The Mural Hall at Myer Melbourne is definitely one of the most fabulous event venues the city has to offer. So it was great to be back there again tonight for the MCVB AIME welcome cocktail party. The cocktail party is always an opportunity to catch up with previous AIME contacts – media, buyers and MCVB staff.
So what did this have to offer as a networking cocktail party? As stated, the venue is fabulous and styling by The Big Group was excellent - lots of candles and glassware and some great floral displays. There were also a number of very stylish stands offering a taste of Melbourne shopping, and as the majority of the AIME buyers are women, that is who this shopping experience was appropriately aimed at.
The food was great – with one caveat – the featured dish was a slab of very delicious tuna, but this really needed to be cut into bite size pieces before serving. Trying to hack it into mouth size pieces with a fork only, while balancing the plate and a glass of wine was not very stylish.
The wines were also a disappointment, one would expect that the MCVB would be trying to sell Melbourne and Victoria – so why serve wines from the South Australian Riverland? – not one of Australia’s renowned wine regions and certainly not Victorian.
While the lighting in the venue was great (I really liked the sunset effect on the main floral arrangement), one of the shortcomings is the audio. I have observed from previous visits that it is a difficult room to get the audio right in – lots of reflective surfaces and no draping or carpets to help.
Now I’m at risk of being labelled sexist here. But when the audience is predominantly women it seems it is very hard to shut them up for speeches at any function. This was compounded tonight by the inadequacy of the audio. So it was quite difficult to hear the welcome from the new MCVB CEO, Karen Bolinger or from John Simeone, the representative from AIMEs major sponsor, Qantas. Very disrespectful when you consider that these organisations are paying for their junket!
They did settle down for the Qantas children’s choir though, maternal instincts maybe? So here is a thought – put the kiddies on first to get their attention.
Sounds like a lot of criticism but it was actually a good night and a good welcome back to Melbourne. Looking forward to the hosted breakfast tomorrow at ZINC @ Federation Square, then some Melbourne highlights followed by lunch at MCEC (who always ensure we are served local produce and wines).
The crowd at The Myer Mural Hall
The shopping experience
The tuna - more than a mouthful
Welcome from Karen Bolinger - CEO MCVB
The Qantas choir
The dessert trolley
