The construction of the CTICC expansion is on schedule and should be completed in December, which will increase the venue’s capacity to over 20,000 delegates. This R1.5 billion project is set to make CTICC the leading business events venue in Africa. The new facility will offer 25,000 square metres of flexible event space, including a new 10,000-seat plenary hall. The expansion is expected to attract more international associations and corporate events to Cape Town and South Africa, contributing an estimated R3 billion to the local economy annually. The first event in the new facility will be the World Congress on Information Technology in February 2020.
CTICC is located in the heart of Cape Town and currently hosts over 130 events and 750,000 delegates annually. However, its capacity constraints have made it lose out on many larger international conferences to rival destinations. Therefore, the expansion project is crucial to growing business tourism in the region and creating more opportunities for the industry.
The new wing has been designed with sustainability in mind and is set to become the first convention centre in Africa to achieve a 5-Star Green Star SA rating. The building incorporates natural lighting and ventilation, water-saving mechanisms, and waste management systems to reduce its environmental impact. The CTICC’s new look will combine the historic original building with a sleek, contemporary extension.
Once open, the expanded CTICC expects to attract more global business events and association conferences, putting Cape Town and the Western Cape on the world map as a major business events destination. This opening will be a landmark moment, highlighting the region’s ambitions in growing this important sector.