From coastal beauty to cultural riches, BEAM explores the surrounding state of Victoria through land, sea and air.
There’s so much more to offer business event groups visiting vibrant Melbourne. Groups are spoilt for choice when it comes to incentive day trips out of Melbourne, with spectacular coastlines, majestic mountains and stunning wine country all located a mere 60 minutes from Melbourne’s central business district.
Geelong and the Bellarine offers a busy waterfront precinct combined with historic streetscapes, lush golf courses, and the chance to meet growers and makers, all making for an exciting itinerary inclusion. Whether your incentive travel group prefers gastronomic journeys, fascinating architecture, or history and culture, there is plenty to experience.
From Melbourne’s docklands, groups can board one of the ferries that navigate routes on Port Phillip Bay to Geelong and Portarlington, where delegates can savour the food and wines of the Bellarine region and enjoy the views from Jack Rabbit Vineyard.
Port Phillip Ferries operate two Australian-made and purpose-built catamarans that span 35 metres and accommodate 400 seats. Special packages for group events and itineraries targeted at 25 pax or more are available, such as a Port Phillip Whiskey & Craft Beer Tour or glamping at Terindah Estate winery.
Onboard, there is plenty of room for social distancing and a cafe serving fresh barista-brewed coffee, snacks, and a fully licensed bar. Additional catering options to suit your occasion are available for charter departures.
All vessels are fully accessible, with a lower deck providing access to the café, bathrooms, and fabulous views from large panoramic windows. Complimentary Wi-Fi, electronic device charging stations and guaranteed seating, including outdoor access via the rear and forward stairs, provide plenty of amenities to ensure your event is a pleasant one.
The newly built Melbourne Ferry Terminal includes a café that overlooks the Victoria Harbour in Docklands, and is within a short walk of Marvel Stadium, which hosted the AIME 2023 Welcome Reception.
For lunch, travelling to the award-winning Jack Rabbit Restaurant at the vineyards using Port Philip Ferries can be met at Portarlington by Wine Wheels, which operates shuttle buses serving local wineries. The House of Jack Rabbit Cellar Door caters to bistro-style dining, where tastings can be conducted.
Jack Rabbit caters to corporate functions and offers a variety of packages for tasting experiences and activities such as yoga between the vines. Lunch excursions can be arranged with Port Phillip Ferries, and accommodation at the nearby Curlewis Golf Club, which offers meetings facilities, is also available.
Make your delegates feel special with an exhilarating helicopter ride back to Melbourne CBD, a 20-minute flight compared to a 90-minute bus ride. Groups can feast on views of Geelong’s promenade, Melbourne beach suburbs such as Brighton and the impressive sports stadium.
Microflite offers a premium range of tours and charter flights around the state of Victoria including a return trip from Jack Rabbit to Melbourne at the pontoon helipad facilities on the Yarra River near the Crown and Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.
Wind down and end the day with an enchanting tour of Time.Rone museum at Flinders Street Station. A street artist best known for his haunting, stylised images of women’s faces, Rone has gone from spearheading Melbourne’s fledgling street art movement in the early 2000s, as a member of the Everfresh crew, to being a celebrated fixture on the international street art scene. An inveterate traveller, his distinctive female muses have followed him around the world, and can be found – in various states of decay – peering out from beneath overpasses and emblazoned on walls everywhere from New York to New Zealand and many places in between.
The Time.Rone exhibition, which runs until April 23, is currently sold out.
The day-trip to Geelong and the Bellarine was part the Uncover Melbourne experience organised by the Melbourne Convention Bureau for AIME 2023.
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