Last week, over 100,000 people converged at World Heritage-listed Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens for the 2022 Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show.
It was the first event held at the Royal Exhibition Building since it wound down operations as a major state vaccination hub. Marking a significant milestone in the recovery of inner-city events, attendance for the five-day festival was comparable to pre-pandemic numbers and exceeded organisers’ expectations.
“After a challenging two years, it was wonderful to see such a strong turnout and so many smiling faces back in the heart of Melbourne. We couldn’t be happier with the result,” said Event Director Marcus Gale.
It was a great five days for BreastScreen Victoria too. The show has long been one of our most significant engagement events of the year as 79% of attendees are women and 85% are aged over 40. It’s a fantastic opportunity to connect with people in our target population and promote the importance of breast screening. Staff working at the stand answered questions about everything from eligibility to COVID-safe screening measures and booked clients on the spot. We booked 278 clients, including 109 first-time screeners and 133 lapsed clients.
BreastScreen Victoria staff with client and Screen Debut ambassador Yianna.
Everyone that booked a breast screen received a show bag full of goodies donated by generous supporters. BreastScreen Victoria would like to thank the following for their continued support:
- Victorian Farmers Federation
- Burt’s Bees
- The Happy Snack Company
- Pukka Herbs
- Natio
- TENA
- Carmex
- Byron Bay Cookie Company
- Seeds of Plenty
- Bunnings Warehouse
Mel Davis, Director Engagement and Communication at BreastScreen Victoria, was happy to be back at the show.
“We are so thankful for our ongoing partnership with the Victorian Farmers Federation, which provides space for us to share information and book clients in for their regular breast screen. Since first exhibiting at the show in 2018, we have seen how valuable this event is to connect with communities from all over Victoria, surrounded by gorgeous floral and garden displays, and provide an essential and often surprising reminder for so many of our clients to book their screen.”