Melbourne's Fed Square secures dual awards for innovative events program

Last night's virtual Meetings and Events Australia (MEA) awards ceremony saw Melbourne’s Federation Square secure awards 'Special Event of the Year' and 'Event Venue of the Year' for influential event and marketing campaigns in 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fed Square is committed to creating a thriving precinct of cultural and civic activities, and endeavours to act as Melbourne's centre for creativity and innovation. These awards are a testament to Fed Square's management and their mission to reflect the rich culture, heritage and identity of Victoria through unique experiences that captivate and connect.

Fed Square claimed 'Special Event of the Year' for its Dining In, Turned Inside Out campaign which saw the Square come to life as a vibrant piazza with outdoor dining, entertainment and engaging activations. Dining In, Turned Inside Out aimed to support the reopening of Fed Square's cafes, restaurants and bars hit hard by COVID-19 closures, with restaurants like Chocolate Buddha, Transport and Beer Deluxe participating. The piazza was lined with greenery, comfortable seating and shady umbrellas, creating an inviting spot for Melburnians to sit and enjoy the best in hospitality.

True to the creative nature of Fed Square, the event was accented by a large art installation known as 'Sky Castle', created in partnership with ENESS. Sky Castle was a never-before-seen sound and light installation featuring colourful inflatable arches dotted around the Square, evocative of a rainbow. As people moved through the dreamlike arches, they could hear a joyful xylophone soundscape as well as stimulate vivid colour changes in each arch.

Dining In, Turned Inside Out effectively re-energised Fed Square, driving high visitation to the city and demonstrating how to safely and professionally reopen in line with COVID-19 regulations.

Fed Square was also awarded 'Event Venue of the Year' for the efficient way its team converted its premier event venue, The Edge, into a sophisticated virtual offering during lockdown. After just four weeks, Fed Square launched the Virtual Edge, a technologically advanced broadcast studio that allowed virtual events to take place safely and seamlessly. This meant high profile events were re-formatted and streamed across multiple platforms, stimulating the industry, engaging new audiences and providing high-quality entertainment at home. The Virtual Edge also gave Fed Square a new asset to create and share owned content including the award-winning Fed Fitness video series.

Fed Square Chief Experience Officer Suzana Bishop notes "we are pleased to accept these awards that re­ enforce for us that Fed Square's dedication to innovation, community and collaboration is not going unnoticed. We acted quickly, in a challenging time, to re-imagine Fed Square's offering to strengthen the local arts, hospitality and event industries and provide enriching experiences for people at home.

"As Victoria reopens in 2021, we are ready to again bring our industry expertise to support our precinct partners and create engaging experiences that will re-invigorate Melbourne.”

Images from top: Dining In, Turned Inside Out campaign saw Fed Square come to life as a vibrant piazza with outdoor dining, entertainment and engaging activations. All images Credit: Liam Neal; Fed Square launched the Virtual Edge, a technologically advanced broadcast studio that allowed virtual events to take place safely and seamlessly.