Mildura has been described as an oasis on the mighty Murray. This Northwest Victorian regional city is an economic powerhouse as a premium Victorian producer of quality agriculture and aquaculture products for domestic and international markets.
It is Australia’s second largest wine region in Australia, with food and beverage manufacturing counting among Mildura’s major exports, with the climate creating perfect growing conditions for citrus, grape and tree nuts.
It is also a strategic service centre for Northwest Victoria, South Australia and New South Wales. Located near the borders of these three states, Mildura is directly connected by air services from Melbourne, Sydney, Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast.
Against this backdrop with near-perfect year-round sunshine weather conditions, it is therefore no surprises that conferences hosted in Mildura find that Midas magic.
Perched proudly on the banks of the iconic Murray River, Mildura provides business event planners with a veritable feast of options, offering an array of venues, accommodation and hospitality options for mid to large scale conferences.
This is a destination filled with contrast and will surprise you in spades – nestling on the banks of the Murray and also a dramatic gateway to the outback – equally surprising with its white sandy inland beaches along the river and the desert environment of the Murray-Sunset National Park.
Mildura hosted ChangeFest 24 earlier this year – a conference welcoming over 500 delegates from around the country on the nation-wide movement for plant-based change in Australia. Conducted on Latji Latji Country, delegates heard from leaders, innovators, decision-makers and funders.
Mildura was the perfect platform for the three-day conference, being staged across multiple venues along the riverfront. All within walking distance, Mildura showed off its minted best.
Plenary sessions were held at Mildura Arts Centre (MAC) with an auditorium capacity for 500, additional break-out spaces and a foyer that overlooks the MAC gardens and sculpture park that has seen many outdoor networking events and dinners hosted on the grounds.
The conference lunches were held at Powerhouse Place – a redeveloped venue and precinct that pays homage to the original boiler house at Mildura Electrical Plant and the city’s rich industrial history.
Additional break-out sessions were held at the Mildura Lawn Tennis Club, the Rowing Club and Quality Mildura Grand Hotel, with the opening, closing ceremonies and an evening campfire yarning session with Elders held at Rio Vista Park,
Mildura’s conference calendar this year looks set to welcome delegates from around the country, with the Australian Women Pilots’ Association National Conference held this month, SARRAH (Services for Australian Rural and Remote Allied Health) National Conference and Murray Darling Association Southern Basin Forum and others to be staged this year.
The activity and social options in Mildura available to delegates outlast many conference durations. For a start, delegates can choose to book-end their conferencing days with morning activities alongside a Mallee sunrise and wind-down under a star-studded night show.
Mildura is a bucket list destination that offers truly unique options – sunrise kayaking on Kings Billabong, a cultural heritage and traditional smoking ceremony conducted by the First People of the Millewa-Mallee Services, a Murray scenic cruise on board paddle vessel Mundoo, must-do dining experience with Stefano de Pieri, or sunset dinner with Matt De Angelo at the Murray River Salt Mine.
Extend your conference stay with a round of river-side golf, explore the CBD mural walks, visit the UNESCO World Heritage Mungo National Park or take a 4×4 offroad adventure to the Pink Lakes of the Murray Sunset National Park.
The team at Mildura Rural City Council provides support to conference organisers with venues, logistics, itineraries and planning to assist delegates get the most out of their conference, meetings or incentive programs in Mildura.
Reach out to Business Events Victoria for more information or for free support and assistance with your business events.
