Two more international conferences will be hosted in Cape Town, bringing to 13 the number of association conferences secured since April 2010, reinforcing the old adage that perseverance eventually pays off.
The World Congress of Nephrology (the medical sub-specialty dealing with the kidneys) in 2015 and the Options on the Control of Influenza conference in 2013, will jointly contribute R82.5 million to the provincial coffers and generate in excess of 26 000 bednights.
Lobbying for the right to host the Nephrology conference started in 2005, while Cape Town only won the bid to host the Influenza congress the second time around.
“A lot of hard work and dedication went into securing these two bids. Winning them, and therefore exceeding expectations for the current financial year, is the perfect way to end off the year that was 2010."
"Cape Town sustained its winning ways throughout this year and lifted its international profile as a leading conventions city,” says Calvyn Gilfellan, CEO of Cape Town Routes Unlimited.
The economic impact of the 13 conferences being hosted in Cape Town is estimated at more than R280 million.
Securing these bids results from close collaboration between the various industry partners, amongst others the Cape Town & Western Cape Convention Bureau, the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) and marketing activities under the umbrella of the BestCities Global Alliance of Convention Bureaux, of which Cape Town is a member.
“Winning these bids illustrates the importance of building relationships during the bidding process. Strong working relationships amongst the partners were crucial. The hosting of such prestigious events will go a long way in establishing Cape Town as one of the world’s top long-haul conference destinations by 2020,” adds Rashid Toefy, CEO of the CTICC.
Of the 13, the following 4 conferences are major, jointly drawing 9 500 delegates to our shores and generating a total of 35 000 bednights:
- IFEA Endodontic World Congress 2016
- International Conference on Emergency Medicine in 2016
- World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) World Congress in 2014, and
- Congress of the International Society of University Colon and Rectal Surgeons (ISUCRS) in 2014
