The centre and Cape Town received global recognition, when it was announced the winner of the prestigious UFI 2013 Sustainable Development Award. UFI is the association of the world’s leading tradeshow organisers and exhibition centre operators, as well as the major national and international exhibition associations, and is comprised of over 600 member organisations in 85 countries around the world.

CTICC beat many other hopefuls to clinch the title of “Best Reporting on Sustainability” for its sustainability report, which is aligned to the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) framework. The GRI sets the highest standards for sustainability reporting and the CTICC is the only convention centre in the world that achieved a Level B status. The main contender for this award was the Rural, Predio Ferial Buenos Aires convention centre in Argentina.

“As an exhibition and convention centre committed to the highest standards of corporate governance and whose business principles are built on the core tenets of sustainability, winning this prestigious global award is a great accolade and honour for CTICC”,  says CEO, Rashid Toefy, The centre is continually setting the benchmark in terms of international standards of best practice and is the only exhibition and convention centre in the world that has aligned its reporting processes to the comprehensive Global Reporting Initiative GRI framework for two consecutive years. The centre improved it level C rating to a B this year, as a result of its commitment to pushing the envelope in terms of advancing sustainability.

“A strategic imperative for the centre going forward will be to up the ante in terms of effecting change within the meetings and exhibition industry”, says Toefy.  The jury’s selection recognized CTICC’s clear and comprehensive sustainability reporting.

Paul Woodward, UFI Managing Director commented, “Reporting on sustainability is increasingly important and UFI is happy to promote these two examples of best practice selected by our jury. Both have demonstrated full and transparent details of their economic, environmental and social activities and their reports are first class”.

The centre will be collecting the award at the UFI Sustainability in the exhibition industry: best practices and tips focus meeting, which will be held in Geneva, Switzerland on 12 December 2013.

Press release by CTICC, 2 May 2013
Steadfast Greening is proud to assist the CTICC NOW team with their sustainability reporting and implementation.