Word for Word

4 Jul 2014

The BIGGEST one EVER! Bringing AIDS 2014 to Melbourne.

Health, News & Politics, Society & Culture

Karen Bolinger, CEO of the Melboune Convention Bureau

AIDS 2014 is the largest conference ever to be staged in Australia and it’s coming to Melbourne, July 20-25.  Today on Word For Word, Dean Beck speaks to the CEO of the Melbourne Convention Bureau (MCB) Karen Bolinger and the Chief Executive of the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC), Peter King.

Seventeen years ago the team at MCB identified the International AIDS Conference as an event that they would like to host.  Since securing AIDS 2014 two years ago, they have been working towards lining up the world’s best scientists, medical researchers, community and political leaders so that the best of the best are in town for this event.

Now it’s up to Peter and his team at MCEC to execute the event.  From staff and food to satellite links and live web streaming, the logistics and technology required to deliver a conference event of this size will push them to their limits.  With over 2000 presentations to be made over the five days of the conference, it only takes one thing to go wrong and it could upset the rest of the daily proceedings.

In addition to the conference itself, the delegates will experience an expo that will take up two thirds of Jeff’s shed.  The other one third will feature the Global Village, highlighting the cultural response to HIV and AIDS from 200 countries globally.  Everyone is invited to experience AIDS 2014 and entry to the Global Village is FREE.

Over 160 independent events have been scheduled to coincide with AIDS 2014 throughout Melbourne.  From an AFL footy match to 45 of Melbourne’s iconic buildings glowing red for the week, AIDS 2014 will deliver an opportunity for Australia to re-engage with the global HIV epidemic at a time when locally, new infections of HIV are continuing to rise.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 56:38 — 51.9MB)

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