-The Conference Centre has been a key factor in the city’s leading position
-An economic impact of over €750 million for the city since it was opened
-€1.3 million in savings and income from the implementation of the Centre’s environmental policy
Fourteen years ago, Norman Foster’s design for the Valencia Conference Centre became a reality. In addition to creating a flagship of avant-garde architecture, the building’s construction became the turning point for the city’s economic and urban development as the driving force behind the growth of the area it is located in and a highly attractive venue for event tourism in Valencia.
The figures speak for themselves. According to the latest data from the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA), Valencia stands eighth on the European ranking of non-capital cities as an event destination. The Centre’s contribution to this position is evident.
The venue has played host to around 2,200 events and over 1.5 million visitors since it was opened and has generated an economic impact for the city of over €750 million.
These figures are the result of a strategy based on management excellence and customer satisfaction, which in 2010 led to the venue being awarded the World’s Best Convention Centre accolade by the prestigious International Association of Conference Centres (AIPC), amongst other prizes.
Although the current economic climate has had a negative influence on event tourism, especially at corporate level, the Valencia Conference Centre has taken advantage of other business opportunities to help the city maintain its leading position. In 2012, this strategy has paid off with the Centre playing host to the conventions of prestigious companies such as Mapfre, Generali, Ibermutuamur and Groupama during the first half of the year. In addition, the building’s unique design and the fact that it can offer customers special security measures and exclusivity have been determining factors for clients such as Banco de Valencia and Bankia who have held their shareholders’ meetings at the venue. The Centre has also played host to the Spanish Multicentre Uveitis Group’s National Meeting (GEMU-SEDU), the Spanish Vitreoretinal Society Congress, the Spanish Arthroscopy Association Congress and the National and International Implant Society Congresses (SEI), amongst others.
Looking ahead, the Centre has been awarded 16 of the 83 bids it put forward during the first six months of the year which include Influenza Vaccines for the World to be held in 2012, the Mediterranean League Against Thromboembolic Disease Congress, the Spanish Infectious Disease and Clinical Microbiology Congress in 2014, and the International Headache Society Congress in 2015. These four events alone will bring together over 6,000 Spanish and international experts.
The Valencia Conference Centre’s recent track record has shown that the venue is becoming a more and more popular choice for staging international events. Over the last few years, the number of international visitors has increased fourfold and the Centre has hosted 60% of the major international congresses held in the city. This excellent performance has been enhanced by the Valencia Conference Centre’s firm environmental commitment.
Alongside a design which takes advantage of natural light, the Centre works to a Global Sustainability Plan which includes using low-energy light bulbs, presence detectors, an optical fibre installation for lighting and treating the water in the fountains. 2008 saw the culmination of this Plan with the installation of a photovoltaic roof which has already generated over 1,200,000 kWh. In keeping with this energy saving and efficiency programme, the building’s electronic control system has recently been improved and two of the building’s air conditioning and heating machines have just been replaced. This enables the venue to comply with the Kyoto Protocol and generate notable energy savings. In general, the estimated savings from all these environmental measures is around 1,250,000 kWh a year, compared to the building’s initial consumption. In economic terms, the income and savings generated thanks to these sustainability measures amount to around €1,300,000.
According to the venue’s CEO, Jose Salinas, “the Valencia Conference Centre is committed to continuous improvement in all its processes, alongside a vocation to serve the city and respect the environment as the values shared by the whole of the venue’s team. Our building has always been a pioneer and continues to lead the way in sustainability which makes it a benchmark at national and international level in terms of recognition and certifications.”
