EVENT INDUSTRY GREENING INSIGHTS FORUM
Shaun Bird, general manager of Sandton Convention Bureau
be a positive thing. We have become toned bodybuilders, with less fake tan, but more agility. The market is returning. The regular faces and voices are out and about. 2022, on the balance of probabilities, is going to show a good comeback. In-person events are going to pick up quickly, and this is already clear, as discussions around Q3 of 2022 and further out, are the order of the day. The need for exhibitions is on the up, along with a growth in corporate confidence. Government continues to spend in the meeting space, and this all bodes well. International travel is still a concern, but the improvement is evident. Slow but steady. Budgets will be tighter… when are they not? Demands will be higher… when are they not? The difference is that we have faced the worst and conquered it, so bring on these challenges. Let us all stay safe – and masked – over the festive season.
W
ith 2022 fast approaching, as we all wonder where the time has gone, we have all reflected on 2021 and would rather forget and move on from it. Pack up the kids and the wagon, and head into 2022 with the same hope we had at this time last year, and this time, begging that we do not have that hope dashed again. Next year, I would like to write this article for the mid-year edition and say: “I told you so,” and not “How did I get it so wrong?” Enough with the foreboding and fear mongering. I will leave that to the news media. I am not in the business of selling newspapers or online ad-space. Let’s get down to it… 2022 is going to begin in April… forget the first quarter. Who really knows where this will lead, but I am positive that turn around is upon us, sooner rather than later. I really hope that this statement about April being the light at the end of the tunnel proves false, and the positivity within the industry now continues full steam ahead, with the first quarter being a right stunner. As an industry, the adaptations we have made have been amazing. I am in awe, every day, of the creativity that has come to the fore. We are entering into 2022 leaner and meaner than ever, and this will
Lindiwe Rakharebe, chief executive officer of Durban ICC
T
he Durban ICC is all set to head into 2021 and beyond. While things have been unpredictable this past year, what we know for sure, is that the Durban ICC was ahead of the pack and successfully hosted a number of local and international events. The Durban ICC has also run several international hybrid conferences with several simultaneous streams from various venues which were streamed to
22 Business Events Africa December 2021/January 2022
audiences all around the world. The year 2021 was a challenging year for the tourism and hospitality industry. The Covid-19 pandemic clearly had a significant impact on the tourism industry, both globally and in South Africa, owing primarily to the lockdown and travel restrictions that were imposed. When many business activities were halted and supply chains were disrupted, the global economy collapsed. Looking back over 2021, I realise how far we have come. This year has been turbulent, unpredictable and possibly the toughest year that the business events industry has ever had to face. That said, we adapted quickly, retrained our staff and reinvented the way we hosted events with our clients. Luckily, the Durban ICC had already invested in its online, virtual events platform, prior to the virus outbreak. This, coupled with strong client relationships, enabled us to drive the organisation forward and we are looking forward to a brighter 2022. The levers driving the business events industry’s recovery over the next year are dependent on the strength and resilience of the national economy. Given the uncertainty in the international market and prevailing travel restrictions, the focus will be on servicing the domestic market for 2022. However, let us not forget the role that we need to play, as an industry, over the next year. As an industry, we need to be instilling confidence in all our markets that we are open for business, and that the protocols are in place to host events safely and responsibly. As industry role players, we need to focus on hosting responsible meetings. We all need to ensure that our hygiene and safety protocols are in place and that they are implemented effectively and consistently. All our guests need to feel comfortable and safe when they are in our venues for events. We need to be working together with government through the SA Events Council and the correct channels to demonstrate the importance of the industry as a tool for economic recovery and social change in the country currently. We need to be emphasising the importance of the business events industry and the role it plays in facilitating dialogues and accelerating agendas in the areas of professional, corporate, academic and social development. The dialogues and engagements which www.businesseventsafrica.com
