The suburb of St Kilda has had a colourful history to say the least. During colonial times St Kilda was the favourte suburb of the Melbourne elite with its expansive mansions and a palm tree-lined promenade. The early 1900s saw St Kilda become a day trip vacation spot, fuelled by the opening of a Luna Park and the cheesecake and clothes strips of Acland and Fitzroy streets.

After the Second World War, the glitz temporarily left St Kilda as it became known as Melbourne’s red-light district and the city’s population swelled and pushed closer to the Central Business District. It was to receive a second wind in the late ’90s as a booming cultural hub that lifted housing prices and turned people’s opinions of St Kilda from scummy to edgy. This newfound capital has ushered in a wave of gentrification of the area, as rooming houses were knocked down or renovated into studio apartments and flats; however St Kilda has amazingly escaped the accusations of pretension sometimes given to its northern counterpart, Fitzroy.

The Esplanade Hotel is an institution in the Melbourne music scene. Established in 1878, the Espy has survived through the changing face of St Kilda over all these years. The hotel is the longest functioning live music venue in Melbourne and is considered hallowed ground to those in the Melbourne music scene. In case you haven’t guessed it, the Wednesday night social event will be located at The Esplanade Hotel. In the Gershwin Room and the back room. The night will be a chance to let loose and enjoy some of Melbourne’s hot young talent in live gigs taking place in both rooms. So as not to give it all away we won’t tell you who’s playing just yet but we’ll whet your appetite a little by saying there will be four acts, spread over the two rooms.

In AMUNC tradition, the Wednesday night social event has been related to the theme of the conference so in the interest of keeping with tradition we present to you the Wednesday Night theme of Global Inequalities. If you missed it, the theme of AMUNC 2012 is Rights, Recognition, and Responsibility. We find this is particularly poignant in terms of refugees and migration, and will hazard to guess that this will remain a pressing concern for the global community for decades to come.

Delegates will be afforded the opportunity to impress that hot delegate from Saint Kitts and Nevis / Kiribati / Moldova in two different spaces, the Gershwin room being a reminder of those less fortunate in our society, for whom we all share a responsibility. The basement, in contrast, will embody the bourgeoisie; the luxurious hyperbole of an elitist stratum. Choose your side, dress to impress.