The C2 Melbourne collaborative event that was scheduled to take place at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre in October 2018 was officially canceled this week.
The news comes on the heels of the sudden departure from C2 on August 16, 2018, of the event creator and C2’s CEO Asia-Pacific Martin Enault. According to Conference News, a UK-based events publication, reports cited health reasons for his decision. Enault had relocated from Canada to set up C2 Melbourne.
C2 Montreal is an annual event lauded for its innovative approach to business and networking with options like Learning Labs during which attendees will be doing anything from hanging from the ceiling in seats overlooking the show floor to meeting in the dark. Meetings Today editor Lori Tenny profiled the event in 2017.
[Related Content: C2 Montreal Blazes Radical New Trails in Experience Design]
Conference News noted that the host venue, the Melbourne Convention Exhibition Centre, had invested significant marketing capital into the event, and the state of Victoria had put in significant funding as well, for the event, which had been expected to attract 2,500 participants.
It had been backed heavily by the Melbourne Convention Bureau.
In a statement, C2 International president and CEO, Richard St-Pierre, said: “While we demonstrated our deep commitment to bringing C2 Melbourne to life, a series of circumstances outside of our control made it impossible for us to execute on the creation of the event.”
Melbourne Convention Bureau CEO, Karen Bolinger, said in a statement, “Whilst we are surprised and disappointed to have received the news of the cancellation of C2 Melbourne, we have been advised that it is in the best interests of Melbourne, our stakeholders, partners and prospective attendees.”
She added that the “decision to enter into a relationship with C2 was all about being brave, innovative and trying new things.
“We know that as a conference destination we need to evolve to ensure the conference experience exceeds the progressive expectations of delegates,” Bolinger added. “We will continue to take risks and seek out opportunities for innovation and disruption in the conference market.”
All ticket holders will be refunded and notified directly by organizers.
