Ekurhuleni to Host Airport Cities World Conference

 The Airport Cities World Conference and Exhibition 2013 is to take place on African soil for the first time in its 11-year history. The event will be staged at the Emperors Palace Hotel in the City of Ekurhuleni, South Africa, from April 24-26. The City of Ekurhuleni was chosen to host the event as it is home to O.R. Tambo International Airport – the busiest gateway in Africa - and already has a strategic road map in place to become ‘Africa’s first Aerotropolis’. The Airport Cities World Conference and Exhibition champions the concept that today airports are more than just gateways for the transportation of goods and people from one region or country to another. This historic perception has now given way to a much broader concept of the airport as a business destination in its own right and as an economic engine for its region and local communities. Last year, Denver International Airport – now rebranded as Airport City Denver – played host to 800 delegates, 50 major corporate sponsors and more than 60 exhibitors. The ACE event is globally renowned for attracting key decision makers from the banking, financial, investment and real estate sectors, as well as economic development councils and other local governments from over the world. ACE 2013 is expecting to welcome at least 800 delegates, including 110 airport operators representing 45 nations, and more than 60 airport chief executive officers or executive directors. The 2013 conference also hopes to attract investment to the City of Ekurhuleni and to broaden economic relationships between the city and international businesses, as well as highlighting the potential economic opportunities of establishing other ‘aerotropoli’ across Africa.