CTICC on an international bid winning streak

“We are extremely proud to have won these bids which are testament to the CTICC’s competitiveness as a venue and Cape Town’s attractiveness as a business event destination. These wins do not happen without the concerted effort of the CTICC team and the dedicated collaboration between internal and external stakeholders, including the Western Cape Convention Bureau and City of Cape Town,” says Julie-May Ellingson, Chief Executive Officer of the CTICC.

Ellingson adds: “Simply put the CTICC’s key objective is to connect people to create jobs. The bids won will assist the CTICC in achieving this across a wide range of key economic sectors and reflects the centre’s ability to contribute meaningfully to the Cape Town, Western Cape and South African economy.”

Here is a list of international bids awarded to the CTICC which is still to take place:

1. The Association of International Schools in Africa Conference 2019 (AISA) will be held in November 2019 and attended by 300 delegates. The AISA Conference offers a unique opportunity for international school leaders and educators to come together for deep learning, networking and inspiration.
2. The International Council on Systems Engineering 2020 (INCOSE) will be held in Africa for the first time in July 2020. The event is the largest annual gathering of systems engineers, hosting about 800 attendees.
3. The International Federation of Surveyors (FIG) 2022, will bring 2 000 specialists to the CTICC. First hosted in South Africa in 1999, FIG will take place in May 2022 and will bring together specialists in the fields of global surveying geomatics, geodesy and geo-information.
4. The World Congress of the International Health Economics Association (IHEA) will be held in Africa for the first time in July 2021, and will bring together 800 health professionals.
5. The Congress of the International Association of Paediatric Dentistry (IAPD) is another event taking place in Africa for the first time. The congress will be held in June 2023 and brings together 1 000 dental professionals to meet and exchange information on paediatric dentistry.
6. The HIV Research for Prevention Conference (HIVR4P) for 1 400 delegates is scheduled for October 2020 and is the only global scientific conference focused exclusively on the field of biomedical HIV prevention research.
7. The 3rd Ministerial Conference of the Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE) will come to Cape Town in January 2019, and will bring together 550 delegates from the United Nations’ five agencies to assist countries in achieving and monitoring the emerging Sustainable Development Goals.
8. In another first for Africa, the CTICC was awarded the bid to host the World Federation of Paediatric Intensive and Critical Care Societies (WFPICCS) where 1 500 delegates will share their expertise to improve the outcomes of children suffering from life threatening illness and injury.
9. The World Self Medication Industry 2020 (WSMI) will be held for the first time on the African continent in October 2020 and will bring 400 delegates. WSMI will bring together experts, researchers and manufacturers in the self-medication industry.
10. In August 2024, the CTICC will host the General Assembly of the International Astronomical Union (IAU). The event, another first to be hosted in Africa, will bring together 2 500 delegates who are experts in the field of astronomy.
11. In 2024, the World Congress of the International Hepato Pancreato Biliary Association (IHPBA) will be hosted at the CTICC in September and will see 2 400 delegates attending. IHPBA is a non-profit organisation that devotes itself to the investigation, treatment and research of liver, pancreas and biliary disorders.
12. In 2020, the CTICC will host the Asian Racing Conference (ARC) 2020. The event will look at, amongst other things, promoting and facilitating the internationalisation of racing and will bring an estimated 600 people to the CTICC.
13. The General Assembly of the International Organisation for Standardization (ISO) will take place in September 2019, with 800 delegates attending. ISO is an independent, non-governmental organisation with a membership of 162 national standards bodies.

The CTICC works closely with its ambassadors and industry associations to bring international events to the centre and city. Bringing the General Assembly of the International Astronomical Union, which will be hosted for the first time on Africa soil, was such an event that brought about an important collaboration.

“Africa is undergoing a tremendous growth in astronomy with the establishment of the Southern African Large Telescope, the MeerKAT radio telescope array, which will expand into the Square Kilometre Array, and a number of new facilities across the continent. Hosting the IAU General Assembly will bring the world of astronomy to Africa, to South Africa and to Cape Town. There is a long and rich history of astronomy in South Africa, dating back to the establishment of the observatory in Cape Town in 1820 – they will celebrate their 200th anniversary in 2020,” says Professor Patrick Woudt, who was instrumental in bringing the event to Cape Town.

He adds: “This was the second attempt – previously we bid in 2015 – to bring the IAU General Assembly to Africa for the first time. In the 100 year history of the International Astronomical Union, its general assembly has not been held in Africa before.”

Having been awarded these prestigious international events, the CTICC has already hosted two of the 15 events that will take place at the centre. The International Congress of Linguistics 2018, took place at the centre between the 2nd and 6th of July 2018, and was attended by 800 delegates. The conference, a first on African soil, showcased African language research and applied linguistic areas of research on the continents.

Another event awarded in the last six months and which took place in August 2018 is the 500-delegate ICAO Global Aviation Gender Summit which provided a unique opportunity to advocate and advance gender equality and empowerment of women in the global aviation sector.

The CTICC’s world-class, high-tech facilities, flexible venues and high levels of service delivery are making a growing impact on international conference organisers. Cape Town and the location within the city are strong draw cards too.

For more information, contact the CTICC Corporate Communications Department at +27 21 410 5000 or email media@cticc.co.za

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