An international conference of Jehovah Witnesses is expected to
break attendance records at Etihad Stadium this weekend with up to 75,000
delegates attending.
Traders reported huge crowds on Thursday at QVM with one trader
describing our market as a meeting place for delegates with all the ingredients
of a community hub. The photo on the right shows delegates from Tasmania and Pennsylvania
getting together at a trader's stall.
The conference marks the centenary of an important event on the
Jehovah's Witnesses calendar as Melbourne's 11,000 devotees are joined by
delegates from all over the world. The event goes for three days, Friday,
Saturday, Sunday, and is expected to add $50m to Victoria's economy. We are not
sure how much free time delegates will have once the conference gets into full
swing on Friday but hopefully many will find time to visit us over the weekend.
Once again we need to ask how appropriate it is for our market to
close mid-afternoon when crowds like this will be looking for entertainment
after their conference closes each day.