Great news for the gift and homewares industry with the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre (MCEC) expanding its floor space by 9,000 square metres next year, offering more exhibitors and new products under one roof at the August gift fairs.
Reed Exhibitions and the Australian Gift & Homewares Association (AGHA) will share the additional space occupying the entire exhibition area at the MCEC, creating a greater and more rewarding experience for both visitors and exhibitors.
“This exciting development has been many years in the making and is a great leap forward for the industry,” says Reed Gift Fairs event director, Louisa Theobald.
“I’m very proud of the spirit of cooperation shown between two event organisers in order to push this through and truly put the visitor and exhibitor experience at the very heart of what we do.”
AGHA CEO Wayne Castle agrees, saying the renewed cooperation between the two trade fairs can only benefit the industry.
“To cooperatively deliver our industry leading gift fairs is a huge step forward for retailers and visitors,” he adds.
“We appreciate visitors to our fairs deserve a cohesive, comprehensive and efficient buying experience. We can now deliver on this commitment.”
In addition to the extra exhibition space there will be a new 331-room hotel, multi-deck car parking facilities for more than 1,150 cars and an additional entrance located opposite South Wharf DFO.
AGHA’s Melbourne Gift Fair and Reed Gift Fairs Melbourne will continue to use the Melbourne Showgrounds for the August gift fairs, giving retailers even more opportunities to source the latest products.
By Marion Gerritsen
