On the day of MICEreview’s visit, hundreds of graduating high-school students thronged the Alfândega Congress Centre to attend the University fair. With teens, this was surely a noisy and crowded affair. However, this just goes to demonstrate the capacity of the Centre because the fair only occupied one hall in the East Wing of the venue, while the remaining halls and event spaces are largely unaffected by the teens’ activities.

The Building of Alfândega (former Customs House) was built in Porto on the bank of the Douro River in the second half of 19th century and finished in 1869. Made up of a central block and two symmetrical lateral wings, the building consists of a floor at river level – known as furnas - and three upper floors. Building were granted to the Association of Transport and Communications Museum in 1992, and restored under the supervision of Souto Moura, a 2011 Pritzker Prize-winning architect. Today, the Alfândega Congress Centre serves as a major convention, exhibition and cultural centre in Porto.

The Congress Centre offers a flexible area of 50.000 square meters, including spaces with large versatility adapted to different types of events including exhibitions and conventions. There are 22 multifunctional rooms (3 of them are equipped with translation booths), all with conditions to host conferences, seminar or gala events. 7 rooms on the second level of the West Wing were specifically renovated with latest design and technology to host conferences and seminars for up to 168 attendees in classroom-style seating. Other interesting multi-purpose spaces include the Archive Hall which can accommodate up to 1,200 guests in theatre or banquet-style; the Noble Hall and Quay, which opens up to the Douro River, for 300 guests banquet-style; and the East and West Furnas (river-level rooms), built completely in granite and with 74 pillars in each room to support a magnificent vaulted ceiling, are excellent for wine or Medieval-themed receptions or dinners for up to 1,500 guests banquet-style. There are many other rooms, each with its unique features. For more information, please visit:

www.ccalfandegaporto.com

For medium to large conventions, exhibitions and gala events, the Alfândega Congress Centre, being Porto’s convention centre, is the perfect venue given its range of facilities, as well as its strategic and scenic location along the Douro River.