Boksburg

Approximately 20 miles east of Johannesburg, Boksburg grew out of a small settlement built when gold was discovered in the surrounding hills in 1887. While that industry persists today, along with other big business, there also exists here a definite sense that safari country is just around the corner. Boksburg event venues share this mystique. Boksburg is the first major suburb south of OR Tambo International Airport (JNB), which is seven miles to its north. Flights arrive from all over the world, including ones from Atlanta, New York and Washington, DC-Dulles. The Sandton Convention Center is Boksburg's principal meeting spot, with 220,000 square feet of function space on four levels catering to up to 10,000 persons and including The Pavilion hosting up to 4,500 on its own. It is also approximately seven miles away, which makes Boksburg well positioned yet again, certainly as it is also close to the Gallagher Convention Centre, in Midrand (home to the Pan-African Parliament), which contains five exhibition halls covering 270,000 square feet of space, as well as an auditorium for 400 persons, Estate Ballroom for 1,200, seven meeting rooms and Wine Garden Restaurant, among other spaces. Being so close to the airport, there are few hotel venues in Boksburg; ones able to cater to meetings include the 665-room Birchwood Hotel & OR Tambo Conference Centre, which has rooms for conferences of up to 1,500 persons; the 151-room Airport Grand Hotel Conference Centre, on the Boksburg side of the airport, which has meeting space for up to 120 persons; the 150-room Lakes Hotel & Conference Centre, which has space for 250 delegates; the 64-room Europrime Hotel, which has the capability of looking after up to 60 persons for events; and the 30-room, exceptionally nice, three-star Elizabeth Lodge, which has event space for up to 64 persons. Fun, relaxed places for groups to gather in Boksburg include Wild Waters, which (no surprise) is a large water park with all manner of wet amusement and has an events department; Lazy Grape Guest Lodge & Health Spa, which has a spa, two conference rooms for 10 and 35 persons, respectively, an events tent, a barbecue pit, excellent wines and 11 guest rooms; Sha-Mani Lodge, which has 28 guest rooms, space for events of up to 200 persons and extensive lawns and gardens; and ERPM Golf Club, which has 18 holes of golf, a bar for 90 persons, a function room for 150 and a boardroom. Just to the northwest of Boksburg, the Corporate Conference Centre in Edenvale has eight meeting rooms that seat between eight and 65 persons, two dining rooms and outdoor patios amid landscaping. Restaurants in Boksburg include the two branches of Mediterranean-cuisine La Campana, the first in Boksburg, which has a private dining room for 60 persons, the second in the adjacent suburb of Benoni, which has private dining space for 80 persons and a conference venue of six meeting and banquet rooms for up to 150. Other choices include the Brazen Head, an Irish-themed restaurant and bar with a private dining room, wine cellar and O'Daniels Room for intimate dinners of eight; Ora Bella, with Italian and sushi menus, which has its own functions entrance and five private areas, including a wine cellar and the Galleria Banqueting Hall for 200 persons, and for Indian cuisine, the highly regarded Classic India.