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MCVB wins major event for the kids

Melbourne has won the rights to host the International Congress of Paediatrics in 2013. The event will see more than 5,000 Paediatricians from around the world arrive in Melbourne and will inject over $30 million into the Victorian economy. MCVB won the rights to host the event with support from The Royal Australasian College of Physicians (Paediatrics Child Health Division). Image left: the mural which helped win the bid, painted by children at the Royal Children's Hospital.

Peninsula celebrates first month

Peninsula at Central Pier Docklands celebrated its first month of operation on Tuesday 18 September.  In this short time, Melbourne's largest waterside event space has hosted more than 25 successful events ranging from gala balls, cocktail parties, conferences & exhibitions and everything in between.  Able to accommodate 1,400 sit down and 2,800 cocktail style, Peninsula provides a fresh alternative for Melbourne's big events and features a stunning 66-metre crystal chandelier. Read more...

Melbourne welcomes Korean Air

Melbourne will welcome its newest international airline, with the announcement that Korean Air will operate scheduled services to Melbourne Airport three times per week. The services, which will commence on October 22, will fly direct between Melbourne and Seoul, providing strong tourism and business links between Victoria and South Korea.

New function space at Wine House

Wine House is a boutique wine shop, brassiere, catering service and now - function space. Specialising in premium Australian produce, the tastefully restored warehouse building is part of Melbourne's riverside Southbank precinct. The new intimate function space can hold up to 140 for cocktail functions and is fully equipped for private dining, conferencing, cocktail events and product launches.

Qantas announces carbon offset program

Qantas has announced a Qantas Airlines carbon offset program that will allow any Qantas customer to offset their share of flight emissions for a small contribution. Accredited by The Australian Greenhouse Office, the program also includes the airline's investment into new fuel-efficient aircraft and a fully funded Fly Carbon Neutral Day whereby Qantas will offset the emissions from every international and domestic flight that departed on 19 September.

Grand Hotel Melbourne welcomes new Bar and Restaurant

Named after the building's original purpose as a Railway Administrative Building, The Grand Hotel Melbourne, managed by Sofitel, has launched its new bar and restaurant, RAB, this September. RAB offers a selection of Lenotres exquisite pastries & chocolates, a French inspired menu, eclectic champagnes, cognacs and wines. RAB is open daily from Breakfast until late.

As home to some of Australia's most celebrated chefs where dishes are made with  fusions of flavours influenced by Asia and fresh produce sourced locally from around the State of Victoria, it is no wonder that Melbourne is considered Australia's culinary capital.

Incentive groups can choose from the following top
five gastronomic experiences:

1. See Melbourne through a delicious chocoholic haze on a tour through its historic arcades. Let your taste buds do the walking from the chilli chocolates at Haighs to the hot chocolate at Koko Black, and the utterly divine chocolate pudding at Sofitel Melbourne.

2. Submerge yourself completely in Melbourne's gourmet world with Culinary Arts - five day team-building culinary experience featuring hands-on Australian style cooking classes and visits to Victoria's premier vineyards and providores.

3. Get a real taste of Australia with Chef Mark Olive aka The Black Olive. Mark works with The  Koorie Heritage Trust in Melbourne to preserves the living Aboriginal culture of south-eastern Australia by leading cooking classes and demonstrations on real bush tucker.

4. Go shopping in the gourmet food section of Melbourne's historic Queen Victoria Market then cook up a feast using ingredients introduced into Melbourne's restaurants from the city's dominant multi-cultural communities - Greece, Italy and parts of Asia.

5. A visit to Victoria is not complete without experiencing one or more of the State's 22 wine regions boasting 583 wineries. Local food and wine experts will talk you through lunch matching each course with a different local wine.

mcvb.com.au