In 2006, Melbourne hosted the 18th Commonwealth Games where the Australian team won a record 221 medals, included 84 gold medals.

BCA Melbourne 2006 was endorsed by the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games Corporation as the ‘official program creating business opportunities for the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games’. It built on the experience and achievements of previous BCA programs, staged by Austrade during the 2000 Olympic Games and Rugby World Cup 2003. Major partners in included Invest Australia and the Victorian Government with private sector sponsors such as Qantas.

Mr John Landy AC, the former Governor of Victoria, was engaged as Club Patron and Margaret Jackson AC, the former Chairman of Qantas Airways, chaired the BCA Melbourne 2006 Steering Committee that comprised high-level government and industry stakeholders.

The program comprised the following key components:

• 25 events held across 11 countries in the lead up to the games
• 32 industry and country themed events during the games
• High profiled keynote speakers, including Lord Sebastian Coe, (Chairman, London Organising Committee for the 2012 Olympics), Theresa Guttang (Chief Executive, Telecom, New Zealand), Tom Ridge (Director, Savi Technology, United States)
• Over 3,500 business people came through the networking venue at Federation Square during the Games
• Over 200 one-on-one business meetings were arranged
• 49 Global industry leaders from around the world had business itineraries developed by BCA
• 55 individual corporate hospitality sessions were held hosting 788 Australian exporters and international customers.

A survey six months afterwards showed that:

• 1 in 4 Australian clients that participated achieved or expect to achieve a sustainable international business relationship.
• 28% indicated that the program had impacted their capability to begin, grow and/or sustain exports.
• 1 in 4 indicated that BCA Melbourne 2006 had increased their awareness of Australian business opportunities and capabilities.
• 1 in 5 international respondents indicated that the program had impacted on their likelihood to invest in and/or import from Australia.