Melbourne to Host Nuclear Medicine and Biology Congress

 Melbourne has reaffirmed its strength in the fields of medicine and biology with the city set to host the 2018 World Congress of the World Federation of Nuclear Medicine and Biology (WFNMB), Victorian Minister for Health David Davis has announced.

Mr Davis said that hosting the Congress, to be held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC), was an important achievement for Melbourne and would provide a global arena for the exchange of knowledge in this highly specialised field.

“Nuclear medicine is used to detect and treat cancer, cardiovascular disease and neurodegenerative diseases to name just a few, and Australia is a world leader in this area,” Mr Davis said.

“The aim of this Congress is to promote and encourage the advancement of nuclear medicine worldwide and it will provide the perfect platform to showcase the outstanding research and diagnostic and therapeutic services undertaken in Australia and most importantly, in our state.”

Victorian Minister for Tourism and Major Events Louise Asher said that in addition to the medical and scientific benefits of the Congress, holding the event in Melbourne would also generate significant wealth for the local economy.

“The World Congress of the WFNMB will attract more than 2,500 delegates, generating an estimated AUD $14.3 million for the state economy,” Ms Asher said.

“This event has not been held in Australia for 24 years so it is the perfect opportunity to promote Melbourne and regional Victoria from both a knowledge perspective and a tourism perspective to the world.”

The win also brings the leadership of the World Federation to Australia from 2014 to 2018, with Professor Andrew Scott, Director of Positron Emission Tomography at Austin Health, and Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research in Melbourne, now President-Elect of the WFNMB.

“Part of the WFNMB’s charter is to integrate clinical care and research between developed and developing countries, which importantly will create opportunities for shared activities and performing research on unique disease profiles in the developing world,” Professor Scott said.

“The Australian and New Zealand Society of Nuclear Medicine (ANZSNM) represents all disciplines in nuclear medicine, and was very pleased to partner with the Melbourne Convention + Visitors Bureau (MCVB) to create the successful bid.

“This win is a very important step forward for the organisation, and will bring nuclear medicine specialists from all disciplines within the profession and other medical specialists from all over the world together to collaborate in this specialised field of medicine,” Professor Scott said.

Chief Executive Officer of MCVB, Karen Bolinger, said winning this Congress was yet another nod to the city’s intellectual capabilities.

“The strength of the science and medical sectors in Victoria is a major drawcard for international associations looking for a destination to host their next major conference, which is evident from the calibre of events we have coming to our city over the next eight years,” Ms Bolinger said.

“I would particularly like to thank Minister Davis for his contribution to the successful bid for the World Congress of the WFNMB and the Victorian Coalition Government for their ongoing support of the business events industry.”

Chief Executive of the MCEC Peter King said MCEC was delighted to have been chosen as the host venue for 2018.

“The Congress will provide Victorians with an invaluable opportunity to meet and share knowledge with global experts in their field and we look forward to welcoming all delegates to Melbourne and Victoria,” Mr King said.

Disney Live! Mickey’s Rockin Road Show

These summer holidays, hit the road with Mickey Mouse and your favourite Disney friends for a hilarious talent search in the all-new Disney Live! Mickey’s Rockin’ Road Show!

Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Goofy set out on a zany road trip where audiences join in and help find the coolest acts around.

Along the way, hit a high note with Cinderella; get your bounce on with Tigger; and shout out your loudest “yee-haw” at a hoedown with Woody, Jessie and Buzz Lightyear from Disney Pixar’s Toy Story!

Grab your family for a fun-filled getaway at this live, show-stopping adventure jam-packed with unexpected twists, turns and hijinks.

For more information visit www.disneylive.com.au.

Show Dates and Times:

Sydney 11th-13th January

Sydney Entertainment Centre

Melbourne 24th-25th January

Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre - The Plenary

Rare and Smelly Titan Arum Blooms at Melbourne Botanic Gardens

THIS rare 2m bloom smells like death, flowers for only a few days each decade - and has green thumbs rushing to the Royal Botanic Gardens. 

Hordes of horticultural enthusiasts waited in line yesterday to glimpse the exotic titan arum - or corpse flower - which emits the stench of rotting flesh.

Nursery co-ordinator David Robbins said experiencing the potent waft was a once-in-a-lifetime event.

"In my 26 years at the gardens, it's the most exciting thing that has happened," Mr Robbins said.
He said the plant's smell - often described as a combination of blue cheese, fresh manure and rotting flesh - attracted flies, which brought pollen from other flowers and promoted genetic diversity.
Mr Robbins said the plant, which had been painstakingly cultivated, started to flower on Christmas Day.

"This one has taken seven years to flower," he said.
"We're not sure when it will flower again. It depends on how much energy is left in the tuber after this flowering."

Mr Robbins said one underground tuber, which weighed 1kg in 2006 when it arrived at the gardens, now weighed 34kg.

He said seeds of the scarce plant were collected from Sumatra, its native home, by Sir David Attenborough in 1993 while he was there filming the documentary The Private Life of Plants.
Mr Robbins and his team planned to collect pollen from the endangered species to aid its conservation by enabling the pollination of future flowers.

He said thousands of people had come to see the bloom, which was expected to wither and close today or tomorrow, and he expected many more flower fanatics would stop by.

The Tropical Glasshouse is open from 10am to 6pm today.

View Source

Australian Hotels Prepare for Boom in Bookings in Lead Up To Ashes - Metro Hotels

With an estimated 37,000 international visitors heading to Australia for the Ashes test series this time next year, tickets to the matches aren't the only things in high demand.

Australia is set to battle England on home soil for the Ashes, with the first Test starting at The Gabba in Brisbane on November 21, 2013 and the 5^th Test finishing in Sydney on January 7, 2014. The five Test series is expected to be a boom for local tourism operators. 

According to Metro Hotels' Chief Operating Officer, George Bedwani, the Group has already experienced a huge demand for hotel accommodation in all cities where the tests are being held.

"Metro Hotels' in Perth, Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney started receiving bookings from both agents and individuals as early as the day after England regained the Ashes in the 2010/2011 series," he said.
"Bookings are already extremely strong, especially group bookings, despite the series not commencing for another 12 months."

The Ashes is one of the most famous sporting rivalries in the history of the sport, and certainly cricket's oldest and most fiercely fought competition.

After England's 3-1 win in the 2010-11 Ashes Series, the 2013-14 Tour is already setting itself up to be another historic showdown, with England looking to continue their winning streak and the Aussies fired up to win back the urn.

In addition to the test matches, there will also be five one-day internationals and three Twenty20 matches between Australia and England.

With 13 properties across Australia, Metro Hospitality Group is the country's oldest Australian owned hotel chain. The Group offers a range of 4-star hotels and apartments in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Gladstone, with the same affordable, quality, centrally located accommodation and friendly service common to all Metro properties Australia-wide.

*2013-14 Ashes series

• 1^st Test - Thursday 21 to 25 November 2013, The Gabba - Brisbane
• 2^nd Test - Thursday 5 to 9 December 2013, Adelaide Oval - Adelaide
• 3^rd Test - Friday 13 to 17 December 2013, WACA Ground - Perth
• 4^th Test - Thursday 26 to 30 December 2013, MCG - Melbourne
• 5^th Test - Friday 3 to 7 January 2014, SCG - Sydney

Guests are able to book at all Metro Hotels properties by calling the toll free Central Reservations line on 1800 004 321. Alternatively bookings can be made online at www.metrohotels.com.au.

Incoming Passenger Changes into Australia

A quicker and more convenient quarantine, biosecurity clearance is assured when you arrive in Australia now that low-risk products such as commercially prepared and packaged lollies, chips and chocolates need not be declared.

The changes, which have been made on the Incoming Passenger Card, are a result of the latest scientific advice that shows such food poses a lower risk.

Biosecurity officers will now focus on goods such as raw meats, live plants, seeds and fresh fruit and vegetables, which have a “much greater potential to bring diseases and pests to Australia,” Chapman said.

A Unique Melbourne Experience

Melbourne's Docklands is the emerging destination that showcases great restaurants, bars, sustainable buildings and public art in a great waterfront location. Customers will not only see how Docklands has developed over the last 13 years but listen to the stories of plentiful swamplands teeming with native birds and wildlife, of Melbourne's first race meeting and of the cricket ground where the Melbourne Club was formed.

Since 1999 over $8.5 Billion has been ploughed into Docklands by such property development heavyweights as Lend Lease. Led by the construction of Etihad stadium, the Docklands precinct has emerged as a corporate space where 29,000 workers are now based, and a residential location where its first library is being constructed right now.

Many of the buildings are home to a growing local population with developer Mirvac having built their interesting 'Tower 5' - the one that seems to have a boat on the roof which can be seen all the way down Flinders St.

However from under this very modern covering, Places Victoria have reconstructed small pieces of the old swamp environment that used to contain some of the best game hunting that the early settlers such as John Batman used to enjoy on their tables.

The Docklands Walking Experience starts from Etihad Stadium and winds through 7 of the 8 Docklands Precincts and highlights the surprising facts of the current environment, mixed with the stories of yesteryear to provide visitors with a rounded experience of the docklands area.

Passing such well-known icons as 'Cow Up A Tree' by John Kelly, the tour ends in Harbour Town for a great coffee and lunch. Use the offers contained in the included tour bag to shop in Harbour Town or enjoy local attractions such as the Icehouse.

Dates: Run 10am Tuesdays to Sundays from Etihad Stadium Docklands, adjacent Southern Cross Railway Station, Melbourne.

For more details call 0407 380969 or visit http://www.meltours.com.au/docklandswalk.htmgmail.com

Melbourne Continues as Business Events Leader

Minister for Tourism and Major Events Louise Asher has announced that Melbourne has secured 14 association business events in the first quarter of 2012/13, which will generate a forecasted $27 million for the Victorian economy.

Melbourne has been awarded nine international and five national conferences, which will attract an estimated 7550 delegates to Victoria over the next six years. Some of these events include:

• Engineers Australia National Conference 2014
• Green Cities 2015
• Congress of the International Federation for Structural Concrete 2018; and
• General Meeting of the International Mineralogical Association 2018. 

Ms Asher said the wins added to the impressive results achieved in the last financial year.

"The 2011/12 financial year saw the Melbourne Convention + Visitors Bureau (MCVB) deliver its best results on record in terms of estimated room nights and forecasted economic impact," Ms Asher said.

"MCVB secured 210 international and national business events for Victoria - a 62 per cent increase on the 2011/12 full year target."

"The business events secured in the last financial year will inject a forecasted $361 million into the Victorian economy over the coming years, and are a great testament to the ability of Melbourne and Victoria to compete in this global market."

Chief Executive Officer of MCVB Karen Bolinger, said the wins were a tribute to Melbourne's core strengths.

"Melbourne has a lot to offer business events including world-class infrastructure, an accessible city and the award-winning Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, which will host these events in the coming years," Ms Bolinger said.

"These bid wins shine a light on Victoria's strength in intellectual pursuits which we are eager to share with the world through our ongoing campaign, Melbourne IQ: The Intelligent Choice for Conferences."

"I would like to thank all our industry partners and the Victorian Coalition Government for their support of business events in Melbourne and regional Victoria, and look forward to what the rest of the year will bring," Ms Bolinger said.