India is Melbourne Convention Bureau’s 2nd largest incentive market after China: Joanna Garrie

Mumbai and Delhi remain Melbourne Convention Bureau’s key Indian markets as the destination strengthens trade engagement and targets further growth across the country, according to Joanna Garrie, Director, Corporate Meetings & Incentives (CMI), Melbourne Convention Bureau.

Speaking with T3, during the bureau’s recent India visit, Garrie said the primary objective was to deepen engagement with the travel trade, educate partners about Melbourne and Victoria’s incentive offerings, and create opportunities for direct interactions between Indian agents and Australian suppliers.

“Mumbai and Delhi are absolutely the biggest and most important cities for us in terms of the number of delegates, and a key element of the MICE market is focused here,” Garrie said. She added that Melbourne Convention Bureau’s representation agency, Beautiful Planet, continues to conduct sales calls across Tier-II cities throughout the year. “As our visitation from India grows further, we will definitely move into the next tier of cities as well,” she said.

India is the second-largest incentive market

MCB’s India strategy is focused primarily on the incentives segment, with Asia Pacific continuing to dominate its incentive business.

“We primarily receive 95% of our incentive business from the Asia-Pacific region. China is our number one market, and India is our number two market,” Garrie said. She noted that India is also among the bureau’s leading revenue-generating markets.

Indonesia ranks third, followed by Malaysia. “We continue to receive a consistent flow of leads and interest from India, and we know that the market is growing.” She attributed the growth to India’s expanding middle class and the increasing number of companies running incentive programmes.

Expanding India engagement

Garrie said MCB has significantly expanded its India engagement strategy through multiple trade and marketing initiatives. The bureau regularly conducts familiarisation programmes, advertising campaigns with key MICE publications, annual sales missions, and more.

“We bring agents into our destination so they can experience it firsthand. We do advertising campaigns with key MICE publications in India, and we conduct annual sales calls.”

A key pillar of the strategy is AIME, Asia Pacific’s largest MICE trade show, which is held in Melbourne every February. “We bring Indian buyers to AIME every year. We are doing a lot to support and increase our presence in the India market.”

Indian groups becoming more adventurous

The bureau has witnessed a clear evolution in the Indian incentive market, with stronger demand for premium and experiential programmes. She shared, “The numbers have definitely grown. We are now getting at least 20 Indian incentive groups a year, which is fantastic.”

Beyond volume growth, Garrie shared, “We are finding that our Indian incentive groups are becoming more adventurous. We are getting more requests for money-can’t-buy experiences and local Australian experiences.”

While Indian food remains an important comfort element, travellers are increasingly open to exploring Australian cuisine and local culture. “We are finding that it is becoming a more mature incentive market. It has been wonderful to see that journey and that growth,” Garrie added.

Luxury accommodation, exclusive access, and customised VIP experiences are among the strongest demand trends. Groups are also increasingly seeking exclusivity. “They want experiences that nobody else has done. We are very happy to work with groups on that, whether it is branding opportunities, large gala dinners, or immersive Australian experiences.”

One voice with Visit Victoria

Melbourne Convention Bureau is working closely with Visit Victoria to create a more unified destination positioning in the Indian market. “We are part of Visit Victoria, and Beautiful Planet represents both Visit Victoria and Melbourne Convention Bureau. That makes it very easy for us in the market.”
The bureau has increasingly aligned its messaging under the Visit Victoria brand. Garrie shared, “You will see our overarching Visit Victoria brand, ‘Every Bit Different’. We have become much more proactive about speaking with one voice, whether it is leisure tourism or MICE tourism.”

Focus on quality over quantity

The average Indian incentive group travelling to Melbourne typically ranges between 100 and 300 delegates. “A 300-person group staying in Melbourne for around four nights would generate an economic impact of approximately AUD 3 million, Garrie said, added that these groups are strategically important for the state because of both direct spending and destination exposure.

However, Melbourne Convention Bureau is prioritising value over volume. “Our focus is not really on numbers alone. It is about quality versus quantity.” She said expanding the bureau’s trade network across India remains a key priority.
“Exploring those second-tier cities and bringing more agents into our fold is probably even more important. We want more partners to understand what Melbourne Convention Bureau can offer as a convention bureau.”

Why MCB?

Garrie believes Melbourne has considerable untapped potential in the Indian incentives market. “We can absolutely take more Indian incentives,” she said and further added that many planners continue to underestimate Melbourne’s large-scale event capabilities. “People often assume that Sydney is the only Australian city capable of handling very large incentive groups.”

“We have as many hotel rooms as Sydney, the largest convention centre, many major venues, and excellent access to regional experiences,” Garrie explained. “I believe we are the best destination for incentive programmes because of all those factors,” further added Garrie.

One of Melbourne Convention Bureau’s key differentiators is also its full-service support model. Garrie shared, “Unlike some convention bureaus that focus only on winning the event, we stay with our clients every step of the way.”

The bureau assists with destination selection, bidding, funding support where applicable, accommodation, transfers, permits, and VIP requirements.

“We make sure we are with you from the time Melbourne is identified as a potential destination until your group leaves happy from Melbourne after having a really amazing time,” she added.
The bureau also provides extensive support for visa-related processes. “We understand that visa access can sometimes be challenging. We provide invitation letters that can be attached to visa applications and do everything we can to support that process,” Garrie shared.

Beena Menon, Partner at Beautiful Planet Destination Marketing, also shared with T3, that India is emerging as one of the fastest-growing outbound MICE markets, making it a strategically important source market for Melbourne.
Menon said the sustained growth in India’s MICE business presents a significant opportunity for Melbourne to strengthen its share of the market.

“With world-class facilities such as the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, which is one of the largest in Australia, along with the exciting experiences and attractions that Melbourne and Victoria offer, the destination provides a compelling mix for organisations looking to host MICE events,” Menon added.

According to Menon, Melbourne’s ability to combine large-scale event infrastructure with premium leisure and experiential offerings positions it well to attract Indian corporate groups seeking both business and incentive travel experiences.