Whether it was communicating with overseas parties, meeting with local embassies, coordinating VIP arrivals or arranging safe, secure holding areas during the conference, the venue demonstrated the required level of knowledge and experience and was able to deliver a top class event to the international environmental community.
"The ICC received positive feedback from delegates who appreciated the friendly professional service, African hospitality and the world class facilities offered by the ICC team," said CEO Julie-May Ellingson.
The event called for 27 simultaneous meeting rooms with the capacity to host between 20 and 500 delegates, 2 plenary halls hosting between 1300 and 1900 delegates, 235 administration and country delegation offices, 800 computer internet stations, 278 exhibition stands in the ICC exhibition centre, a large travel and accommodation desk and three banking facilities.
Meeting rooms were booked back to back with the ICC Durban hosting 2520 meetings over the two-week period. This is a feat, taking into account that each meetings venue had to be refreshed before and after each meeting. Additionally, country delegations hosted meetings in their own offices and meeting rooms and there were hundreds of impromptu and informal meetings held all over the precinct.
There was enormous demand over the period of the conference for the culinary services provided by the Durban ICC, through its four catering venues and for individually ordered beverages, meals, snacks and food platters. Delegates consumed 40 000 beverages and 58 250 meals, the most popular meal being the South African braai (barbeque) menu with 8600 kilograms of chicken leg quarters being sold. As part of its menu offering, it also cooked 2200 kilograms of beef, 985 kilograms of hake and 1840 kilograms of lamb. Biodegradable packaging was used to serve all the meals including individually pre-packed biodegradable cutlery with toothpicks and serviettes.
All the major role-players worked together with the ICC Durban to ensure a well-coordinated event. The roles of Expo Solutions and Conference Communications are acknowledged, as without them it would have been impossible to deliver a successful event. Further important role-players included the National Intelligence Agency, South African Police Services, eThekwini Metro Police, Airports Company South Africa, Hotel Security Staff and the UNFCCC Security.
The contracted waste management company, Re-Ethical Environmental Re-Engineering (KZN), focused on maximizing the recovery of recyclable materials from the waste stream. Statistics reveal that by avoiding waste disposal to landfill sites, a carbon emission saving of 40 751 kilograms of CO2 was achieved. Recycled material from the conference totalled 32 030 kilograms.
Salwa Dallalah, senior co-ordinator for conference affairs services with the UNFCCC commented on their experience at the Durban ICC. "The major asset of the ICC is its staff. From the guard at the door, the cleaners, the technicians to the CEO, all worked round the clock to see to the last detail of proficient conference facilities in an African setting. It offered hospitality basking in the Durban sun and the odd cooling showers, when umbrellas would quickly be provided. The space provides spacious corridors, ample daylight, numerous indoor and outdoor areas for formal and informal discussion, instrumental for the success of the conference.
"It also provided the delegations with functional meeting rooms equipped with modern state of the art technology for negotiators communicating in the six UN official languages. The chefs saw to it that negotiators did not need to work on an empty stomach. They brewed good coffee, catered for vegetarians and served a variety of the delicious Durban cuisine with its Indian and African flavours."
"It has been a real privilege to have worked with the UNFCCC and been party to the successful hosting of COP17/CMP7. As one of the largest conferences in the world it has required team work, ingenuity and a good sense of humour," concludes Ellingson.
