Conferencing with a flair for the future

MEDIA RELEASE BY ALDERMAN JAMES VOS, MAYORAL COMMITTEE MEMBER FOR ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES AND ASSET  MANAGEMENT. 

As the Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions (MICE) industry reopens, I visited the Century City Conference Centre and Hotel to look at their readiness to adapt to the “new normal” and the COVID-19 health and safety protocols in place.  I was hosted by CEOs Gary Koetser and Glyn Taylor.

Upon arrival, I was pleased to observe the extent of the protocols in place to ensure the safety of guests, which included sanitiser stations positioned at all entry points in the building. I was especially impressed with the digital contactless travel declaration and self-assessment screening that guests have to complete on arrival – a simple process that can be done on any smartphone.

I also noticed an increased frequency of cleaning and sanitising with sanitiser stations positioned at all Conference and Meetings Rooms, lift landings, as well as public spaces and bathrooms. Once a meeting room is disinfected, a seal is placed on the exterior of the door allowing no entry until a new group arrives.

The group invested more than R1,5 million to ensure that both the Conference Centre and Hotel is fully compliant to assist in combatting COVID-19. This included the redesign of their restaurant and Business Lounge.

As part of adapting to the current environment, the Century City Conference Centre also introduced the ‘Century City Virtual Conference Centre’ which is a full turnkey solution allowing events to continue. Events can be hosted as a 100% virtual solution or extending the reach of the conference by accommodating a hybrid offering.

Century City Virtual Conference Centre consists of studios and a virtual platform. This offers clients an extended range of possible events that can be facilitated and allows global conferences to host thousands of participants.

I am happy to announce that the Century City Virtual Conference Centre has already received traction from the industry with MTN hosting their monthly sales meeting using the turnkey solution of both the onsite Studio and virtual platform.

The City of Cape Town is a preferred destination in Africa for meetings and conferences, according to the International Congress and Convention Association Africa Chapter.

Innovations like these will ensure that Cape Town remains the destination of choice for the MICE Industry.

The City’s Department of Enterprise and Investment provides funding to the Convention Bureau, within Wesgro, to specifically focus on promoting the City of Cape Town as the destination of choice for MICE.

The pandemic had a devastating effect on our economy with the MICE industry hit the hardest. However, with innovations like these, I am confident that this sector will soon find their way on the road to recovery.

For Cape Town to compete globally and achieve inclusive socio-economic growth, and in the face of the national recession, we will continue to invest in initiatives that deliver positive outcomes for the residents of Cape Town.

On behalf of the City of Cape Town, we extend our congratulations to Ms Taubie Motlhabane, Chief Executive Officer of the Cape Town International Convention Centre for being appointed as the Chairperson of the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) African Chapter. This is an important position within the global meetings industry and gives us hope for the future of MICE on the continent.

International Congress and Convention Association Ranking

Cape Town has once again ranked as the top city for hosting international association meetings in Africa, according to the 2019 International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) Statistics Report.  The city has also climbed five places in the international rankings list moving from number 63 to 58 worldwide.

Economic Impact

This accolade is celebrated alongside the announcement that Cape Town and the Western Cape Convention Bureau exceeded targets again securing 46 new business events against a target of 26 for the region, totalling an estimated R900 million economic impact into Cape Town and the Western Cape for the 2019/ 2020 Financial Year.

During the past ten years (2010-2019), Cape Town has hosted 483 international association conferences.