Minister Kganyago plans to take the CSIR ICC to new heights

His passion for the business events industry has him serving on the national board of SAACI (South African Association for the Conference Industry), CEPA (Council of Events Professionals Africa) and Groove SA (A tourism youth initiative). He was also recently the winner of the SAACI The Young Achiever Award, which recognised Minister’s outstanding contribution to SAACI and his high level of commitment, dedication and influence in the industry. His pioneering spirit on a personal and business level contributes towards new developments in SAACI.

After school, Minister went on to study towards a corporate and marketing degree at the University of the Free State and also become a golden key honour student. Minister also holds an honours degree from University of Johannesburg in Strategic Marketing.

In this one-on-one interview, Minister shares with Business Event Africa insights into his new position and role at CSIR ICC in Tshwane.

What does the new position at CSIR ICC entail?

My new role as the business development manager at CSIR ICC entails excitement. Excitement in the fact that I will be centred in the mix of the business events industry, given that CSIR ICC is one of the leading business events organisations, not only in Tshwane and Gauteng but the country at large. My role, in a nutshell, entails looking at the commercialisation of the ICC in terms of revenue growth, it entails developing the product offering and positioning the organisation to contribute effectively in the space of business events.

How do you see the CSIR ICC in the South African business arena?

I see CSIR ICC as a thought leader, influencing the performance of the industry while contributing to the greater South African economy.

What do you hope to achieve at the CSIR ICC?

I hope to be able to extend my contribution in the industry, take the brand further in terms or market reach both locally and internationally, and be able to grow the association markets. I would like to place the CSIR ICC as a salient brand, highlighting the superior product offerings and satisfactory service delivery. Grow our numbers of delegates to ultimately increase the international arrival numbers nationally.

Do you have a set of goals that you could share?

My goals are to strengthen our brand equity through superior venue propositions, draw inspiration from our mother company to come up with innovative solutions to enhance our venue offering and to ultimately increase our annual delegate numbers.

How do you see the current business events sector in South Africa?

The industry is in challenging times given the weakening economy.

However, there is hope, but that hope will come from diversity and doing things differently. Like Albert Einstein once said “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results”. So business events organisations will have to do things differently if they want different results in this tough economy.

Who is the CSIR ICC’s main market?

CSIR ICC’s main market segments are associations, government and private sector.

Would you like to see the CSIR ICC expand its clientele market?

I believe in targeted marketing than ‘a one size fits all approach’. So I would like to see CSIR ICC leverage more from the segments it already targets.

Are there any developments planned at the CSIR ICC?

Certainly, our business planning session has looked at areas of enhancements all around from service, product and culinary to stay abreast with industry trends. We are looking at modifying our venue facilities both in terms of technology and infrastructure. We have set some plans to strengthen our sales force so that our markets can be better reached and serviced.

How do you feel about your new role and the CSIR’s future?

“And suddenly you know...It’s time to start something new and trust the magic of beginnings.” That is exactly how I feel. Finally, I would like to wish all our friends in the industry from delegates, suppliers and associations, a happy festive period ahead. May we all be able to wrap it up on a high note! Cheers to a remarkable business events year.