ANY NOTION that Geelong’s up-and-coming convention centre is a little brother to its management stablemate in Melbourne were dispelled as the GM of the seaside city venue made his case at the Asia-Pacific Incentive and Meetings Event (AIME).
Geelong, about an hour’s drive from Melbourne, is known for its classic pier, boardwalks, harbourview buildings, the surrounding countryside of Bellarine and as the gateway to the wonder that is the Great Ocean Road.
It is also Australia’s only Unesco City of Design thanks to its inviting waterfront precinct where Nyaal Banyul Geelong Convention and Event Centre is due to open in 2026.
The venue’s name derives from the collaboration the project has fostered with First Peoples of Wadawurrung Country, the lands’s traditional owners. The Wadawurrung people were consulted in the naming, design and location of Nyaal Banyul, with Geelong’s Western Beach cliffs having strong cultural and spiritual significance.
For Nyaal Banyul’s general manager, Rick Aylett, going the extra mile by engaging with communities, including the Wadawurrung, along with the sourcing of local produce and helping invigorate the state’s economy, are qualities shared by the venue’s stablemate in Melbourne.
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What sets Nyaal Banyul apart is its role in enhancing Geelong’s identity internationally, across Australia and for the state of Victoria beyond the big city. Foremost, however, has been community connection and the visitor economy.
“We’ve engaged with social procurement and engaged with local community groups particularly the Wadawurrung. They’ve co designed the venue with us,” Aylett told MIX on sidelines of the recent AIME 2025 in Melbourne.
Whether it’s olive groves or crafts, craft breweries, distilleries, wineries, artisan food and bakeries, chocolate makers, we will actually harness that supply chain and the locals to contribute in that way to the economic benefit.”
– Rick Aylett, general manager, Nyaal Banyul Geelong Convention and Event Centre
“We took them on the journey with developing the brand identity, and there will be cultural, educational aspects once we open with the Wadawurrung once we open.”
Geelong has long been an excursion option for large groups attending conferences in Melbourne seeking winery tours, team building and access to beaches and the Great Ocean Road.
With Nyaal Banyul Geelong Convention and Event Centre on the horizon, Aylett is seeking to make that identity more distinct as the venue nears completion and vies for conference and incentive groups.
Backgrounder… Aylett takes helm at Nyaal Banyul
“What we will do is leverage 30 years of experience,” said Aylett referring to the management link with Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. “We’ll leverage that knowledge and leverage the relationships we have with PCOs and event organisers.
“We don’t want to cannibalise [events]… but we certainly want to complement each other, and that’s where we will leverage that expertise and that knowledge. Nyaal Banyul has its own identity and its own brand. We’ll leverage some of the expertise, but we’ll customise it to make it personal for Geelong.”
Geelong and other cities in rural Victoria made event headlines two years ago when the state government announced it would not fund the 2026 Commonwealth Games due to soaring costs.
Though the Games would have been taking place in Nyaal Banyul’s debut year, Aylett said the issue was “on the radar” rather than having any expected impact on the centre.
“It would have been advantageous to have the Commonwealth Games, and that was targeted for just after Nyaal Banyul would open, but they were completely separate.
“Events, whether they be sporting, public – or corporate – or festivals are important for the region. So that was a bit of a knock-back for the region’s identity and the region’s economy.
“My view would be that it hasn’t impacted negatively. There’s no doubt it would have been beneficial to have the Commonwealth Games from a regional perspective, and that would have added value and maybe some inputs. But there’s already so much interest and investment into the Geelong region.”
Australia’s Unesco City of Design is famed for its sports teams and surfing culture with the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race – the one-day multi-event cycling race starting and ending in the city – already drawing national attention.
“So it has a number of events and these were growing before the Commonwealth Games came on the radar.”
The emphasis is now on looking forward with Aylett wanting to strike the right balance between public and corporate events, which he believes will be “transformative for Geelong”.
“It is a destination in its own right and the impetus will be for Geelong to create jobs, event activations, trade and economic benefits. It will also contribute to civic pride, which is really important.”
