A highly memorable year

Centre´s commitment to staying one step ahead of its competitors has characterised 2008. During this time the Centre´s management excellence was acknowledged when it received the Recognised for Excellence (4 star) award. It is the first conference centre in Spain to obtain such recognition and only the second in Europe. In parallel with this recognition, the building confirmed its long-standing commitment to the environment with the installation of a photovoltaic roof. This project, which is an excellent example of the VCC´s proactive stance to renewable energy, involved an investment of E3.1 million. This was paid for entirely by the Centre as part of its self-funding policy.

As of the end of 2008, the photovoltaic roof had generated over 50,000 kwh of energy and had avoided the emission of 20 tonnes of CO2 which would have required over 100,000 trees to absorb it.

As a result of this strategy, the Conference Centre has beaten off the competition when it comes to hosting major events. This is borne out by the considerable increase in the number of conferences and congresses hosted during thisperiod compared to 2007, which rose from 44 to 48 events. In total, 146 events were held at the Conference Centre during 2008 which brought almost one hundred thousand visitors to the building. These figures reinforce the Valencia Conference Centre´s leading position, which is the result of its pioneering initiatives and the excellent service it offers. This has placed the city of Valencia fourth on the world ranking in terms of the growth of event tourism over the last 15 years.

These achievements go hand in hand with the AIPC´s (International Association of Congress Centres) recognition of the VCC as one of the best centres in the world in 2007. This ranking was carried out by an independent panel of experts which awarded the Centre 89.75 points out of 100, over two points higher than the average score obtained by the other finalists.