The National Conference and Convention Center (Centro Nacional de Congresos y Convenciones) has been designed with the purpose of providing different environments for many kinds of meetings. The rooms are comfortably furnished and suitably equipped for these events, boasting areas for exhibits and expositions. This infrastructure represents an opportunity for Costa Rica to diversify and explore new tourist offerings. It will be ready in May 2018.
These facilities are a national project whose benefits will spread throughout the country. It is sure to be a catalyst for the tourism industry, as well as providing jobs, promoting real estate development, and creating productive linkages. It will be a major improvement to the country’s image as a well-established tourist destination.
The construction of a world-class Convention Center, whose size meets all of the industry’s needs and which functions as a visible figurehead for the country, will attract ever-larger events and raise the profile of the country to organizers and sponsors. This will not only bring meetings to the Convention Center, but will also attract activities of various sizes to other places all around the country.
Specifications of the National Conference and Convention Center
The main building with an area of 15,600 square meters is located on a 10-hectare campus. Maximum capacity of the center is 4,600 people in a plenary session. It is located 8 km from the Juan Santamaría International Airport and 10 km from downtown San José, with direct access to the General Cañas Highway.
The architecture and surroundings are in harmony with the country’s image, with reflective roofs, re-use of rainwater, taps with automatic shutoffs, high-tech air conditioning systems, sun shades that mitigate heating, internal lighting using LED systems, external lighting using solar panels, internal and external tree plantings using native species, motion sensors for turning lights on and off, use of a wastewater treatment facility, etc.
This facility does away with the seasonality by reinforcing the green season and attracting tourists that tend to spend three times more than a leisure tourist during their stay, and that go on tours before and after the event. It reinforces the destination by competing in the meeting niche, and allows multiple events to be held simultaneously while meeting global standards. The center will stimulate the local economy directly and indirectly through infrastructure, services, employment, attracting investment, generating positive linkages, and distributing tourist dollars.
