Melbourne has landed the largest ever conference for Victoria, with the Rotary International Convention 2023 expected to draw 20,000 visitors to the city.

The convention is the most valuable conference ever won for the state, expected to inject more than $88 million into the state’s economy.

The bid was led by Melbourne Convention Bureau (MCB) and supported by the Victorian and Australian Governments, while local Rotary members were also engaged to help secure the event.

MCB CEO Karen Bolinger said the bureau intentionally pursues events of this size as they deliver significant benefits and create further bidding opportunities.

“The MCB’s strong connections and collaboration with government and local suppliers – its ‘whole-of-city’ approach to winning and delivering events in Melbourne – provides invaluable support to Victoria’s visitor economy,” she said.

The Rotary International Convention 2023 will be hosted across two venues: Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre and Rod Laver Arena at Melbourne & Olympic Parks.

The event will also generate the most significant room block in Melbourne’s history for hotels and will guarantee high occupancy levels for up to 50 properties across Melbourne during the off-peak winter season.

“Over the course of the four-day event an extra 20,000 visitors will be filling up Melbourne’s hotel rooms, local restaurants and also driving visitation to the city’s key venues and attractions,” said Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment Simon Birmingham.

“Tourism Australia’s Business Events Bid Fund is helping to bring significant international events like this one to Australia.

“Importantly, these events often attract the type of visitor that extends their stay to regional parts of Australia and are also more likely to return for a holiday in the future.”

Rotary International president Barry Rassin said he is excited to host the 114th international convention in Melbourne.

“Our members in Melbourne have worked hard to make the world a better place from redistributing surplus fresh food to community food programs around Australia, to their goal of immunising 100,000 children in nine Pacific countries,” he said.

“We’re looking forward to being welcomed into this world class city and showing the people of Melbourne the Internationality of Rotary and the enthusiasm of Rotary to make our world better for those in need.”