CENTURY CITY CONFERENCE CENTRE

Things work in Cape Town. That’s what makes this city so special, say Glyn Taylor and Gary Koetser, joint CEOs of the Century City Conference Centre.

The duo lead a dynamic team of staff at Cape Town’s newest conferencing venue, part of Rabie Property Group’s R1 billion Century City Square development. When they’re not laying on events, Taylor and Koetser travel the globe to draw inspiration from the best conference centres in the world, but more importantly, promote Cape Town in order to attract new business to the city. The pair recently attended IMEX, a global meetings and incentives travel exhibition, in Frankfurt and will later soon head to Las Vegas for the North American edition of the show. IMEX is a one-stop-shop for planners looking to book and organise worldwide meetings, events and incentive travel programmes.

“When we are on these international platforms, it’s not about marketing this facility, it’s about marketing the City of Cape Town,” says Taylor. “We’ve got to reflect on the destination first. Cape Town is such a strong international brand, we use it as our prime selling card… and only once we have our hook firmly in you, do we tell you about this wonderful facility. The fact that we have an incredibly well-run city helps. Everyone is fighting to get to Cape Town. We bumped into the KLM country manager in Johannesburg recently, and all he spoke of was Cape Town, so we certainly are of paramount interest out there.”

The Century City Conference Centre (CCCC) opened in February 2016. The facility presents event organisers with the unique prospect of a conference facility which can accommodate up to 1 200 delegates in one venue and up to 1 900 people in total, across 20 configurations of halls and meeting rooms. The conference centre and adjoining 125-room Century City Hotel was built in response to growing market demand, says Taylor. “The idea of the conference centre was born to sustain the business levels into the node. We’d seen delegate numbers at conferences in the area swell to beyond 400, and then we would lose them to bigger hotels and conferencing facilities in Johannesburg and elsewhere. There was this gap in the market, from the 600 – 1 000 delegate capacity, that we knew needed to be filled.”

Taylor believes the R1 billion Century City Square development, which the conference centre forms part of, is a strong indicator of investor confidence in Cape Town. “One thing we are immensely grateful for is our relationship with the City of Cape Town,” he says. “The City was of great help during the planning stages, especially around traffic flow and the extension of Sable Road leading off and onto the N1 highway. There’s a wealth of knowledge in the City of Cape Town which we could lean on.”

Most impressive, says Taylor, was that officials took a sincere interest in their business. “That was unique. When they’ve engaged with us, they’ve engaged meaningfully and that’s what makes this city so special.”

Koetser, the former general manager at the neighbouring Crystal Towers Hotel & Spa, says the new facility compliments the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC), which mainly hosts larger events. “This facility is not only filling a gap in the market, but also further cementing Cape Town’s position as one of the world’s most sought-after conference destinations.”

Koetser believes the staff makes the Century City Conference Centre uniquely different. “They care, and go above and beyond to ensure that every event is a success,” he says. “We’ve had a philosophy from day one, to sell a personality rather than the brick and mortar. It’s a culture we’ve created.” And it’s a culture that starts with the joint CEOs.

Koetser and Taylor are on the ground and accessible. The two spend most of their day in the conference centre foyer welcoming guests. “You won’t find us in an office,” says Taylor. “When we have big functions, you’ll even see us carrying some plates.” Everything is centred around the client, adds Koetser. “This facility was built with the event organiser in mind. We have a dedicated team of meeting and event planners to help event organisers work through the entire event, from start to finish. By the time the event organiser arrives on site, everything is prepared.”

Taylor and Koetser estimate the new conference centre will host in excess of 72 000 delegates in its first year alone.

Century City Square comprises the Century City Conference Centre with a total capacity of 1 200 over 20 venues; a 125-room hotel; 51 apartments, restaurants and coffee shops; 1 330 parking bays and more than 15 000m² of offices in three different buildings. The development has generated more than 300 new jobs.