Nelson Mandela Bay — a premier destination for business events

Nestled in the heart of South Africa, this vibrant city offers a unique blend of intimate business tourism facilities set against a backdrop of pristine natural beauty. Whether you are planning a conference, corporate event, or private function, Nelson Mandela Bay has everything you need to make your event a success. The city provides a wide range of experiences, including the chance to witness the ‘Big 7’ game in malaria-free environments, all within close proximity to the city and its stunning beaches.

Located in a strategic position, Nelson Mandela Bay attracts business travellers, investors, and conference attendees due to its convenient central location and easy accessibility to major cities in the country. The city’s warm hospitality and safe environment further enhance its appeal.

Nelson Mandela Bay boasts an impressive selection of venues suitable for conferences, corporate events, and private functions. These venues are equipped with state-of-the-art technology and provide a stable and picturesque setting. From video conferencing capabilities to teambuilding activities, every conference need can be met with ease.

The venues in Nelson Mandela Bay offer a variety of facilities that can be tailored to suit any conference or event. The seating arrangements are flexible, and additional rooms are available to accommodate different session requirements. Catering services can also be arranged, to ensure that attendees are well-fed and satisfied throughout the event. The Bay’s venues can accommodate a considerable number of delegates, ranging from 70 to 300 on average, with larger and smaller options available. Private game reserves, seaside resorts, and luxury hotels offer exclusive and comfortable conference facilities for those seeking a more premium experience.

In addition to conferences, Nelson

Mandela Bay provides unique private function venues perfect for cocktail parties, awards dinners, company gatherings, and year-end functions, adding elegance and style to these events.

The city offers a stress-free conferencing experience amidst the stunning African landscape. Its multilingual environment, with English, isiXhosa, and Afrikaans as the predominant languages, facilitates smooth business interactions. Visitors to the Bay have a wide range of accommodation options to choose from, including hotels, retreats, boutique hotels, guesthouses, township lodges, selfcatering establishments, holiday resorts, caravan parks, and camping sites.

Nelson Mandela Bay is easily accessible by air, road, and sea. The Chief Dawid Stuurman International Airport (PLZ) is centrally located and serviced by various airlines. Metered taxis, luxury coaches, and shuttle buses provide convenient transportation within the city and its surroundings. The city’s small size and excellent transportation options make it effortless for delegates to travel between various meeting and entertainment venues, earning it the nickname ‘10-minute city’.

The city enjoys a moderate climate throughout the year, with temperatures ranging from 16°C in winter to 32°C in summer. Summers are warm and dry with low humidity, while winters are mild with chilly evenings. Nelson Mandela Bay’s culinary scene is diverse, offering a wide variety of cuisines, from gourmet restaurants to traditional township taverns. With the highest capita ratio of restaurants per population in South Africa, visitors can savour everything from succulent steaks to authentic African cuisine while enjoying breathtaking sunsets.

Nelson Mandela Bay boasts world-class venues, including state-of-the-art convention centres, exhibition halls, and hotels with excellent conference facilities. Whether one requires a small meeting room or a large conference hall, the city offers venues to cater to every need. Apart from its business offerings, Nelson Mandela Bay's natural beauty is a major attraction. With its stunning beaches, ocean views, and nearby nature reserves, the city provides an ideal opportunity to combine business with leisure.

The Nelson Mandela Bay Convention Bureau is dedicated to ensuring the success of every conference and exhibition. The bureau offers support in bid promotion, site inspections, accommodation, and on-site assistance, ensuring that clients have access to all the necessary resources for a successful event.

NMB Convention Bureau contact details

NMBM EDTA: Destination Marketing Unit

Nelson Mandela Bay

+27 (0)41 503 7513 / +27 (0)83 410 3565 dlouw@mandelametro.gov.za sisaacs@mandelametro.gov.za mleroux@mandelametro.gov.za www.nmbt.co.za

Nelson Mandela Bay Convention Bureau Services

Bids

Nelson Mandela Bay’s Convention Bureau will gladly assist with your bid if the local Convention Bureau and the Association and / or Conference Organizer are in agreement. The following can be included:

• Letter of Support to be submitted with the bid from the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality

• Request a letter of support from SA Tourism’s National Convention Bureau to be included in the bid.

• Request a letter of support from the Eastern Cape Parks and Tourism Agency to be included in the bid.

• City bid template for bid submission

• City information for bid submission

• Submit a request to the National Convention Bureau, your application will follow their processes

• Submit a request to the Eastern Cape Parks and Tourism Agency, your application will follow their processes.

Delegate Boosting

This platform is used to boost, attract and entice delegates to attend the following conference in our destination. This usually takes place at a previous conference / event in order to boost the number of delegates to the conference.

Conference Event Support

The Nelson Mandela Bay Convention Bureau can supply

• City images to be included on conference website

• Tourist information which can be included on the confer ence website or share a link from the tourism website to the conference website

• Assist with City Welcome / Civic reception

Promotional Material

Promotional material is for the use of planners and organ isers to use at their conferences and / or events. These could include from the MICE Planner, visitors’ guides, maps (in print or electronically), destination DVD, destination images.

Site Inspections

Some conference and event organizers are not from the destination and may need to visit the destination to familiari themselves with venues, the best location, introductions to service providers i.e. venues, accommodation establishments, etc.