South Africa to host Airport Cities World Conference
London : The Airport Cities World Conference and Exhibition (ACE) 2013 is to take place on African soil for the first time in its 11-year history.
London-based event organiser UBM Live has confirmed that the milestone event will take place in the city of Ekurhuleni, South Africa, from 24-26 April 2013.
Ekurhuleni was chosen to host the event as it is home to OR Tambo International Airport – the busiest gateway in Africa – and already has a strategic road map in place to become ‘Africa’s first Aerotropolis’.
From humble beginnings in 2002 at the Portofino Bay Hotel in Orlando, Florida, where the first ‘Creating Airport Cities’ conference welcomed 120 delegates and a handful of exhibitors, the Airport Cities event has grown by more than six times in size over the last ten years, Asia Travel Tips reports.
Last year Denver International Airport (DIA) – now rebranded as Airport City Denver – played host to 800 delegates, 50 major corporate sponsors and more than 60 exhibitors.
The ACE event is globally renowned for attracting key decision makers from the banking, financial, investment and real estate sectors, as well as economic development councils and other local governments from over the world.
ACE 2013 is expecting to welcome at least 800 delegates, including 110 airport operators representing 45 nations, and more than 60 airport chief executive officers or executive directors.
The 2013 conference also hopes to attract investment to the Ekurhuleni and to broaden economic relationships between the city and international businesses, as well as highlighting the potential economic opportunities of establishing other Aerotropoli across Africa.
Airport Cities World Conference and Exhibition 2013 will take place from 24-26 April 2013 at the Emperors Palace Hotel, City of Ekurhuleni, South Africa.
