SA Conference brings you its top picks of convention and exhibition centres.
SANDTON CONVENTION CENTRE
A major benefit to both local and international clients is Sandton Convention Centre’s location at the heart of Southern Africa’s business and tourism hub of Sandton in Johannesburg. It is here that the iconic Sandton Convention Centre provides the platform for energy to be released and potential to be realised and for business and government leaders to pioneer the future. The venue offers a variety of different rooms for any occasion, from a meeting room seating 10 to the Pavilion, which can host 4 500 visitors for a cocktail party, with state–of-the-art technical facilities at the clients and visitors disposal as requested. The world-class convention centre is situated within a 500m radius of five diverse hotels, including Sandton Sun, Intercontinental Sandton Towers, Garden Court Sandton City. It is also adjoined to the prestigious Sandton City, Nelson Mandela Square and Michelangelo Towers Mall, allowing guests the ease of access to entertainment and accommodation via skywalks, while also boasting a further 18 hotels within walking distance. The Sandton Convention Centre is located just five minutes’ walk away from the Gautrain, providing guests with easy and efficient access to the venue from Pretoria, Midrand, OR Tambo International Airport and Rosebank at a time that suits the clients. While location may not be the primary characteristic when choosing a venue, it has proven to play a defining roll in the choice of venue by many organisers. The Sandton Convention Centre strives to lead the trend and is continuously working towards improving the facilities, services and training. saconvention.co.za
TSHWANE EVENTS CENTRE
The second largest exhibition centre in South Africa with 42 000m2 of undercover exhibition space and a further 40 000m2 of outdoor exhibition space, the Tshwane Events Centre can host very large exhibitions or conferences as well as several smaller exhibitions at the same time without hindering or adversely affecting each other. Tshwane Events Centre offers very competitive rental rates for the venue, which provides their clients with real value for money. The vast spaces that the centre has to offer, allows clients flexibility when hosting an event. At Tshwane Events Centre clients are told to think of the venue as a blank canvass ready to be painted with their event, to allow its uniqueness, colour and character to be shown in its full potential allowing visitors to walk away from their event with a lasting positive impression. The Tshwane Events Centre is also unique in that they offer a complete turnkey service to clients such as carpets, shell schemes, AV and catering through to complete on-site project and events management services. Their motto is: “if the client wants it we will make it happen”. tshwane-events.co.za
EAST LONDON INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION CENTRE
At the East London International Convention Centre (ELCC) the majority of services required for hosting a successful event in-house is provided, making this venue a convenient and affordable option. It is the biggest venue of its kind in the Eastern Cape and has been built to be adaptable, enabling it to cater to any occasion, or special requirements. The ELCC is located centrally in the Eastern Cape and feeds all the surrounding cities/towns. The facilities and services which are offered are world class. State-of-the art technologies have been adopted placing the ELICC on the forefront of conferencing technologies. The availability of accommodation on site allows delegates to have an all in one solution, without having to worry about making extra travel plans. The ease of conferencing, through the variety of meeting rooms, choice of accommodation and restaurants on site offered by the ELICC and the adjacent Premier Hotel ELICC and the Premier Hotel Regent, really sets this conferencing centre development on the beach front apart. elicc.co.za
JOHANNESBURG EXPO CENTRE
As Southern Africa’s largest multi-purpose facility, Johannesburg
Expo Centre (JEC) offers multipurpose exhibition halls providing
over 50000 m² of space under roof, over 100 000m² of outdoor exhibition space and conference rooms encompassing 4 000m².
A multi-purpose arena can accommodate up to 20 000 people.
The centre boats 5-star catering facilities. Its convenient location with ease of access to all of Johannesburg’s major arterial highways and within 30 minutes from OR Tambo International Airport ensures easy access to the JEC. The centre has more than 15 000 parking bays. The JEC is a world class facility and has won the coveted PMR Africa Diamond Award in 2007 and 2011. expocentrejhb.co.za
BOARDWALK INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE CENTRE
Built as part of a billion rand investment into The Boardwalk by empowerment company Emfuleni Resorts, the new Boardwalk ICC has proven that it ticks all the boxes – it is just 10 minutes from the airport, a short stroll from the full range of hotels, has stunning views of the Indian Ocean, plenty of space for delegates and exhibitors, and is managed by a highly experienced and motivated team. Another reason is the wide choice of pre and post-convention activities that can be offered to delegates in order to make the event that much more memorable. The Boardwalk ICC is unique in that it is part of The Boardwalk Casino and Entertainment World precinct, which is home to many of Port Elizabeth’s top restaurants and hotels – including the prestigious new five-star Boardwalk Hotel. In addition to the hotel’s luxury suites, ample beds are available within walking distance of the three thousand square metre convention centre, which can accommodate up to 1 700 delegates seated cinema-style. Break-away rooms seat between 34 and 170 comfortably, with three boardrooms seating 10 to 14 people. Exhibitions can be staged on the same floor, or in a separate three thousand square metre space that leads directly off The Boardwalk’s retail area. suninternational.com/boardwalk
CSIR INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE CENTRE
Ideally situated close to all the central amenities in Pretoria, easily accessible from all major routes in Gauteng and very competitively priced is Pretoria’s very own dedicated International Convention Centre. The CSIR International Convention Centre offers superb facilities and quality service with conference, function and exhibition venues that can accommodate events of 500 to as little as 10 delegates and guests, with groups as large as 1000 being accommodated at times. Flexibility, service excellence and professionalism are key to what the International Convention Centre offers its clients. For 37 years the CSIR ICC has hosted local, national and international events of academic significance. The CSIR truly understands the importance of providing an inspiring space and seamlessly delivering related products and services that ensure that the client’s ultimate goal of knowledge transfer and real impact is achieved. csiricc.co.za
CAPE TOWN INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION CENTRE
Apart from the fact that Cape Town is one of those cities that you need to experience once in a lifetime, the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) has a flawless track record in terms of delivering exceptional events. Since the centre opened its doors ten years ago, we have become the de facto place in Africa to host medical and scientific association conferences. The centre is continually setting the benchmark in terms of international standards of best practice and it is our commitment to continually innovating in order to create memorable experiences for our clients and our passion for what we do that sets us apart. It is this dedication to being the best that has led to the centre garnering international recognition for its commitment to service excellence. CTICC was the first convention centre in Africa to gain three ISO certifications simultaneously, the first convention centre on the continent to become a signatory to the United Nations Global Compact and the first convention centre in the world to have its sustainability reporting practices aligned to the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Framework and to achieve a Level B status. cticc.co.za
