DURBAN - Judges have voted the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre in Durban as Africa's Best Convention Centre 2021.
This comes after the Durban ICC took the coveted award for being Africa’s leading convention venue in 2020.
In a statement today, the ICC said the centre was declared South Africa’s Best Convention Centre 2021 at the World MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences & Exhibitions) Awards.
The World MICE Awards is a global initiative to recognise and reward excellence in the industry, and the results follow a year-long search for the world’s leading MICE brands. Votes were cast by MICE industry professionals and the public in 100 countries, with the nominee gaining the most votes in each category named as the winner.
The Durban ICC was also nominated as a finalist in the 28th World Travel Awards as Africa’s Leading Meetings & Conference Centre 2021 and was also proposed as a finalist in the World's Best Convention Centre category, competing against Dubai World Trade Centre, Expo Santa Fe Mexico, IFEMA Feria de Madrid (Spain), Las Vegas Convention Center (US) and Shanghai World Expo Exhibition & Convention Center (China).
“Our winners are finding innovative ways to overcome the challenges our industry has been facing, driven by guests seeking in-person experiences. Our World MICE Awards 2021 winners represent the brands finding exciting ways of doing things better. My congratulations to each of them,” said director of the World MICE Awards, Rina van Staden.
Durban ICC chief executive Lindiwe Rakharebe said the venue had disproved the phrase that lightning never strikes in the same place twice.
“While we are thrilled beyond measure, the accolades are also testament to the Durban ICC’s team working hard to deliver exceptional event experiences to each and every client.
“These awards have affirmed that commitment to world-class service excellence and cemented our reputation as the best convention centre on the African continent,” she said.
Rakharebe said the convention centre had worked diligently to reduce the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and to maintain business continuity as far as was possible under the dire circumstances.
“Winning awards is a visible demonstration of all the behind-the-scenes hard work from the Durban ICC teams and people whose principal focus is to continuously provide world-class customer service to clients, both local and international.
“It is for this reason that the close-knit team strives to maintain the Durban ICC’s strong inherent culture of warmth and hospitality that we are known for and strives to ensure that each guest leaves the Durban ICC happy and satisfied with the service received,” said Rakharebe.
Glen Mashinini, chairperson of the board of the Durban ICC, said it was an honour for the Durban ICC to have been chosen as “the brightest star in the African firmament of convention centres”.
“This achievement reinforces our confidence in the Durban ICC’s ability to return to its sterling performance in pre-pandemic years. We remain confident that the ICC, and the tourism trade it supports, will resume with additional impetus after the pandemic is brought under control.
“This triumph will allow the Durban ICC to continue making its valuable contribution to the economy, providing employment and sustaining many livelihoods in the tourism sector’s broad value chain,” he said.
THE MERCURY