024, Melbourne held the World Indigenous Cancer Conference 2024. Indigenous health leaders from across the world developed a global action plan for improving cancer outcomes in Indigenous communities, which has since been taken up by research bodies in Australia, Canada and New Zealand. The event also secured new funding for community-led cancer prevention programmes in Australia’ s Northern Territory.
In this article, we’ re going to look at two case studies of conferences in Melbourne that collaborated closely with local companies and researchers. Then, we’ ll break down Melbourne’ s conference
Left: Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre track record more generally, and explain why organisers should consider the destination for their events.
International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis( ISTH) 2019 Before the conference: Melbourne was already home to leading cardiovascular research institutions, including Alfred Health, the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, and Monash University’ s Thrombosis Research Unit. During the conference: The ISTH Congress 2019 attracted global leaders in blood disorder research, and discussions directly led to a new international collaboration between Alfred Health and European cardiovascular research institutes to study clotting disorders. After the conference: Research findings from Melbourne experts contributed to updated global guidelines on anticoagulant use, which have since influenced how blood thinners are prescribed worldwide.
International BioFest 2016 Before the conference: Melbourne was already a leading biotech hub with 186 biotechnology companies and 10 + major medical research institutes. During the conference: Delegates engaged with Melbourne-based biotech start-ups and pharmaceutical firms, leading to multiple joint research projects. After the conference: Some Melbournebased innovations showcased at BioFest, like CSL’ s work in immunotherapies, received global funding and partnership interest.
A joint initiative between Melbournebased Alfred Health and various European cardiovascular institutes was set up to study clotting disorders. These findings have since contributed to revised global guidelines on blood-thinning medications, helping to treat conditions like strokes.
In Melbourne, conferences have a habit of leaving an impact. The conference industry there works directly with local research institutes, labs and policy forums.
38 / CONFERENCE & MEETINGS WORLD / ISSUE 135