Meetings July August 2020

RESILIENT WOMEN IN MICE

Shining in the face of adversity

VENUE HYGIENE

Leaving no stone unturned

DESTINATION: SOUTHERN AFRICA

We are in constant collaboration with all our industry associations as we all lobby together for the opening of tourism the sector.”

Marnie Tait, National Sales Manager, Sun International

Local experiences during lockdown CAPTIVATE AUDIENCES WITH DURBAN ICC Africa’s smartest convention centre

Hybrid conferencing and event streaming

The exciting world of hybrid conferencing and live streaming is where high-tech connectivity solutions break down distance barriers and allow you to create endless themes that enhance your business objectives.

Inspire your online audience from anywhere and keep them engaged with interactive tools.

Welcome to the new reality where your only limit is your imagination.

THE BASIC PACKAGE INCLUDES: Venue | Hi Res LED wall | Web presenter & AV equipment

3x playback and cue screens for presenters | 2x HD Cameras (1 Operator, 1 fixed) | Studio lighting

2x headset | 2x handheld microphones | Streaming platform set-up as per clients preference

100Mbps of bandwidth per day | Uncapped data | Wireless support for local attendees / presenters

Five wired ports | Full technical team support | Vast streaming platforms | Audience interaction using live text, video chats and audio | Pre & post event attendee analytics and reports

Contact: natsales@suninternational.com or call 011 780 7000

The Planner is growing its footprint – connect with us today!

FOCUS

10 Roll call We understand why the Re-Opening Guidelines published by the Event Safety Council should be considered.

MEETING PLACES

12 Good and clean and fresh As lockdown measures are lifted, a number of venues have rolled out strict cleaning and hygiene protocols. Meetings looks at just some of what is being done.

AFRICAN PERSPECTIVES

14 Understanding the African opportunity We unpack the 2020 African Perspectives on the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions Industry Report

16 The present and future Londi Khumalo, managing director at research house Niche Partners, discusses the sustainability of Africa’s MICE industry.

BEST PRACTICE

18 Safeguarding prospects Choosing a proactive approach over a reactive response will bode better for long-term business prospects, say Gabi Babinszky and Jack Smit, directors at audiovisual specialists Brandex.

FEATURED

19 A strategic approach Covid-19 has helped us focus on the low hanging fruits we had but could not see, writes Thami Nkadimeng.

20 Fighting spirit With messages of resilience and inspiration, Meetings hears from some of our Top Women in MICE on beating the Big C.

PROFILE

24 The international African As the first president from Africa of the International Federation of Exhibition & Event Services, Justin Hawes shares his vision with Meetings

EVENT SHOWCASE

28 Showcasing sustainability After Event Wizards organised the Sustainability Summit on behalf of Exxaro Resources, the event was recently awarded a near perfect score for its greening certification.

DIGITAL + VIRTUAL

30 A more ‘real’ reality? From virtual stages to avatars, Meetings immerses itself to understand events in a virtual reality space.

32 Deliver on digital With digital forming the bridge between our delegates and events, there are clear marketing benefits in hosting an event within this space.

DESTINATION: SOUTHERN AFRICA

34 A world awaits Overcome the cabin fever by planning an experience in your backyard.

LOGISTICS

37 On-ramp to opportunity Navigating the Covid-19 business roadblocks has been a challenge but there are prospects on the horizon, says Frans Hiemstra, GM for Uber Sub-Saharan Africa.

INSURANCE

38 Little assurance of insurance A number of insurers are said to not be paying out on business interruption policies. Meetings explores why.

THIS TOO SHALL PASS

2020 is and will be a year like no other, and much like the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic, living through Covid-19 and a lengthy lockdown will leave an indelible mark on us all.

After a very trying few months that have left many feeling decidedly weary and quite worried for our collective futures, I feel it is important to remember that if we could come back from a similar event that took place more than a century ago, with fewer resources and less know-how, we can come back from this, and it is only a matter of time before we are working around the clock again to deliver exceptional eventing experiences.

What this year has proven to us all is that our recovery needs to be a unified effort. The strength of collaboration has been clearly demonstrated with 12 industry associations coming together to form the Events Safety Council and issuing the Re-Opening Guidelines (see page 10) to assist the events sector with resuming operations as safely as possible.

A major concern for many travellers –understandably so – has been hygiene measures at hotels. On page 12, we hear from three hotel groups on the protocols that they have implemented across their premises to ensure the protection of their guests and staff.

OUR BIGGEST CHALLENGES

Credible information has become extremely valuable and we see this in our special focus section on page 14 with the African Perspectives on the MICE Industry Report 2020, produced by Niche Partners. We understand where MICE professionals within Africa feel the most

challenged and where they anticipate their recovery post Covid-19.

One of the most pressing issues affecting the recovery of the events industry and, more broadly, the tourism sector is the non-payment by some insurers against business interruption policies. We cover this matter extensively on page 38, where we hear from Insurance Claims Africa on the status of this key issue.

There are also currently many references being made to the importance of resilience, and nowhere is this quality more evident than on page 20 in our section on Resilient Women in MICE. Read on to discover how three remarkable women beat cancer to come out at the top of their game. We are reminded by reading their personal stories that nothing is impossible with the right mindset and, of course, the support of those close to us.

Lastly, we would like to hear from you, our most valued reader, on how your business is surviving. Write to us or get in touch with us on social media and help us shine a light on the issues affecting you during this time, or simply share your stories of inspiration and practical steps to survival under lockdown.

Until next time, take care!

Managing Editor Shanna Jacobsen (shanna@3smedia.co.za)

Digital Editor Pippa Naudé

Chief Sub-Editor Tristan Snijders

Head of Design Beren Bauermeister

Contributors Gabi Babinszky, Sven Bossu, Glenton de Kock, Frans Hiemstra, Michelle Hinrichsen, Londi Khumalo, Greg McManus, Thami Nkadimeng, Projeni Pather, Vanessa Perumal, Jack Smit, Jeana Turner, Lindsey Verfaillie

Production & Client Liaison Manager

Antois-Leigh Nepgen

Group Sales Manager Chilomia Van Wijk

Financial Manager Andrew Lobban

Bookkeeper Tonya Hebenton

Distribution Manager Nomsa Masina

Distribution Coordinator Asha Pursotham

Advertising Vanessa De Waal

+27 (0)84 805 6752 | vanessa@3smedia.co.za

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NOTICE OF RIGHTS Meetings is published bi-monthly by 3S Media. This publication, its form and contents vest in 3S Media. All rights reserved. No part of this book, including cover and interior designs, may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

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MEMBER OF IN COLLABORATION WITH

Take

Retracted announcement on leisure travel disappoints industry

Following an announcement on 10 July 2020 from the Office of The Presidency allowing intra-provincial leisure travel under the advanced Level 3 lockdown restrictions, a retraction was issued 30 hours later.

In a now deleted tweet, The Presidency published an infographic detailing activities that can take place under the restrictions, which have been revised on an ongoing basis to mitigate the risk of Covid-19 infections.

“Here are the activities that are now allowed at Level 3. We picked up an error in the previous graphic which suggested that accommodation for leisure travel was permitted. This is not the case,” The Presidency tweeted.

The retraction was met with backlash on Twitter, as South Africa’s travel and tourism industry continues to experience significant losses, with the Tourism Business Council of South Africa putting this at R68 billion.

Amended regulations clarifying under the Disaster Management Act (No. 57 of 2002) were gazetted on 12 July 2020, where the regulations state that hotels, lodges, BnBs, timeshare facilities and resorts, and guest houses, can only be used for accommodation if:

• tourists are confined to these facilities

• it is for work purposes

• guests are in quarantine or isolation.

There is a specific exclusion for leisure purposes, with shortterm home-sharing, letting, leasing or rental, as well as domestic passenger air travel for leisure purposes, remaining banned.

Protea Hotels by Marriott makes a debut in Botswana

As Protea Hotels by Marriott continues to grow its footprint in Africa, the official opening of the Protea Hotel by Marriott Masa Square at the beginning of July signifies the brand’s entry into Botswana. The property is located in Gaborone, in the heart of the Southern African nation’s capital, and is a mixed-use development featuring 152 rooms and 30 extended stay apartments.

“I am confident that the brand’s extensive regional equity, the hotel’s strategic location and the global distribution of Marriott International will help position Protea Hotel by Marriott Masa Square as a preferred choice for business and leisure

travellers to Gaborone,” commented Volker Heiden, area vice president, Marriott International, in a statement by the hotelier. Offering panoramic views of the city and 24-hour room service, the Protea Hotel by Marriott Masa Square is a short 20-minute drive from Sir Seretse Khama International Airport and is ideally situated in Masa Square’s lifestyle hub.

With strict cleaning and safety measures in place that are aligned to both Botswana’s national Covid-19 regulations and Marriott’s Global Cleanliness Council protocols, guests can rest assured that their well-being is a priority during their stay.

Hilton Cape Town City Centre to close doors

After nine years in Cape Town’s CBD, Hilton Cape Town City Centre will hand the property back to its owners, Millat Properties.

According to a statement on its website, Hilton said: “Please note, as of 11 July 2020, Hilton Cape Town City Centre will cease to operate as a Hilton hotel. As a result, stays booked past this date will not accrue Honors points. Please contact the hotel directly with any questions.”

Last year, Hilton celebrated its 100th hotel in Africa. With its withdrawal of its City Centre property, it has also noted that it will continue to operate DoubleTree by Hilton Cape Town Upper Eastside. Travellers to the city can also look forward to Hilton’s first boutique-style hotel with Canopy by Hilton due to open towards the end of next year. The hotel in Longkloof Studios, Gardens, will be owned and developed by Growthpoint Properties.

AFRICA’S SMARTEST CONVENTION CENTRE

The Durban International Convention Centre (ICC) has always aimed to position itself as ‘Africa’s leading convention centre’ and during this unprecedented global situation, the centre has been focusing on the development of its high-tech virtual event solutions. Having invested in the latest cutting-edge meetings technology, the centre is reinventing itself as the continent’s leading high-tech convention centre.

“Without moving away from our existing market positioning, we are adding this competitive edge and aiming to also be recognised as ‘Africa’s smartest convention centre’,” says Lindiwe Rakharebe, CEO, Durban ICC.

The centre is offering a range of innovative solutions such as live-streaming events,

remote-presentation events, hybrid events and video-on-demand.

VIABLE EVENT SOLUTIONS

For the uninitiated, a hybrid event is simply the combination of a traditional face-to-face event with an online component, which extends the reach of the conference to a wider audience using technology like live-streaming.

“The best part is that companies are taking advantage of this kind of event solution, even during the lockdown, by using the technology we have on offer and not having to wait until live events fully start up again. By taking their events online, Some are even able to reach much larger audiences than they would have with

“We have already had a phenomenal response from clients to our virtual conferencing solution. We are able to assist clients to run their events from the comfort and safety of their own homes. ”

Lindiwe Rakharebe, CEO, Durban ICC

Meetings explores how the Durban ICC has evolved to provide a valuable offering that is relevant to where the MICE industry is currently.

their traditional live event,” says Scott Langley, director: Marketing, Sales and Events for the Durban ICC.

“We have already had a phenomenal response from clients to our virtual conferencing solution. We are able to assist clients to run their events from the comfort and safety of their own homes. We also have a range of online event offerings and pricing models to choose from, depending on the kind of event our clients would normally organise. This solution can provide a financial lifeline to organisations that rely on events to generate revenue,” Scott adds.

AREA OF EXPERTISE

The Durban ICC has been operating in this virtual space for a while now. It ran its first collaborative hybrid event in September 2019, which was an association conference held at the Centre and

our association’s 23rd Annual Conference at the Durban ICC last year, it gave us the opportunity to incorporate the live-streaming element for the first time. This allowed our members who weren’t able to be there in person to experience the event in real time and not miss out on the excellent content we had worked hard on arranging.

“Another great feature was that the individual conference sessions were then available to view from the Durban ICC’s website after the event. The members who attended the sessions found them to be very useful and informative, and we were delighted to be able to offer this benefit

organisation directly without having to repeat it themselves second-hand to their colleagues

• choose to consume the event content later to suit their schedule

• view selected elements from the event programme that pertain to their areas of interest.

This is just the latest addition to the ever-evolving range of tech offerings available at the Durban ICC, as the centre has always taken pride in being on the leading edge of the latest developments in this space.

was live-streamed to a national audience. Since then, it has held a number of international hybrid conferences with several simultaneous streams from various venues, which were streamed to audiences all around the world.

Commenting on her hybrid event experience with the Durban ICC, Clare Fincham, general manager of the South African Society for Labour Law (SASLAW), said: “When we hosted

to our members, and also as an extra revenue stream for SASLAW.”

DELEGATE BENEFITS

Virtual events offer a range of benefits, for instance, the digital delegate can:

• get all the content of the live event from the comfort and safety of their homes

• watch the speakers via the video feed and view any presentations via the picture-inpicture mode

• engage remotely with the event in real time via the event’s chat or social media channels

• share the content with others in their

The Durban ICC boasts the country’s fastest convention centre Wi-Fi network, which is also able to support the most concurrent users. It was also the first centre in the country to offer indoor Google Maps and the first to incorporate the ‘whatthreewords’ navigation system into its complex. The centre has also invested heavily in its massive video screens and interactive digital totems in the past year. No wonder it is also being recognised as Africa’s smartest convention centre.

A SUN THAT NEVER SETS

Only guests who are booked into our hotels or are members of Sun International’s loyalty programme – Most Valued Guests (MVGs) – will be allowed access into hotels and on to casino floors for the foreseeable future. Golfers will be allowed to access golf courses at our properties. Safety measures across all our properties include temperature tests conducted at entrances. Anyone accessing our properties – including visitors, staff, concessionaires and suppliers – is required to complete a medical screening questionnaire before they can enter our premises, including our restaurants.

It would be difficult to overestimate the impact that the pandemic has had on business and leisure travel, but we believe that the industry will recover.

In the medium term, we believe domestic markets will pick up this year, but activity is likely be muted to begin with, as many companies will need to regain ground from business lost during the lockdown.

From deep cleaning and hygiene protocols, to tech-driven meetings platforms, it is encouraging to see the strides that Sun International is taking in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. Can you elaborate on this, in addition to how Sun International’s offering as a venue has had to evolve to where it is currently?

The Covid-19 pandemic has challenged our concept of ‘normal’ and has changed the way in which we do business and interact with one another.

Like businesses the world over, Sun International has had to introduce new worldclass hygiene and safety protocols in order to be able to reopen safely. In some cases, our new health and safety protocols exceed local and international benchmarks, and we are confident that we can offer our guests a safe experience at our properties.

At our urban casinos, we have installed physical shields between slot machines and between seats at gaming tables. Every second slot machine has been disabled to ensure appropriate physical distancing between guests on the casino floor.

Within this, please share with our readers where Sun International is starting to experience activity increasing as lockdown regulations ease, as well as what you are anticipating in the short term (3-6 months) and longer term (6-36 months) as far as travel and social gatherings are concerned? We were permitted to reopen our urban casinos from 1 July. Initially, casino hotels had to remain closed but with the reopening of intra-provincial leisure tourism in August, they have been able to reopen.

Sun International restaurants, as well as those belonging to third-party concessionaires, have reopened with reconfigured layouts and the necessary physical distancing rules. They will not serve alcohol, in line with current regulations. Some may not reopen immediately, or may open only at certain times.

Many entertainment facilities at casino properties might also remain closed for now. As national and international borders are still closed, certain Sun International properties will not open for the time being. These include Sun City Resort, The Wild Coast Sun Resort, The Boardwalk Hotel, The Maslow Sandton Hotel and The Table Bay in Cape Town. These properties are hoping to reopen from 1 October.

While it is too soon to predict whether people will want to travel or attend conferences and events when borders are reopened, we anticipate that international travel will only realistically resume in 2021. Until then, the hospitality, conferencing and eventing industry will need to devise ways in which to stimulate domestic business.

What are Sun International’s current objectives as a business and where do

Marnie Tait, national sales manager for Sun International, talks to Meetings on the group’s strategy through the Covid-19 pandemic and what guests can look forward to in the future.

“Our virtual conferencing offering will be capable of hosting meetings, incentives, conventions, exhibitions and events.”

Marnie Tait, national sales manager, Sun International,

DIGITAL CONFERENCING

Sun International’s virtual conferencing training or meeting platforms can accommodate small or big sessions of more than 500 delegates, with different links from each presenter or organiser.

Speakers are hosted in the Sun Studio, which provides access to a high-resolution LED wall, web presenter and AV equipment such as HD cameras, studio lighting, with on-screen effects such as branding also possible. The streaming platforms, with over 100 Mbps of bandwidth, is set up according to the client’s specifications.

Attendees can access live conferences, meetings and presentations from their phones, computers, tablets or laptops.

Sun Studios has made vast streaming platforms available for:

• Virtual conferences and summits

• Live and virtual hybrid events

• Live streaming

• Team building

• Webinars and training events. This solution is platform agnostic, and can offer streaming on platforms such as Antenna, powered by AntFarm, Zoom, WebEx, Vimeo and Facebook, among others.

For companies worried about productivity, Sun International’s virtual conferences will provide comprehensive analytics by device ¬– on demand and post event. This includes participant viewing time, user registration information, as well as geographical region.

All conference sessions will be recorded and provided to the organiser after the event, allowing them to be posted to websites or the channel of your choice, expanding the audience if required.

you fit in? What does your portfolio pipeline look like?

I have recently been appointed to the position of national sales manager for Sun International. My portfolio includes national corporate travel, conferencing, associations, government, sports, events and entertainment market segments.

Plans for the remainder of 2020 include ensuring that we are top of mind for our all clients and that they will feel safe when visiting one of our properties. A top priority for us is to keep in touch with our clients through various virtual platforms and to continue to engage and build our business pipeline for 2021. We are continually working towards making the transition of the new norm as easy as possible for our clients and will keep adapting and implementing as we go along.

We are in constant collaboration with all our industry associations as we all lobby together for the opening of tourism the sector.

Lastly, what can guests and patrons expect in the future?

Conferencing and eventing require very precise planning but the pandemic represents a moving target that will require several contingency plans. Even as the curve is flattened, we need to be aware that there could be second and even third waves. The reality is that until the world has a vaccine, companies will need to develop flexible strategies that can coexist with the Covid-19 virus.

The pandemic has also sparked a demand for smaller gatherings with limited numbers and will change the way in which banqueting works. Large-scale events with buffet offerings will no longer be an option, and chefs will need to consider creative new menus and innovative ways in which to serve people.

We anticipate that conferences of the future will be a hybrid form of digital technology and people physically attending a venue. It is

possible that international guests will do their presentations digitally, while some companies might require that out-of-town delegates, especially those in high-risk categories, also attend conferences digitally. A further consideration is that many companies will choose a semi-digital form of conferencing as they try to contain travel costs.

Our virtual conferencing offering will be capable of hosting meetings, incentives, conventions, exhibitions and events. Future business events will also be dependent on whether regulations on social gatherings can be relaxed into the future. At this point in time, guests attending conferences will most likely need to be booked into a specific seat for the entire conference.

Entertainment events are likely to have the longest road to recovery as the very notion of social distancing now makes hosting a ‘normal’ concert high-risk at this time.

ROLL CALL

Following the months-long Covid-19 pandemic lockdown that resulted in nearly an entire quarter of massively decreased economic activity, the ESC’s first edition of the Re-Opening Guidelines are a welcome relief for South Africa’s events industry.

“The South African events community understands that events and gatherings have a direct effect on the transmission of Covid-19 from person to person. By developing and adopting best practice guidelines throughout the events industry as a whole, we believe it will provide a level of comfort to the government of South Africa and the South African public that reasonably practicable processes are in place to protect persons

Determining your level of risk according to the WHO

VERY LOW

LOW

MODERATE

HIGH

VERY HIGH

Overall risk of transmission and further spread of Covid-19 in relation to the event is considered very low.

Overall risk of transmission and further spread of Covid-19 in relation to the event is considered low. Recommend checking if mitigation measures can be strengthened.

Overall risk of transmission and further spread of Covid-19 in relation to the event is considered moderate. Recommend significant efforts to improve mitigation measures or reduce risk of transmission.

Overall risk of transmission and further spread of Covid-19 in relation to the event is considered high. Recommend significant efforts to improve both mitigation measures and reduce risk of transmission.

Overall risk of transmission and further spread of Covid-19 in relation to the event is considered very high.

With eased lockdown restrictions paving the way forward in the revival of the events industry, Meetings understand why the Re-Opening Guidelines published by the Event Safety Council (ESC) should be considered.

against the spread and exposure to Covid-19 at events,” state the guidelines.

WHY USE IT?

Released in mid-June, the ESC’s Re-Opening Guidelines take into account existing frameworks put in place by the World Health Organization (WHO), The Global Association of Exhibition Industry (UFI), and the Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA), as well as regulations applicable to both the events industry and the pandemic in South Africa.

“Having industry-specific guidelines on how to reopen the events industry is crucial. The aim and scope of the Re-Opening Guidelines is to provide Covid-19-specific processes and protocols that should be followed in planning and hosting an organised event gathering in South Africa,” says the document.

The guidelines encompass a comprehensive range of safety and prevention measures against the novel coronavirus. They have been made widely available to the industry and will be updated as regulations change.

WHAT TO EXPECT

While Covid-19 still poses a serious health threat to South Africans, we have learnt that, with a range of rigorous protocols in place, we can significantly mitigate the infection risks

Hierarchy of Controls

associated with the disease. Some of the measures will result in drastic changes to the way in which events have typically run in the past but will be hugely beneficial to their success going forward.

Engineering Controls Administrative

For an event to take place safely, the Re-Opening Guidelines document provides a framework on how to bring together an effective Covid-19 prevention strategy.

Key in this is a risk assessment that must aim to establish the different types and levels of risks of exposure to Covid-19. This needs to look at the whole of the event value chain to understand all possible scenarios of who could

HOW THE RE-OPENING GUIDELINES CAME ABOUT

The SAEC is comprised of:

• Southern African Association for the Conference Industry

• Association of African Exhibition Organisers

• Exhibition and Events Association of Southern Africa

• Southern African Communications Industries Association

be exposed and how. In particular, it needs to outline a plan for high-risk individuals.

To ensure that each aspect of risk is addressed, implementing stringent controls based on national legislation and global best practice is essential. A hierarchy of controls needs to be detailed and thorough, and in line with the requirements set out by the Department of Employment and Labour and the Department of Health.

Protocols that pertain to training and awareness; cleaning and hygiene; and staff, attendee, venue and waste management must be made clear. The roles and responsibilities of each team member must be defined and a communication plan put in place to ensure that all parties receive the relevant information. Your communication must also extend to stakeholder and role player engagement.

The Event Safety Council (ESC) represents the industry professionals actively involved in health and safety within the events industry. It has been tasked with developing the Re-Opening Guidelines on behalf of the South African Events Council to provide Covid19-specific protocols when hosting an event in South Africa. The ESC is recognised as an affiliate of the Event Safety Alliance (ESA) and aligned its own Re-OpeningGuidelines to those issued by the ESA.

• Technical Production & Services Association

• Event Safety Council

• Council of Events Professionals Africa

• Event Greening Forum

• Society for Incentive Travel Excellence

• Professional Conference Organisers Alliance Network

• South African Live Performance Association

Operational procedures around logistics and transport, food service and the handling of waste also feature strongly within the guidelines.

Lastly, an event’s health and safety plan (Section 4, SASREA) will also need to include Covid-19 preventative measures.

NOTE FROM ESC: We recognise as an industry that there is no guarantee of an illness- or pandemic-free event, therefore all content in and related to this document is provided for information purposes and guidance only as a best practice, and is not intended to supersede applicable legislation but rather enhance it and provide practical solutions to the challenges our industry faces during the Covid-19 pandemic.

GOOD AND CLEAN AND FRESH

AvaniSHIELD

In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, Avani Hotels & Resorts has launched AvaniSHIELD – a set of rigorous hygiene and sanitisation measures aimed at ensuring the maximum safety of all its guests and staff across its 32 properties.

Announcing the development in a media release, AvaniSHIELD complies with guidelines issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization (WHO).

“Our life has been impacted, but our spirit to travel will never fade. The implementation of new health and safety standards adds an additional layer of protection by bringing peace of mind to Avani guests and team members, as well as emphasising our commitment to ensuring health and safety, without compromising on service quality,” notes Javier Pardo, VP: Operations, Avani Hotels & Resorts.

Some of the heightened sanitisation measures will include the use of safety and hygiene technology such as Cu+ copper protection materials, ultraviolet C sterilisation, HEPA-grade biofilter air purifiers, and disinfecting all incoming objects. In addition to this, Avani will seal each of its rooms for 24 hours following a deep clean, during which time no one is permitted to enter. This period will be mandatory prior to allocating rooms to guests.

To oversee the implementation of these as well as other cleaning measures, an AvaniSHIELD Agent will be designated to each of Avani’s properties. The AvaniSHIELD Agent will also monitor the health of each Avani team member and conduct training sessions where necessary, and as per the latest health and safety guidelines. “Not stopping at these measures, we are currently reviewing additional initiatives focusing on rebuilding the environment and the health of

the planet threatened by climate change, such as our zero-trash programme and carbon footprint reduction measures,” highlights Javier.

Avani is also working closely with Ecolab to ensure all materials used and measures taken adhere to Ecolab, WHO and, for chemical treatment, EPA standards.

avanihotels.com/en/health-safety-update

SUN INTERNATIONAL COVID-19 PROTOCOLS

The announcement by President Cyril Ramaphosa to allow accredited accommodation, casinos and restaurants to resume with careful cleaning and hygiene protocols was welcomed by Sun International.

The group is looking forward to the phased reopening of its hotels, casinos, resorts and restaurants and says that it is well prepared for this.

“We will stagger the reopening of our properties across the country. Our leisure attractions, golf courses and swimming pools will also reopen subject to necessary regulatory guidance,” says Anthony Leeming, CEO, Sun International.

All Sun International properties will observe strict head counts and social distancing rules, with Anthony noting that the group has “put in place world-class health and safety protocols, which are considerably beyond what is required.”

He states, “Prior to the lockdown, we had introduced social distancing queue management, while every alternative seat at our casino slot machines and tables was removed to create space between customers.”

In addition, the layouts of its restaurants have been reconfigured to increase space between tables and meet head count limits.

“We had also introduced stringent and comprehensive cleaning, sanitising, and front- and back-of-house food handling and

As lockdown measures are lifted and business travel resumes, a number of venues have rolled out strict cleaning and hygiene protocols. Meetings looks at just some of what is being done.

AVANI WINDHOEK HOTEL & CASINO

housekeeping procedures. These measures have now been further amplified across all areas of our properties countrywide.

“Once we reopen, we will conduct temperature tests for all customers at our hospitality, leisure and gaming operations, and all guests will need to complete a medical screening questionnaire on arrival at hotels, and in advance for casino visitors. For the foreseeable future, only members of our loyalty programme – our Most Valued Guests (MVGs) – will be allowed access on to the casino floor. It will be mandatory for all visitors to wear cloth masks at all times.

“After an extended lockdown, we have put every measure in place to welcome our first guests back to our properties, and we will do everything required and more to keep them safe while they enjoy themselves.”

corporate.suninternational.com/media/covid19-protocols

MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL

From lockdown measures to social distancing, by now we have all had first-hand experience in measures intended to contain and limit the spread of diseases such as Covid-19. One of the most important aspects of preventing contamination and infection is cleanliness.

“Marriott has a long tradition of emphasising cleanliness in our care of guest rooms and in the public spaces of our hotels,” says Ray Bennett, chief officer: Global Operations, Marriott International.

Ray is heading up the recently launched Marriott Global Cleanliness Council that has been tasked with developing the next level of global hospitality cleanliness standards designed to eliminate risk and enhance safety for all Marriott consumers and associates.

“Through the council and scientific advice of experts, we are taking a thoughtful approach to set an even higher bar of cleanliness and develop new guest interaction protocols. The Marriott Global Cleanliness Council is focused on more than just disinfection across the hotel; we are providing a holistic approach designed to take care of our guests and associates,” he says.

The council will be led by the expertise and input of both in-house and external experts, as well as a number of advisory members. These include Dr Ruth L Petran, senior corporate scientist: Food Safety & Public Health for Ecolab, a global leader in water, hygiene and infection prevention solutions and services; Dr Michael A Sauri, infectious disease specialist at Adventist Healthcare; Dr Richard Ghiselli, head: School of Hospitality & Tourism Management at Purdue University; and Dr Randy Worobo, professor of

food microbiology in the Department of Food Science at Cornell University.

“We want our guests to know that we are doing everything we can to welcome them back to a safe and clean hotel environment when they start travelling again.”

The council is currently overseeing the rollout of a number of enhanced technologies to ensure that it adheres to the most exceptional standards in the cleanliness of its hotels and rooms across its more than 7 300 properties. It will focus on the following:

Surface areas: To be treated with hospitalgrade disinfectants with increased frequency throughout the hotel. Disinfecting wipes for the personal use of each guest will also be made available.

Guest contact: To mitigate the risk of transmission, Marriott is implementing measures including the use of signage to remind guests to maintain social distancing protocols. More hand sanitising stations will be installed at the entrances to its hotels, near the front desk, elevators, fitness and meeting spaces. Guests at 3 200 Marriott hotels can also use their phones

to check in, access their rooms and make special requests such as room service, without coming into contact with anyone else.

Food safety: Marriott’s enhanced food safety programme includes sanitation guidelines and training videos on hygiene and disinfecting practices for all operational associates. The company is also designing new approaches to buffets and modifying practices for in-room dining. To ensure compliance with these standards, Marriott’s food and beverage handlers are required to conduct selfinspection using the company’s food safety standards as guidelines, validated through independent audits.

“Safety for our guests and associates has always been a top priority for Marriott and today, that discussion of safety is in the context of Covid-19. We want our guests to know that we are doing everything we can to welcome them back to a safe and clean hotel environment when they start travelling again,” concludes Ray.

clean.marriott.com

THE PALACE OF THE LOST CITY, SUN INTERNATIONAL

MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL

UNDERSTANDING THE

After suffering a massive blow from the fallout of Covid-19, Africa’s MICE industry is setting its sights on brighter horizons. Meetings unpacks the 2020 African Perspectives on the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions Industry Report to learn more.

Prior to the Covid-19 outbreak, the list of the world’s fastest growing economies featured strong participation by a number of African countries. While the extent to which the pandemic will affect 2020’s GDP growth remains to be seen, there are still vast opportunities that are ripe for the picking. The MICE industry is no exception to this, yet these prospects have been largely untapped for a number of reasons.

In the qualitative 2020AfricanPerspectives ontheMeetings,Incentives,Conferences andExhibitionsIndustryReport, produced by Niche Partners and released in June, we understand the challenges that are perceived to be hindering the development and growth

of this market and how to find a solution to these obstacles.

“We’re committed to research and development projects that drive meaningful growth in the MICE industry in Africa, and the growing global interest in the continent as an investment and tourism destination is evident; I am of the view that it is definitely time that the African MICE industry defined its own narrative by really developing and growing its own regional MICE industry,” says Londi Khumalo, founder and managing director of Niche Partners.

WHERE ARE THE PROSPECTS?

The International Conference and Convention Association (ICCA) reports that Africa hosts 3%

of the globe’s internationally rotating meetings, compared to 52% held in Europe, 23% in the Asia Pacific region, and 11% in America (ICCA Statistics Report, 2018).

“This has regrettably been a long-term trend that we have observed in the industry for at least five years. For us, this represents the global opportunity that exists in this association’s market for growth in Africa, but an opportunity perhaps also to develop our local markets,” Londi points out.

In 2018, the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) was signed between 54 of the 55 African Union member states. With 30 nations having ratified the agreement thus far, the AfCFTA is the largest in the world in terms

of participating countries. It offers a market potential for goods and services of 1.2 billion people, with an aggregate GDP of about US$2.5 trillion (R43 trillion). It also presents a unique opportunity for how we overcome existing challenges to harness the potential of Africa’s MICE industry.

FROM AFRICA’S PERSPECTIVE

The AfricanPerspectivesReport seeks to understand leading concerns and opportunities as provided by participants who form part of the MICE industry’s value chain.

“In what has come to be known as the greatest challenge of our time, I have been doing some research on war times and times of disease in order to take away lessons that we can now apply to not just survive but grow,” Londi explains.

After receiving feedback from its survey that went to C-suite executives, managers, consultants, researchers and other events professionals across a number of African countries, the leading MICE industry concern was business sustainability as a result of current and future revenue generation, with 78% of participants citing this as their number one concern.

The next leading concern is the industry’s recovery, future growth and customer retention; 53% of respondents say they are concerned about safeguarding future bookings, with Covid-19 impacting on the willingness of clients to make bookings due to health and safety concerns.

“The travel and meetings restrictions of Covid-19 paint a bleak picture for the MICE

industry, as with the broader tourism industry, with 56% of the professionals echoing this sentiment and expecting an overall decline over the next one to two years,” says Londi.

On the flip side of this, 36% of respondents expect growth in the industry, citing ‘resilience’ as a contributing factor.

“The expectation is that the demand for meetings will increase after the lockdown restrictions have been lifted due to constrained demand. These respondents have a general optimism in the innovative capacity of the industry to rebuild post Covid-19,” notes the African PerspectivesReport

HOW WILL WE GET THERE?

In order to overcome some of its challenges, the report finds there are several interventions that can be deployed.

Among these, 30% of participants believe that government financial and non-financial interventions are a top priority. In addition, with technology playing a key role in ensuring business continuity during lockdown, technological acceleration is another leading intervention that participants felt was necessary.

“The acceleration of innovative and hybrid meetings is the next key intervention, as participants’ views towards this have changed indefinitely. The adoption of technologies in the industry supply chain is now more necessary than prior years,” says the report.

Unsurprisingly, health and safety guidelines also feature high up on the list of interventions, with 15% of participants viewing these as critical.

Interestingly, while 8% of surveyed participants feel a phased reopening and flexible pricing and innovative offerings received attention as a leading intervention, the report notes that “comments regarding the phased reopening sees some conflicting views, with larger venues believing they should open first because of the availability of space. In contrast, smaller venues cite the reduction in meeting size restrictions as a reason to open first.”

PLAN OF ACTION

When asked which areas would be added to their post-pandemic action plans, many respondents said they would be focusing on increasing marketing and sales activity, as well as the training and development of staff to equip them with new skills.

Investment into technology as well as research and development both feature as top actionable areas, while cost-cutting measures and engagement with stakeholders on a way forward also play a key role, according to participants.

Perhaps, the greater opportunity, as indicated by the report, can be found in collaboration –with 82% of respondents expressing the value in the pooling of resources, citing this as necessary to leverage marketing and sales resources.

“There is an underlying view that Africa has not fully explored its regional, intracontinental collaborations in the events arena and should engage in more specific partnerships in this regard,” emphasises the report.

LondiKhumaloisthefounderandmanaging director at Niche Partners. The full African Perspectives Report isavailableonrequest. Shouldyouwishtoreceivethis,pleaseemail londi@nichepartners.org.

THE PRESENT

future and

Londi Khumalo , managing director at research house Niche Partners, discusses the sustainability of Africa’s MICE industry.

With recent findings from our 2020 African Perspectives Report on the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions Industry revealing that the leading concerns for businesses along this supply chain were financial sustainability and future recovery, it highlights two

DID YOU KNOW?

important areas of focus: business continuity and sustainability.

Business continuity is defined by ISO 22301 (2019) as the “capability of an organisation to continue the delivery of products and services within acceptable timeframes at predefined capacity during a disruption” and is centred on the survival of the business under threatening conditions. This

The typical conference attendee produces 1.89 kg of waste per day, 1.16 kg of which will go directly to a landfill. (oxfordabstracts.com)

underscores the need for operational resilience, in particular how business survives in the short term given the uncertainties brought about by crisis.

Business sustainability, however, extends beyond the short term, and considers future contributions to profits, people and the planet. This future view is currently a struggle for many MICE businesses managing the urgency of their recent continuity challenges. Understandably, if a business cannot survive the year, it cannot be sustainable in the future. Yet, failure to consider post-Covid-19 business sustainability may be a significant opportunity missed.

LESSONS FROM OUR PAST

A lesson taken from the city of London after the Second World War is that, while the city was at war, citizens in their private and professional capacities kept planning. London officials are said to have had over 200 plans submitted during a time of fear and uncertainty. Planning is part of a wartime or, in our case, a pandemic response.

The divide and conquer approach is key to focusing resources on both the present and future, conducting all the necessary due diligence. By designating leadership teams into both business continuity and business sustainability, and finding a way to focus on these tasks separately, organisations should have an eye on both the present without losing sight of the future.

FOCUS ON THE PRESENT: BUSINESS CONTINUITY

1 Safety first

Put in place workplace risk mitigation plans in order to reduce infection risk.

Event safety guidelines and protocols are globally the focal point of discussion. This is rightfully the starting point of the MICE industry’s continuity planning due to the nature of the health pandemic. As professionals involved in the supply chain of the MICE industry, the lives of staff and customers are a priority in government considerations on easing regulations for the industry. Industry health standards are key at an industry level to assure clients and stakeholders of the readiness to open and ensure minimal transmission and exposure to the life-threatening virus.

2 Client prioritisation

Prioritise high-value clients and bookings to determine the vulnerability of these clients in hosting future events.

A key aspect of business continuity is ensuring that business is still able to generate revenue or at least enough cash flow to cover operational costs. Other than applying for assistance funding, an overarching trend has been the renegotiation with clients whose events have had to be cancelled. Many businesses have used the time to contact their clients to renegotiate payment terms and event dates that are mutually beneficial to avoid losses – an example of this is the International Exhibition Logistics Association, collaborating with Century City Conference Centre in Cape Town, to postpone two of their June events to July 2021.

3 Cash flow management

Evaluate whether there would be any cost-saving benefits in earlier payment or by offering discounted rates, and if these shorter payment terms could assist.

Additional to the retention of deposits is whether can derive cash flows from existing smaller bookings and whether most customers with existing contracts have payment terms relevant to event dates.

4 Managing expenses

Negotiate on flexibility.

Fixed running costs can be monumental, considering the size of some companies. This has seen quite a few businesses in the sector recently cede their assets with the resultant loss in thousands of jobs. To safeguard jobs, leading corporates in the retail and banking industries have reduced executive salaries of the entire organisation in order to retain the greatest number of jobs. While not popular with some, on a continent with excessive unemployment, these measures are commendable and require consideration. As with customer payment terms, negotiating more flexible payment terms with creditors may enable a business to improve its cash flow position.

5 Tapping into existing assets

Explore how corporate clients’ urgent business could allow them to make their assets available for alternative uses. The Covid-19 pandemic has increased the need to maintain social distancing across all sectors of the economy. This has meant certain businesses are struggling to operate with smaller teams. Identifying possible spaces for industries requiring it for their teams or equipment may enable venues to generate some income from leasing their spaces.

IMAGINE THE FUTURE: BUSINESS SUSTAINABILITY

1 Future client expectations

Focus on local and regional growth opportunities.

The way in which travel restrictions are easing indicates that recovery will take place locally, regionally and, thereafter, globally. As the MICE industry is based on three core needs – travel for trade, education and networking –engagement with local and regional potential customer bases is necessary to determine customer needs. Identifying sectors post Covid-19 that are expected to grow based on these core needs, both locally and in Africa, can reveal opportunities for future customer bases.

2 Collaborative industries

Identify how the MICE industry supports collaboration across other industries. Covid-19 has meant that many businesses are thinking about innovations, cost savings and ways to maximise investments. More collaboration conversations are taking place across supply chains and sectors, so monitoring these trends presents a unique growth opportunity for the MICE industry. Understanding these relationships is pivotal in assisting clients with insights to help them grow. An example of successful interconnectedness can be found in innovation and healthcare with academic medical conferencing including technology practitioners.

3 Diversified revenue streams

Provide win-win solutions.

The topic of revenue diversification could not be more relevant in 2020. With declining revenues and an unpredictable future, it is perhaps the best time to consider the value that your organisation has to offer and diversify potential revenue streams. With a large portion of corporate and government markets unable to reach their markets, identify the solutions that the MICE industry could offer.

4 Future costs

Examine the cost of waste at the company level to reduce the financial burden as a resource-intensive industry. Covid-19 has presented health issues that change the future of how humans interact but, with MICE being part of the global sustainability conversation for years, the industry must think about its influence on lives and livelihoods. These sustainability issues offer opportunities to reduce our own negative impact on our environment/society and our own operational costs.

There are a notable number of suppliers and service providers choosing to shift their focus to ensure they are relevant during this time but is this truly in the best interests of preserving business objectives? We at Brandex feel that this is an all-important question that players within the events industry should be asking themselves.

What we are seeing from some players within the industry at this moment in time is a reactive scramble to survive. We cannot

dispute how the Covid-19 pandemic and lengthy lockdowns have adversely impacted business activity; many are in jeopardy and, understandably, many more feel anxious being in their current position, but a poor business decision could sink you far quicker than biting the bullet.

Brandex is no stranger to change; just over a year ago, we embarked on an undertaking that saw us streamline our business model to allow us to provide more value to the industry through our offering without it impacting on our potential revenue streams. Key in our objectives here was meeting high service delivery standards by focusing on what we are good at. This resulted in scaling back and shutting down some parts of our business completely, which showed us that our initial efforts to grow the company to a point of it being the ultimate events agency, was in fact stifling opportunities.

STATUS UPDATE

Prior to the beating we’ve all taken (shoutout to Covid-19), we knew we had made the best choice for all parties concerned on how to move Brandex forward. Through this, we have learnt that decision-making is a crucial

and ongoing process within any company, which needs to be flexible to change in order provide a product or a service that meets some sort of market demand.

Without any demand for large-scale live events, some suppliers have turned their sights towards providing cleaning services, personal protective equipment and sanitisers. For those who got in early enough, this will perhaps tide them over during this time, but for others jumping on the bandwagon, it has only burnt precious financial resources because this market is now completely saturated.

There is, unfortunately, no secret sauce in this mix and common sense is what will be your greatest ally – innovate in a way that doesn’t deviate too much from your core business offering so you can use existing skills and supplies, and align yourself with those who share common objectives so you can pool your resources and achieve your goals together.

Sometimes, high-risk, high-reward odds can result in a make or break outcome; so, before you make the plunge, do your homework and take a calculated decision, so that you understand exactly what you’re up against.

It is easy to get caught up in the chaos of the Covid-19 pandemic but choosing a proactive approach over a reactive response will bode better for long-term business prospects, say Gabi Babinszky and Jack Smit , directors at audiovisual specialists Brandex.

A STRATEGIC APPROACH

Albert Einstein is widely credited with saying, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.”

Prior to Covid-19, we often spoke about an industrial revolution approach within the tourism industry, where we would see technology play a significant role in determining the course of action for business. When we reflect on this, however, can we honestly say that we would have been ready to fully immerse ourselves in events that are run online or that we were open to finding alternative measures to run events completely sustainably?

We now know with certainty that life itself is uncertain. We cannot trust the wait and we need to be planning for future possibilities by exploring several scenarios.

DIVERSE TRAVEL

Aside from existing business commitments, consider why people will travel when the pandemic is over; will they travel to fulfil a lifelong dream and check an item off their bucket lists, or will they be driven to travel only for unique experiences?

We need to be ready to offer and cater to these and the many other needs that will be created by the shift each of us has had to undergo by understanding opportunities in the tourism ranges discussed below.

DISCRETIONARY TRAVEL

It is no secret that the extent of the devastation wreaked by the novel coronavirus pandemic has been vast. We form part of a global society that is unbalanced in privilege and, due to this, some areas will be affected differently. As a result, we could see travellers engaging in voluntarism vacations to assist the hardest hit communities by offering a helping hand in these areas.

OPULENCE TRAVEL

Some travellers have taken this time to reflect and realised that the term ‘YOLO’ (you only live once) is more of a reality than just a phrase. They may feel that post Covid-19, they have weathered the storm and it is now time to seize their pot of gold at the end of the rainbow through luxury travel. These tourists will require extraordinary, unique experiences, with personal attention where cost is of no concern.

GOURMET TRAVEL

Most people have had to endure a lockdown for periods of time during which dining out was prohibited, leaving minimal room for indulgence. After witnessing a surge in people getting creative with cooking and experimenting with new ingredients and new cuisines, this focus on food may lead tourists to seeking out captivating culinary experiences and interacting with local communities and cooks from particular areas.

OPPORTUNITY TRAVEL

Post lockdown, many countries will likely have employment opportunities created by the impact of the pandemic that could see people travelling to explore these opportunities. This captivating form of travel could also potentially

contribute to driving the global economy at large.

The travel and tourism industry will be fully revived again; it is a huge part of the economy, so it is only a matter of time. In the interim, we need to take advantage of the aforementioned factors that are known among all the other unknowns, and plan for specific types of tourism in the near future, while being aware that health is a priority.

If we want considerable and rapid results as an industry, we have no choice but to implement focused approaches to tempt tourists.

An experienced writer, speaker, moderator and MC, Thami Nkadimeng is a message architect who conceptualises, creates and delivers messages to a wide range of audiences, across borders and boundaries, using a variety of tools and platforms to reach objectives set. For opportunities with Thami, contact her on thami@thaminkadimeng.com.

Talking about change is quite different to effecting it. Luckily for us, Covid-19 has helped us focus on the low hanging fruits we had but could not see, writes Thami Nkadimeng

spiritFIGHTING

With messages

In March 2019, I developed a very bad flu that would not get better no matter how many doctors I visited. I went for X-rays and tested for symptoms ranging from swine flu and bronchitis to laryngitis, pneumonia and asthma, until I eventually saw Dr Ismail, an ear-nose-and-throat

I am a strategist and very good at what I do, and I knew something was wrong. When Dr Ismail said it looks like it’s spasmodic dysphonia – even though I had been tested for cancer and it did not show in any of the scans and X-rays – the C-word was always at the back of my mind.

On 9 May 2020, I was diagnosed with chondrosarcoma, which is a rare cancer derived from transformed cells that produce cartilage. Mine was in my larynx and did not show in any of the scans.

My journey has included many months of testing, which, oddly enough, has also been filled with adventure. Between December 2018 and my operation this year on 13 May, I travelled to Cuba, Mexico, New Orleans, Abu Dhabi, Mumbai, Chennai, Sri Lanka, Durban, the Kruger National Park – I even went to Finland on a media tour. All with my illness. I really battled climbing the mountains in Sri Lanka and there were times I thought I would die from breathlessness. I had no idea that I had a rare form of cancer; by the time I went for my operation, I was barely able to breathe in 5% of air.

Learning I had cancer and would undergo major surgery with just four days’ notice was, personally, the greatest challenge. The news came during Covid-19’s most severe lockdown, which was very tough for my family. Because of social distancing, no physical contact was allowed,

of resilience and inspiration, Meetings hears from some of our Top Women in MICE on beating the Big C.

VANESSA PERUMAL Managing Director, JT Communications

TOP WOMEN IN MICE JUDGE 2020+2021

which was really difficult, and launching a blog on Facebook called ‘Miraculous Moments’ was one of the best decisions we made as a family – the outpouring of love, generosity and prayers from people around the world continues to be our inspiration and offered us the hope we desperately clung on to in such desperate times for me and my family.

People say I am resilient but, truth be told, without the compassion and ubuntu shown to us, we just would not have coped. Leading up to my operation, hundreds of people throughout South Africa, the continent and from across the world reached out and prayed for me and my family. People responded in so many ways. From strangers cooking meals and reaching out to us, to online connections with people responding so positively and offering to help. Even on the day of operation, my family and friends camped outside the hospital. I was admitted for 24 days and, barring two days in the general ward, I spent all my time in ICU.

Dr Ismail proved to be my lifeline in so many ways. His visits and keeping in touch with my family were so helpful. Trading my voice box meant I had to find other ways to communicate, mostly relying on writing notes and using an app called Speak, which was extremely difficult. The hardest part for me as a communicator having studied journalism and running my own agency is not being able to speak. While I am grateful to God for my second chance, losing my vocal cords is more challenging than I ever imagined.

It has been just over two months since my operation. Having survived a life-threatening cancer but also having to trade my voice has offered me a new perspective of living life with a second chance.

I am learning that both the medical sector and everyday folk know so little about people living

with my condition, and educating people is at the core of how I also want to use the ‘new normal’ I find myself living in.

I am learning that some things are constant, whether you have a life-threatening medical condition or not. Even when I was so ill, having people treat me with dignity was important. As I recover, now more than ever, I am seeing how imperative it is to use one’s voice to speak out against issues such as corruption, indignity and gender-based violence, and to stop supporting mediocrity.

I went into my op with human rights development and social justice at the core of the work I do and, as I recover during the Covid-19 pandemic, it has made me realise that it is time to fix the mess we enable. I hope we can use our platforms to influence good governance, share more widely and make sure our country becomes the best place to live in.

I am so fearful of Covid-19, even more so than the cancer that was in my body. News reports are so full of doom and gloom, and not seeing family and friends is hard on everybody. As an entrepreneur, I realise how important it is to create jobs and have sufficient cash flow. More people will die of mental illness, poverty and the social ills, which, as a result, escalates violence against women and children. You might think that someone who has a second chance in life would want to just sit by the ocean or hike on mountain tops or spend days in wildlife sanctuaries but the greatest lessons I am learning is that having humanity live in harmony and world peace is even more necessary now than ever before.

If you are feeling helpless, find a way to be more purpose-driven – it may just be the resolve you need to keep you going.

JEANA TURNER

Co-founder and Relationship Builder, Hospitality Zone

TOP WOMEN IN MICE AWARDEE 2016

In 2016, I was a fitness freak (yes, me). I was spending my weekends on my bicycle and going to CrossFit three times a week with my son. I honestly loved those days of pushing my body. Then, during a visit to the doctor in October 2016 with my son Jordan, who was showing flu symptoms, I asked our GP to also take a quick look at me as I had a sore throat, and so started my journey to being diagnosed with Stage 1 papillary thyroid cancer with a follicular variant. They called it the ‘good’ cancer – imagine, that’s actually a thing!

When I look back at the journey of being diagnosed and the subsequent decision to have a total thyroidectomy in May 2017 followed by post-operative care, although dreadfully scary, was a complete no-brainer. The resounding thought in my head was: “I have a son to care for – I have no choice but to survive this.”

For me, the hardest part of my Big C journey was learning to live without a thyroid. I don’t think we give the little gland at the base of our neck much thought at all, but I quickly learnt that this butterfly-shaped organ is vitally important to each breath we take, influencing the function of many of our body’s most important organs, including the heart, brain, liver, kidneys and skin, as well as our moods, energy levels and metabolism.

It has been a remarkable uphill journey; it has been both stressful and emotional to get the correct medication to replace my thyroid functions, but, three years later, I am alive to tell the tale and cancer-free. Reflecting on the last few years, pondering how I got through it all, five things stand out.

• Embracing change: This took me a while. Accepting the fact that I’m not quite the same, but that I can be just as functional.

• Support: Family, friends and colleagues who allowed me to feel sick and were at my side through my most difficult and darkest days.

• Education: I spent many hours, days and months reading and trying to understand what was happening to my body. This became a standing joke in our house: “Mom, what are you doing?” my son would ask, to which I would respond: “Guess, Jordan…” – invariably, I was reading yet another thyroid-related article.

• Taking action: Many rands and four doctors later, I found a doctor who, instead of questioning and doubting my research, listened to me and worked with me to help me feel better.

• A reason to live – goals: Knowing that I have a purpose, having faith and an attitude of “I won’t give up, until I feel better”, helped me through my journey.

Writing this has been a wonderful reminder that, even though we are faced with tough times, I am be resilient, I will get through this and I will not give up.

LINDSEY VERFAILLIE Senior Sales Coordinator, Durban ICC

TOP WOMEN IN MICE AWARDEE 2019

In July 2006, came the alarming news that I had cancer. For a brief moment, I thought my world would come crashing down around me – I say a brief moment because that’s how long I let the news affect me. I looked up and saw my mother in tears. My amazingly strong mother was so heartbroken that I knew I now needed to be strong. My parents raised me in a loving environment, and my mother would go on and on about being strong and not a weakling. Growing up, I had never thought of myself as being a strong character because I was always a ‘softy’ but, nonetheless, I always tried to do the opposite. Little did I know then that her approach would be the thing I drew strength and resilience from in my darkest moment; that looking at her for that brief moment would allow me to say, “I got this”, and turning to my mother and father, I said, “Mom and Dad, I am going to beat this.”

My mother was my amazing rock and my father was my anchor; my son was my sunshine and my family and friends were my courage. This was my foundation for getting me through the two years that lay ahead.

The combination of the love and support from my amazing family and friends, doctors and all my Durban ICC colleagues was truly what helped me find the strength to beat cancer. I took each drip, procedure and result day by day, with their prayers to comfort and support me.

I believe that a family is made up of all the people in your life and this is what helped me get through my illness. Resilience came from all the abundance of love and support that I received and continue to receive in my life. I can’t imagine anyone going through something as serious as cancer on their own and I always think of the famous song by

The Beatles, ‘All You Need is Love’, which could not be truer for the time we find ourselves living through.

THE INTERNATIONAL AFRICAN

At the end of June, Justin Hawes was appointed as the first president from Africa of the International Federation of Exhibition & Event Services. He shares his vision for the association in an exclusive conversation with Meetings.

Justin Hawes is a name familiar to most within the business events industry –Scan Display, where he is managing director, is somewhat of a household name itself.

Many know that Justin has roots firmly entrenched in the local market but what some may not realise is just how wellestablished Scan Display is beyond South Africa’s borders.

“I started Scan Display 23 years ago and we now have four branches in South Africa, with

branches in Rwanda, Botswana and distributors throughout Africa,” says Justin.

The company has also been able to work on projects in both Europe and the USA, largely owing to the network it has established through the International Federation of Exhibition & Event Services (IFES).

“My journey with IFES began in 2005, when I was visiting Euroshop and saw the impressive IFES stand at the show. I got chatting to Larry

Kulchawik, who was, at that time, the incoming president of IFES. He encouraged me to attend the IFES World Summit later that year in London, which I did,” Justin recalls.

GOING GLOBAL

For Justin, the opportunity to network with international counterparts on a global platform for the first time was “fantastic”.

“My company, Scan Display, became a member of IFES that year, making us the association’s first African member.”

Justin is a numbers man and as a qualified Chartered Accountant, the bottom line counts for a great deal in his books.

“I have been the IFES treasurer since 2014 and vice president since 2017. I was IFES’s first board member from a developing country

WHAT IS IFES?

IFES is the international federation representing national associations and individual companies that supply services to the global exhibition and events industries. Through the IFES network, members are able to realise new business opportunities within the exhibitions space, thus growing the industry on a global scale. For more information, visit ifesnet.com

and its first African board member, which is a great privilege for me, and my association with IFES over the years has been incredibly rewarding,” reflects Justin.

On 25 June 2020, during an IFES AGM that saw representation from more than 100 members on a Zoom call and 40 members in Hannover, Germany, Justin was elected as president of the association for the 2021/22 period.

“I am grateful to the board and members for giving me this opportunity as we navigate the way forward in the global exhibitions industry,” enthuses Justin.

THE THREE Rs

As Justin prepares to assume the role of IFES president, he uses the analogy of a potjie pot and its three legs to describe his approach, with each leg representing an ‘R’.

“The first R is for retaining membership,” explains Justin.

“IFES has worked very hard to grow its membership over the years and now we need to work hard to retain our members, who are our lifeblood. We need widespread membership representation to give the association credibility and we need strong membership numbers for our sustainability; however, we also need to be sensitive to our members’ cash flow constraints at this very difficult time,” he adds.

Using the AGM to illustrate the next R, Justin emphasises that relevance in light of the current pandemic is key.

“IFES needs to make sure it continues to provide a relevant offering for its members. We need to adapt for these difficult times, and I think we have already done a good job of this in the last couple of months. This hybrid AGM, with members in Hannover, and the rest on Zoom, is a great example of how we have adapted to the current situation,” he says.

Justin uses the last R to highlight the importance of research, which, according to him, will enable the association to take stock of the global exhibitions industry represented

by the association’s members, as well as assist with identifying the countries representing the biggest markets in terms of monetary value.

“This will guide us in terms of the countries where we need to grow membership. One of the major benefits of being an IFES member is the network of partners one develops throughout the world,” elaborates Justin. The IFES network is referrals based and researching and measuring the monetary value of the referral work that IFES provides to other IFES members will help establish how members benefit from being part of this network.

“Once we know the monetary value of the IFES member referrals, we can use this information to recruit new members and encourage members to work with each other,” says Justin.

“We know that there are some challenging times ahead of us but IFES is a strong association with a committed membership. We are an adaptable group of people, as required by the nature of the work we do, and we will come through this. I believe IFES has an important role to play as we navigate our way through the next year,” he concludes.

“I’m a firm believer in what you put in you get out – so come to the meetings and join the conversation!”

Intentional passion

around, so your offering must be bang on, and your service consistently solid.

What trends are important to note in the food and beverage industry?

There are two sides to this coin. On the one side, companies have had to re-evaluate their budgets and directives to compensate for losses and alleviate the recovery process in the wake of Covid-19.

On the flipside, I believe that there will still be a demand for concentrated creative clusters that provide an unconventional invigoration to stimulate growth strategies, with outdoor and eccentric venues that are functional and efficient being the order of the day.

What would you identify as the primary mistake people make when catering for conferencing?

ABOUT RAMON GOUWS

Ramon Gouws’ love for food began at an early age, helping his grandmother in the kitchen. Shortly after matric, Ramon enrolled in culinary school and pursued his passion full time.

Having started out with the Three Cities group at five-star lodges and bush camps in the Kruger National Park, he moved on to the prestigious Fairmont Hotel & Resorts in 2010. In addition to the acclaimed Saxon Hotel & Villas, he has opened various hotels and casinos for Sun International, including The Maslow Sandton and Time Square.

He is one of the founding partners of South Africa’s premium culinary festival, Appetite Fest, and has written scripts and commercials for the likes of Matt, Gary and George from MasterChef Australia, becoming the go-to guy for South Africa’s culinary elite in terms of hard-to-source ingredients.

How has the food and beverage industry changed over the past five years?

Industry professionals have had to be responsive to the

ever-changing demands of their consumers, while presenting an exceptional value proposition and achieving business objectives. The F&B market is very demanding and one of the most competitive

Giving clients too many options or being pretentious. Manage expectations, then deliver.

How can one present ‘plain’ food in a way that appeals to delegates?

It is a smorgasbord of elements: refreshing, wholesome, visually appealing, spot-on flavours and most of all, quick and easy. Food needs to provide both the delegate as well as the conference with value.

What is your favourite dish to make?

I love cooking proteins – meat and sauce to be exact. There’s nothing like a well-cooked piece of meat with a solid jus. That, some freshly shaved truffle and some Maldon salt, and I’ll be smiling all day.

What is your number one catering tip?

Don’t overcomplicate it. Keep things simple and let natural flavours shine. Put an emphasis on good quality ingredients and cooking them well. And, most importantly, be intentional.

What is your favourite kitchen equipment or gadget?

Thermomix, hands down. Everything else can go Dutch.

What dish are you asked to make most often?

Apart from always being expected to braai because I’m the chef (note the sarcasm), people mostly ask for salmon.

What is your favourite cuisine?

Japanese, Peruvian and Mediterranean cuisines are my favourite. They are simple and let natural flavours shine.

Are there any foods you just don’t like?

Mopane worms.

With a love for cooking that was nurtured from an early age, renowned chef Ramon Gouws shares his incredible experiences with Meetings.

Did you eat your veggies as a child?

I did – it was either that or a hiding!

What is your favourite food memory?

The last day of the first Appetite Fest in 2018. I was walking through the festival with my colleague and friend Adrian

Vaughan when we stopped and looked at the fruits of months of labour culminate in a wondrous experience. We glanced at each other and nodded in agreement and didn’t have to say a word.

What is one ingredient you cannot cook without? Butter.

When did you know you wanted to be a chef?

When I was 17, my mates and I used to visit my mother’s soirees and always ended up in the kitchen. Food and wine are very much part of our heritage.

What makes you most proud as a chef?

Often, chefs who used to resent me for the pressure I put them under, come back years later and thank me for instilling a disciplined work ethic that distinguishes them as a cut above the rest.

Who in the food world do you most admire?

Daniel Watkins’ approach to food resonates with my views and inspires me.

What are your favourite foods to cook with?

Meat. And fish. And Jerusalem artichokes. And truffle. And butter. And… I could go on and on!

What do you think is the most challenging ingredient to work with?

Fugu fish – one wrong move and either you or the diner are in trouble.

What’s your ‘death row’ meal, as the late Anthony Bourdain put it?

Fillet Rossini – good bloodline beef, truffles, jus and a glass of Bordeaux.

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SHOWCASING SUSTAINABILITY

After Event Wizards organised the Sustainability Summit on behalf of Exxaro Resources, this event was recently awarded a near perfect score for its greening certification. Meetings explores.

The Sustainability Summit is Exxaro’s flagship event. It brings together thought leaders, colleagues and stakeholders to celebrate, share insights and chart the way forward for Exxaro’s sustainability journey.

Under the theme ‘The Future Now’, the Sustainability Summit comprised a welcome function, building tour, exhibition and conference, during which Exxaro celebrated its vision and journey of three fatality-free years and showcased its work in driving sustainable projects in its business, partnerships and environment, while demonstrating its commitment to the health and well-being of its biggest asset: its people.

Exxaro prides itself on being a company that values the sustainability of its business through safeguarding the health and safety of its employees, the protection of the environment, and aligning its sustainability policies, business processes and management standards to best-inclass principles.

THE ORGANISER

Event Wizards is an event management and production company that specialises in corporate events, and much more.

The event: Exxaro 2020 Sustainability Summit

The theme: The Future Now

The brief: Create a truly sustainable event for Exxaro’s Sustainability Summit

The client: Exxaro Resources – a large coal and heavy minerals mining company headquartered in South Africa

Date: 2-3 March 2020

Number of people: 700

Herkie du Preez, senior event manager, Event Wizards

STARTING SUSTAINABLY

Together with the Exxaro team, Event Wizards had many sleepless nights determining where and how to do this event; eventually, Event Wizards designed a concept to host the event in the basement of Exxaro’s carpark.

The decision to hold this event at Exxaro’s new offices contributed largely to the overall findings of the sustainability audit, which was conducted by Greg McManus, managing director of the Heritage Environmental Management Company. The building is regarded as one of the greenest in South Africa and holds a GBCSA Five Star sustainability rating. Part of the decision to host the event here was to showcase the sustainable features of the building, while simultaneously supporting the overall theme of the event.

As the event company selected by the client, Event Wizards appointed sustainability consultant Lisa-Jade Hutchings from GingerBiscuit as part of their team to ensure that the sustainability objectives of the client and the event were met. Early implementation of measures in this regard helped achieve the scores and all parties were pleased with the outcomes of every aspect of the event. The preparation and adoption of an environmental vision statement for the summit, together with a comprehensive sustainability handbook, guided most of the planning phase.

The overall results of this event were indeed impressive and they reflect the efforts made by everyone concerned to ensure the most sustainable event possible. A new corporate benchmark has been established by this event and a challenge set for 2021.

Some of the cool initiatives to further ensure the sustainability of the event included:

• pre-event clean-up of the Hennops River community project

• replaced print with digital by using event apps and online systems for all event information and communication

• the Sustainability Summit event app addressed a range of sustainability issues including:

- tips for delegates to reduce their carbon footprint

- a carbon survey, as well as general awareness questions

- background behind event greening and what it is

- steps taken to minimise the event’s carbon footprint

- information about the conneXXion and what Exxaro is doing to currently reduce its emissions

• interactive recycling stands

• self-testing medical kits in the locally produced African shweshwe and recycled plastic goodie bags

• used local suppliers

• created awareness

• on-site medical testing for attendees.

EVENT MANAGEMENT

Event Wizards simply did what they do best – they managed, designed and produced the summit from start to finish. Herkie Du Preez was the wizard designated as the lead project manager for the Exxaro Sustainability Summit.

HYBRID EVENTING

Although this event was limited to 700 physical attendees, the event was live-streamed online for guests who were unable to attend.

EVENT TECH

Everything possible for this event was digital –from online registration and an event mobile app, to live-streaming and engagement – resulting in a contemporary, tech-savvy event.

ENGAGEMENT AND ENTERTAINMENT

A fully immersive sensory experience has been designed from start to finish. Guests could even have their first sip and smell of coffee as they boarded the drop-off shuttle.

Some of the event fun that was had included:

- Culture: Exxaro has an amazing company culture and the morning of the summit was kicked off by a high-energy dance act getting everyone off their feet, moving and grooving.

- Time capsule launch: A personal and event sustainability survey was conducted via the app during the event to establish where people are at. Based on the results and current state of planet earth, everyone was asked to submit a message/

pledge to their future selves. These messages were loaded into a virtual time capsule and digitately launched into space – the experience was enhanced with a Star Wars storm trooper dance act, amazing audiovisual content, and even Darth Vader made an appearance.

- Interactive food stations: Live cooking stations, chef interaction and churro aromas were definitely a highlight at this event – even an insect protein experience made its way on to the menu!

THE CLIENT

Joseph Matjila, Group Manager: Safety & Health at Exxaro

On 3 March 2020, Exxaro Resources held its annual Sustainability Summit at its head office, known as the conneXXion. Events Wizards acted as the principal events agency, helping Exxaro to seamlessly execute a summit that was green, had minimal impact on the environment and was in line with the company’s environmental strategy.

Events Wizards – from concept phase to the execution of the summit –proved knowledgeable, organised, and proactive in their approach.

They took a raw concept of hosting a carbon-neutral event and delivered a certified Green Event, which achieved the prescribed standards with a performance score of 98.7% from the

Dr

“We are pleased to advise that this event achieved a record score of 98.7% and we would like to thank you, Event Wizards and everyone involved in the event for their commitment and support in making this the greenest event in South Africa. This was also not possible without a client that shared your commitment and we would like to congratulate everyone at Exxaro for their total commitment to the event’s achievements.”

Greg McManus, Heritage Environmental Management Company

A MORE ‘REAL’ REALITY?

After the Covid-19 pandemic sent most of us indoors for months on end, greater emphasis has been placed on the need for virtual reality (VR) events and experiences.

We thrive on connections and building relationships with impactful and positive interactions. In fact, human connection is such a crucial aspect of our well-being that studies show loneliness can cut a person’s lifespan by as much as 15 years and is as detrimental to a person’s health as being obese or smoking 15 cigarettes per day.

With a fair share of the world’s working population currently deprived of key connections in almost every form of their lives, as a result of social distancing restrictions, it is evident that there is a growing need to find the means to ensure

we are able to engage meaningfully with each other.

To create experiences that are more immersive and more ‘real’, as well as in real time, VR is becoming an increasingly viable solution to getting as close to a face-toface interaction as possible, with the global pandemic seeing a spike in the use of this tech (see infographic below).

HURDLE RACE

The technology behind augmented reality and VR is still relatively new and there are some significant hurdles to how widely this is adopted.

Headsets developed by VR experts Oculus are quite expensive (R7 500 for the bottomend model) and a computer with decent specs is needed to run its Rift software. In the last

two years, other gaming and mobile device manufacturers have come to the fore with more affordable products.

Another challenge in the use of VR includes what is known as VR sickness, with some users feeling nauseous and experiencing motion-sickness-type symptoms after wearing headsets. This is an unintended consequence by developers, and more is being understood about how to decrease the effects of the extreme sensory overload associated with VR, so that it provides a more natural experience.

A consideration in an event setting is that users would all need to be online and attending the event at the same time; however, as we have seen, hybrid and digital events are proving to be an effective bridge between the next step in how we can start enjoying these experiences.

From virtual stages to avatars, Meetings immerses itself to understand events in a virtual reality space.

REALITY CHECK

The most practical solution for users to participate in a virtual experience lies in the software integration. Flock Eventing Platform demonstrated this during the third instalment of its monthly Knowledge Series, with a presentation delivered by Danny Stefanic. Danny is the founder of LearnBrite – the world’s first WebXR learning experience platform. He has also founded multiple other companies in the VR space.

In eventing terms, users can experience VR attendance by choosing from a many different types of avatars that can be placed in an array of spaces in fully customisable worlds. These worlds can comprise multiple rooms and spaces with existing templates to choose from, or you can construct your world from the ground up.

“It is not so much about VR or AR but about 3D as a media type, and we’re on the cusp of this media type becoming pervasive. Before we had internet and computers, we had music, text, images and film – and we’ve just digitised all of those, put them online and started using them in those formats. 3D is another media type, just like the others, and is a superset of all those [types of media] combined,” notes Danny.

With digital being such a key element in this, 3D experiences, says Danny, are moving towards being a media type that is going to be pervasive on the web, and that is where his current focus is.

On whether we’re ready for more commercial use of VR, Danny still feels there is more groundwork to be done.

“Even though I’ve been a proponent for this for years and I’m really passionate about the technology and the value that it provides, we’re not quite at the mainstream point yet,” he says.

RICHER EXPERIENCES

In a bid to deliver a more personal touch and richer experiences when attending events digitally and/or virtually, many organisers are turning to gifting. Prior to the pandemic, it was clear that there was already a movement away from typical goodie bags, with attendees receiving a voucher of sorts that could be used in a more meaningful way. We saw how a number of organisers had started allocating gifting budgets towards social upliftment and community projects as their ‘thank you’ to delegates for their participation, with the option for attendees also to donate their goodie bag voucher to a charitable cause or to use this to purchase a sustainably made gift.

More recently, social distancing measures have also given rise to a host of other innovations, with everything from appetising eats being delivered directly to delegates’ homes to virtual prize giveaways.

“Webinars have become standard protocol and, as with anything done in excess, are becoming tedious. Events and marketing departments have had to find ways to rejuvenate their webinars to keep the delegates captured. Some creative ways we at Double Dutch have managed to enthral audiences, and at a very attractive rate compared to going the full monty as with common conferencing, is by providing interactive activities in the second hour, such as live cooking demonstrations, with quizzes and prizes being awarded,” says Ramon Gouws, a renowned South African chef and a soul provider at Double Dutch.

To leave a lasting impression post webinar, Double Dutch then sends a giftbox containing the exact ingredients from the demo together with a recipe card and a link to a how-to video is sent to each delegate’s residence.

Covid-19 may have kept us apart physically but it has also shown us that we will always find a way to be together, even from afar.

We may not be able to have face-to-face engagements for the time being but with digital forming the bridge between our delegates and events, there are clear marketing benefits in hosting an event within this space.

Deliver on digital

Virtual and digital events are the biggest current buzzword within the events industry, with the Covid-19 pandemic only serving to push this event format further into the spotlight.

Before Covid-19 took centre stage, there was already a clear trend and demand for events with a digital element. True immersive experiences in the virtual reality space require a sophisticated technical setup that can come at quite a cost, which is currently keeping it out of the mainstream market; however, the prospects are exciting. Whether you go the happy medium of hybrid or full virtual, it is becoming increasingly apparent that event organisers need to ensure each project includes a strong digital strategy.

MARKETING PULL

An event with a digital element means that the number of attendees is only limited by your platform and its capabilities. This immediately increases potential reach and visibility. And with better networking and sponsorship opportunities that are not limited by proximity, it is important to also keep in mind who your target audience is. According to event solutions specialists Endless Events: “Marketing is about letting people come to you because you’ve shown you have something of value to offer them. Having 1 000 relevant attendees is far superior to having 15 000 unqualified people in the audience.”

While digital is a powerful and pervasive platform for marketing and messaging,

webinar fatigue is a reality that many resonate with.

CLEAR CTA

Marketing can be the difference between making or breaking your event and, with social distancing, it is more important than ever to ensure that this is clear from a messaging and relevance perspective.

To support how relevant your event is, personalise this in a way that means you are engaging one-on-one with each of your attendees while sharing your personal insights.

“It’s important that the event owners and members of the organisation make it clear why their event will be magical and worth attending. Every person involved from the

MARKETING GUIDE 101

Influencers

The more people you are able to mention associated to your event, the higher the chances that you’ll reach more people. Leverage the power of influencers you have at your disposal and, more specifically, the speakers at your event – remembering that this is in their best interests too!

Sponsors

Sponsors are your most important stakeholders, and the more qualified people you have at your event, the more sponsors benefit from associating with your event – so encourage them to also share your event’s news and updates with their own audience.

Don’t forget traditional media

The world of PR has shifted along with the advent of digital marketing but this doesn’t mean typical PR tools such as press releases are no longer relevant – in fact, this is still one of the most effective forms of communication.

Focus on your value proposition

Whether it be a unique topic or angle, or a hot speaker that is simply not to be missed, your digital event must stand out from the crowd. This is where originality is important. Don’t default to recycled and staid social media posts; instead, focus on what value proposition your event delivers.

Create an evergreen event

The beauty of having a digital event is that it can be recorded and its content archived to refer to long after the event has taken place. Well-timed polls and surveys not only help you gauge the success of your event but also serve as a reminder to delegates of their experience.

planning side should share their own take through their channels in order to create a sense of unity, promote loyalty, and foster connections,” highlights Endless Events.

PLAY UP YOUR SENSORY ELEMENTS

One of the challenges of hosting a digital event is successfully creating an immersive and engaging experience, and there is a lot of pressure on organisers to deliver an extraordinarily memorable and impactful event that creates a buzz.

Make sure your attendees feel special instead of an afterthought by considering options such as gifting or delivering food hampers to their homes to foster greater human connection.

PLAN ACCORDING TO TIMES

With ever-shortening attention spans and most delegates being completely ‘zoomed out’, your event programme will need to be more focused than ever and take into consideration how attendees will experience the event from start to end.

Our would-be delegates are pressed for how much they can focus during any given point in time and are inundated with emails and tasks, so delivering on an event that cuts straight to the chase with content that is rich and informative is what will differentiate your event from just another webinar.

Aim to create shorter sessions with bitesized content tidbits that are engaging and

informative; share this as you go along – both on your event platform and social media. Provide reviews and previews in-between sessions so that delegates know what they’ve missed as well as what’s in store, so they can plan ahead.

“Once again, gestures like this coming from your marketing strategy show your audience that you’re considerate of their time and energy, further cementing a genuine relationship between you and the attendees,” emphasises Endless Events.

BE THAT GAME CHANGER

With technology developing at such a fast pace and an increased focus being placed on sustainability, digital and hybrid events were bound to gain a lot more attention. The role they can play in all industries – in terms of driving discussions that create engaging content and deepening networks within each sector – has huge potential. Leverage this potential as far as possible to truly harness the platforms you have available at your fingertips and be a game changer – not just in the event space but across a multitude of sectors.

“We’re extremely adaptable as it is and, as we’re faced with new challenges, it’s up to us to show the public that we’ll do everything in our power to provide stellar customer service, unique experiences and unforgettable stories through the tools we have at our disposal,” says Endless Events.

Think – how can I advertise this in a way that makes me stand out? Exclusive videos, discount codes, unique offers… there’s plenty you can do! Just don’t blend in.”

A world awaits

Overcome the cabin fever and look forward to a brighter future that exists beyond the Covid-19 pandemonium by planning an experience in your backyard.

Following on from an unprecedented lockdown of the entire country, the economic knock-on of the novel coronavirus pandemic in South Africa has been enormous, with many businesses being forced to shut down for the period and entire industries grinding to a complete halt. While it has been difficult to see the light at the end of the tunnel and the measures to control the pandemic have tested everyone’s mettle, from industry to individual, a world awaits beyond Covid-19. And with some movement still currently limited, particularly internationally, there is a more pressing need than ever before to support our local travel industries however we can.

SOUTH AFRICA

South Africa easily has one of the most desirable shorelines in the world. Famed from coast to coast for the diversity of its natural beauty, the Cape is one of South Africa’s top destinations. The rocky Cape Agulhas at the southernmost tip of the African continent is where the Indian and Atlantic oceans meet and has given birth to one of the country’s most popular events, the Two Oceans Marathon. The annual Cape Jazz Festival meanwhile has received some of entertainment’s best artists and musicians and showcases a line-up of South African stalwarts and up-and-coming talent.

Travelling from the west to east coast of South Africa is the scenic Garden Route, which spans a 200 km circuit from Mossel Bay to Storms River, with the river mouth located in the Tsitsikamma National Park in the Eastern Cape. This is also the start of the challenging fiveday Otter Trail, an adventurist’s dream.

Further towards the east and with the warmer Indian Ocean Agulhas current running along its coast, KwaZulu-Natal is home to a large marine biome, with areas such as Sodwana Bay attracting an array of ocean life, including whale shark and dolphin, drawing large crowds with an interest in scuba diving. The province is home to a colourful blend of cultures and, with the region growing and refining much of the country’s sugar and serving as an access point for a lot of goods and cargo coming into Africa via the Port of Durban, it is an important economic hub within South Africa.

Moving inland, Mpumalanga is exemplary as a showcase of South Africa’s natural beauty. From forests to rolling mountainscapes and grasslands, the area is also home to part of the Kruger National Park. Shared between the neighbouring Limpopo province and spanning an area the size of Israel, the Kruger National Park is a must for first-time visitors, who can enjoy exciting game drives to spot the big five or enjoy a sundowner alongside a watering hole. Between the densely populated metropolitan areas of Johannesburg and Pretoria in Gauteng, Maropeng, which encompasses the Cradle of Humankind, provides some welcome reprieve from the hustle and bustle of the busy urban centres. Maropeng has become an important cultural and archaeological site and has received interest from across the world for its fascinating fossil finds, which are ongoing to this day.

BOTSWANA

Botswana is a landlocked country within Southern Africa and is widely recognised for the Kalahari Desert and the Okavango Delta, which is an important ecosystem for Botswana and is home to much of its indigenous wildlife.

The Central Kalahari Game Reserve makes up close to three-quarters of the massive Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, which is one of the largest protected natural areas in the world. With its ancient river valleys and grasslands, the reserve is home to a wide range of wildlife including cheetah, giraffe, hyena and wild dog.

Botswana was formerly a British protectorate known as Bechuanaland; the country adopted its existing name after becoming independent in September 1966 and has been part of the Commonwealth since, having upheld a healthy democracy that has a record of being one of the longest standing in Africa. For more than 20 years, Botswana has also ranked the lowest on perceived corruption.

The Southern African country boasts one of the world’s fastest growing economies, which is dominated by the mining, farming and tourism industries. Its high gross national income, around the fourth largest in Africa, together with its small population, means the country has a comfortable standard of living that is ranked as one of the highest on the Human Development Index for sub-Saharan Africa.

NAMIBIA

With an average of just 3.3 people per square kilometre, Namibia is one of the least densely populated countries in the world. It shares its borders with South Africa and is most typically characterised by the Namib Desert that stretches along its coastline. Large parts of Namibia remain untouched and, among its wildlife, the country is home to a sizeable cheetah population.

German colonial-era buildings such as Windhoek’s Christuskirche that was built in 1907 can be found dotted across the country’s capital, as well as the coastal town Swakopmund, which is also a popular tourist attraction.

Established as a German colony in 1892, Swakopmund is one of Namibia’s oldest cities and home to historical landmarks that include the Swakopmund Lighthouse and what is known as the Mole – an old sea wall

originally intended as a mooring place for large seafaring vessels.

Adjacent to the lighthouse, the Swakopmund Museum houses and preserves Namibia’s documented history, while further inland, the old railway station, which dates back to the country’s colonial era, has been renovated into what is today the Swakopmund Hotel. Dune surfing has also become a popular sport over the years, with some dunes reaching heights of more than 300 m.

In the north of the country, the vast 22 270 km2 Etosha National Park’s saltpan draws large game, including rhino and giraffe. It offers an impressive selection of accommodation and camps that are overseen and run by Namibian Wildlife Resorts, which is part of the government’s incentive programme for the promotion of the country’s wildlife resorts.

MOZAMBIQUE ZAMBIA

Previously established as a Portuguese colony, the independent lusophone Republic of Mozambique has a culturally rich population with a host of hotspots and things to see and do that make the country the vibrant and exciting destination it is. With Africa’s fourth longest coastline, which stretches 2 470 km along the Indian Ocean up the continent’s east coast, Mozambique is also home to some of the most beautiful and idyllic beaches on its several archipelagos, with several declared offshore marine parks that play an important role in conservation.

Comprised of a 250 km stretch of 32 islands, the Quirimbas Archipelago’s mangrove-covered Ibo Island has colonial-era ruins from its period under Portuguese rule. Many of the islands form part of Quirimbas National Park, which is renowned for its coral reefs, dolphin- and whale-inhabited waters and the endangered dugongs. The Matemo, Medjumbe and Vamizi islands are secluded and, with their long, secluded beaches, are ideal dive sites.

With its white sandy beaches, the Bazaruto Archipelago – made up of six islands off the southern coast of Mozambique – is a popular holiday destination. Bazaruto is the largest island and the coral reefs around Magaruque and Santa Carolina protect Mozambique’s precious marine life, while Benguerra Island’s interior wetlands, forests and grasslands are home to endemic bird species.

And, if you feel like sampling some locally crafted beer, Mozambicans are exceptionally proud of their homebrews, which include Laurentina, Manica and 2M (pronounced dosh-em), which have received international acclaim.

Known for its friendliness and popular for its wildlife and safari experiences, the landlocked country of Zambia has more natural water resources than any country in Southern Africa. This has seen the country establish numerous game parks to protect and safeguard its natural bounty. One of the country’s most popular attractions is the key landmark it shares with Zimbabwe on its border. Victoria Falls – known locally as Mosi-oa-Tunya, or ‘Smoke That Thunders’ – has a drop of 108 m that plummets into the Batoka Gorge and eventually joins the Zambezi River, and can be viewed from the Victoria Falls Bridge. At roughly half the length of the Nile, the Zambezi River is the fourth longest in Africa and runs through six countries, including Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe, and into the Indian Ocean from Mozambique.

The Luangwa and Kafue rivers are home to much of Zambia’s wildlife and provide great opportunities for fishing enthusiasts, by offering some of the richest and most unspoilt experiences on the continent. Zambia’s capital city, Lusaka, is one of the fastest growing cities in Africa. With development having taken off since the 1990s, Zambia now has one of Africa’s most urbanised populations, with an estimated 44% of people living in towns and cities.

The steady increase of development throughout the country has had a positive spill-over effect that has brought about better growth opportunities and infrastructure to Zambia’s small provincial towns such as Livingstone, Kitwe and Ndola, turning these into flourishing business centres.

ON-RAMP TO OPPORTUNITY

Navigating the Covid-19 business roadblocks

for Uber Sub-Saharan Africa.

In the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic that has made its way across every corner of the globe –causing devastation among communities, individuals and businesses and forcing governments to implement strict lockdown regulations to limit the spread of the virus – companies are adjusting to the ‘new normal’ way of operating.

The transport and logistics sector is not immune to this wave of disruption, having had to quickly adjust to tap into new business opportunities and comply with ongoing changes in regulations aimed at ensuring the health and safety of drivers, their customers and helping to curtail the spread of the virus. These include the Transnet Action Plan to Monitor the Coronavirus, which, among others, deals with issues such as hygiene and waste measures within ports and on ships.

While many South Africans are working from home, local businesses and public sector organisations are reliant upon the transport and logistics sector, when it comes to the delivery of goods including food and medical supplies, both of which have seen a substantial increase in demand during the onset of and throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.

STEPPING UP TO THE TRANSPORT AND LOGISTICS CHALLENGE PLATE

For instance, Uber had to quickly adapt its technology to offer Uber Direct, which is now able to cater to businesses who are struggling to meet high delivery demands, enabling them to use Uber’s network of drivers to move their goods within their supply chain, between locations and into the hands of their customers.

When Covid-19 hit, the South African government issued strict lockdown measures and put restrictions on when public transportation could operate, in order to curb the spread of the virus. Many companies

provided essential services and needed to get their staff to and from work safely. With limited timeframes for public transport, companies like Multichoice partnered with Uber to co-create a solution with its Workplace Forum by using Uber for Business.

Now, as cities reopen and people start moving again, Uber is available at all hours, which is why the company has adapted its safety features and protocols to offer Door-to-Door Safety Standards, with features such as an in-app checklist and Mask Verification, which verifies whether the driver is wearing a face mask.

Other local businesses have also needed to respond quickly to disruption, including online retailer NetFlorist, which has had to entirely change its product offering during the national lockdown. It has done so by pausing its traditional flower and gift deliveries and partnering with Fruitspot to access the essential services certificate required to provide services during these challenging times and provide customers with boxes of fruit and vegetables, among other offerings.

ADAPTING TO CURRENT NEEDS

Many sectors also underwent disruption in terms of the products and services they specialise in, such as the alcohol industry, which saw a ban enforced on the sale of alcohol up until Level 3 of the lockdown.

This resulted in companies like Distell moving from producing its famous products like Savanna, Hunters and Klipdrift, to instead manufacturing hand sanitisers at its facilities, in an effort to help fight Covid-19.

Capetonian craft brewhouse Woodstock Brewery also underwent a transformation by remodelling its premises in order to become a soup kitchen that is able to produce between 15 000 and 20 000 meals, six days a week.

Uber Eats also changed its product offering to go from being a traditional food delivery service to expanding into other offerings – such as books, household essentials and medication – all while encompassing contactless, same-day delivery.

Ultimately, to surmount the challenges posed to it during the Covid-19 era, the transport and logistics sector and other local industries have seen companies forced to become agile, flexible and responsive as a foundation for their strategies – to keep themselves operational during this unprecedented crisis and viable in its wake.

has been a challenge but there are prospects on the horizon, says Frans Hiemstra , GM

A number of insurers are said to not be paying out on business interruption policies held by various claimants, many within the tourism and hospitality sector. Meetings explores why.

LITTLE ASSURANCE OF INSURANCE

The Covid-19 pandemic has had such a far-reaching impact that it is impossible to calculate its exact toll currently. Conservative estimates from Statista forecast that global economic growth will drop from 3.0% to 2.4%, while analyses from the Australian National

University indicate that the virus could cost the world economy US$21.8 trillion (R371.66 trillion); however, given that we are only just peaking at the first wave, these figures are likely to change in due course.

One of the hardest hit spaces has been the tourism and hospitality sector.

Employing 740 000 people directly and 1.5 million indirectly, the sector contributes 8.6% to South Africa’s GDP, with this supply chain reaching into many other industries, including agriculture, cleaning (products, services and guest supplies), catering, textiles (towels, linen, blankets,

duvets, decor, uniforms), furniture, and other add-on services such as banking and security.

In South Africa, many are feeling the pinch; Tsogo Sun reported losses of R1.7 billion during its financial year and many other venues are in jeopardy, with their insurers not paying out for the expensive business interruption (BI) policies they have in place.

An official fact sheet released by Insurance Claims Africa (ICA) says that “local insurance companies are resisting claims because of the negative impact they say it will have on their profits. However, the insurance companies’ financial statements show that they do have the means to settle these claims on a compromise basis without assistance from reinsurers.”

ICA is a specialist public loss adjustment firm with more than 30 years’ experience in assisting vulnerable claimants with extraordinarily difficult circumstances. The firm is acting on behalf of 500 claimants in the tourism and hospitality sector whose insurers have rejected BI insurance claims related to the Covid-19 pandemic. All ICA claimants have BI policies, with extensions for infectious and notifiable diseases.

THEIR REASONING

Insurers are citing that BI policies were never intended to insure against a pandemic lockdown but, according to Ryan Woolley, CEO of ICA, insurers are in the business of risk assessment, and with some of the most qualified research teams in the world, they would have known and understood the risks associated with infectious and notifiable diseases such as SARS, MERS and Ebola.

“Indeed, it has been raised as a potential risk publicly for a number of years –in 2015, Bill Gates already warned of the likelihood of a global pandemic. It is unconscionable of insurers to penalise their clients for their own poor underwriting skills,” says Ryan.

Insurers are reasoning that the lockdown measures implemented to contain the Covid-19 virus are the cause of the loss of business, and not Covid-19; however, ICA argues it goes without saying that government interventions would have been put in place in the event of a notifiable disease and without Covid-19, there would be no lockdown.

A TURNAROUND BY SOME

While Santam is still reported to be embroiled in a battle with claimants for BI pay-outs, towards the end of June, OUTsurance bucked this worrying trend and, at the time of writing, the insurer had paid out claims to the tune of R37 million – with a further R220 million in reserves.

In a statement issued by the insurer, Danie Matthee, CEO of OUTsurance, said: “Our view, from the onset of the pandemic, on the BI policies with the cover extension for pandemics, is that they are covered and that we needed

Indeed, it has been raised as a potential risk publicly for a number of years – in 2015, Bill Gates already warned of the likelihood of a global pandemic. It is unconscionable of insurers to penalise their clients for their own poor underwriting skills.”

Ryan Woolley, CEO of ICA

FROM AN EVENTS PERSPECTIVE

Understanding what event cancellation cover is available when different scenarios come into play is key to mitigating even the most unusual risks, says Jonathan.

“Due to the Covid-19 outbreak, many major events such as the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games have been postponed, along with events such as Wimbledon, various grand prix races, football leagues and music events. Major events will have insurance cover in place for abandonment and postponement, with the industry placing a tentative estimate of US$3 billion (R50.6 billion) in claims as a direct result of postponement,” explains Jonathan, noting the challenge of many smaller events not necessarily being insured for event cancellation.

“From a South African perspective, the Safety at Sports and Recreational

to get cash to the businesses with the right cover in place as soon as possible. We understand cash flow is king for small and medium businesses, and we are pleased that we could be of assistance to our clients in this time of need. The real moment of truth for service is in the claims experience. We exist to pay claims and we take that responsibility very seriously – it is the basis of the trust in our brand.”

Meanwhile, the Financial Services Conduct Authority (FSCA) stated in early July that insurers cannot use the government’s lockdown to reject BI policy claims, following a judgment in which it was ruled that Guardrisk should pay out Café Chameleon for losses sustained as a result of the pandemic.

“This is a massive step in the right direction, and we applaud the FSCA for

Events Act (No. 2 of 2010) firmly places the responsibility on all parties involved in an event to ensure safety at events. This means that every event held in South Africa should have events liability insurance in place, as a bare minimum, in addition to practising health and safety duties. However, this would only cover the organisers and sponsors of an event for legal liability relating to safety at the event, while event cancellation and postponement would not be covered unless it is taken as an additional cover,” he adds. Even with the best planning and risk management measures in place, there is always the possibility of something entirely unexpected and beyond

human control going wrong – and, currently, this is happening at an unprecedented global scale.

“Considering that the events and hospitality industries employ an enormous number of SMEs, the need for sound, expert insurance advice and guidance to protect businesses from catastrophic losses has never been more crucial in weighing up the risks to your balance sheet, reputation and business sustainability in times of crisis,” urges Jonathan.

its brave and clear guidance and proactive approach to this important matter,” Ryan says.

By the end of July, the FSCA and the Prudential Authority reached an agreement with large insurance companies to provide interim relief to BI policyholders with cover for contagious diseases in the form of a once-off payment. This will not have to be paid back by claimants, neither

will it affect the overall claims, and if a ruling is made in favour of policyholders, the payment will then be offset against what is due to claimants.

“From what we have seen thus far, it appears that the size of the interim relief is a small percentage of what the claimants are owed. To term this a lifeline would be an exaggeration,” Ryan concludes.

Jonathan Lindeque, a senior client manager at Aon South Africa, on the insurance implications of cancelled events.

INDUSTRY VIEWS

AIPC 2.0

Created in 1958, AIPC has a longstanding tradition of providing value to its members across the world. The association is committed to encouraging and recognising excellence in convention centre management, while at the same time providing the tools to achieve such high standards through its research, educational and networking programmes.

The reality in which our members operate has fundamentally changed over the last months. Event venues have demonstrated their community engagement by transforming themselves into healthcare facilities to support overwhelmed health systems and at the same time were confronted with measures that implied closing for business.

GUIDING MEMBERS

AIPC – in collaboration with UFI and ICCA –launched a series of guides that provide best practices when confronting the challenges imposed as well as tangible support during the first phase of the crisis: survival. With exit strategies now being rolled out in different regions, we enter a different phase, where thrust needs to be regained so that organised events can take place in a safe and secure way and still achieve their core objective: connect people, exchange ideas and drive innovation, all of which is desperately needed to relaunch the world economies.

CHANGE PROGRAMME

This reality offers an opportunity to AIPC to accelerate the change process initiated

by the board of directors in 2019. A change programme, focusing on six key areas, has been set up and will be implemented in the next six months. Each of those areas will be ‘patronaged’ by a member of the board.

The outcome of this change programme will provide a tangible toolkit, allowing our members not only to adapt to but to thrive in a new reality. This is indeed the ambition we should have as an events community: to come out of this crisis stronger together.

CLOSER PARTNERSHIPS

This will require leadership, creativity and imagination. We will need to boldly go where no person has gone before in the space of events and chart these unknown territories in order to create value for our customers and for the ecosystem in which we function. Venues can indeed no longer see themselves in isolation: we are part of a larger ecosystem and can have a tremendous impact beyond a purely economic one.

The recognition of this impact has already started pre-Covid-19 and will now be accelerated. Organised, safe and secure events are a key element for achieving a wide range of society’s objectives – economical, health, sustainability and so much more.

Achieving this will require even closer partnerships with key stakeholders such as local authorities and event organisers. AIPC will be there to support its members in creating those partnerships and to bring them to the level needed to support the goal of our association: grow the community together.

As the AIPC community faces unprecedented challenges, there are also opportunities to be found. A six-pillar programme – actively supported by the AIPC board of directors – will focus on creating maximum value for its members and the events industry, writes Sven Bossu .

SVEN BOSSU is the CEO of AIPC.

INDUSTRY VIEWS

Building stakeholder confidence

Knowledge sharing and collaboration cannot be underestimated in the recovery of the exhibitions and events industry, says Projeni Pather.

The current crisis has led to the positive advancement of the exhibitions and events industry in the past few months. In the process, we have broken new ground that has made us more resilient in managing the changes to our business, and have had to dig deep for solutions to the situation we find ourselves in.

This crisis we have been immersed in has taught us the value of collaboration. Our engagement with key industry role players through the formation of the SA Events Council has enabled us to highlight the greater events industry and the survival of the ecosystem that supports the organisation of our events.

Together, we have drafted the Event Safety Protocols, which we have utilised in lobbying government to expedite the reopening of our industry. Our collaborative efforts have united our industry with one voice, which you will see across all media channels.

Now it is time to build the confidence of all stakeholders so that our exhibitions and events can rise again and rebuild the economy. All stakeholders need to feel comfortable

INDUSTRY VIEWS

and reassured of their safety when participating in our exhibitions and events. We will prompt our members to share their practical solutions, strategies and activation plans to regain the level of stakeholder comfort in participating in exhibitions.

Knowledge is a powerful insight into a new way of doing business. As an association, we are committed to sourcing relevant information to support our members, guide best practice, create new opportunities, and find the best service providers. This support will be provided via content podcasts, webinars, training and resources.

The new normal brings new business challenges – from sales and sponsorships to human resources and operations – for which we will aim to provide collective solutions. Guidance through knowledge resources will be a key benefit to support organisers, exhibitors and service providers that are members of AAXO.

We urge you to be part of the narrative, transform your business, and grow our industry by becoming an AAXO member today.

Can you be both Covid-19

safe and sustainable?

Greg McManus argues yes, you can have your organic cake and eat it too.

The Event Greening Forum (EGF) has always maintained that events need to find a healthy balance in promoting positive social, environmental and economic outcomes. All three ‘pillars’ interlink and are therefore critical to each other.

Now, as our industry readies itself to reopen with stringent new health and safety protocols in place, our concern is that the balance may be lost and that the environmental impact of events may be considered unimportant. But this couldn’t be further from the truth.

Just one predicted outcome of climate change is an increase in the occurrence of pandemics, while others include extreme weather patterns causing drought, famine, mass migration and political conflict.

Happily, some event greening practices also help to prevent the spread of Covid-19. Forgoing swag, giveaways, printed handouts and gifts eases pressure on our planet’s finite resources and eliminates a

possible source of transmission. The use of technology for registration and communication also reduces the need for printing and removes more points of contact.

Other sustainable practices such as sourcing local and seasonal food, minimising food waste or donating excess food to charities, and adopting a corporate social investment programme all remain responsible actions to take – both for the environment and in terms of supporting local businesses and communities at a time when they need it most.

The pandemic serves as a warning that we are running out of time and that our clients and their guests are far more aware of health, safety, sustainability and responsible business practices.

Amid all the turbulence and pressure that we now operate in, will you adopt a long-term perspective on the impact of your actions? We know it is not easy, but we are here to help you. Please reach out if you have any questions or concerns.

GREG MCMANUS is the EGF chairperson.

pandemic

PROJENI PATHER is the chairperson of AAXO.

Standardising the new norm

post

The Covid-19 pandemic has changed the events and exhibitions industry, and virtually all industry conferences, tradeshows and exhibitions were cancelled or postponed with no real indication that a future date in 2020 will be viable.

How will we adapt to a new way of marketing and communicating events, albeit with a 50-person gathering restriction? Will it simply snap back to business as usual or will virtual events be the new normal? Probably not.

The events and exhibitions industry has demonstrated incredible resilience, and our human need to interact and exchange information face-to-face will result in a recovery in time.

For the remainder of the calendar, we will have to adapt and consider the safety of staff, clients, suppliers and communities as we proceed in our planning. The Events Safety Guidelines developed will assist the sector in how we prepare and care for all involved in our events.

INDUSTRY VIEWS

While the increased use of technology cannot be understated, exhibitions are tactile and offer opportunities that simply can’t be reproduced electronically, even in the most realistic virtual reality world. The pandemic will, nonetheless, accelerate the use of these technologies and enhance live event programmes.

It is difficult to predict how the market will react when the immediate threat is reduced. There may be a shortterm surge, as organisers try to cram postponed events into a busy six-month period. This may cause supply chain difficulties and even a lack of good freelance staff, as some may have had to take jobs elsewhere to protect their income.

Overall, it is in everybody’s interest – venues, cities, organisers, exhibitors, companies, airlines and delegates –to get the exhibitions and events industry back to the preCovid-19 levels of activity.

Attitude of gratitude

It has been an incredibly trying time for the travel and hospitality trade as the Covid-19 pandemic runs its course, and our trade and community are facing challenges that are not easily overcome.

Due to the hindrances caused by the novel coronavirus, even individuals with the sunniest of outlooks may be having a difficult time staying positive. Remaining optimistic in the face of social distancing and isolation – which all feels rather dystopian – and constant news about the virus, possible loss of income, communal grief, uncertainty, and gripping fear, requires conscious effort and continuous mindfulness.

Being vigilant of our mood in today’s pandemic environment should be a priority for all of us. An idea that we as a committee have shared that has assisted

us and kept our spirits high is to practise gratitude daily. Start your day with a positivity routine – don’t reach for your phone to check the news as soon as you wake up or while you’re still in bed. Rather, take a few minutes to find yourself – and smile. Exercise. And laugh. Ensure you find joy in your day, every day.

Have faith, find stability in that which empowers and offers you spiritual security. Create and nurture your digital community, choose the digital platforms you want to interact with, and interact with your working communities. This is something we as Travelbags are pursuing to keep our community united, connected, motivated and engaged.

We are all in this together and we need to encourage each other. Stay connected as best you can and remember: we will get this through this together.

With the recent announcement that business events and conference venues in South Africa may reopen under the enhanced Level 3 lockdown restrictions, how will we adapt, asks Glenton de Kock

MICHELLE HINRICHSEN is the current president of Travelbags.

events

Covid-19 Staying optimistic during times of crisis

GLENTON DE KOCK is the CEO of SAACI.

Travelbags recognises how the desperate plight facing many within the industry is impacting on emotional well-being but a positive mindset can make a difference, writes Michelle Hinrichsen .

It is not only about you

The impact that the Covid-19 pandemic has had on a range of industries within our economy runs deep and, with losses into the billions, many are without jobs and cannot afford basic and essential goods, compromising their survival in a way that not even the virus can.

With where we are in the pandemic, a full recovery is some time off but our mindsets and the way in which we currently work need to focus on the road ahead.

In understanding more about the Covid-19 pandemic as it progresses and information becomes available to us, it is a miracle that we weren’t hit sooner by a threat of this nature, and many believe that an outbreak was long overdue.

It is already clear that a number of cleaning and hygiene protocols now entrenched in our daily lives are likely to stick around. Together with screening and social distancing, these have proven effective in reducing exposure to the number of infections. Countries who have implemented the mandatory use of masks and social distancing measures have managed to keep the number of infections from skyrocketing while still ensuring their economies are able to function.

The announcement by President Ramaphosa on

12 July 2020 that wearing a mask will be part of the advanced Level 3 lockdown measures has been welcomed, particularly by those who have personally lost loved ones to Covid-19 or have gotten sick after being exposed to the virus.

UNMASKING MADNESS

Unfortunately, if we don’t all wear a mask in spaces where we are likely to come into contact with one another, the efficacy of this is significantly reduced. Although there are no official figures to prove or contradict how this helps curb the spread of Covid-19, there are many studies supporting the use of masks as a preventative measure within the healthcare industry. But, just like with all major global events, there are the naysayers of the world who have become known as

‘anti-maskers’. Many of these individuals feel that mandatory mask wearing somehow infringes on their freedom of choice and rights, and are vehement in their stance.

Yes, the masks are uncomfortable and feel constrictive but they also do not prevent a person from breathing, although, I have to wonder if this assertion means that this select few bunch of entitled people will also choose not to wash their hands routinely, or take care to sanitise at each point in which they may be exposed to the virus or expose someone else. We can only speculate what it is that drives people in their thinking. If we were to use the USA as a case study, the nation’s president and its government might be considered an important factor in how people perceive and respond to the virus; after being pictured in early July for the first time wearing a mask, Trump supporters who had previously expressed disdain towards wearing masks suddenly started praising him and raving about his mask. Closer to home, videos have been doing the rounds of people embroiled in similar altercations around the use of masks. Whatever the reasoning, we have enough evidence to back up how quickly Covid-19 spreads; if given the choice of exercising even a marginal degree of prevention, we should do so in order to protect our weakest and most vulnerable members of society.

Africa Travel Week Connect – a virtual hub packed with thought-provoking content, industry news and insights as well as the opportunity to hear from experts on a variety of topics. All with the aim to keep all of us in the travel, tourism and business events industry connected.

MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD

We also want to hear from you! Join us for our #INTHEKNOW virtual event series where we ask you and other attendees to solve important problems we are facing right now in business.

ATW Connect focuses on inbound and outbound markets for general leisure tourism, luxury travel, LGBTQ+ travel and the MICE/business travel sector as well as travel technology.

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