Cross River State government has invested over $90 million in development of its International Convention Centre and has appointed Alliance Venue and Facility Management (AVFM) of South Africa as operating company of the Calabar ICC.
This was disclosed by Derek Hanekom, South Africa minister of tourism, at the just concluded Meetings Africa in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Hanekom said from the Nigerian perspective, Meetings Africa 2015 provided a platform for the government of Cross River to launch the $90 million investment in the business travel industry in the form of a gigantic Calabar International Convention Centre (Calabar ICC), which is set to open in the second quarter of this year.
The Calabar ICC, an iconic architectural masterpiece, is set to host a wide array of events for national and global audiences comprising businesses, government and associations. The centre will accommodate up to 5,000 delegates in 18 different venues with as many as 2,200 for plenary sessions and as few as two in a small meeting room. Practically, all meeting rooms can be used individually or in combination separated by soundproof partitioning walls.
Hanekom commended the Nigerian government’s investment in the development during his visit to Calabar stand, saying: “This investment demonstrates a significant level of confidence in Africa’s business tourism industry,” said Hanekom. The government of Cross River State has invested over $90 million in development and has appointed Alliance Venue and Facility Management (AVFM), of South Africa, as operating company of the Calabar ICC.”
Paul D’Arcy, the CEO of Calabar ICC in statement, said: “Nigeria’s entrance, with the Calabar ICC, into the international meetings industry is significant, not only because of the country’s large population, but also for its projected continuous economic growth.”
Meanwhile, the just concluded Meetings Africa celebrated a decade of success through the promotion of Africa and South Africa in particular as the preferred meetings; incentives; conferences and exhibition destination.
In its decade of continuous promotion of Africa as the destination of choice for conferences, Meetings Africa – leading business event in the continent of Africa – has in attendance over a 100 exhibitors and 184 hosted buyers from across the world.
From Southern African countries to Nigeria in the West, there were series of exhibitors who afforded the space at the Sandton Convention Centre, venue of Meetings Africa 2015, to showcase their products and services to the quality business travel visitors thronging the isles throughout the 48 hours of the exhibition period.
The products and services on display represented the latest trends in the business travel industry and it is comparable to the optimal standards across the globe.
While declaring the event open, Hanekom, South Africa minister of tourism, highlighted the importance of Meetings Africa and its contribution to the South African economy.
According to Hanekom, “it is estimated that the business generated by the 184 qualified buyers at Meetings Africa 2015 could bring 54,000 convention delegates worth nearly $100 million in revenue to our shores in the next two years.”
