COVER STORY

Meet, interact and connect at the newly refurbished JSE venues

After two years of severe limitations on gatherings and with Covid-19 restrictions easing, there is a renewed interest and increase in physical events taking place around South Africa. While virtual events may have provided a necessary alternative during the challenging past 24 months, there is no replacing the value and lasting impact of networking and face-to-face interactions. And with the recent further easing of restrictions, both the eventing industry and event delegates are breathing a sigh of relief.

Having used the lock-down period to refurbish its head office in the heart of Sandton, the JSE is once again able to offer a world-class venue, equipment, and facilities to host corporate events and meetings. From sound engineers and technical equipment to secure parking and catering, the highly experienced eventing team at the JSE can assist to conceptualise and coordinate anything from a leading industry conference to a small personal business meeting.

Ms Vuyo Lee.

Take advantage of the JSE’s prime location within Africa’s leading business hub to host AGMs, annual results announcements, corporate meetings, seminars, conferences, workshops or a gala awards evening. Vuyo Lee, JSE’s director for marketing and corporate affairs, said that the JSE is thrilled to unveil this newly renovated venue, which last underwent significant refurbishment back in 2014. “This time around, the main focus was to improve the visitor experience and ensure that we have cutting-edge technology for interactive presentations and hosting hybrid events in the ‘new normal’,” Ms Lee explained.

Some highlights of the newly renovated space include the impressive new JSE foyer. Boasting two state-of-the-art wallboards, this is an ideal space to welcome guests to your event. The main wallboard in the foyer is the perfect setting for live entertainment, be it a pianist, saxophonist or marimba band, or you could choose the smaller wallboard, which is adjacent to the atrium and outdoor deck.

Adding to the tech upgrade of the facilities, the JSE has introduced the WizzPass Visitor Management System, which provides added security and ensures convenient and Covid-19-safe access for visitors. This functionality enables guests to pre-register for events and confirm registration on the day of the event through facial recognition on their mobile device.

The Auditorium

This tiered theatre is the most formal venue at the JSE and provides fixed seating for 145 guests (41 during covid restrictions). As with the other venues, both a standard AV package and a premium AV package is available. Think full HP projectors, top sound quality, external broadcasting connectivity, audio conferencing, WIFI connectivity. Whatever your tech needs, we have the sound and broadcast solution for you.

Renovated atrium

This flexible, spacious area can be transformed into a theatre, conference room, boardroom, banqueting room, exhibition space or an open networking or exhibition venue. The entertainment area is included at no additional cost when the atrium is hired for that special event, making this area ideal for all-day conferences and larger events.

Entertainment area

In addition to the new modern open foyer and renovated atrium, the entertainment area has now been designed to include more counter space with a setup for catering and bar facilities. Along with the eight new unisex bathrooms, there is also a new open-air area, just outside the atrium, with a wooden deck, which is perfect for evening entertainment. The building also has a new suite of meeting rooms of various sizes, with state-of-the-art technology and interactive webinar functionality.

The infrastructure, cabling and technologically advanced equipment in each of the venues, as well as the onsite sound engineers and technicians will ensure that events and meetings run smoothly. In short, the JSE offers a one-stop-shop solution for hosting successful events.

‘New normal’ venue setup

With virtual and hybrid meetings and webinars being part of our eventing future, meetings from the JSE can be broadcast live to your audience with the option of including video, slide presentations, document handouts, audience polls and surveys. This includes the ability to stream international speakers live to your local delegation. Post the event, the recording along with relevant videos and presentations can be packaged and sent to you for your records or sent to delegates. Once again, a full value-added service, which is managed by our experienced in-house tech support team.

“Our venues are designed to meet the ‘new normal’ environment of being Covid-19 compliant, tech-savvy and boast some of the comforts we have become accustomed to while working from home. The JSE is looking forward to hosting corporate clients and guests at its renovated building and promises to pull out all the stops to make the experience productive and enjoyable,” Ms Lee concluded.

This space within Sandton’s bustling business hub is the perfect venue in Johannesburg to host both local and international physical and hybrid events and will continue to adhere to all the necessary Covid-19 screening protocols.

The JSE now provides the perfect conference and eventing space in Gauteng. Spacious, sustainable, modern, tech-savvy, safe and secure — with the physical events industry back in business, contact the JSE eventing team to take your event to the next level.

Contact details

Tel: +27 (0)11 520 7000

Email: IssuerServices@jse.co.za

Website: www.jse.co.za/services/ company-services

Venue capacity

To meet the needs of several types of events, various seating configurations are available. These include cinema-style seating for between 50 and 110 guests*; classroom-style seating for 50 to 70 seated guests, a U-shaped configuration for 30 seated guests and a seated dinner for 50 to 70* guests. Venue hire includes a dedicated event coordinator, standard tables, chairs, cutlery and crockery — a professional service with all the extras, to guarantee an unforgettable event experience.

*Pax during covid restrictions