RACI Centenary Chemistry Congress 2017

Case Study

The largest chemical congress ever hosted in Australia

Melbourne, Australia attracted three Nobel Laureates, over 3,300 scientists and nine concurrent conferences when the Royal Australian Chemical Institute (RACI) Centenary Chemistry Congress took over the city.

Held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) in July 2017, the RACI Centenary Chemistry Congress was the largest chemistry congress ever held in Australia.

RACI partnered with nine prestigious chemistry conferences, covering the breadth of the field past; present and future.

RACI and the Melbourne Convention Bureau (MCB) steered the proposal to secure the congresses, with the support of Club Melbourne Ambassadors, Emeritus Professor David Wood and Professor Milton Hearn AM, Roger Stapleford CEO of RACI and Professional Conference Organiser, ICMS Australasia.

As Australia’s knowledge, research and innovation capital, Melbourne was the ideal location to host a scientific meeting of this calibre. Melbourne boasts an extensive chemistry network, renowned across the world, providing the impetus that attracted the world’s top research chemists and emerging young scientists to Melbourne.

Lasting Legacies

The RACI centenary congress impact went beyond the economic contribution for Victoria, which was over $21 million. It is the legacy outcomes of this type of event that have a long-term effect on the local and global community.

As the host city for the largest chemistry congress ever hosted in Australia, the event brought greater visibility to Melbourne’s expertise in the scientific and chemistry sector. A school outreach program was one of the highlights of the week, bringing together 750 students from across Victoria for a program curated by Victorian University students.

Addressed by acclaimed British Chemistry Professor, Sir Martyn Poliakoff, CBE the students experienced a once in lifetime opportunity to learn from the professor, as well as collaboratively participate in several workshops with the American Chemistry Society (ACS), meeting some of the top chemists in the field.

Team Melbourne

The MCB supported RACI in bringing the centenary congress to Melbourne, as well as secured the 17th Asian Chemical Congress, which was one of the nine partner congresses involved in the broader event.

The RACI Centenary Congress demonstrated MCB’s collaborative approach to winning and hosting business events, facilitating city-wide collaboration for which MCB is renowned.

MCB garnered support from State Government, City of Melbourne and MCEC to ensure all congress requirements were met.

Additionally, MCB partners were engaged to support in the delivery of over 20 social events around Melbourne during the congress. This included Melbourne Aquarium, Melbourne Cricket Ground, Showtime Events, Melbourne Museum and Munich Brauhaus who all provided delegates with a memorable experience.

Showcasing Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre

Occupying the entire Convention Centre, the RACI Congress was one of the largest events held at Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) in 2017.

The event consisted of nine separate congresses, each with specific requirements that required careful attention to detail to ensure their successful delivery. With complex technology requirements and 1,507 sessions held over the course of the event, the Congress required meticulous planning to ensure all elements of the event were delivered seamlessly. MCEC’s award-winning technology team were instrumental in the event’s success, facilitating up to 32 concurrent speaker sessions and a live feed from the Plenary session to the main foyer, and delivering a platinum wifi service to delegates.

The event’s extensive rigging and complex exhibitor stand builds were made possible by MCEC’s Operations and Technology teams, who facilitated a staggered bump-in process. The team also provided guidance on safety compliance to the many exhibitors, ensuring the safety of all exhibitors and delegates, while working to strict scheduling and turnaround times.

Throughout the planning and delivery of the Congress, MCEC’s venue team collaborated with RACI and ICMS Australasia to bring together the many separate elements of the event. Regular meetings were held between MCEC, RACI and ICMS Australasia to meet the challenges presented by the event and ensure an outstanding customer, exhibitor and delegate experience.