The Cairns Convention Centre has been announced as the 2004 World's Best Congress Centre. The announcement was made at the annual General Assembly of the International Association of Congress Centres (AIPC) in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Brussels-based AIPC presents its prestigious Apex Award each year following an extensive and rigorous assessment of facilities nominated from 130 venue members in 49 countries. Speaking from Edinburgh after accepting the award, Cairns Convention Centre Managing Director, Geoff Donaghy said it was the "industry’s ultimate recognition" for the Centre.

"Unlike many other industry competitions, the real judges of this award are the actual clients of the centres. It is not only a peer evaluation, but a vote of confidence from those who matter most – our customers,” Mr Donaghy said.

The Apex Award is made annually on the basis of a comprehensive performance and customer satisfaction analysis carried out by an independent team from the University of Applied Sciences in Heilbronn, Germany.

The evaluation process ensures an objective analysis of data taken from surveys covering topics such as congress facilities, project management, catering, the overall infrastructure and suitability of the destination for delegates and technology. Surveys are completed by event organisers and meeting planners and provided in confidence directly to the evaluation team.

"This is a fantastic honour for Cairns, Queensland and the dedicated, hard-working Ogden IFC team that operates the venue,” Mr Donaghy added.