The Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) took the opportunity to exceed expectations and blew the industry away with their big ideas at the annual AIME Networking Evening. Despite Melbourne’s wild weather, the MCEC proved that rain, hail, or shine, the event will go on!

On Tuesday 18 February, the MCEC transformed their courtyard and Goldfields foyer into an Australian tropical oasis. The garden gathering theme was complete with palm trees, patches of green forest and even an unique edible strawberry field. The theme shone through in all facets of the night; from the coloured lighting and styling to the fresh and original food and botanical-inspired cocktails on offer.

The vibrant night had a uniquely designed menu by the MCEC with many foodie highlights including:

Strawberry Fields 

All phones were out capturing this one-of-a-kind interactive strawberry patch. Inspired by everyone’s favourite summer berry, the ‘Strawberry Fields’ were patches of edible chocolate soil scattered with assorted strawberry flavoured pastries and sweet treats. The incredible chefs at the MCEC intended the strawberry patches to be a fun twist on the idea of berry picking, where guests were able to pick their own delicious strawberry treat.

Australian botanical-inspired cocktails

The MCEC uniquely captured the taste of Australia with the light and bubbly spritzs on offer all night. Their cocktails included a Rosella hibiscus spritz and a Davidson plum spritz that heroed the natural flavours of the Australian outback and were loved by the industry.

Fresh food stations

Scattered around the foyer and courtyard were fresh and delicious food zones. The zones included a ‘prawns-a-plenty’ station serving up Australian kind prawns with a zesty lime and chive aioli. To support the MCEC’s sustainable vision, there was a ‘fresh from the farm’ station that heroed seasonal vegetables from local market gardens and sourced from local suppliers. This incredible station showcased their dedication to reducing their environmental footprint by promoting Victorian producers.

Venue and Catering: Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre
Furniture: Harry the hirer
Plants: Greenevent