Over 1,300,000 people have attended the 2,000 events held at the ValenciaConference Centre.Since it opened, the Centre has generated an economic impact of over€660 million.The 24th Spanish Uveitis Meeting was the 2,000th event to be held in the Centre and was awarded a diploma as a mark of its contribution to the venue’s activities.
The Valencia Conference Centre, chosen as the World’s Best Convention Centre in 2010 by the International Association of Conference Centres (AIPC), has reached another milestone on the occasion of the 2,000th event to be held in its facilities. Over 1.3 million people have takenpart in the events held at the Centre, which constitutes an outstanding track record for the venue in the nearly 13 years since it was opened.
This achievement coincided on this occasion with the 24th Spanish Uveitis Meeting, organised by the Spanish Uveitis and Eye Inflammation Society and the Spanish Multicentre Uveitis Group. The congress, which took place at the Centre on 25th and 26th February, was attended by over 400 health specialists. In an act to commemorate this new milestone, the ValenciaConference Centre’s CEO, José Salinas, presented the congress’s scientific coordinator, Dr. Manuel Diaz Llopis, with a diploma in recognition of the industry’s loyalty and support for the Centre over the years.
Dr. Diaz, who is a Professor of Ophthalmology at the University of Valencia, and Head of the Opthalmology Department at the New La Fe Hospital, thanked the Centre for the diploma and pointed out that “the Valencia Conference Centre is an added attraction for the professionals attending this congress, which is the largest event in the world in our field”.
This event adds to the 400 congresses attended by over 200,000 delegates and the 200 conventions attended by over 75,000 participants held at the Centre since it was opened. These events are characterised by a high percentage of national and international participation, which stands at around 80% for participants and meeting-type events, and 70% for corporate events.
In the words of José Salinas, “when the building designed by Norman Foster opened itsdoors in 1998, this did not only mark the opening of an emblematic setting which would transform the north west district of the city, but was also the creation of a highly attractive venue for Spanish and international event tourism, which has contributed to placing Valencia in the top positions of the European ranking, according to statistics published by the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA)”.
The Valencia Conference Centre has generated an economic impact of €660 million for the city, or in other words, 22 times the amount it cost to build. This success is the result of a management excellence model which has enabled the building to operate a strict self-funding policy from the outset and invest almost €10 million in technological improvements and innovation, which have enabled it to maintain its pioneering status in the industry. Around50% of this investment has been spent on sustainable environmental initiatives such as the photovoltaic roof (the largest roof of its kind in a Spanish building), which in just two and a half years since it began to operate has generated almost 700,000 kWh of energy.
Another feature which has marked the Centre’s management policy is its firm commitment to quality. In 2010, the venue’s Recognised for Excellence (4 stars) certification was renewed by the European Foundation for Quality Management, and it also holds the integrated ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 Quality and Environmental Management Systems certificate, the “Q” Tourist Quality Certificate and the UNE 216301:2007 for Energy Management Systems certification.
According to the CEO “this recognition has made the Valencian building the most certified conference centre in Spain and one of the top centres in Europe and has positioned the venue as a benchmark on the national and international event tourism stage”.
The Valencia Conference Centre
The Valencia Conference Centre is the leading venue for organising business events in the city. It was opened on 2nd July 1998 and has received many accolades, such as the World’s Best Convention Centre award (given by the International Association of Conference Centres, whose members are the world’s top 160 conference venues) and the prestigious Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) prize as best European building.
