Aiming for the top
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Tuesday, 26 March, 2002 - 21:00
IT will be more than two years until the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre opens its doors to customers, but work to bring the people in has already begun.
The centre already has drawn tentative bookings worth $45 million and requests for information are continually rolling in.
When completed, the $220 million centre will boast six exhibition halls, a 2,500-seat plenary hall, 19 meeting rooms ranging in size from 60 square metres to 300 square metres and a sub-dividable ballroom capable of seating 2,500 people.
PCEC chief executive officer Peter Brokenshire said Perth would be getting the “best convention centre in Australia”.
Indeed, he wants the first event it hosts to be a “Best of WA” exhibition so the WA public can see the centre first hand.
Mr Brokenshire believes the final design reflects the best of the convention centres around Australia.
“We are making adjustments to the design. Fine tuning it,” he said.
“The centre will be able to cater for meetings, tradeshows, entertainment and even sporting events.
“We could hold basketball and, potentially, tennis.”
However, discussions have not been held with the Wildcats about making the PCEC their home court.
Mr Brokenshire has been involved with the opening of five purpose-built convention centres.
He has worked at every purpose-built Australian convention centre except Cairns, Brisbane and Sydney.
Before returning to Perth, where he worked from 1977 to 1986, he was running the Durban International Convention Centre in South Africa.
That centre won a number of awards, including Best Convention Centre in Southern Africa. It also was lauded for its marketing and environmental performance.
Mr Brokenshire said he had been watching the development of the PCEC with a keen interest throughout its development.
“The PCEC will be the last purpose-built convention centre constructed in Australia,” he said.
“We’ll be able to cash in on the fact that people have done everywhere else in Australia and want to try somewhere new.
“In its first five years Durban generated the equivalent of $650 million into the economy and I don’t see it being terribly different here.”
Mr Brokenshire expects to spend at least five years in Perth heading the PCEC.
The centre already has drawn tentative bookings worth $45 million and requests for information are continually rolling in.
When completed, the $220 million centre will boast six exhibition halls, a 2,500-seat plenary hall, 19 meeting rooms ranging in size from 60 square metres to 300 square metres and a sub-dividable ballroom capable of seating 2,500 people.
PCEC chief executive officer Peter Brokenshire said Perth would be getting the “best convention centre in Australia”.
Indeed, he wants the first event it hosts to be a “Best of WA” exhibition so the WA public can see the centre first hand.
Mr Brokenshire believes the final design reflects the best of the convention centres around Australia.
“We are making adjustments to the design. Fine tuning it,” he said.
“The centre will be able to cater for meetings, tradeshows, entertainment and even sporting events.
“We could hold basketball and, potentially, tennis.”
However, discussions have not been held with the Wildcats about making the PCEC their home court.
Mr Brokenshire has been involved with the opening of five purpose-built convention centres.
He has worked at every purpose-built Australian convention centre except Cairns, Brisbane and Sydney.
Before returning to Perth, where he worked from 1977 to 1986, he was running the Durban International Convention Centre in South Africa.
That centre won a number of awards, including Best Convention Centre in Southern Africa. It also was lauded for its marketing and environmental performance.
Mr Brokenshire said he had been watching the development of the PCEC with a keen interest throughout its development.
“The PCEC will be the last purpose-built convention centre constructed in Australia,” he said.
“We’ll be able to cash in on the fact that people have done everywhere else in Australia and want to try somewhere new.
“In its first five years Durban generated the equivalent of $650 million into the economy and I don’t see it being terribly different here.”
Mr Brokenshire expects to spend at least five years in Perth heading the PCEC.