Melbourne - An Incentive City for All Seasons

Melbourne and Victoria are celebrated for the diverse incentive experiences they offer over four distinct seasons. Whether sipping champagne over a cabaret show in the famous Spiegletent, or warming the body and soul through a private spa in a hot natural spring resort, delegates will rest, rejuvenate, relax and be rewarded by visiting Melbourne at any time of the year.

Summer

Make the Most of Major Events

Melburnians know summer has struck when the Australian Open Tennis Championships commence, seeing the world's leading players, from Roger Federer to Maria Sharapova, hit the city. Reward your team by enjoying VIP treatment in a corporate box; complete with flowing champagne and gourmet canapés, delegates are sure to be swept up in Grand Slam excitement.

Eat and Drink

Celebrate summer's seasonal delicacies by picking your own local produce on a chef-led tour of the Mornington Peninsula. Renowned for its orchards, dairies, bakeries and chocolatiers, and home to more than 50 boutique cellar doors, delegates will 'meet the makers' as they go, learning local secrets to producing award-winning produce. Teams will then come together to cook in a private kitchen, providing the freshest route from paddock to plate.

Team Activity

Set sail on picturesque Port Phillip Bay as your instructor teaches the team the basics of yacht racing. Delegates can then either race against each other in a regatta, or simply sip champagne as they sail into Sorrento, a stunning seaside town which also provides the opportunity to swim alongside docile dolphins.

A Taste of Local Life

Every Wednesday night during the summer months, the Suzuki Night Market comes to life at the Queen Victoria Market, attracting thousands of locals and visitors alike. Local fashion, crafts, jewellery, wine and produce are offered by more than 150 vendors, providing a great shopping experience for delegates, whilst a Hawker-style food hall sees more than 30 stalls offer cuisine from around the world; from Spanish paella to Ethiopian samboosa. The Suzuki Night Market showcases local performing arts talent, often featuring big name bands, whilst also celebrating health and harmony through massage and reflexology, providing the perfect way for delegates to wind down at their own leisure after a productive day of team meetings and team building.

Unique Experience

Home to some of the most celebrated surf coasts in the world, Victoria provides the perfect place to learn to surf. Delegates can soak up the stunning sunrise in the quintessential surf town of Torquay, learn to surf at one of many safe beaches that dot the coast and even pay a visit to the world-renowned Bells Beach, which each year sees the world's best talent, including Kelly Slater, compete in the prestigious Rip Curl Pro Series. Delegates can then visit the Surf World Museum, gaining an insight into one of Australia's most iconic sports.

Ultimate Incentive

Delegates will literally feel on top of the world as they view the magnificent Great Ocean Road, one of the world's most famous coastal drives, from a vintage plane. They will then skydive back down to the beach, where a private 'picnic' marquee awaits, complete with Veuve Clicquot champagne and gourmet bento boxes prepared by an award-winning caterer.

Autumn

Make the Most of Major Events

The Formula 1™ Australian Grand Prix sees the world's best drivers celebrate the need for speed against the backdrop of picturesque Albert Park. Delegates will be captivated by the roar of the F1s, as well as the glamour and entertainment on offer. From first class service at the Skydeck Lounge and Trackside International, to the stunning views from Chicane Pavilion and V8 Alley, delegates will see a fast and furious side of Melbourne.

Eat and Drink

Each autumn sees the ever-expanding Melbourne Food and Wine Festival capture the imagination of locals and visitors alike. From taking a masterclass at a five star hotel with an internationally acclaimed celebrity chef, such as Nigella Lawson, to wining and dining the afternoon away with 1,000 fellow diners at the World's Longest Lunch, more than 250 events are on offer, ensuring that the Festival rewards delegates and is remembered for many years to come.

Team Activity

Victoria's autumnal hues are simply stunning, particularly in the mountainous High Country region. One of the most spectacular ways to experience autumn is by taking a Pedal to Produce Tour, cycling around tranquil, scenic routes, and stopping to sample local wines, olives and fruits. From Milawa, famous for its Cheese Factory and Chocolatier, to Beechworth, home to the much loved Beechworth Bakery and Brown Brother's Winery, delegates can work on their fitness, benefit from the fresh, crisp country air and eat and drink some of the State's finest produce as they cycle between beautiful local villages.

A Taste of Local Life

The who's who of Australian celebrities can be seen working the red carpet at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival's Gala Night. Televised around the nation, delegates will feel special to have been part of the 'it' crowd and will leave Melbourne on a high, having laughed alongside the world's best comedic talent.

Unique Experience

Victoria's Great Dividing Range is as beautiful as it is rugged. Capture the life of an infamous Australian bushranger like Ned Kelly, as you embark on a horse riding expedition across stunning vistas and picturesque mountain ranges. Delegates will have to work together to navigate the changing landscapes, coming together to enjoy five star camping and share stories of their experiences over a campfire, providing a lifetime of memories.

Ultimate Incentive

Red, green and gold leaves blend together to capture the colour palate of autumn, as delegates descend into the stunning Yarra Valley in a hot air balloon at sunrise. Delegates can then sharpen their wine appreciation skills at a number of world-acclaimed vineyards, from Yerring Station to De Bortoli. For a unique experience, delegates can take a 'Sunday School' lesson at Domaine Chandon, one of the world's few wineries established by champagne house Moët & Chandon outside of France. After two hours of intense learning and tasting, delegates can relax and enjoy fine dining at the winery's recently revitalised Greenpoint Brasserie Tasting Bar, which showcases local produce matched to Domaine Chandon's award-winning wines.

Winter

Make the Most of Major Events

Melbourne is known as Australia's capital for culture and winter provides the perfect opportunity to visit the city's celebrated galleries. Incentive groups can take a private tour of the National Gallery of Victoria's winter Masterpieces Series, which sees some of the world's most treasured pieces come to Melbourne annually, followed by a gourmet dinner in one of the Gallery's unique, private event spaces. Delegates can finish the night with a late night session at the Melbourne International Jazz Festival, which sees some of the world's best jazz talent perform each June.

Eat and Drink

Let wine warm up your incentive group in winter by indulging in a Sommeliers Walk. Delegates will meet with some of Melbourne's most celebrated sommeliers, sampling Victorian wine matched with local produce tasting plates as they walk between some of the city's best restaurants. Delegates can then dine at Cutler & Co, named Australian Restaurant of the Year in 2010 by the Australian Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Awards.

Team Activity

What better way to warm up for winter than to get the adrenaline rushing? For a regional experience, delegates can learn to ski at any number of Victorian ski fields, followed by a five star stay in a chalet. Or, for a city-based experience, 'rush hour' gets the heart pumping, as your organisation's CEO is 'kidnapped' and delegates are given a laptop, GPS, a two-way radio and access to helicopters, sports cars, jet skis and Harley Davidsons to find their CEO, based on just one clue!

A Taste of Local Life

Melburnians are passionate about sport, with the city overcoming strong competition from Singapore, London, Berlin and Sydney to be named Ultimate Sports City in 2010, for the third time. Delegates can be caught up in locals' infectious passion for sport by taking a corporate box at an Australian rules football match, where blood, sweat and tears are all part of the show.

Unique Experience

'The Light in winter' is Federation Square's annual celebration of light, enlightenment and hope, bringing together local and international artists, designers and multicultural communities with a series of light-based artworks and a mid-winter Solstice Celebration. Delegates can view winter celebrations over champagne and canapés from the best vantage point available - the newly renovated Taxi Terrace which overlooks Federation Square, which is climate controlled for year-round access. Delegates will then enjoy a degustation dinner in a private room in the critically acclaimed Taxi Dining Room, which was named by The Age Good Food Guide as one of Melbourne's ten most iconic dining experiences in 2010.

Ultimate Incentive

For more than 100 years, locals and visitors have sought the healing properties of Daylesford's hot natural spring spas. For the ultimate winter incentive, visit Hepburn Bath & Spa. Having recently undergone a $13 million redevelopment, the complex now offers an aroma steam room, salt therapy pool, relaxation pool and spa couches submerged in mineral water complemented by extensive relaxation decks. Rejuvenate in a private healing mineral bath followed by a body wrap, massage and mineral make-up session.

Daylesford is also celebrated for its stunning Lake House, which provides boutique accommodation and a two Chef Hat awarded restaurant. In addition to its numerous national awards, including Best Hotel / Resort Dining by the Australian Gourmet Traveller Travel Awards 2010, the Lake House has also been awarded internationally, with accolades received including The Gold Standard by Conde Nast Traveller Gold List, making it the perfect retreat to reward incentive groups.

Spring

Make the Most of Major Events

Victoria's Spring Racing Carnival, featuring 'The Race that Stops a Nation™' the Melbourne Cup, showcases more than 50 days of world-class thoroughbred racing in a party atmosphere unique to Melbourne. Incorporating more than 90 race meetings across the State, the Spring Racing Carnival puts Victoria on the international map with its high-quality racing and influx of international competitors and visitors each year. Delegates can choose from the Caulfield Cup at Caulfield, Cox Plate at Moonee Valley or Melbourne Cup at Flemington or take a trip to one of the featured country meetings across the State. While the undisputed heroes of the Carnival are the stars of the turf, the accompanying fashion frenzy that engulfs Melbourne during spring is truly spectacular.

Eat and Drink

The annually-held Spring Harvest Picnic, which showcases everything from handcrafted local ale, to artisan bread and cupcakes, provides even more of an incentive to visit Werribee Mansion. Complete with an award-winning winery, a day spa, ten acres of stunning gardens, polo grounds, picture perfect private dining rooms and the original 1870s mansion itself, this five star hotel is sure to impress incentive delegates from all backgrounds.

Team Activity

Melbourne can literally turn your team into movie stars, as delegates act out a film storyline tailored to your business. Complete with special effects and filmed by one of Australia's premier film studios, delegates will discover unique places in Melbourne, whilst playing their part in a film which will be edited and ready to screen in time for a team dinner that evening.

A Taste of Local Life

Locals love to rest and rejuvenate at Melbourne's St Kilda Sea Baths. Delegates will feel renewed and relaxed following a hot stone massage at Spa Dreamtime, awarded Best Day Spa Australasia by SpaAsia. Locals also flock to nearby Donovan's, a fine dining restaurant located on the beachfront. Delegates can choose from one of two private dining rooms, sampling local seafood and seeing for themselves why the restaurant was awarded two Chefs Hats by The Age Good Food Guide 2011.

Unique Experience

In November 2011, Melbourne will host the prestigious Presidents Cup, a team match play competition featuring 24 of the world's top golfers - 12 from the United States and 12 from around the world (excluding Europe). Reward delegates with a private marquee in the Presidential Suite, overlooking the green and fairway from the brilliant vantage point of hole number 16. Delegates can also get into 'the swing' of the golf by taking an 'in-air' lesson with a leading pro golfer in a private helicopter ride over one of Australia's best golf courses, such as 'The Dunes', followed by an 'on the field' lesson, putting into practice everything they learnt mid-air.

Ultimate Incentive

Spring provides the perfect season to get up close and personal with Australia's wildlife in their natural habitats at the Grampians National Park. After a day of experiencing uniquely Australian fauna, flora and indigenous culture, delegates will enjoy relaxing over a fine wine and dining experience at the Royal Mail Hotel. Named Australia's Regional Restaurant of the Year by Australian Gourmet Traveller, the Royal Mail also offers boutique onsite accommodation, as well as stunning historical cottages located just five minutes away, offering the perfect place to hold corporate planning sessions and reward staff.