Conference ideas
The CTICC. Photo courtesy Damien du Toit
Cape Town holds the 35th position in the highly acclaimed ICCA (International Congress and Convention Association) global ranking. More than 42 qualifying conferences were held in and around the city in 2008.
Cape Town is ready and willing to host local and international conferences. Please contact the Cape Town Convention Bureau by email on .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or call +27 (0)21 487 4800 to find out more about the support provided.
You can view a database of Cape Town Tourism conference and meeting organiser partners, contact Cape Town Tourism on .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or call +27 (0)21 487 6800 for more information. Our Contact Centre is also able to assist with accommodation, tours, transport and other support services.
If you are looking for some ideas for your next meeting or conference, please read on.
Sea views
Clifton. Photo courtesy Ian Junor
Numerous venues use natural light and delegates can enjoy breaks with fantastic views of the sea. Try the Bay Hotel, in the trendy beach suburb of Camps Bay, just 10 minutes from the city centre; it can accommodate up to 550 people.
The Lagoon Beach Hotel in Milnerton has spectacular views of the Atlantic Ocean, Robben Island and Table Mountain and can host delegates in eight venues.
For something more unusual try the Boulders Beach Lodge in Simon’s Town, 45 minutes from the city centre. It can host up to 50 people with no distractions except for the sound of the waves and the occasional bray of a penguin from the nearby African penguin colony.
Great gardens
Cape Town is recognised globally for its rich biodiversity and is the only city in the Cape Floral Region. The region was declared a natural World Heritage Site in 2004 and includes Table Mountain National Park and Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens.
The park offers conference facilities at the Wash House just below Table Mountain or the Buffelsfontein Visitor Centre near Cape Point.
Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens offers an excellent venue for up to 380 delegates as well as options in the Silvertree restaurant and can also host functions in a marquee on the lawn.
Other venues include NH The Lord Charles in Somerset West, the Vineyard Hotel & Spa in Newlands and Clara Anna Fontein private game reserve in Durbanville.
V&A Waterfront
V&A Waterfront. Photo courtesy Tim Parkinson
The popular V&A Waterfront offers excellent venues with great shopping, restaurants and attractions.
Try the Pavilion Conference Centre, which can host up to 500 delegates at a cocktail party or a small corporate meeting of only 10 people, or the corporate BOE Conference Centre with its tiered auditorium for 294 delegates.
The Forum at the Victoria & Alfred Hotel caters for groups of up to 300 in its three venues and there is a range of hotels such as the Breakwater Lodge and Table Bay Hotel that offer excellent conference and meeting facilities.
Unusual
You could host your conference or meeting on Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela and other political prisoners were held during the apartheid years. The island is a 45-minute boat ride from the city and has a range of venues for hire for up to 60 delegates.
The Two Oceans Aquarium provides conference options in the company of ragged-tooth sharks, graceful rays and shoals of predatory fishes. You could even treat your clients to breakfast in the tranquil environment of a living kelp forest.
There are options to host meetings and conferences in African style incorporating South Africa’s rich cultural traditions of food and drink, dancing and drumming.
Try The Africa Cafe, on the corner of Buitengracht Street and Shortmarket Street, or Gold of Africa restaurant at 96 Strand Street.
Top of the range
The queen of Cape Town’s conference venues is definitely the Cape Town International Convention Centre, located on the Foreshore against the backdrop of Table Mountain. This world-class centre can host any meeting or conference that you can imagine.
Please contact the Cape Town Convention Bureau by email on .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or call +27 (0)21 487 4800 to find out more about the support provided. There are excellent conference organisers who will assist with every part of the conference.
You can view a database of Cape Town Tourism conference organiser partners, contact Cape Town Tourism on .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or call +27 (0)21 487 6800 for more information. Our Contact Centre is also able to assist with accommodation, venues, transport and other support services.
