Offical Naming Ceremony, Designs Revealed, Hotel Announced. The Geelong Convention & Event Centre is quickly becoming a reality.

We now have an offical name for Geelong’s future Convention & Events Centre: Nyaal Banyul.

The Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation has gifted a new name to what has been known as Geelong Convention and Events Centre returning Wadawurrung language to country.

The name Nyaal Banyul means: ‘open your eyes to the hills.’ The name is made up of two Wadawurrung words – nyaal, meaning to open your eyes, and banyul, meaning hill. This name was chosen to encourage people at the site to take time to appreciate the landscapes of Wadawurrung Country.

The naming also marks the return of events and celebration to the site which was historically a gathering place known as baierr. The new name also encapsulates the range of events the centre will host.

Along with the announcement of it’s official name, The Geelong Convention and Events Centre precinct development is now one step closer to reality with the selection of the preferred bidder who will deliver the much-anticipated project, along with the unveiling of the proposed designs. Minister for Regional Development Harriet Shing joined City of Greater Geelong Mayor Trent Sullivan to announce Plenary Conventions has been appointed to lead the project and will soon start on what will be one of the biggest developments in regional Victoria.

The Victorian Government is investing more than $260 million into the project as part of the Geelong City Deal, with additional contributions of $30 million from the Australian Government and $3 million from the City of Greater Geelong.

The Plenary Conventions consortium will transform the 1.6-hectare waterfront car parking site into a precinct that welcomes locals and visitors alike as part of the Public Private Partnership.  The consortium comprises the Plenary Group as sponsor and investor, Built as builder, Woods Bagot as architect, BGIS as services contractor and Quintessential Equity as developer. And IHG Hotels & Resorts will bring their premium hotel brand, Crowne Plaza to the event centre, making Geelong this the region’s first 4.5 star hotel when it opens for business in 2026.

The development of this world-class facility and precinct has included extensive stakeholder consultation and ongoing work with the Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation on critical aspects of the precinct’s design, identity and recognition of local cultural heritage.

It will include the construction of the purpose-built convention and exhibition space, incorporating a 1000 seat venue, two large exhibition spaces, meeting rooms, conference facilities and flexible event spaces.

The precinct will also be home to retail spaces for food and beverage offerings and a large public plaza that promises to become a feature of the Geelong waterfront. In a boost for Geelong’s up-market accommodation stocks the development will also include a 200-room hotel under the internationally renowned Crowne Plaza brand.

Federal Minister for Regional Development Catherine King stated: “The City of Geelong has undergone significant growth in recent years. This development will build on its reputation as a business and sporting powerhouse in regional Victoria.” Business Events Geelong Bureau Manager Tamie Ryan echoed this sentiment stating: “The brand new convention and exhibition centre is fantastic news for the region. It will not only inject $50 million in economic impact annually to the region once operational, but it will also open us up to bid for larger pieces of business that we have previously not been able to.”

The Trust that operates Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre will also manage and operate the new Geelong Convention and Exhibition Centre, once complete. The two centres will cement Victoria as a premier global destination for events.

Preliminary works on the site are underway and construction is set to begin shortly, with completion of the convention centre and hotel in early 2026.

The precinct development is the centrepiece of the Geelong City Deal – a $500+ million commitment between the Australian and Victorian governments and the City of Greater Geelong. It is revitalising the city and regional economy, encouraging visitors to spend more time in the region by capitalising on its natural assets.

To plan an event or conference in Geelong, contact our team today. We are the conference planning specialists and connect you with the right venues, experiences and suppliers that will make conference planning a seamless experience.