The highly anticipated Century City Conference Centre (CCCC) and Hotel has been lauded as the best new asset the Western Cape hospitality industry has seen in over a decade. This now offers the perfect opportunity to increase the number of conferences and events to the region. The CCCC presents event organisers with the unique prospect of a conference facility which can accommodate up to 1200 delegates in one venue and up to 1900 people in total, across twenty configurations of halls and meeting rooms. The Century City Conference Centre (CCCC) and Hotel was officially opened in mid-February by the Minister of Economic Opportunities in the Western Cape, Alan Winde.

From the onset, the Century City Conference Centre has had vast industry support from organisations such as the South African National Convention Bureau, WESGRO and personally by the Minister of Tourism, Mr Derek Hanekom; all in agreement that this new development is key to supporting their strategy to promote business travel to the Western Cape.

At the launch event held earlier this year, Minister Winde applauded the development for its role in attracting and accommodating new business to the Western Cape. In addition he noted the impact of the new development on the lives of people who will be employed, and those who will gain indirect business from the new world-class facility. Winde revealed, “We’ve already secured conference bids worth almost R2 billion in this financial year, with two of these conferences bringing 16,300 delegates to the Province, and generating R 262 million for the economy, It is excellent news for our tourism sector.”

Said to be the largest private equity investment by an unlisted company – at a total cost of R1billion – the Conference Centre has been developed by the Rabie Property Group, as a result of the investor’s unwavering faith in the tourism sector. This mixed-use development comprises of the Century City Conference Centre, a 125 room hotel, offices, apartments and restaurants all situated around an integral Square, which forms the new commercial and hospitality hub of Century City.

According to Leon Cohen, Managing Director of Rabie Property Group, the Conference Centre and Hotel was built in response to the market demand and is designed to become the epicentre of Cape Town’s third largest commercial district. The Bridgewater precinct is currently home to more than 500 businesses occupying over 260 000m². The new development has resulted in Century City overtaking Cape Town CBD’s ratio of office space to hotel rooms. The CCCC and hotel will further enhance revenue streams to small businesses in the area as a result of additional foot fall, as well as add value to blue chip corporates in the area.

Joint CEOs Glyn Taylor and Gary Koetser have travelled the globe extensively to promote this world-class facility. They have been received with huge interest and excitement at annual trade shows such as IMEX in Frankfurt and Las Vegas, Incentive Business Travel (IBTM), Meetings Expo Africa, the World Travel Market Expo (WTM) and Tourism Indaba. “It is encouraging to see that the Western Cape is clearly seen not only as one of the World’s leading leisure destinations, but as a forerunner for business travel globally,” says Koetser.

The Century City Conference Centre will not only fill a gap in the market, but also further cement Cape Town’s position as one of the world’s most sought-after conference destinations. It offers flexible configurations and its multi-function venues, including a large pre-assembly area, are geared for workshops, banqueting, exhibitions, product launches “confexes”, and the like.

Taylor estimates the new conference centre will host in excess of 72 000 delegates in its first year alone.
-ENDS-

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Cape Town, 1 February 2016. Cape Town Tourism is on a massive drive to market the Western Cape as a global destination for business travel and as a result there has been a great demand for a conference facility with a capacity to host up to 1200 delegates in one venue (1900pax in total) across 19 venues. The highly anticipated Century City Conference Centre (CCCC) and Hotel is officially open for business with a significant number of confirmed bookings for 2016 already in place.

Designed with both hospitality and operations in mind, a further advantage is that the adjacent hotel, which offers 125 rooms, now increases the number of rooms in the area to six hundred in total; all within walking distance from the Conference Centre. In addition to this, there has been a substantial private equity investment of R1billion into this mixed-use development in the Bridgeways precinct, exposing Century City to a global audience giving local businesses the advantages of the spillover effect.

The CCCC has had vast industry support from organisations such as the South African National Convention Bureau and WESGRO in addition to the Minister of Tourism himself, Mr Derek Hanekom; all in agreement that this new development is key to promoting business travel to the Western Cape.

Joint CEOs Glyn Taylor and Gary Koetser have travelled the globe extensively, not only in an effort to draw in inspiration from the best conference centres in the world, but most recently to further promote this world-class facility. They have been received with huge interest and excitement at annual trade shows such as IMEX in Frankfurt and Las Vegas, Incentive Business Travel (IBTM), Meetings Expo Africa, the World Travel Market Expo (WTM) and Tourism Indaba.

Their recent experience has only echoed their sentiment regarding Cape Town as one of the leading conference destinations in the world. Key insights were shared by Koetser, who comments, “It is encouraging to see that the Western Cape is clearly seen not only as one of the World’s leading leisure destinations, but as a forerunner for business travel globally”.

Taylor says, “We believe that the CCCC is a great new asset to the hospitality industry and a perfect opportunity to increase the number of business travellers to South Africa and Cape Town”.

Hip to be Square
The Square, which surrounds the Conference Centre and Hotel, is a calculated feature set to become the central meeting place for both residents and for people working in the precinct. With a variety of restaurants, bistro’s and wine bars to choose from, this open-air setting serves as a great location for live concerts, markets and social gatherings to name a few…

The New Faces of Conferencing
The decision to become joint CEOs has allowed for a robust leadership and the hands-on approach of Koetser and Taylor is proving to be a great success. Insisting on a personal approach, both CEO’s are out in the trade themselves, attending leading trade shows and expos as well as meeting with each potential client, resulting in the facility being more than its brick and mortar, but rather, a brand with a personality.

The leadership team and service professionals have not only been hand-picked for their respective expertise but because they are like-minded and share the company philosophy. They each have passion for the hospitality industry and for delivering unsurpassed service.

The Intersection of Design and Functionality
The award-winning pair of CEO’s are recognized as leaders in the Hotel and Conference industries and due to their combined experience, together they have become a force to be reckoned with. Insisting on being a part of the project from its design right down to the final touches, Koetser and Taylor are confident that the Century City Conference Centre is not only aesthetically designed, but offers unparalleled functionality and advanced technology which surpasses any other conference venue in the country.

Every minute detail has been thought about at length and debated before being implemented. The attention to detail is evident after Koetser and Taylor consulted with the team of developers. They insisted on making the needs of Event Managers and Planners the top priority, from structural layout to sustainable practices. They believe, without doubt, that they have put the needs of event organisers first.

This, coupled with the team’s incredible flexibility, offers clients a blank canvas to treat the venue as an extension of their own brand. From car launches to fashion shows, trade conferences and product launches, the Century City Conference Centre is equipped to meet high expectations and demands including the latest technology in AV and connectivity, innovative menus, logistical solutions and a team of highly skilled individuals with a partnership approach.

Key aspects include:
Convenient delivery access, 3m wide corridors, organiser’s offices, storage facilities, rigging points, draping rails, acoustically treated rooms, kitchen layout, separate Halaal kitchen, idea paint on the meeting room walls, personalised event Wi-Fi passwords, over one thousand parking bays, a first aid room, 3-phase power and much more.

The venue itself has been designed to be functional, yet with a warm ambience thanks to the well thought through, finer details. The walls are donned with carefully selected artwork, there is background music playing subtly in public areas, water dispensers (available in still or sparkling, room temperature or colder) throughout the venue and even its own signature scent; all unique features which make for the most hospitable and memorable guest experience.

Technology
Gone are the days of cables and wires. The venue boasts one of the fastest fibre connections available, at 200 Mbps from which each conference guest can have access to up to 500MB per day as part of the conference package. Individualised Wi-fi passwords can be created within the event or conference theme. Each of the eleven meeting rooms has an LCD screen offering wireless access for multiple users for presentation purposes. There is also an on-site AV team available. This is supported by a contemporary business centre equipped with everything one might need at a whim, from printers to laminating and binding machines.

First Event a Great Success
The first conference was recently hosted by one of South Africa’s leading pharmaceutical companies, prior to the official opening. Events Manager, Kim de Marillacts, was full of praise after her experience of the centre’s inaugural event. She comments, “Gary and Glyn were unbelievably hands-on, no request was too big or too small. The food was amazing and the staff were incredible. From the unique break-away ideas to the excellent technical support, we are very impressed with the facility and its offering – our conference was a great success due to the collaborative approach from the top all the way down”.

The Century City Conference Centre is more than what meets the eye, offering functional efficiency, urban integration, spirit of place and sustainability – encouraging delegates and visitors to experience all that the Mother City has to offer.

-ENDS-

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@CCCC_ZA

For Media Enquiries –
Conversation Capital
+27 21 4222 342

Michelle Barnard – 083 965 3755
Tziona Kerton – 082 940 2971

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The Century City Conference Centre and Hotel is on track to open in February 2016 and the first bookings have already been confirmed.

According to Glyn Taylor and Gary Koetser, joint CEOs of the Century City Conference Centre and Hotel (Pty) Ltd, they anticipate taking handover of the buildings in November this year allowing them to be comfortably operational by their first confirmed bookings in February 2016.

Taylor said the CCCC had been designed to complement the Cape Town International Conference Centre and to add to the allure of Cape Town as the top conference city in Africa.

“We launched the CCCC to the hospitality trade at the recent Meetings Africa 2015 convention in Johannesburg and it was very well received.

“Literally thousands of people flocked to our stand including the Minister of Tourism, Derek Hanekom and the project created huge excitement. It was encouraging to see from the interactions we had there that the Western Cape is clearly seen not only as one of the World’s leading leisure destinations but as a forerunner for business travel globally.”

Koetser added that the Century City Conference Centre and Hotel are part of a significant private equity investment by the Rabie Property Group to promote business travel to the Western Cape.

“They understand the longevity and sustainability of business travel and there is no doubt that the new conference centre and hotel are generating a huge amount of interest from the industry. We are being inundated with inquiries and confirmed bookings are growing on a daily basis.”

Koetser and Taylor said that they had attended the Incentive Business Travel and Meetings Expo as well as the World Travel Market Expo at the CTICC in April, before travelling to Frankfurt to showcase the Century City Conference Centre and Hotel to the international trade at IMEX as part of the SA Convention Bureau’s stand.

The new hotel will bring the total number of hotel rooms within easy walking distance of the Conference Centre to 600.

For further details contact Gary Koetser on 0824771295 or Glyn Taylor on 0723947014.

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A CONFERENCE centre, with a total capacity of 1900 in 20 venues, and a 125 room hotel are to be built around a new public square in Century City as part of a R1-billion mixed use development in the Bridgeways precinct.

Glyn Taylor, joint chief executive officer of Century City Conference Centre and Hotel said the development was in response to soaring demand for conferencing and hotels in the burgeoning precinct and had been designed to complement Cape Town and Century City’s existing facilities.

“Not only will it fill a gap in the market but we believe it will help cement Cape Town’s established attractiveness as a conference destination.”

The Century City Conference Centre (CCCC), he said, would offer flexible configurations and a total of 20 different venues including 12 meeting and breakaway rooms and a business lounge.

Three adjoining halls will have a total capacity of more than 900 delegates cinema style with a fourth hall able to accommodate a further 480 delegates cinema style. The multi-function venues will also be available for banqueting and exhibitions while a large pre-assembly area will be available for exhibitions, product launches and the like.

The first floor meeting rooms will be able to accommodate at least 200 delegates in various seating arrangements, he said.

Gary Koetser, joint chief executive officer of The Century City Conference Centre and Hotel said the average hotel occupancy at Century City, which currently has a total of 460 rooms in five hotels, was running at over 73 per cent.

“And the existing conference facilities, which range from 20 seat venues to a 300 seat facility, are unable to keep up with demand and have had to turn away business, particularly for larger conferences.”

“Century City’s popularity as a hospitality node had grown phenomenally in recent years in tandem with the growth of the precinct which is now home to more than 500 businesses and with more than 260 000 square metres of offices is currently the third largest commercial precinct in Cape Town.

“The Cape Town CBD, which has an office component of around 900 000 square metres, is serviced by 5720 four and five star hotel rooms – a ratio of one room to every 157 square metres of offices – and this does not take into account the large number of three-star hotel rooms in the city.

“At Century City, on the other hand, the total number of hotel rooms from three to five star, represents a ratio of just one to 560 square metres of offices which indicates just how under serviced in terms of hotels we are for the corporate sector in particular. The node is still growing and as additional offices come on stream demand will further increase,” Mr Koetser added.

Mr Taylor said CCCC, in partnership with Century City Connect, Century City’s open access fibre optic network, will offer delegates and guests world-class fibre optic and wireless connectivity.

“The CCCC will have a fibre optic backbone running throughout the conference centre terminating in strategic positions in order to give guests the best possible experience connectivity wise.

“High speed wireless services will be available in every room and all services can be customised to suit every events specific needs.”

He said the wireless network would be built around an open access model which means that each delegates or guests will be able to select which ISPs services they would like to make use of.

“Alternatively an event organiser can choose to partner with a specific ISP for the duration of a conference.”

Mr Taylor said over and above the Century City Conference Centre and hotel, the mixed use development will include offices, showrooms, residential apartments and service retail and a five level parking garage with direct access to the CCCC. The entire development will be set over a super parking basement which, together with the structured parking, will provide a total of 1300 bays.

Anchoring the development will be anchored by a bustling, multi-functional Square on to which restaurants and the other hospitality elements will flow.

“Century City Conference Centre is one of three buildings that will form the focal point of The Square, a beautifully proportioned space that will offer users the opportunity to socialise, relax, dine and be entertained.

“The Century City Conference Centre has been designed as the hub and pivotal node of this precinct that will influence and generate future planning of its surrounds. The strong architectural form and aesthetic of the conference centre has been taken through to the 125 room Century City Hotel to form a L-shaped footprint that is then offset by the more sculptural and whimsical sheer glass façades of the seven storey freestanding office building that forms the balance of The Square. This environment is further enhanced by the introduction of the extended canal system of Century City and bold landscaping themes,” Mr Taylor concluded.

Murray & Roberts have been appointed contractors and have moved on site with all components of the development scheduled for completion by end 2015 and the first conferences expected to be hosted in early 2016.

The architect for the project is Vivid Architects while Source IBA have been appointed interior decorators for the CCCC, and Origin for the Hotel.

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The Century City Conference Centre, part of a new, green, R1billion mixed-use development under construction in the burgeoning precinct, is on track to open in February 2016 and the first bookings have been confirmed.

According to Glyn Taylor and Gary Koetser, joint CEOs of the Century City Conference Centre and Hotel (Pty) Ltd, construction was on schedule and they anticipated taking handover of the buildings in November this year allowing them to be comfortably operational by their first confirmed booking in February.

The Century City Conference Centre has a total capacity of 1900 guests across 20 venues and is designed for maximum flexibility.

The Conference Centre and the 125 room hotel with ground floor restaurants and bistros will front onto a large, bustling square which is destined to become the new commercial and hospitality hub of Century City. The new hotel will bring the total number of hotel rooms within easy walking distance of the Conference Centre to 540.

Taylor said the CCCC had been designed to complement the Cape Town International Conference Centre and to add to the allure of Cape Town as the top conference city in Africa.

“We launched the CCCC to the hospitality trade at the recent Meetings Africa 2015 convention in Johannesburg and it was very well received.

“Literally thousands of people flocked to our stand including the Minister of Tourism Derek Hanekom and there was huge excitement. It was encouraging to see from the interactions we had there that the Western Cape is clearly seen not only as one of the World’s leading leisure destinations but it is a forerunner for business travel globally.”

Koetser added that the Century City Conference Centre and Hotel was part of a significant private equity investment by the Rabie Property Group to promote business travel to the Western Cape.

“They understand the longevity and sustainability of business travel and there is no doubt the new conference centre and hotel are generating a huge amount of interest from the industry. We are being inundated with inquiries – currently at around R63million – and these are growing on a daily basis.”

Koetser and Taylor said to further promote the Century City Conference Centre and Hotel they would be attending the Incentive Business Travel and Meetings Expo as well as the World Travel Market Expo at the CCTIC in April before travelling to Frankfurt to showcase the Century City Conference Centre and Hotel to the international trade at IMEX as part of the SA Convention Bureau’s stand.

Also fronting onto Century City Square is the Apex, an iconic eight storey building comprising 7900 square metres of offices over seven storeys of offices with ground floor restaurants, bistros and coffee shops which is available for purchase or to let, the Matrix – a mixed use development of ground floor retail, three storeys of sectional title offices, with a further three storeys comprising 51 luxury apartments and a six floor structured parking building. This, together with a super basement parking garage, will provide a total of 1330 parking bays for the buildings around the Century City Square.

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