Century City: where modernity, pleasure and business meet

The conference centre also has an over-arching environmental strategy in place.

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As business dies down and Cape Town becomes a playground for tourists, there’s a place in Cape Town where modernity, pleasure and business meet in a less transient way – Century City.

It’s where real Capetonians live and work – without selfie-hungry tourists trying to frame themselves in the City Bowl with Table Mountain in the background.

Century City has mega charm if you stay for a while. In its heart is the Century City Conference Centre – a designer gem that gives you a taste of where Century City will be heading in the years to come. In fact, the conference centre was born in the knowledge that Cape Town is one of the leading conference destinations in the world.

Joint CEOs Glyn Taylor and Gary Koetser have travelled the globe extensively, not only to draw inspiration from the best conference centres in the world, but most recently to promote this world-class facility, which opened last year.

“We see ourselves as a boutique conference centre,” said Koetser.

Both have vast experience in the hospitality industry which trickled into their approach to the conference centre when going through the initial planning phase.

“We tried to create something run by hoteliers. It means more attention to detail, more parking, less add-ons,” explained Taylor. “We pride ourselves in our flexibility.”

The developers approached the two to come onboard prior to the opening and they helped to create an impressive space for professionals.

The centre has two distinct floors. The ground floor’s open-plan foyer means it could become a flow-over area for clients. The space has wood finishings and darker tones to create an atmosphere that won’t clash with the corporate identity of clients. In total, there are 19 venues, with the biggest downstairs. The ground-floor halls can seat hundreds, even thousands when the separating walls are removed.

The wood finishes spill over to the halls, creating a warm but neutral conference space. On the first floor, there are a number of smaller rooms, as well as boardrooms. These rooms can be rented for meetings by business startups without office space or travelling business people.

“We like to think we thought of everything, and generally we did,” boasted Koetser.

Art

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Gone are the days of soulless conference facilities and Century City Conference Centre has several pieces of art on display. The pieces were all bought at charity auctions. The aim was to bring a bit of South Africa into the space so international visitors could get a sense of the country. One striking piece is a wall installation with all the words of the national anthem recreated in 3D letters. Face-on, the installation looks striped, while you can clearly read Nkosi Sikelel’ from the side.

Green building

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The conference centre has an over-arching environmental strategy in place. Transport, energy, water and waste are all taken into consideration. The centre’s design is energy efficient, with thermal control and lighting. One of the clever ways to reduce waste is a rebottling service. One-litre glass bottles of still and sparkling water are continuously filled with fresh water and resealed. The centre is also close to Cape Town’s BRT My CiTi bus transport so staff and visitors don’t add to car emissions getting there.

Home away from home

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The conference centre leads into the joining hotel. Work-life balance is becoming increasingly important, so there is a crossover here where business and normal travellers can find a peaceful slice of home in the new corporate heart of Cape Town.

The concept of the Century City Hotel was pioneered by a seasoned team of hospitality experts who embraced the opportunity to create a truly unique offering for guests. As an independently-owned and managed hotel, the team can be flexible and offer a personalised service. The hotel offers an inspiring yet functional space expertly designed to facilitate everything from business meetings to simply taking time out. Koetser and Taylor are masters at combining business and leisure. The conference centre and hotel only had a soft launch, yet already both are buzzing, with big-name clients using the facilities.