BY THE YEAR 2008, Melbourne will be home to Australia's largest exhibition and convention center. The city's new 5,000-seat convention center will be capable of hosting a single convention for 5,000 or two concurrent 2,000-attendee events. It will be connected to the existing Melbourne Exhibition Centre and, on completion of construction, renamed the Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre.

On the banks of the Yarra River, Melbourne has been undergoing an urban renewal. Since a phased opening beginning in 2002, Federation Square — a city block on the river's edge — has become a center of arts and culture, dining and entertainment. The National Gallery of Victoria recently reopened here after a four-year redevelopment and now offers a great new venue for group events.

Melbourne has more than 19,000 guest rooms, including the new $136 million hotel at the Crown Entertainment Complex.