GL events Group: An international network of venues to host your events

GL events South Africa has had substantial growth since the company was bought by the GL events Group in 2010. This year marks the ninth year the group has been operational in South Africa and currently has a presence in three locations, i.e. Durban, Cape Town and Johannesburg (Head Office). While the core business in the South African branches remained events and exhibitions, early in the year GL events SA took another stride in the industry and extended its business operations to venue management when the Group officially acquired 60% of the Johannesburg Expo Centre (JEC).

The JEC is the largest exhibition, conference, congress and event venue in South Africa; a unique purpose-built centre and also one of the most eminent sites in Johannesburg. The venue offers more than 150,000 sqm of useable space, 20,000-plus parking bays and is one of the few venues with ample outdoor activation space.

Venue management has been in the GL events group deliverables which currently manages a network of over 50 venues in France, Europe, South America, Asia and of course the latest acquisition in South Africa. In 2018 GL events Venues achieved a turnover of 321 million euro, amounting to 31% of the overall group turnover.

The network of venues consists of modern and versatile venues that could cater for any kind of event. These venues in their uniqueness consist of convention centres, exhibition centres, reception venues, multi-purpose halls, etc. The unique and diverse range of event venues can easily host every kind of event.

Some of the venues in the network that are striking because of their illustrious features and locations are:

• Aichi Sky Expo, Japan

  Aichi Sky Expo, one of the biggest exhibition and event centres in Japan. Aichi Sky Expo, the first convention and exhibition centre in Japan with direct access to an international airport in the heart of Aichi Prefecture, the country's largest industrial region. Aichi Sky Expo is a 60,000 sqm world-class exhibition facility and officially opened in August 2019.

• Riocentro in Rio de Janeiro, Brasil

  Best Convention Centre in South America, according to the World Travel Awards. The Riocentro is one of the largest exhibition and conference centres in South America with almost 87,000 sqm of indoor space, situated in the magical surroundings of a 57-hectare park facing a natural lake.

• World Forum The Hague, Netherlands

  The Netherlands' largest auditorium in the "World Capital of Peace & Justice". Conveniently located between the beach and city centre and only 30 minutes from two international airports, World Forum The Hague is a full-service convention centre for all types of events, and in the last few years has become a major reference for meetings dealing with safety and security issues. The venue is a Golden Green Key award recipient for its Corporate Social Responsibility engagement.

• Jeunesse Arena in Brazil - Rio de Janeiro

  The Jeunesse Arena is a unique multifunctional venue in South America. This multi-purpose venue with a seating capacity for up to 18,000 people can be adapted to the requirements of major sporting or cultural events and concerts.

• Eurexpo Lyon, France
  Eurexpo based in Lyon is one of the leading exhibition venues in the GL network thanks to its 140,000 sqm surface area. The venue offers seven connected halls with up to 27,000 sqm available per space. In addition to the substantial floor space, the venue has its own auditorium seating up to 4,200 delegates, with seven restaurants on the premises. Eurexpo Lyon is continuously on the lookout to improve and expand the size and quality of its infrastructure.

GL events positioning in the event and exhibition industry has been advantageous in being able to identify the best venues that will not only be suitable for any kind of event but also offer the experience that organisers would like their delegates to derive from their events. Our venues worldwide have been earmarked for their capacity and capability to be tailor-made.