The Valencia Conference Centre is shortlisted for the international AIPC Innovation Award

The Valencia Conference Centre (VCC) has been shortlisted for the International Association of Congress Centres (AIPC) Innovation Award. The Valencian venue is the only Spanish building to have reached the final stages of this year’s competition. The AIPC Innovation Award recognises the creation of new approaches in any aspect of management, marketing or operation of conference and convention centres.

The Valencia Conference Centre presented its innovative sustainability project – Helios. Based on the use of natural resources as a source of energy, the Helios initiative has completely transformed the roof of the Centre, covering it with photovoltaic panels, while allowing the building to retain its unique shape.

The Managing Director of the Valencia Conference Centre, José Salinas, emphasised the importance of being “the only Spanish venue and one of only three in Europe to have been shortlisted, because this shows that we are succeeding in our mission to be an excellent venue, both in terms of our management and in terms of our innovation and differentiation strategy. The Valencia Conference Centre continues to be a benchmark venue in the event tourism market at national and international levels.”

This recognition of the Helios Project consolidates the Conference Centre’s firm commitment to sustainability and respect for the environment. The building’s photovoltaic roof is the most visible aspect of the Centre’s continued efforts to use resources efficiently and thus minimise its impact on the environment and to establish a general commitment to responsible consumption.

Recognition

Last year, the AIPC recognised the Valencia Conference Centre as one of the world’s best event venues, with an independent panel of judges awarding the Centre 89.75 points out of 100. This was over two points higher than the average score obtained by the other finalists.

In May of this year, the VCC was also shortlisted for the Green Supplier Awards which were presented at IMEX, the world’s number one trade fair for conference and meeting tourism, held in Frankfurt. Again, the VCC was the only Spanish building to be shortlisted for the award.

11th Anniversary

On 2nd July, the Conference Centre celebrated its 11th anniversary, and 14th July will be its 4,000th working day. During this time, the Centre has hosted 1,814 events and welcomed over 1.2 million visitors.

Eleven years on, the Valencia Conference Centre continues to consolidate its position as one of the most emblematic buildings in the city and a symbol and benchmark for event tourism. The Conference Centre continues to actively participate in the city’s spectacular growth and plays a key role in its economic and social development. Since it opened, the Centre has generated over €500 million, a figure which is more than 16 times the cost of its construction.

The Conference Centre has been a success story from the very beginning and the excellent results it has achieved have allowed it to continue to grow and constantly improve the quality of all its services in order to increase its activity levels.

The Centre’s management policies help to strengthen its position as a self-financing entity and likewise guarantee the necessary investment to equip the premises with all the latest technological innovations. The venue has implemented the ISO 9001 Integrated Management System and the ISO 14001 Environmental Management System and has been awarded the “Q” Tourist Quality Certificate. In addition, 2007 saw the Valencia Conference Centre obtain the highest European management accolade, the EFQM Recognised for Excellence (4 stars) award, and thus became the first and only conference centre in Spain and only the second in Europe to be given this distinction.