The Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre is continuing with its improvement strategy unveiling a range of new cafes that have been added to the centre to improve visitors experience.

The four new centre cafes have opened in four exhibition halls, with a new look and layout and including cold and hot food sections and barista-style coffee counters.

Centre chief executive Ton van Amerongen said new menus had been developed for the cafés, with meals and snacks prepared on-site daily and tailored to the demographics of each particular exhibition audience.

Amerongen says the new cafés give the public and exhibitors a fast, easy place to pick up something to eat. “And exhibitors love the fact that people don’t have to leave the show to find something great to eat,” he says.

He said the areas had been designed for easy access and service so that they flow smoothly allowing people to be able to quickly return to the exhibition.”

Meanwhile, the Melbourne Convention and Visitors Bureau has announced its secured its sixth major conference for the new Melbourne Convention Centre which will open in 2009.

It will be the venue for International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (IUBMB) 2010, the world’s major global conference of biochemistry and molecular biology.

Melbourne Convention and Visitors Bureau CEO Sandra Chipchase says the conference will bring 1600 biochemists and molecular biologists to Australia from members based in 66 countries for the event from 25 September to 1 October, 2010.

Delegates to the IUBMB will spend more than $4 million during their stay in Melbourne with total economic benefit to Victoria estimated at $8.6 million,” Chipchase says.

There are now six major conferences locked in for Melbourne’s new, six green star convention centre, which will l feature a 5,000-seat plenary hall, a ballroom and 32 meeting rooms of various sizes. The conferences already secured are predicted to bring 14,500 delegates whose spending will generate nearly $78m to Victoria.