Major investment into Geelong events precinct secured

27/12/2023

A Partnerships Victoria agreement is now signed between the Victorian Government and Plenary Conventions for the Nyaal Banyul Geelong Convention and Event Centre precinct.

This agreement confirms that Plenary Conventions is investing an initial $120 million towards the Crowne Plaza Hotel. Plenary Conventions has also earmarked another $130 million to create a commercial development within the precinct.

The Victorian Government is contributing $423 million towards the Nyaal Banyul Geelong Convention and Event Centre precinct, with the Australian Government contributing $30 million and the City of Greater Geelong $3 million. The project is a commitment of the Geelong City Deal.

The plans include a state-of-the-art convention and events centre, a 200 room Crowne Plaza hotel, a large public plaza, hospitality spaces and an office tower. The designs come after several months of meeting with events industry leaders and the local community.

The public plaza will see the return of events and community gatherings to the site. The area was once used as a gathering place for the Wadawurrung people for thousands of years, celebrating the region’s rich cultural history.

The partnership approach will support the precinct to host a range of high-quality events, from large corporate conferences through to international live music acts and local community gatherings.

The precinct will help Geelong reach its tourism potential, with forecasts showing Geelong could attract up to an extra 300,000 overnight visitors by 2030.

Construction will support more than 1450 jobs and once the precinct is operational it will generate 700 more jobs. There is also a focus on making sure local workers and contractors are sourced wherever possible.

The project will also support locals to develop the skills they need for future jobs, with community organisation gforce set to recruit up to 28 new local apprentices and trainees.

The precinct is part of the Geelong City Deal, which is revitalising the city and regional economy, encouraging visitors to spend more time in the region by capitalising on its natural assets.

For more information on the Geelong City Deal visit the Australian Government City Deals page.