The Johannesburg Expo Centre: Connecting People

Unrivalled tourism and world class venues have positioned South Africa as a sought after destination for major international events, and the International Congress and Convention Association rated it as the number one meetings destination in Africa. With approximately 800 000 people travelling to the country annually for business the industry is showing no signs of slowing down, and at the start of  the New Year, the corporate tourist trade is gathering even more momentum.

The Johannesburg Expo Centre (JEC), South Africa’s largest purpose-built exhibition, conference, convention and events venue, is one of the city’s best-known landmarks, and with 150,000 m² of space, 20,000 parking bays, 24 hour security, banking facilities, telecommunication services, five star in house catering facilities, easy access leading in and out of all halls and a highly qualified team to ensure everything goes to plan, the JEC is the obvious choice for everything MICE.  It actively demonstrates South Africa’s authority in hosting world-class events, and in offering a capacity of over 100,000 guests, it is no wonder that the JEC is one of Africa’s premier event venues.

” A well-designed site that is perfectly suited to host a variety of events from conferencing to meetings and exhibitions to presentations, the versatility of the JEC allows these corporate gatherings to reach new heights.”

A well-designed site that is perfectly suited to host a variety of events from conferencing to meetings and exhibitions to presentations, the versatility of the JEC allows these corporate gatherings to reach new heights. The venue is made up of modular, adaptable halls and large outdoor spaces, making it possible to host events of all sizes, as well as tailor-made seminars and sessions. Keeping pace with exhibiting and eventing trends, the JEC is constantly innovating, and amongst its unique offerings include a monorail train, a lake, a fun fair and a dedicated helipad.

Offering world-class facilities that have won the PMR Africa Award in 2007, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015 and again in 2016, the venue has mirrored the remarkable growth of the local exhibition and conference industries, evolving into an exceptional facility that offers exhibitors, visitors and delegates a first-rate experience. The JEC went on to win the Diamond Arrow Award for Best Exhibition and Events Venue in Sub-Saharan Africa at the PMR Africa Awards 2018, and it is proving year-on-year that it provides the best in bespoke conferences for its growing client base.

Watch a interview with Craig Newman below

Although the JEC is probably best known for one of Johannesburg’s much loved consumer exhibitions, the annual Rand Show, which anticipates  over 200,000 visitors on the 8^th  to the 13^th 0f April 2020, it is also home to several other well-known exhibitions, events, conferences and year ends, including Rand  water year end function, Ultra Music Festival and Afri  Water Expo. It also accommodated the China Homelife Trade Show in September 2019, hosting over 5000 guests and the  EFF National Political  Conference, hosted in Hall 6 in December 2019 with 4000 attendees.

Allowing easy access for international travellers, the JEC is just 30 minutes away from all  main airports, and is surrounded by numerous 4/5 * hotels including the Four Seasons Hotel the Westcliff and the Radisson Blu Hotel Sandton to accommodate delegates.

Although we currently live in an increasingly digital age and lucrative virtual reality expo experiences are on the horizon, tangible face-to-face meetings are still undoubtedly priceless. Ultimately, the JEC is the leader in the market place, and the exhibition circuit in 2020 is set to be the most impressive yet. South Africa is growing as a destination for foreign delegates, and the JEC is the prime venue to accommodate any meeting.

The JEC is owned by the UK based Montgomery Group and the International GL Events Group and Craig Newman Current President of UFI is the CEO.

For more information: www.expocentre.co.za

View a 360 virtual tour here https://www.expocentre.co.za/venue-explorer/