The new 1 800-sqm conference and meeting facilities at Emperors Palace will effectively cater for emerging trends within the business tourism and meetings space. 
Speaking at the new wing’s unveiling, CEO of SAACI, Adriaan Liebetrau, noted that emerging trends within the business tourism and meetings space included shorter stays, smaller groups and smaller budgets. “Delegates no longer want to stand during conference breaks but prefer to have the ability to sit. WiFi is an absolute must and dietary requirements have become more complex.” 
In line with this, additions to the Emperors Palace Convention Centre include five 100sqm breakaway rooms that allow for greater intimacy, along with an extended pre-assembly area for networking. It also includes the 440sqm sub-divisible Fabia room and the 220sqm Julia room. Additional seating in the pre-assembly area enables guests to sit down between sessions and relax or check their e-mails. 
In terms of technology, the centre now features state-of-the-art presentation technology, which can support HD content viewing via cable or wireless from any device. It also provides up to 500MB of free WiFi per day. New touches such as magnetised walls for presentation purposes all add to the venue’s enhanced functionality.   
“We have spent a significant amount of time engaged in operational and strategic planning, focused on determining what delegates want,” says Wayne Hill, GM of Hotels and Resort Operations at Emperors Palace. “As such, our newly refurbished convention centre now caters for the trend of smaller meetings geared towards networking.”