The Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre Complex often abbreviated as ICC Durban is a large events facility located in the city centre of

Durban Durban ( ) ( zu, eThekwini, from meaning 'the port' also called zu, eZibubulungwini for the mountain range that terminates in the area), nicknamed ''Durbs'',Ishani ChettyCity nicknames in SA and across the worldArticle on ''news24.com'' from ...

KwaZulu-Natal KwaZulu-Natal (, also referred to as KZN and known as "the garden province") is a province of South Africa that was created in 1994 when the Zulu bantustan of KwaZulu ("Place of the Zulu" in Zulu) and Natal Province were merged. It is loca ...

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring coun ...

. It is named after 1960 Nobel Peace Prize laureate and former president of the African National Congress, Inkosi Albert Luthuli. Opened by former president

Nelson Mandela Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (; ; 18 July 1918 – 5 December 2013) was a South African anti-apartheid activist who served as the first president of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. He was the country's first black head of state and the ...

in 1997, the Durban ICC was South Africa’s first International Convention Centre and has played a pioneering role in attracting international events to Durban since its inception. The complex is composed of an arena, hotel, convention and exhibition centre. The venue has hosted various high-level conferences and meetings since its inception, namely: the International AIDS Conference in 2000 and again in July 2016; the

Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 1999 The 1999 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting was the 16th Meeting of the Heads of Government of the Commonwealth of Nations. It was held in Durban, South Africa, between 12 November and 14 November 1999, and hosted by President Thabo Mbeki. ...

; and the

Non-Aligned Movement The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) is a forum of 120 countries that are not formally aligned with or against any major power bloc. After the United Nations, it is the largest grouping of states worldwide. The movement originated in the aftermath ...

in 2004. It hosted the preliminary draw for the

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and final draw for 2013 African Cup of Nations. It also hosted the COP17 meeting in 2011 and the 5th Global Conference on the Elimination of Child Labour in 2022.

Facilities

*Durban International Convention Centre: The main facility of the complex. Its design allows the centre to be converted into 22 individual halls. **Hall of Stars: A plenary-styled auditorium that can seat over 1,500 guests. **Fig Tree Courtyard: An outdoor event space with an adjoining lawn area. Used for cocktail parties, banquets and small weddings. *Durban ICC Arena: The arena and main event center of the complex. It is composed of Halls 4–6 of the Durban ICC. Depending on configuration, it can seat anywhere from 3,000–10,000. Construction began in 2004 and the arena opened 20 March 2007. The arena cost R460 million. Many international acts have performed at the arena, including:

George Benson George Washington Benson (born March 22, 1943) is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He began his professional career at the age of 19 as a jazz guitarist. A former child prodigy, Benson first came to prominence in the 1960s, play ...

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, Mary J. Blige,

Josh Groban Joshua Winslow Groban (born February 27, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. His first four solo albums have been certified multi-platinum, and he was charted in 2007 as the number-one best selling artist in the United States, wi ...

, Michael Buble,

Enrique Iglesias Enrique Miguel Iglesias Preysler (; (born 8 May 1975) is a Spanish singer and songwriter. He started his recording career in the mid-1990s on the Mexican indie label Fonovisa and became the bestselling Spanish-language act of the decade. By th ...

, and

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*Durban Exhibition Centre: A series of exhibition halls originally built/opened in the 1980s. In 2000, the DEC became a part of the complex. **Coast of Dreams and Mystrals: Banquet halls. **East Park: Outdoor space used for cocktail parties and open-air events. Includes at waterproof Bedouin Tent that is erected for weather issues. *Hilton Durban Hotel: A 324-room hotel that opened August 1997.

History

Discussions in the city of Durban on the merits of a major convention centre date back to the 1960s. However, planning for the convention centre began in 1991. After consultations by the whites-only municipal authorities with unrepresented political groupings in 1993, construction commenced in 1994. The Convention Centre hosted the 123rd

IOC Session This is the list of International Olympic Committee (IOC) meetings. Olympic Congresses IOC Sessions There has been a session during all Olympic Games except the 1900, 1904 and 1908 Summer Olympics and the 1924, 1928 and 1932 Winter Olympics ...

where

Pyeongchang Pyeongchang (; in full, ''Pyeongchang-gun'' ; ) is a county in the province of Gangwon-do, South Korea, located in the Taebaek Mountains region. It is home to several Buddhist temples, including Woljeongsa. It is about east southeast of Se ...

was elected host city of the

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Change of name

It was proposed on Feb 1, 2006 that the name of the centre be changed from Durban International Convention Centre

Awards

The Durban ICC has received a number of awards, some of which are listed here: * Africa's Leading Meetings and Conference Centre: 2001 - 2006, 2008 - 2014 ( World Travel and Tourism Council, World Travel Awards

* World's Top 15 Congress Centres: 2014 (International Association of Congress Centres - AIPC

* World's Top 15 Congress Centres: 2016 (International Association of Congress Centres - AIPC)

References

*Conflict over tenders at Durban ICC *Disney on Ice! returns to SA *Not left to ‘bleed to death’

External links

Durban ICC website
{{Indoor arenas in Africa Buildings and structures in Durban Convention centres in South Africa Tourist attractions in Durban Netball venues in South Africa