Cape Town International Convention Centre: the newest hot spot for conferences and exhibitions.

Already a popular vacation and incentive destination, Cape Town is taking a gigantic leap into hosting international conferences. The Cape Town International Convention Centre officially opened at the end of June, but the local hospitality community was celebrating even earlier. That's because before the doors opened, more than 100 international conferences had already been booked--26 for the first year of operation, representing twice the original target.

"Cape Town is now ranked in the top 30 of the world's international convention destinations, but our time has come," says Dirk Elzinga, managing director of CTICC. "We expect to be in the top 10 list within a decade. The location itself is a major draw. South Africa was the only tourist destination that grew last year, and that was by 20 percent."

LOOK WHO'S COMING

Elzinga is particularly happy to host the group that signed the 100th contract, the World Wind Energy Conference. It will bring approximately 1,000 delegates from more than 50 countries to Cape Town this fall. CTICC can be confident of getting even more exposure among international meeting planners. The International Congress and Convention Association has booked its October 2004 meeting in Cape Town, and more than 600 delegates are expected to attend.

THE FACILITY

CTICC was designed by an internationally experienced, professional team, with The RAI Group of The Netherlands applying its 100 years of convention and exhibition experience to the development process.

The information technology infrastructure was high on the list of priorities. One hundred eighty kilometers of fiber-optic cabling create a network to support Web conferences, computer trade fairs, and wireless connectivity for laptops. "We can set up multiple local area networks to accommodate concurrent conferences, simultaneous plenary sessions in the auditoriums, or several speaker prep rooms," Elzinga says.

The 10,000-square-meter exhibition space on the ground floor is column-free and boasts power, water, and data communication every 4.5 meters. The exhibition hall's space can accommodate 10,000 delegates in a plenary session or can be configured into five separate venues for smaller exhibitions, banquets, or conferences. Although the ideal group size is from 1,500 to 2,000, the CTICC could easily handle 6,000 or 7,000.

Two auditoriums seat 1,500 and 620 people, respectively, and 20 of the 33 breakout rooms can be configured to different sizes. The roof terrace room can accommodate 400 for cocktails and offers spectacular views.

According to Elzinga, one of the most impressive parts of the CTICC is its ballroom. Flooded with daylight and offering fantastic views day or night, it seats 1,500 for dinner and accommodates 2,000 for receptions. Of course, it can be blacked out for presentations, he adds.

Although the typical conference-goer will never get a chance to see it, the largest and most sophisticated kitchen imaginable serves the catering needs of all groups. Unique in South Africa, it covers 1,200 square meters, the size of five tennis courts.

Visitors will get to see and enjoy three permanent eateries. The Marimba, a themed a la carte restaurant, features live music in the evenings and promises to draw local traffic, and two self-service restaurants will be open during exhibitions and conferences.

CAPE TOWN ITSELF

More than 50 flights daily connect Cape Town to Johannesburg, South Africa's major hub, but there are also numerous direct international flights, including many from Europe and one from Atlanta. The Cape Town International Airport is a 20-minute drive from CTICC and the city's center.

As the parliamentary capital of South Africa, Cape Town has become a leading business and educational focal point. Three universities, several notable research institutions, and excellent hospitals are located in the city.

Located in the heart of Cape Town, CTICC is within walking distance of the city's major hotels. There are 15,000 hotel rooms citywide; more than 3,000 of them are in four- and five-star properties. The new 483-room Arabella Sheraton Grand Hotel is contiguous to CTICC.

"Our backdrops are Table Mountain, a well-known world icon, and the Atlantic Ocean," says Elzinga, and the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront, with shopping and the cruise harbor, is less than 10 minutes from CTICC, as are many recreational opportunities, historical sites, and cultural attractions."

After the conference, attendees can linger to enjoy winery tours, boat charters, ecological tours, and attractions such as the Two Oceans Aquarium, the IMAX Theatre, and the Telkom Exploratorium. Theater, symphonies, dance, and visual arts abound in Cape Town.

The Cape Town Convention and Visitors Bureau partners effectively with CTICC, and an experienced hospitality community is ready to assist conference organizers to stage meetings in South Africa.

CONTACT

Angeline Lue, Meeting Manager

Phone: [phone]

E-mail: [e-mail]

Web site: www.capetownconvention.com