Business Events Africa — December 2022

Voice of the Business Events Industry in Africa

SUSTAINABILITY

32 Radisson Hotel Group signs Glasgow Declaration.

34 Hilton reinforces commitment to sustainability.

35 Childhood friends scoop Sun City waste management contract.

36 WTM Africa Responsible Tourism Awards 2023 entries are open.

INDUSTRY NEWS

37 SA Tourism advances the business events sector through collaboration at IBTM World.

VENUE NEWS

38 Taj Cape Town welcomes a brand new look.

39 The CTICC goes all out to support local creatives and entrepreneurs.

NEW APPOINTMENT

40 Phenyo Marumo joins Minor Hotels Africa.

CHEF’S PROFILE

41 Oscar Baard — every day is an opportunity to learn.

MARKET NEWS

42 Topi strives to make every guest’s vacation awesome.

43 Positive travel trends reported by City Lodge Hotels.

44 RX Africa builds solid foundations for future entrepreneurial expansion.

46 Directory.

MARKET NEWS

48 AAXO launches Lunch and Learn series.

48 Index of advertisers and contributors.

THE LAST WORD

49 South Africa’s business travel in 2023.

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The authority on meetings, exhibitions, special events and incentives management www.businesseventsafrica.com

Anything is possible with the correct attitude

CHANGE has been our industry’s constant over the past few years. We have learnt to adapt to new environments. We have had to learn new skills and the hardest lesson; we have had to learn to accept things that are out of our control. However, the positive that came from this, is we have also learnt to be more grateful and appreciative of the small things.

As the year comes to a rapid end, I am grateful for my family, who are my anchors and give me much needed balance; I am thankful and grateful for my team at Contact Publications, thank you for all you do and for making my load a little lighter. Of course, I am abundantly grateful and thankful for the industry I am in and its dynamic, amazing people and the lifelong relationships and friendships I have made.

The year has been long and hard, I don’t know how everyone is feeling, but frankly, I’m exhausted and looking forward to some rest and relaxation over December.

Every year that goes by I am more and more in awe of the industry and how we just get on with it and make things happen — mostly exceeding expectations. The industry leaders, the trade associations, organisers, suppliers and venues, need to take a big bow. Well done for persevering

in what can only be described as a year filled with many new lessons. Being open to new things, is probably what kept us all going, also learning from each other through collaboration.

When I think of the business events industry, I think of resilient, hardworking people with grit, and ready for the next challenge. The people that are in our industry are generally positive people and that positivity is infectious. Anything is possible with that kind of attitude.

What will the coming year be like? No one can really predict, but certainly, our industry leaders have a better perspective than most.

In this edition, as in every other December edition of BEA, we have asked industry leaders to offer us their views on the coming year. The predictions are very positive and offer very insightful views on what they are expecting of 2023.

From what I have gathered, 2023 will be a better year than 2022. The

business events industry will see an increase of more congresses, exhibitions, events and incentives. Budgets and delegate numbers will continue to be smaller, and the hybrid model will continue to play its part, especially as sustainability takes a more prevalent role in 2023. However, in-person is definitely the way forward, as it has been proven to be more fruitful in forging long term relationships and is often the start of some form of collaboration.

As I say goodbye to 2022, I look forward to 2023 with much hope.

From the Contact Publications team and I, we would like to thank you for all your support over this challenging year and wish you much more prosperity, peace, hope and certainty in the new year!

Email: gomesi@iafrica.com

Credit: Hein Liebetrau

First Africa-based ICCASkills course successfully completed

ICCA is delighted to announce the first in-person ICCASkills Certified International Convention Specialists (CICS) course in Africa was successfully completed for staff of the Ethiopia Convention Bureau on Friday, 18 November.

Delegates gathered for an intensive, one-stop weeklong course at the Ethiopian Skylight Hotel, Addis Ababa, to gain essential industry knowledge skills in community engagement, conference bidding, and industry advocacy.

The study programme was set up with the support of the IFC/WBG which is closely supporting the Ethiopia Convention Bureau in its endeavour to develop competitive Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE) tourism.

Regarding the collaboration between ICCA and the Ethiopia Convention Bureau, Bizualem Getu, director,

stated: “International industrywide collaboration, cooperation, and consensus is key for future development of business events.”

ICCA chief executive officer, Senthil Gopinath, agrees and adds: “The ICCASkills programme with the Ethiopia Convention Bureau shows our shared commitment to developing and improving industry talent in the whole of Africa.”

The ICCASkills programme was conducted on-site by Patrick Delaney, managing partner, SoolNua; and Deanna Varga, founder, and chief executive officer, Mayvin Global and Adjunct Associate Professor (Industry),

the University of Technology of Sydney.

Congratulations to all the learners for completing the course and thank you to the host, Ethiopia Convention Bureau, for welcoming the ICCA delegation and for arranging an excellent trip around Addis Ababa, giving everyone a flavour and insight into what the Ethiopian capital can bring to the international events industry.

For more information about ICCASkills CICE and CICS courses, and to remind all that the education programme is available for both non-members and members of ICCA, please contact the ICCA Education Team at education@iccaworld.org

SANCB announces partnership with the AIPC

In its continued efforts to advance the quality of business events in South Africa and on the continent, the South African National Convention Bureau (SANCB) has announced its partnership with the International Association of Convention Centres (AIPC) to host the continent’s first AIPC Summit.

Speaking at a press briefing held at IBTM World in Barcelona, acting chief convention bureau officer at the SANCB, Zinhle Nzama said that business events have a big role to play in the overall recovery of the global tourism sector and that bringing the Summit to Africa is one way in which South African Tourism is taking the lead in the recovery of the continent’s tourism sector.

The AIPC is a global industry association for professional convention and exhibition centre managers, which encourages and recognises excellence in convention centre management, while providing the tools to achieve high standards through research, educational and networking programs.

“We are excited to host the first AIPC summit on the continent and to be at the forefront of the opening of the Africa chapter of the AIPC. As the SANCB, we are committed to capacitating convention and exhibition

centres to ensure that they are able to provide excellent standards to host international conferences. We want to ensure that the continent’s venues are in line with global standards and provide impeccable service,” Ms Nzama said.

The Africa chapter of the AIPC summit will take place at the 2023 edition of Meetings Africa on 27 February 2023 at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg. The Summit will provide an information and knowledgesharing platform for convention and exhibition centres on how to elevate the standards of convention and exhibition centres on the continent.

Ms Nzama said that this was the ideal time to host this summit, as the continent’s business events products will already be gathered in one place for Meetings Africa and get to benefit from this summit.

Sven Bossu, AIPC chief executive officer, said that Africa’s population is growing and its economy is

booming, therefore business events will become increasingly important to cater for the growing demand, which is why the AIPC is excited to bring the Summit to the continent.

“People are looking for unique experiences, and our job as convention and exhibition centres is to figure out how we cater for these experiences. What we need to focus on is resources, technology and sustainability to ensure that our venues are catering to the unique needs and experiences of delegates,” Mr Bossu said.

The collaboration with the AIPC is part of the SANCB’s efforts to advance the work of associations, including the ICCA Association Day, which also takes place at Meetings Africa with the aim of bringing the African and International Association community together to help them co-create solutions to manage their associations better, advance their work and further the interests of their members.

Experience unforgettable hospitality at Guvon Hotels

Guvon Hotels & Spas is a leading hospitality group offering a collection of hotels in Gauteng. All four properties offer excellent accommodation, conference and teambuilding facilities, and are located close to popular highways and central business hubs.

Guvon Hotels & Spas offer unforgettable experiences for delegates and guests alike.

Three of the properties offer an array of spa treatments and accommodation near the Cradle of Humankind in Muldersdrift. All hotels are in close proximity to popular highways and central business hubs.

Guvon Investments (Pty) Ltd was established in 1978 by Mr Gustav Pansegrouw. Oom Gustav, as he is fondly referred to, handed over the reins to his four children, who are all involved in the business. While Kosie Pansegrouw is the chief

executive officer, Alta Thorpe heads up HR, Yvette Alberts the financial side and Jannie Borman the estate and maintenance. The name GUVON originated from the combination of the names of its founder members Gustav and his late wife, Yvonne.

Par with excellence at The Fairway Hotel

The Fairway Hotel, Spa & Golf Resort is situated on the Randpark Golf Course, two kilometres from Cresta Shopping Centre in Johannesburg and 15 minutes from Sandton City centre. This business hotel provides the ultimate destination for conferences, functions, corporate golf days and events in a safe residential area with tree-lined streets. The luxury development overlooks the famous Randpark Golf Course and is situated just northeast of the clubhouse, on the first hole.

Mano Sequeira, general manager, The Fairway Hotel, Spa & Golf Resort, said: “The Fairway Hotel, Spa & Golf Resort provides flexibility for conferencing and is situated in an absolutely fantastic location on the Randpark Golf Course, accompanied by highly professional service offerings.”

The Randpark Golf Club is the ultimate urban golf destination, on par with excellence. With two of the best manicured courses in South Africa, as well as the Creek 9 Mashie Course. Firethorn and Bushwillow are two distinct 18hole championship golf courses, offering golfers of varying ability an unforgettable experience.

Tim Dutch, operations manager, The Fairway Hotel, Spa & Golf Resort, said: “This hotel is amazing, and has everything a delegate could want, with fine dining, casual dining, three bars, two pools, a spa, a golf course, driving range, and a huge variety of rooms, there is nothing we don’t have. Being located in Randburg, means it’s so central.”

In terms of conferencing, Mr Dutch said: “We have a team of excellent coordinators for conference and banqueting events, and we get it right the first time. More than 50 per cent of conference business is return clients. That says something about the way we do things.”

The cherry on top, Mr Dutch added: “Our

spa offering is extensive, with loads of aquatic and body treatments, a full nail salon, and overnight accommodation packages.”

Accommodation

The Fairway Hotel has 62 hotel rooms and fourteen villas. The hotel rooms include 35 luxury rooms, sixteen premier rooms, one paraplegic room, two suites and eight family rooms, each with its own private bathrooms. The villas consist of seven double-storey golf villas with four en-suite bedrooms, six double-storey garden villas with four en-suite bedrooms and one singlestorey garden villa with two en-suite bedrooms, bringing the total number of rooms to 116. Breakfast is included in the room rate. Gym, tennis courts and spa facilities further add to the enjoyment and comfort of guests during their stay.

The Spa

The Fairway Spa invites you to immerse yourself in an oasis, providing an ideal retreat from the demands of the city. Services include individual treatments, day packages, corporate conference spa packages and packages for non-golfing delegates who don’t want to be excluded from the company’s corporate golf day. All packages can be customised to suit your specific requirements.

The Fairway Spa is situated to the left of the hotel entrance, nestled between the golf club and the hotel rooms. Soothing hues of blue and reflections of water and light greet spa guests as they enter the airy double-volume lobby en-route to the relaxation lounge or their chosen treatment room. A sun deck, Café style Bistro and private gardens make this a wonderful destination for relaxation. With eleven treatment rooms, the spa is spacious enough to accommodate small pamper party groups, for leisure or business purposes. Visit the Spa for top-to-toe treatments at one destination.

Facilities

The 8,200m² hotel comprises a multi-volume foyer and private internal pool courtyard. A comprehensive range of venues, facilities and services are available to make your event unforgettable with a conference centre, boardrooms, breakaway rooms, lounge and deck with stunning views. Your banquet, conference, product launch or private celebration may be hosted in venues as intimate as our downstairs wine cellar, as expansive as the Vista Deck, as jovial as the Roundabout Bar or as elaborate as the Windsor Ballroom.

Entertaining options at The Fairway are aplenty, but Balata Restaurant deserves the first mention. Balata Restaurant was a finalist in the recent Top Restaurant Award, RASA Rosetta Award of Excellence 2022. Offering a variety of seating arrangements, vibrant décor colours and modern fireplaces, the restaurant is famous for its outstanding breakfasts. Light business lunches are popular, but Balata is known for its exquisite fine dining under the leadership of the executive chef. Using the freshest produce available, all meals are served with great care and attention to detail.

Bar Verve with its trendy ambience is perfect for a business meeting, a quick get-together or just for unwinding after work. A secluded wine cellar hides behind Bar Verve and provides a sophisticated private venue for executives to have a drink after a long day of conferencing.

The Roundabout Bar has wonderful views over the golf course and is popular with the golfing fraternity who need to recuperate after a strenuous round of golf, or that drink on the way back home after a long day at the office.

Whether guests are on business or leisure, they will find it is an experience that they will want to repeat sooner rather than later.

Being the place to meet in Johannesburg, Roundabout Bar is renowned for after-work cocktails which may well extend into unparalleled late-night fine dining in Balata Restaurant.

Conferences and Meetings

Taking conferencing and business meetings to a whole new level of luxury.

Conference facilities include two conference rooms (Windsor I and II) which are joined to create one larger conference room accommodating up to 180 delegates, depending on the seating configuration.

Four boardrooms are available adjacent to the Windsor Rooms and may be used as separate breakaway units or three can be joined to form a venue with capacity for up to eighty delegates. As stand-alone boardrooms, the setup will comfortably accommodate ten delegates each. The Randpark 1, 2, 3 and 4 boardrooms open up onto the Vista Deck, where cocktails from the upstairs bar ease delegates into the night with spectacular sunset views over the golf course, club house and greens.

It would be our pleasure to show you our facilities and supply you with more

CAPACITY AND ROOM DIMENSIONS CHART

information regarding our conferencing packages. Please contact our conference department to arrange a site inspection.

Contact info

Tel: 011 478 8000 Email: banqueting@thefairway.co.za

Kloofzicht — five-star luxury with a touch of country

Kloofzicht Lodge & Spa epitomises five-star luxury in a relaxed country environment. A combination of textured interiors, sandstone tiles, majestic mahogany and bold warm fabric colours are carried throughout the interior of the lodge. Nestled at the foothills of the Zwartkops Mountains in the Cradle of Humankind, Kloofzicht Lodge & Spa is a comfortable forty-minute drive from both Sandton and Pretoria.

Kloofzicht Lodge comprises sixty suites and overlooks six exquisite fly-fishing dams and the lower reaches of the Blaauwbank Spruit, as it meanders through the unspoilt Zwartkops gorge. Five-star hospitality and service are the benchmark of Kloofzicht Lodge & Spa.

The lodge accommodates up to 120 conference delegates within five conference venues and two smaller meeting rooms. Spa conference packages are popular, while fly-fishing packages are available as an interesting teambuilding alternative.

The small but magnificent nature reserve upon which Kloofzicht is built, is home to kudu,

impala, blue wildebeest, eland, red hartebeest, springbuck, gemsbok, zebra as well as a fascinating array of bird life.

Both Kloofzicht Lodge & Spa and Glenburn Lodge & Spa have become synonymous as the venues of choice in Gauteng for hot air ballooning safaris, due to the favourable flying conditions.

Accommodation

The five-star Kloofzicht Lodge & Spa offers a total of sixty bedrooms made up of eighteen deluxe suites, nineteen executive suites, ten superior suites, telve family suites and one royal suite. With sweeping views over the Zwartkops mountain range and fly-fishing dams, all suites have en-suite bathrooms, with seating areas leading onto an outside patio area and heated towel rails.

Kloofzicht Spa

Guests entering Kloofzicht Spa are greeted with the stunning view over the Kloofzicht dam, finally settling into the Zwartkops mountains in the distance. Kloofzicht Spa delights, with lazy

days in the Jacuzzi or indoor pool, or just lounging on the deckchairs drinking in the stunning views after a relaxing treatment.

Kloofzicht Spa offers a variety of Spa treatments, massages, facials, manicures, pedicures and tailor-made spa packages all combined with five-star facilities and service. While couple’s treatments are very popular, men may prefer to rather enjoy fly-fishing in one of the six dams or watch the latest sport on the big screen in The Little Foot bar at the main lodge.

Spa conferences for smaller groups of ten or less are popular at this country spa.

Restaurants

Uitzicht Restaurant

The stylish contemporary décor of Uitzicht Restaurant presents a perfect canvas for sophisticated a la carte dining. With a highly skilled and creative culinary team, this is an experience not to be missed. Lunches are a decadent affair, with an extensive buffet with the freshest of ingredients and finest linen.

COVER

STORY: GUVON HOTELS

Oevermeer Bistro

Oevermeer Bistro has a relaxed and jovial atmosphere — a place for unwinding where down-to-earth good food is presented with artistic flair. Reserve your spot on the deck with great views over the dam or nestle around the large fireplace in wintertime. The eight-seater harvest table is ideal for group gatherings.

Conferences and meetings

Conference add-ons and teambuilding

• Spa conferencing and spa treatments

• Royal Suite conference experience

• Wine Cellar events — wine and whiskey tastings

• Fly-fishing

• Hot air ballooning

Should you require any assistance with teambuilding options, please contact our conference department who would gladly recommend tried and trusted suppliers, with whom we have long-standing relationships. We highly recommend taking your conference to new heights with hot air ballooning for your executives. Take their breath away with your teambuilding choices.

It would be our pleasure to show you our facilities and supply you with more information regarding our conferencing packages. Please contact our conference department to arrange a site inspection or to enquire about our tailor-made packages.

CAPACITY AND ROOM DIMENSIONS CHART

Contact info

Email: conference@kloofzicht.co.za

Tel: 011 317 0600

Glenburn Lodge & Spa — offers delegates tranquility

Glenburn Lodge & Spa is situated in the tranquillity of the Zwartkops Mountains, on the banks of the Blaauwbank and Crocodile Rivers. Situated within the Cradle of Humankind, this 100-bedroom hotel, conference, wedding venue and spa is a mere 30 minutes from both Johannesburg and Pretoria. The natural scenic beauty of Glenburn Lodge & Spa makes it the ideal setting for conferences, product launches, think-tanks and teambuilding exercises.

Conferences and Meetings

The Glenburn Lodge & Spa conference centre includes eleven venues: Glenkyle, Glencove and Glenwillow feature banqueting as well as conference facilities. The largest venue, Glenkyle, can seat up to 300 delegates. The Coachman, the Boardroom, Greenwell’s Glory, Mallard, Marabou, Minnow, Muddler, Pheasants Tail, Royal Clansman and Williams Favourite provide conference facilities for groups between six and 150.

Conference venue names were either inspired by Glenburn Lodge’s fly-fishing tradition and fly names, or the Scottish names reflecting the beautiful natural surrounds.

A range of conference packages are available to suit your specific needs and budget.

Delegates can expect sumptuous tea and coffee break snacks and a wide selection of coffee and tea options. In wintertime, Glenburn Lodge serves soups and hot chocolate during breaks. The aroma of popcorn in the conference, all day long, has been a favourite with conference-goers for many years. Standard conference equipment is included in the conference packages while we can make arrangements for any special requirements the company may have.

Teambuilding

With excellent teambuilding facilities in a scenic mountain and river surrounding in Muldersdrift, Glenburn Lodge & Spa is the obvious choice for

outdoor teambuilding events such as treasure hunts and survivor games. Up your game with a hot air balloon ride over the Cradle of Humankind — special corporate rates are available from AirVentures who can accommodate up to 36 delegates at a time.

The universal sports field is popular with rugby, soccer, hockey and school teams, for training and matches purposes. School teams often combine their training camps with affordable accommodation in Bush Willow Tented Camp, at the foot of the mountain. Your teambuilding company or event organiser will be overjoyed with space and options available at Glenburn.

CAPACITY AND ROOM DIMENSIONS CHART

Bush Willow Tented Camp — a more rustic experience

Bush Willow Tented Camp is built in a sector of Glenburn Lodge & Spa, which is surrounded by indigenous bush, at the foot of the Zwartkops Mountains, on the banks of the Blaauwbank River.

Accommodation comprises comfortable walk-in tents, including hot indoor showers and a small kitchenette. All meals are prepared and enjoyed in the thatched boma area where one can relax while the tantalising aroma of food grilling fills the air.

Not everyone is cut out for stiff boardroom meetings. If you believe (like we do), that being outdoors clears the mind, then the tented camp is the answer to you conference needs.

We highly recommend that you hire out the entire tented camp for a day or two, to secure exclusivity for your group, but if time is of essence, we do provide further options.

Ideally situated on the Blaauwbank River, Glenwillow is the dedicated indoors conference venue. The Boma and thatch gazebo overlooking the mountain can be utilised as a breakaway area. Or maybe sitting on a rock overlooking the river gets your creative juices flowing?

Established teambuilding companies are rating this venue as one of the best in Gauteng, due to its natural surroundings and ample space for teambuilding activities, such as drumming and firewalking. In addition to this, the exclusive use of a heated swimming pool, access to river fishing as well as nature walks along marked trails in the mountain are some of the leisure activities available.

Bush Willow Tented Camp is ideal for a self-catering venue, with braai stands and a basic kitchen at the Boma. Catered

meals may be supplied by Glenburn Lodge & Spa, but need to be organised prior.

It would be our pleasure to show you our facilities and supply you with more information regarding our conferencing packages. Please contact our conference department to arrange a site inspection or to enquire about our dinner, bed and breakfast add-on rates. Self-braai dinner options are available.

Contact info

Email: conference@glenburn.co.za

Tel: 011 668 1600

Industry predictions for 2023

Business events industry leaders take a look into the crystal ball to see what 2023 may bring…

INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATIONS

and locally to think, do, and deliver more. Our challenge is giving Africa an amazing platform and presence to share with everyone. We greatly look forward to meeting it head on.”

Guiding us – and giving ICCA a defined business focus – stand our pillars of sustainability; legacy; diversity, equity and inclusion. Pillars very evident in both the content – and branding – of our recent 61st Congress in Krakow.

(ICCA)

2022 : the year our industry came back together. Covid concerns are not completely over, but we are now very resilient. Learning from our shared experience helps us look forward to 2023 with hope. This year was about consolidation. Next year is about making everything better than it ever was before — for Africa, and the global community.

ICCA chief executive officer, Sentil Gopinath, said: “ICCA will be a leader in Africa as we take our industry forward. The world is ready… and we need the meetings and events community globally, regionally

Bringing new members to the ICCA community remains a key objective. This year, we were delighted to welcome both the Niger Convention Agency and the Ghana Tourism Authority from West Africa. We have members now in Southern, East and West Africa, and hope to expand throughout the rest of the continent in 2023.

New members always bring new ideas, new connections, new opportunities, new lifeblood and assists ICCA’s goal of adopting a ‘whole Africa’ approach. ICCA will continue collaboration with industry partners like the Southern African Association for the Conference Industry (SAACI), and the African Society of Association Executives (AfSAE). To grow the association market fraternity on the continent, more regional – as well as international – association conferences, need to be secured. Something we are keen to achieve in 2023.

Re-emergence, growing the whole Africa

community, using our pillars to shape our strategy, attracting more conferences… what else will we be talking about in 2023? There is a lot of buzz around the ‘Metaverse’, again something discussed at the Congress. It forms part of the wider conversation about the use of technology, customer expectations, sustainability, time and travel, and of course, legacy. One certainty is: when we meet, it has to mean more. Meetings are experiential events. Delegates need to feel inspired. We must inspire ourselves, too. Educating and upskilling our people improves how we function, find, and develop new talent. We are still a people business. The need to develop new talent – especially the young professionals – inspired us to launch ICCASkills: the first Global certification for our industry, earlier this year. Created by industry experts, ICCASkills will help replenish the talent pool so badly impacted by the pandemic. This innovative education programme gives industry executives the knowledge, skills, and tools to set new standards in best practice. ICCA’s goal is to encourage more members – and nonmembers – in Africa, to sign up, and help shape the future.

Here’s to 2023… an exciting, successful and innovative year for all who hold the business events industry close to their hearts in our beloved Africa.

Esmaré Steinhöfel, regional director Africa, International Congress and Convention Association

(IFES) for 2021-2022

Review of 2022

One forgets that at the beginning of 2022 we were still in the fourth wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. As the wave died down, the business events industry in South Africa began to pick up slowly, still subject to government restrictions on large gatherings. It was only on 22 June 2022 that all restrictions were lifted, and business events could operate as in pre-pandemic conditions. Our industry typically has a long lead time but during 2022 smaller business events and conferences started up again as restrictions eased. Bigger exhibitions took slightly longer to resume.

We were so grateful that we were able to operate as normal in the second half of 2022. However, the impact of the pandemic continued to be felt. The sector has lost many skilled workers to other industries, many companies didn’t survive the pandemic, and those that did don’t have the resources they had pre-pandemic.

I see my international colleagues facing some of the same challenges as they deal with skills shortages resulting from employees leaving the industry permanently during the pandemic. It will take time and energy to attract and train new employees.

Once business resumed in 2022, there was pressure on the industry to make up for lost time. There was also pressure on a limited number of venues, resulting in short and stressful build-up and break-down times.

Outlook for 2023

We are hoping for an easier 2023, with the advance planning of events and more manageable build-up and break-down times. As our industry rebuilds, we hope to have more resources to reduce the chaos and sometimes frenetic activity of 2022.

I think there will be some rationalisation of events in certain sectors. However, as

companies and associations are showing that they are eager to host business events again, it promises to be a busy year for our industry.

While events will continue to have some online activity, I believe that virtual events will lose ground to in-person events. Events will probably be hybrid: online combined with in-person elements. In the past couple of years, we have seen that people need face-to-face interaction, and in-person exhibitions and conferences are the ideal platforms for this.

Sustainability will continue to be an important issue in 2023. The Joint Meetings Industry Council, an international federation of business event associations, is spearheading the Net Zero Carbon Events (NZCE) initiative, which aims to address climate change. The Event Greening Forum (EGF), a non-profit organisation promoting sustainable events, is driving the NZCE initiative locally and will continue to prioritise it in 2023.

industry. As we subcontract our transportation, we are at the mercy of our service providers (airlines, ocean lines and trucking companies) to meet this challenge. It will require cooperation and collaboration to live up to the goals.

Q4 and 2023 look to be reasonably robust for the industry. The desire is there from all players to revitalise and return to pre-pandemic volumes and so far, it seems to be working.

The drive required to continue the momentum is constant management and control of health and safety measures to ensure a large resurgence or new wave does not surface.

Comfort levels are currently very positive, but this pandemic is not over, and we must learn to work with the new procedures and restrictions it has brought.

There are parts of the world that are still very highly restricted and/or locked down and it will take time for them to recover and join the recovery.

The focus continues to be doing business, but now in a more flexible way that requires much more foresight into future developments.

Of primary importance, is educating our clients — exhibitors, organisers, and venues of the changes the pandemic has brought. Planning is key to ensure that all potential obstacles are examined and prepared for in advance — a very trying situation without a crystal ball.

Trotter, chairperson of International Exhibition Logistics Association (IELA)

The increase in business in North and South America, and in Western Europe, has been fast and furious, with volumes steadily increasing since spring 2022.

The pace of this resurrection was not predicted to be such a rapid upward trend. It is extremely encouraging to see the revival of the industry that was so devastated by the pandemic.

Our biggest challenge now is coping with supply chain and capacity issues. Reduced airline and sailing schedules as well as ground transportation shortages are causing major cost increases and extended transit times.

In addition, staffing is of major concern. Our labour force has been hit hard over the last two years and many experienced, valued employees have moved on to what they perceive to be more stable industries.

The push for Net Carbon Zero is another issue that is of great concern and one that is particularly challenging for our sector of the

LOCAL TRADE ASSOCIATIONS

Economic experts expect ongoing inflation and subdued economic growth globally, which will impact how businesses make decisions, especially with regard to business events. In addition to that, the world is increasingly waking up to the fact

Glenton de Kock, chief executive officer of Southern Africa Association for the Conference Industry (SAACI)

Justin Hawes, incoming president of the International Federation of Exhibition and Event Services

Sandi

that the climate disaster will pose a much bigger challenge than anything we have experienced in recent decades and will dwarf the challenges faced by the Covid pandemic.

This means that consumers are beginning to prefer businesses with the right environmental and social credentials, and buying trends are increasingly being driven by conscious consumers — those among us who prioritise factors such as ecological impact and sustainability when choosing who to buy from or do business with.

In 2023, companies need to make sure that their environmental, social, and governance (ESG) processes are moved to the centre of their strategy. This should begin with measuring the impact any business is having on society and the environment, and then move to increasing transparency, reporting, and accountability.

Within that context, an anticipated increase in delegate numbers to in-person meetings and events may come as no surprise for those in the trenches. Live events are back and are here to stay. But it’s not back to business as usual. In fact, it can’t be.

People-centric planning and approaches, with continuous innovation of event delivery that gives audiences what they want and need, will be important. As an example, wellness with more sensory quiet spaces in nature, or breakaway rooms that incorporate meditation, are what we can see more of.

While there is an accelerated resurgence of in-person events, some corporations are still pulling back their in-person plans to prioritise safety and save on costs.

Therefore, in 2023, planners will be

searching for immersive studios that turn a dreaded ‘Zoom call’ or ‘Teams meeting’ into an awe-inspiring, seamless event that exceeds the audience’s expectations and spreads the message further than ever.

The industry has an opportunity, as we did in 2022 at Meetings Africa 2023, to set the framework on how we proceed.

We note that clients may become selective about the services they choose, based on a provider’s commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and sustainability efforts.

About the EGF

The Event Greening Forum (EGF) is a non-profit organisation that promotes sustainability within the business events sector. It does this by hosting educational sessions for industry and lobbying government in an effort to implement sustainability principles into the daily operations of the events industry.

The EGF was established through dedication and support of eight industry associations who are recognised as founding members. The founding members are key industry associations working together to promote South Africa as a destination for various types of events.

Want to know more?

If you would like to know more about event greening, visit www.eventgreening.co.za where you can browse the free resources, sign up to the monthly newsletter, or contact them directly with any queries.

Contact: Lynn Mcleod

T: 082 891 5883 E: lynn@eventgreening.co.za

Morwesi Ramonyai,

the Event Greening Forum (EGF) 2022in many ways didn’t differ too much from 2021 as a post-Covid recovery year. The year began just as slowly and, while there was a hasty pickup in business and market activity towards mid-year, the supply and demand mismatch soon became a glaring challenge. This was due to the reality that a lot of skills have moved on in many ways. To different sectors, different career paths, different countries and a lot lost due to natural attrition.

Market reconstitution

That being the case, a vacuum has also opened for new entrants in the eventing space. These would be smaller and more niche outfits. While some new dynamic players with new energy have an opportunity to dominate the space, one expects more collaboration by smaller businesses, to become larger entities.

Hybrid Events

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chairperson of

Covid-19 pandemic forced the entire eventing industry into virtual and eventually hybrid events. This is a development that can be expected to remain in Business Events. Hybrid technology is also improving at a fast pace and adoption is providing the necessary demand. For smaller events, the integration has become easier, simpler and cheaper over time and a recent EGF event successfully integrated Zoom and Facebook as the online parallel platforms and it proved to be the most cost-effective and efficient hybrid event to date.

ESG Focus

Another expectation from 2023 is a massive focus on ESG. The concept is finally taking shape in a way that the market understands, accepts, and can articulate more easily. The E-S-G pieces are finally falling into place together and no longer in silos. A surge in ESG consultancy is what we can expect. The traditional consulting houses will add the offering to their repertoire, as will the legal and financial houses. The

international ESG consultancies will also set their sights on South Africa. Careers in ESG inclusive of very senior positions in companies will also increase in demand, so there’s a great opportunity for greening and sustainability practitioners and consultants.

Climate Action

With the looming climate crisis, accountability, transparency and greater corporate responsibility is also what we can expect to see. Talk of Net-Zero and active target setting will take centrestage, as the race to be perceived as environmentally conscious wages on. Carbon footprint calculations can be expected to increase as businesses, projects, and events seek to understand their measured impact in an objective manner. Incidentally, business events also offer easy low hanging fruit for carbon reduction.

The recent carbon tax developments in South Africa will also be a critical driver towards the shift, which is good overall, because the winner is the climate after all. Overall, sustainability can expect an

elevated position in the market, and it’s about time.

Sibusiso Mncwabe, chairperson of EXSA

2022has been a turbulent, chaotic and often disorganised year for the industry as we re-emerged and opened for business. It is encouraging to see that there is great enthusiasm and attendance at both business and consumer events. This is a trend that will continue strongly, the end consumer is the ultimate beneficiary, and they are hungry for shows to take place.

Budgets will be very tight next year; there is much caution being exercised when it comes

to costs incurred. Travel costs such as fuel and flights have increased dramatically, so everyone will have to look at doing business differently, such as reusing instead of purchasing.

Collaboration will be key in 2023, between suppliers themselves, as well as between organisers, venues, government and clients. The closer everyone works together, the more streamlined and effective the industry will become. The focus is definitely on quality over quantity, so working together will become the norm. Through Covid, many people branched off onto their own; this will see an emergence of many smaller entities with years of experience and knowledge. They will become an integral part of the chain. Mentorship and skills development of our youth is vital; there is a gap in the market for our younger generation to step in and take over in the future. There is a huge unemployment rate in South Africa and one of the ways to eradicate this is to develop learnership programmes in companies to provide on-the-job training. This way, there can be a distinct succession plan in place, which ensures longevity.

Focusing on greening is a huge area of interest. Becoming more aware of what we are doing to our environment and ensuring that we recycle, reuse and choose sustainable alternatives is going to be vitally important.

Holding companies and individuals responsible for non-delivery and bringing the industry into disrepute is also on EXSA’s agenda. Having a good relationship with

venues and organisers is key in achieving this for the greater good of the whole industry. Communication is key and having an EXSA representative at build-up of as many shows as possible for problem solving and visibility is the goal.

Design fees are an ongoing project. We have made good progress this year, but will continue in our endeavors to ensure that a policy is put in place and that guidelines get followed by the industry.

EXSA will continue to guide, communicate, be present and continually make strides in the right direction that benefits its members. The members, as always, will be in the forefront of us making decisions and instituting changes that benefits them and the industry at large. We will continue to collaborate with organisers, venues and government departments, to ensure consistency and excellent service. 2023 is going to be the year of delivery!

Tes Proos, president of the Society for Incentive Travel Excellence (Site) Africa

The world of incentives, globally, is happily bouncing back. That said, the biggest success story is the US domestic market, as corporates are clamouring to reward their top performers. The challenge for Africa and southern Africa in particular, is that the US, UK and western European clients are keeping trips close to home.

With southern Africa being long-haul and the cost of flights having doubled over the past six months, we are seeing a bit of a slow return. However, the enquiries for

inbound groups are doing really well and things are looking up from February 2023 and even more so from 2024 onwards.

With many factors affecting international travel, one thing that is working in South Africa’s favour, is the exchange rate, making the destination very affordable at the moment.

Recent research from the SITE Foundation, is that Africa is definitely more on buyers’ radars than before. They are looking for more unique and immersive experiences, making Africa a much more desirable destination. Whilst some are still looking for large, fully inclusive hotels with loads of glitz and glamour, there is a distinct shift to smaller groups and ‘up-close-and-personal’ experiences.

In addition, SITE Africa is expanding its footprint with new members across the continent, especially North Africa and we are looking forward to sharing new destination experiences and showcases during 2023.  We are also happy to advise that there are now at least six online incentive travel courses for SITE members. One of our biggest objectives is to share education and training across the continent with developing

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destinations and new DMC’s.

SITE is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2023 and the global conference will take place from 17-20 February 2023 and promises to be a stellar event with talks, workshops and panel discussions sharing global experiences and learning. All in all, we are looking forward to a blessed and productive 2023!

looking for meaningful connection opportunities such as matchmaking programmes and intimate networking. Larger, extravagant receptions and dinners will be less likely for many exhibitions, due to budget constraints and audience appetite.

Quality over quantity

Whilst foot traffic at events remains a key performance metric for organising teams, organisers will need to adjust focus and efforts in improving the quality of their attending audience to ensure right-fit collaboration and networking opportunities. Outreach will need to be more personalised and a bigger focus on value will need to be articulated.

Greater localisation of participation, based on geography

have a substantial impact on geographic reach and participation of visitors (and possibly exhibitors) whose ability to travel domestically may be stifled due to the cost and capacity of travel.

The business of marketing is becoming increasingly complex 80 per cent of people on earth will have a digital presence online by 2023. (Source: Quantumrun’s 422 predictions for 2023). To give a comparable figure, at December 2015, the global digital presence was just over 40 per cent!

Our digital and physical lives have become inextricably linked, and this will continue to grow in importance. This trend applies to how organisers will be engaging with their exhibitors and visitors, pre-/during- and post-event as well as how organisers position their events in their customers’ marketing mix.

2023

will see a greater focus on ensuring that events create really meaningful engagements, which may mean reshaping how organisers connect their buyers and sellers. Audiences are

Organisers will need to manage expectations around the geographic profile of visitors, given the rising cost of passenger air travel in South Africa, which has increased by almost 50 per cent over the past 12 months (due to the pent-up demand and the closure of several domestic airlines). This is going to

Let’s grow the exhibition

Research by Statista shows that social commerce is on the rise for 2023 and not slowing down any time soon. Although anecdotal, event organisers too are no stranger to this trend, with their ads being created to fit seamlessly into social media

industry by investing in our young professionals.

Devi Paulsen-Abbott, chair, AAXO and vice president, dmg events

feeds and integrating transactional platforms into social channels.

ESG embedded in exhibitions

There is enormous support for a sustainable shift in the events industry. We are seeing a lot more focus on working with a circular economy, sourcing responsibly, achieving social value and reducing the carbon footprint of an event.

We need to continue to remain positive. The ‘new normal’ is here and our industry has become very busy. International events have been open since last year — this year WTM took place in London in November, and the Soccer World Cup in Doha, began in late November.

With Meetings Africa and Travel Indaba scheduled to take place in South Africa again in 2023, I feel hopeful that we will have normality back in the events and tourism industries and we will attract international stakeholders again.

Let’s build up the industry together to an even better 2023 for business events and tourism.

CONVENTION BUREAUX

Since the President removed the regulatory wearing of masks in April 2022 and opening events to 100 per cent capacity, our industry began to buzz. It felt as though we were jumping off the starting blocks.

We experienced last minute bookings, with the demand for corporates to get together in-person. Our industry stakeholders are now inundated with events and this trend will increase in 2023 as people receive more holistic value by attending in-person.

Hybrid events will continue as an option for events, maximising on the fact that they allow local and international attendees to avoid the very expensive travel costs we are seeing in the current economic climate.

Over the past year, venues have become hybrid-ready to accommodate this trend and will continue in 2023 and into the future.

Corporates have become very budget conscious due to the continuous increase in fuel hikes, travel and operational costs of businesses. Pricing is going to be key, and venues and suppliers will have to work together with organisers to be able to make a profit.

Another prediction for 2023 is event greening. Sustainability and becoming more environmentally friendly has moved to the top of the events industry agenda. Event organisers, venues and suppliers are reviewing their processes to become more sustainable. We need to educate our clients as well and drive event greening in 2023. Workshops and webinars must be hosted to educate the events and hospitality industries.

Rendani Khorommbi, deputy director: Johannesburg Convention Bureau

Needless to say, we’ve weathered an unpredictable two years of setbacks and surprises, delivered via the global Covid-19 pandemic. However, there is an immense feeling of enthusiasm and hopefulness that we’re through the worst phase in a period which had brought the globe to a halt — and had a profound impact on industries and economies.

As far as resuming our efforts to secure business events activities, throughout the past year we’ve had constructive engagements with our industry peers, colleagues and associates at national, provincial and local level in an attempt to maximise business tourism opportunities through collaboration.

This has borne fruit and, in spite of limitations, we successfully hosted the AI EXPO at the Sandton Convention Centre in September. Furthermore, we’re closing 2022 on a high, by supporting a handful of business events, including the Black Management Forum Annual Policy Conference 2022, along with the World Associations for Small & Medium Enterprises (WASME) 26th International Conference on

Small & Medium Enterprises (ICSME), to mention just a few.

Come January 2023, it’s straight down to business, when Johannesburg Convention Bureau hosts the International Federation for Information Technology, Travel and Tourism (IFITT) ENTRE23 e-Tourism Conference from 17-20 January 2023. This is followed by Meetings Africa a month later in February, which is hosted in partnership with South African Tourism and Gauteng Tourism Authority.

Amongst many business events that will be hosted in Johannesburg in 2023, Johannesburg Convention Bureau is proud to be partnering with the University of Johannesburg to host the Symposium of the Kettil Bruun Society for Social and Epidemiological Research (KBS) in Johannesburg from 5-9 June 2023.

The impact of the pandemic on all of us has been immense. From a Johannesburg perspective alone, prior to it taking hold, our city had recorded just above 4.2 million visitor arrivals, while achieving sixth (6th place) in the top 10 city destinations index in the Middle East and Africa. This is according to Euromonitor International 2019. In the aforesaid rankings, the city follows Dubai (United Arab Emirates), Mecca (Saudi Arabia), Medina (Saudi Arabia), Cairo (Egypt) and Riyadh (Saudi Arabia).

However, while our world has changed dramatically since March 2020, staging these significant national and global business events with our industry partners is a significant milestone in our efforts to reignite business events in Johannesburg.

In line with the prioritisation of achieving increased visitor arrivals in the city and contributing towards our growth targets, the city of Johannesburg’s strategic objective in relation to tourism remains to promote Johannesburg as a leading lifestyle and business destination in Africa, with a global competitive edge, thereby helping to:

• Improve seasonality, length of stay and tourist spend during visits to the city. In 2018, Johannesburg witnessed an improved average length of stay of 10.7 days for international visitors and 2.7 days for domestic visitors. Average overall spend per Johannesburg tourist was pegged at R8,471, reflecting a 7.4 per cent average annual growth and achieving R43,7 billion tourism expenditure in Johannesburg. We need to get back to this growth trajectory and together we can, in collaboration with business and the private sector.

• Improve a diversified tourism offering in

Ellen Oosthuizen, chairperson of PCO Alliance Network

the city by means of enhancing tourism supply and catalysing demand to effect tourism multipliers.

• Build a positive image for the city amongst domestic, regional and international target markets as basis of good reputation management.

• Most notably, business events is one of the identified niche development areas in the recently approved tourism strategy in April 2021, therefore we are guaranteed more focus in the subsector by the city. A case in point is a collaboration embarked on between the city and SAACI with effect from 20 May 2021.

We’re on the right track and look forward to a brighter year ahead!

VENUES

The dark clouds have lifted. The sun is shining brightly again. With the relaxation of all Covid-19 lockdown restrictions, the meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (business events) industry is again working hard to sign-up business events.

Despite being severely impacted by the pandemic, the global business events industry is expected to enjoy significant growth for the period 2021-2028.

According to research done by Research Dive, the global market is expected to hit $1.619-billion (R28.332-billion) by 2028.

The Durban International Convention Centre has already noticed a drastic improvement in revenue in the last fiscal, when compared to the June 2021 financial results. This positive trajectory indicates an upturn in economic recovery within the hospitality sector and bodes well for business in 2023.

The Durban ICC posted revenue of R108.9-million for this fiscal which signifies a considerable improvement, when compared to the R20.4-million realised during the previous fiscal. This

was achieved by introducing Durban ICC-owned events, event partnerships as well as by hosting hybrid and virtual events.

The Durban ICC sales and business team has also been focused on better understanding the needs of customers, streamlining processes, and tailor-making packages to enhance event experiences. Diligent management, aggressive marketing and sales strategies, and greater efficiencies, have all contributed to our success.

While in-person events have historically been the preferred medium, looking at 2023 and beyond, it appears the business events industry will be dealing with hybrid events for years to come, and if attendees have been experiencing well-run virtual events, they could potentially want to continue tuning in from home should they be unable to travel far in the future. As such, a hybrid or virtual event with engaging educational content and networking opportunities would go far in the current climate.

The Durban ICC has been proactive in reinventing itself by hosting hybrid and virtual events as an alternative use for the complex. Live events paired with hybrid events have undoubtedly been the key to rebuilding the revenue for the 2021/2022 financial year, a trend that will sustain into the future. The advantage of hybrid events is that they combine the best of virtual and in-person gatherings, providing a format that allows event organisers to safely bring back live experiences, while still gaining the benefits of a digital event platform.

Due to interruptions in business activities and the resultant stagnant or reduced budgets, companies and business event organisers are now more price-conscious when it comes to business events. Business events venues must offer more affordable options.

The world has changed and one of the outcomes of the global Covid-19 pandemic is that people have become more health-conscious. Business events venues must relook at the catering component to ensure new demands from more discerning customers are fulfilled.

In this regard, Durban ICC is focusing on lighter, healthier meal options and making use of their many unique outdoor and open-air spaces. Delegates will delight in enjoying an authentically African braai (barbecue) under the stars in our beautiful Fig Tree Courtyard, or sample superbly

prepared Indian cuisine options from our popular modern buffet stations. The culinary team plays a major role when it comes to ROI and works closely with meeting planners from around the world to ensure that they are able to cater for all dietary tastes and requirements.

The topic of safety will continue to be prominent throughout the MICE industry for many years to come. While there may not be pre-screening requirements, socially-distanced layouts and protective personal equipment, expect that there will be greater surveillance on health and wellness.

Venues for large business meetings must also become accustomed to providing personalised experiences. To attract business events, organisers and venues need to be open to customising events to meet the specific needs of clients such as seating arrangements, food and beverages.

The principal focus for the Durban ICC in 2023 and beyond is to continuously provide world-class customer service to its clients, both local and international. It is for this reason that the team strives to maintain the Durban ICC culture of warmth and hospitality that it is known for. People are the main contributors to the Durban ICC’s success — they always ensure that each guest leaves the Durban ICC happy and satisfied with the service received.

Centre (CTICC)

An overview of 2022

D

uring the first quarter of 2022, business events were dictated by the Covid government regulations in place.

South Africa was on adjusted Level 1 restrictions, which permitted only events of up to 1,000 pax, which was further adjusted in March, committing venues to host up to 50 per cent capacity, which still prohibited larger events from taking place.

Lindiwe Rakharebe, chief executive officer of Durban ICC

Robert Hatton-Jones, general manager: commercial of the Cape Town International Convention

From February 2022, we saw an increase in the number of events, and we hosted the Investec Cape Town Art Fair, Africa Energy Indaba and The Ultimate Beverage Expo. The second quarter of 2022 heralded a noticeable positive booking trend, with many of our larger events returning for the first time since the start of the pandemic, such as the Investing in Africa Mining Indaba, Decorex, Enlit Africa and the Two Oceans Marathon.

Due to no restrictions in place for the third quarter, the positive trend continued, which indicated optimism and confidence in the business events industry, with the majority of events returning. The start of the last quarter of 2022 also reflects positive growth, with our recovery well underway. We have hosted Africa Oil Week, Mama Magic Expo, AfricaCom, to name a few.

The numbers tell the story. In 2021 we hosted 126 events with approximately 15,000 delegates and in 2022, to date, we have hosted 303 events with approximately 202,000 delegates. Some interesting trends have emerged post the pandemic. We have observed that the booking lead time for events has reduced significantly and that our clients require more flexibility. Although ecofriendly event practices and ‘going green’ has been on the table for a while, in 2022, there has been a renewed focus on climate change, which has moved to the forefront with environment, social and governance now being a top priority. Another post-pandemic trend is the adoption of hybrid events, with most events streaming content and leveraging every format to boost delegate numbers, including in-person, virtual and hybrid.

Prediction for the business event industry for 2023

We believe that the business events industry will recover to pre-pandemic levels during 2023. At the CTICC, our forward book is very positive, and we expect to operate at pre-pandemic levels, with our large international and national events returning, such as Investing in Africa Mining Indaba, Investec Cape Town Art Fair, Cape Town International Jazz Festival, Africa Travel Week, with the key highlight being the Netball World Cup 2023.

Across all sectors, organisations are grappling with rapid transformation. On top of that, there are global shifts and challenges to contend with, such as

climate change, and shifting political and economic power. Every organisation needs to commit to reducing its carbon footprint. The way we work is constantly evolving, with younger people entering the workforce, as well as more remote workers.

What the pandemic period taught us is resilience, flexibility, agility and the ability to think ‘out of the box’ and adapt to change by being innovative. As the CTICC moves into the third decade since its establishment, we have been working hard to reimagine and redefine our future, to serve our business and larger communities.

a feature of forward bookings for 2023. The SMME sector has taken the biggest knock. There is no doubt that collaboration will continue into the new year, and hopefully bear fruit.

The conference and meeting outlook is positive, and the trend of seeking even better value for money will continue to be top-of-mind for customers. The efficiencies, that the industry has been forced to find, will stand us in good stead.

In conclusion, while it will still take some time for our sector to fully recover, the overall signs are positive.

Have a wonderful festive season, and I look forward to catching up with as many of you as possible in 2023.

Shaun Bird, general manager of Sandton Convention Centre

As 2022 comes to a close, we wish everyone in the meetings industry, a peaceful and restful Christmas season.

To our hotel and leisure colleagues, here’s hoping for a bumper season. We wish them the best, may they get very little rest and make the most of open beaches and a flood of visitors.

Moving swiftly into 2023, the signs are pointing in the right direction.

Confidence in the market is key to any industry, and while we have the usual negative economic and social challenges, the events industry is proving to be resilient. This is a sign of our creativity and ‘never say die’ attitude.

Let’s all hope for the best but plan for the worst, especially when it comes to Eskom. It is probably the greatest risk we face right now and probably long into the future. How we handle this, as a business and as an industry, is going to either make or break us.

But… let’s remain positive…

The first two quarters of 2023, show a reasonable continuation of the recovery. I am very optimistic that Q3 and Q4 will bring us back to levels close to 2019.

Exhibitions are on the up, and the confidence to commit and deliver, has been

The global Covid-19 pandemic will arguably go down as the most disruptive catastrophe in the business events industry on a local, national, and international level. Disruptions cannot only be marked as negative, for the reason that, despite the huge tragedies of economic decline, there were some valuable lessons to be learned as well as tremendous opportunities which have emerged and the significant progress we have made as we were under duress to do so.

Due to the uncertainty during the peak of the pandemic, and the resulting adversity to risk, clients have adopted the 11th-hour booking decision-making, and this still prevails. Venues need to adapt to shorter lead times, flexibility, and agility to evade the turbulence of the market.

Hybrid events demand will continue to form part of events and the technological innovation to support this will be exciting to watch — if the prices of this technology do not begin coming down, hybrid may not turn out to be as popular as some predict. We are already beginning to see clients opt for recording and availability online after the event instead of full hybrid, due to the high

Bronwen Cadle de Ponte, general manager of the CSIR ICC

cost of full hybrid. Be that as it may, creating a content-rich and exceptional event experience will be an even more important focus for event planners to drive in-person meeting attendance.

More importantly, sustainability – event health and safety, waste management, as well as energy demand management – will be at the forefront of discussions, with the need to accelerate the transition towards global net zero emissions for the events industry.

The CSIR ICC has implemented several social and environmental responsibility initiatives and has trained staff and partnered with relevant service providers to proactively promote green conferences to clients who share its commitment towards the environment by reducing the environmental impact of their events hosted at the ICC.

We continue to review our products and services to have an improved, unique and attractive market offering despite the medium in which they take place (virtual, physical, social distancing or not.) Such an approach has allowed us to accommodate the everchanging consumer patterns that will undoubtedly continue in the year 2023.

in road-show events. Event organisers are ready for this crucial business-to-business platform to resume. We will begin seeing more conferences with a larger number of delegates.

At Gallagher Convention Centre, we are noticing a trend toward more conferences, but conferences with an entertaining or a fun aspect. In my opinion, we will see a lot of requests for twists on a classic in the coming year. Such as creative and retro refreshment options rather than the classic options. I foresee a lot of innovative approaches to conference seating, like raked seating or speciality furniture.

Catering for conferences has become more of a focal point, with organisers focusing more on ‘fun’ foods such as food truck concepts and more carnivalstyle presentations. Never forgetting the healthier options. With that in mind, Gallagher had launched its concept stations, just before Covid, with customdesigned menus on offer. Ensuring the days of triangle sandwiches are where they belong — in the past.

In the future, event organisers will focus increasingly on keeping the environmental impact of their events to a minimum. We will continue to see a shift towards more environmentally-friendly décor and packaging.

With the current infrastructure challenges in mind, event organisers will seek peace of mind in 2023. They will have to rely on suppliers and venues that can offer service despite constant load-shedding and water cuts. At Gallagher Convention Centre, we offer a full generator backup service as well as a million-litre backup water tank.

in 2023. Although hybrid formats and the supporting technology remain important, all of RX Africa’s 2023 events will take place as live shows only. We are purposefully moving away from a hybrid offering as the main takeaway from 2022 has been that nothing can replace face-to-face interactions.

Besides a return to face-to-face events, the three biggest exhibition trends for South Africa in 2023 will be sustainability, personalisation, and 365-engagement.

Over the past seven years, RX Africa has seen a large shift in people’s cognisance around sustainability and its importance. We expect this awareness around sustainability to continue to grow and amplify in 2023.

People’s awareness around sustainability in their daily activities is more evident now than ever before. This trend will be keenly seen in events and exhibitions as well. At RX Africa, we have noted an uptick in demand for stands manufactured with upcycled goods that can be repurposed across several exhibitions. Offsetting one’s carbon footprint at events has also become more important.

Charles Wilson, chief executive officer of Gallagher Convention Centre

Sitting down to pen my predictions – or rather my hopes – for the business events industry for 2023, I looked at some of my predictions over the past few years, and what an interesting time we have had!

2023 will see growth for the business events industry. We will see exhibition floor space grow close to that of pre-pandemic success. Visitor confidence is restored, with the public looking forward to attending their favourite events. As much as the visitor numbers might be lower than the 2019 benchmark, the trade show organisers I have engaged with have all indicated that the quality of visitors has improved, with orders placed and leads generated at shows rivalling the figures of 2019.

In the coming year, we will see an uptick

In 2023 venues and suppliers will have to offer creative solutions to clients looking to reinvent the experience for their guests.

EXHIBITION ORGANISERS

Carol Weaving, managing director, RX Africa

2022was the year wherein events once again flourished in South Africa as well as globally. International surveys have showed that a whopping 88 percent of companies were planning more events and team gatherings in 2022. Larger exhibitions also gained momentum this year.

While ‘hybrid’ was still a prominent trend for events in 2022, this is beginning to take a backseat, and we’re expecting more in-person events and face-to-face meetings

Sustainability has been a core focus for RX Africa for years. Events like Africa Travel Week no longer have printed show catalogues but rather digital guides that are hosted on a website and places signage around the event with a QR code to obtain access. Visitor bags at several of our shows have also been done away with as these often landed up in the bin. We have also noticed that the majority of our exhibitors don’t have printed collateral either and their corporate gifting is limited. Some gifting is sustainable too!

Instead of hybrid, 365-engagement will become increasingly important in 2023. A trade show is no longer a once-off event, that requires the event organiser to build a community of engaged attendants and connect with them throughout the year. As such, technology is another important factor in the exhibition space. Technology plays a crucial part in creating new, exciting, and immersive audience experiences, and we have seen the demand for technology grow exponentially.

Lastly, events in 2023 will be highly personalised. To attract the right audience, exhibitions need to have personalised and targeted communication and content. Connecting with your customers on a personal level will help you build a good rapport with them and build the 365-community that is necessary in 2023.

Stakeholders’ expectations are changing, and they want more value for their spend. The pandemic has significantly changed the landscape; what worked pre-Covid may not always work now. We must engage with our customers to understand their new needs, how their companies have evolved, their new business environment, and the industry challenges they face, to provide them with the right solution. We will not retain customers if we adopt a ‘one-size fits all’ strategy.

the business eventing sector.

The excitement of getting our shows on the ground this year was palpable. The opportunity to stimulate business in different sectors by reigniting the exhibition industry was a ray of hope we all had been waiting for. But it has not been easy; rebuilding the industry presented organisers with multiple challenges. From securing the right dates and venues, exhibitors moving budgets to other marketing platforms, upskilling and rehiring personnel, and convincing visitors to leave the comfort of their homes/offices and attend exhibitions, we have had to rebuild the foundation for our industry. Evidently, the demand for exhibitions still exists, but the value proposition has changed.

Despite the bleak prospect of the continued recession in 2023 – a reality we can choose to wallow in – we could choose to rather embrace the opportunities a new year bestows. Re-establishing the foundation that exhibitions are built on requires us to meaningfully reconnect with our stakeholders.

We must steer our stakeholders back to the value exhibitions offer their businesses, which calls for a purposeful education drive. We cannot assume that our customers will come back onto the floor at the drop of a rate card, email newsletter, or promotion. Two years have been lost to other marketing platforms where customers sought to replace exhibitions. It is vital to re-educate clients on the opportunities and benefits that exhibitions offer, to ensure they move their budgets back onto the exhibition floor.

Technology has enveloped society tenfold in the past three years. But we can rest assured that despite the many attempts to host exhibitions online during this time, technology will never replace the inherent value of a handshake, along with the smell, sounds and sights a face-to-face exhibition beholds. Technology does, however, present us with the opportunity to enhance our customers’ participation, making the experience simpler, better, and faster. Ultimately, clever usage of technology on the show floor is key to facilitating better business for our customers.

VENUES

We entered 2022 with caution and hope. Around the end of 2021, the pandemic restrictions began to be lifted gradually. More restrictions were lifted as 2022 continued, and, by June of this year, even the mask requirement had been withdrawn entirely. All of this was obviously good news for the business events industry, which depends heavily on the ability of people to gather. As 2022 continued we noticed a consistent rise in business opportunities as the sector began to recover. The return was unquestionably taking place, and a few bigger events near the end of 2022 seemed to solidify the year’s success in

With restrictions being lifted for the number of people allowed to attend any given event, we have also seen annual events that have been delayed for a long time, finally scheduled in for 2023, an indication that while this year may not have been at full steam, 2023 may be. Will these events look the same as they did in the past? Probably not. Events these days often include a hybrid model of live attendance mixed with a digital stream, in contrast to pre-pandemic events where the focus was on getting everyone into the same room. We can anticipate seeing more of the same in the future as both businesses and event attendees have grown accustomed to this model, which offers greater flexibility.

Without a doubt, this shift in normalcy means that business events organisers, event managers and entertainers must be on board with the idea of not only hosting a captive audience but also of keeping things interesting for their audiences.

Having said that, it has also been encouraging to see how positively people have responded to the return of in-person events, which has proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that the need for face-to-face events has not been completely replaced by digitised events. The best way to reach your target audience, build brand awareness, discover new distribution channels, showcase your products, and generate sales is still through live events.

In the upcoming year, we anticipate seeing an increase in events that will boost the industry’s business opportunities and create a greater number of job opportunities, with an immediate positive effect on the national economy.

While busy, 2023 is expected to challenge business events companies to up their game, tailor their events and deliver more value for clients than ever before, and we look forward to that challenge.

Alexia Swart, managing director of Barmotion

2022has been the kind of year that makes predicting trends quite difficult. With the entire industry picking up the slack after Covid, it’s been unusual in all sorts of ways. The industry has lost a lot of talent and some businesses have sadly closed up shop — pushing demand for services up and lead times down. Businesses are consolidating smaller events, that might be scattered across the calendar, into single larger events, and taking advantage of economies of scale.

Projeni Pather, managing director

Exposure Marketing

Craig Newman, chief executive officer of GL events South Africa Group

2023 is going to see the foot coming off the accelerator — especially here in the event industry where it feels like we’ve been working at 110 per cent for the past 12 months. Global economic movements and other macroeconomic factors will be buffeting economies everywhere; but, closer to home, event industry suppliers will need to consolidate their businesses and adapt to more flexible working practices.

We’ve secured some fantastic new clients, many of whom are new entrants to exhibitions and events. We will be taking the time to develop those relationships.

South Africa is in a great place at the moment, in terms of the ease with which everyone has adopted 21st century communication. There’s a much greater togetherness in our virtual groups and less formality that really puts us head and shoulders above much of the world in getting things done online. The pandemic has put us in a more collective mindset, and the collaborative networks we established then, are still active now. Whether this trend will slowly revert back to a ‘dog-eat-dog’ business practice remains to be seen, but we’re not letting go of the idea.

Food has always had fads, but free-from, vegan and vegetarian options are no longer ‘nice-to-haves’, they’re essential. There is a necessity for choice but offering the luxury of choice is a big part of making people feel well looked after too, suggesting the trend for unusual and artisanal food and drink will continue. Developing strong thematic and content-led links between brands and hospitality remains key, whether we are taking on brand ambassador responsibilities, or delivering logo-matching colour customisation. It’s an important part of delivering a whole experience rather than just a service.

And of course, the big challenge of Net-Zero means the industry is going to have to make some colossal changes in the next 10 years — so innovations and growth will be led by the businesses that embrace

Net-Zero now. Corporate clients and event businesses will be looking for low-carbon alternatives to every part of their supply chain and will want suppliers that understand and meet that need.

DMCs and INCENTIVE HOUSES

2022

has been a bright light of positivity, for the exhibition industry in South Africa. The year started with Meetings Africa, and with many other exhibitions returning face-to-face. Africa Travel Indaba also returned in 2022.

The year 2022 has been great for the exhibition business; the recovery has been phenomenal. We also saw a positive return of international exhibitors and international visitors to the bigger exhibitions.

Some of the shows that need to be commended for bringing in international exhibitors and visitors are: Mining Indaba and Africa’s Travel Indaba, Electra Mining Africa and Nampo. These and many more have been instrumental in driving new business and investment into the country.

Africa Aerospace and Defence also took place this year. It remains one of the largest expos in our country.

The Rand Show also took place in 2022 and saw many exhibitors and visitors return.

2023

The year 2023 is showing much promise, with most of the shows that took place in 2022 returning in 2023. We are here to assist organisers and exhibitors.

Meetings Africa 2023 will once again kick start the new year. Garona Communications and Projects remains the preferred service provider for both Meetings Africa and Africa’s Travel Indaba 2023.

I predict that we will see more international exhibitions in the new year.

We wish everyone a good break during the festive season and look forward to a high energy, productive 2023.

I believe that we can expect air travel costs to normalise. International travel is not sustainable at the current pricing. There has been a positive resurgence of travel from our markets and although some way off where we were in Feb 2020, there is a strong desire to travel with many corporates putting forward strong budgets.

As demand picks up, more competition will come on board, and I think this will ultimately drive prices down. Whilst the Ukraine situation and world economy post the pandemic are contributors, I believe prices are largely being driven by supply and demand.

We need to be conservative with budgets, probably more so for 2024 than 2023, especially for incentive travel, as the recession will no doubt play a part. For ethical reasons, companies may hold back on ‘exotic’ reward trips such as from our long-haul markets, due to layoffs or cost cutting and the perceptions around non-essential travel. For 2023, we are still servicing postponed trips from the Covid years and quite a lot of pent-up demand.  That being said, the weak rand is still very much a draw card for international travel. From recent travel abroad to the USA and our Indian Ocean competitors, it is obvious that South Africa remains extremely good value for money, especially for food and beverage. A decent bottle of white wine enjoyed at The Palace hotel this month, a property which has recently undergone hundreds of millions of rands in refurbishment, can be had for just over R300.

Wildlife, cultures and diminishing natural spaces, will continue to rise to the top of travellers’ bucket lists. A trip to the Sabi Sands, Mara or Rwanda, for example, will become a priority over man-made

Presley Mokotedi, director of Garona Communications and Projects

Michael Waller, managing director of Dragonfly Africa

experiences. Many people want to experience these and have identified them as way in the future big-ticket wish list items and will possibly move them ahead of more affordable or non-threatened experiences such as city travel or sporting events.

Security concerns in emerging markets where the pandemic and world economy have impacted the most, will likely be a deterrent to visit a country like South Africa. We have a struggling police force falling way short of community needs. We need to put out a positive message, but also be cautious and wise about where we direct our clients.

Education at grassroots level about the value of tourism is crucial and to make that effective, the economic benefits through employment and opportunity need to be experienced, enjoyed and understood at all levels, especially communities having a direct impact on key tourism locations such as Kruger Park, or Table Mountain, to mention the obvious.

Even with reasonably positive growth from our markets, such as the USA and UK, we only see a return to revenues on a par with 2020 levels, in four to five years from now. Working smarter will be essential, and a lot gentler on our resources, will be desired and hopefully achievable.

thank you letters received. Staffing for 2023 remains a conundrum as we need to add to our team, yet remain lean until we have greater certainty on business levels moving forward.

Most of our key markets have shown recovery to at least 50 per cent of prepandemic levels. The lack of flights from Brazil is, however, impacting this once strong inbound market, especially on the incentive side. LATAM’s announcement of a return mid 2023 will make a huge difference as South Africa offers great value and is popular with Brazilian clients. Fingers crossed that there is no further delay in flights returning, as pent-up demand from Brazil is strong. Looking ahead, we expect 2023 to be better than 2022 based on business currently confirmed and proposals being worked on. The pipeline looks good, but can we trust it?

levels in the supply chain were not at the same levels — planning and project management required significantly more energy and attention to detail to deliver to client expectations.

I imagine that our experiences in 2022 were much like those of the rest of our industry, in other words — a mixed bag. At Walthers, our business events business started to see traction from May and, with the easing of restrictions on gatherings, it was good to be back in the CTICC and SCC with large events. Our international postponements finally started to travel, although a couple have pushed out to 2023. Short-notice bookings for Q4 have put us above our profit expectations for the year.

The return to busy times was challenging, especially with reduced resources. I am incredibly proud of our team for delivering to our expected high standards, as expressed by our post-event evaluations and the many

Based on the past two years we are still being cautious and, although we do not expect outright cancellations, the numbers qualifying for especially incentive groups are hard to gauge at present. Inflationary pressures around the world will impact disposable income spend on cars and other high-cost items. This could affect automotive dealer and other manufacturer incentives. Budgets are still tight and the impact of fuel costs on airfares for an already expensive long-haul destination like ours adds to the cost pressure. We desperately need to simplify the e-visa process, clarify the proposed SARS Traveller Declaration System and address perceptions on visitor safety. Clients are more demanding and expect concessions but on the other hand, suppliers having scraped through the pandemic need to rebuild and so we see more negotiation on costs than in the past. Relationships with suppliers are being tested but we have bonded more closely with our partners during the difficult times and will together find solutions.

The coming year won’t be easy, but it should be a vast improvement on the past few years and, by being nimble and flexible, we will successfully navigate 2023.

David Sand, chief executive officer of Uwin Iwin

As a full-service incentive agency, we were really glad to see outbound incentive travel really explode back to full swing, with some additional growth in 2022. The much talked about pent up demand for travel, became a reality with excited and very delighted incentive winners relishing in the ability to be able to travel again and explore the world. We did experience that service

Global IRF (Incentive Research Foundation) research confirms that incentive travel is back on the cards in a significant way and still a very in demand corporate motivational tool to drive business results and company culture.

SITE Incentive Trend Survey also shows that inflationary and post pandemic cost structures have risen significantly, with airline and staffing costs seeing the most significant increases.

2022 has also been extremely negative for the Rand exchange rate to most currencies; this will again impact Dollar and Euro based destinations for outbound incentive travel, making it more expensive, but possibly making South Africa, as a destination, more affordable for inbound options.

Our 2023 outlook at this stage is conservatively optimistic with good secured business and opportunities for growth. This scenario, however, is carefully weighted against a very unstable and unpredictable global economic and political backdrop. Local and International corporate customers are counting every cent they spend to ensure that the best value for money and smartest returns are gained in their business events spend. To this end, it is not only a sharp price that customers are shopping for but a supply partner that can advise intelligently, reduce risk, implement creatively and effectively.

Incentive trends that we believe will grow in 2023 are the continued demand for highly customised and personalised experiences; incorporation of meaningful socially responsible activities, inclusion of sustainability throughout the project lifespan; increasing use of technology and digital tools.

My hope for 2023 is that our business events industry will continue to collaborate locally and across the African continent to raise our standards, safety, security and experiences for our end-users and guests.

Daryl Keywood, managing director at Walthers

UFI General Assembly wraps up a transitional year for the industry

Representatives from UFI member companies from around the world met in Muscat (Sultanate of Oman) recently to review UFI’s activities throughout 2022 and to confirm plans for the year ahead.

The 2022 UFI General Assembly took place before the UFI Global Congress.

At the end of a year defined by both the post-pandemic industry recovery and new global challenges, the Congress welcomed hundreds of participants from around fifty countries and regions.

Chaired by UFI’s 2022 President, Monica Lee Müller, the General Assembly reviewed and previewed the association’s initiatives to support UFI’s members — more than 800 strong, and across 86 countries. Many new members are joining the Global Congress for the first time, as seventy companies from around the world have signed up as UFI members in the past twelve months.

Monica Lee-Müller, UFI’s 2022 president, summarised the year as follows: “Throughout the last 12 months, so much has happened that deserves a mention.”

Ms Lee-Müller continued: “As a global association, we need full participation by talented, committed women, and men, from different cultures and backgrounds, to drive our industry forward. Personally, I think there is work to be done. But I can see changes coming: If you look at the demographics of participants in this year’s Exhibition Management School, more than half of the participants were women. Among the six winners of this year’s Next Generation Leadership Grant, four are women, and the six come from a diverse geographical mix: Asia, Africa, Central America, Europe and the US. These talented young people with high potential will one day lead our industry upward and forward.”

Ms Lee-Müller emphasised: “On sustainability, the Net-Zero Carbon Events initiative is definitely our signature achievement in the past year. Over 400 companies have pledged, spanning 55 countries and regions and all spectrums of the industry. A tremendous amount of work has been done since its launch at COP26. I owe it to members of the Operational Group who have selflessly shared their expertise, experience and wholehearted commitment.

“Our spirit of collaboration goes way beyond our own industry. I am exceedingly impressed by our members’ humanitarian

outgoing president; Michael Duck, EVP, commercial development, Informa markets, and EV, commercial development, group at Informa Group, UFI’s next president, he took up office at the Global Congress in Muscat from 14-17 November. He is joined in UFI’s new presidential leadership trio by Geoff Dickinson, chief executive officer, dmg Events as incoming president.

actions. When the conflict in Europe broke out, I heard news about our member venues being converted to shelters for displaced people, and supplies and volunteer services flooding in from other members. I heard about the six truckloads of emergency supplies brought from a member in Italy to the European Conference in Poznan. I heard about the enthusiastic donation drive that raised funds for the needy. I am so proud of what our community has done, and I sincerely hope the conflict and the suffering will come to an end in no time and that peace will prevail again,” Ms Lee-Müller concluded.

Summarising UFI’s activities for 2022, Kai Hattendorf, chief executive officer and managing director of UFI, said: “From post-pandemic recovery to refugee support and war in Europe, and from sustainability challenges to the return of inflation rates not seen in a generation — 2022 has it all. What makes UFI so strong in times like this is that many UFI members have encountered one or more of these challenges before, and they are happy to share their learnings and strategies with one another. As the UFI team, we remain committed that all resources we provide are there to help our members navigate these challenges successfully. With this, we are well positioned for whatever we

will encounter in 2023, and beyond.”

Throughout the year, UFI’s work focused on industry reopening and recovery, against a challenging backdrop of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, fluctuating economic conditions around the world, and ongoing pandemic closures, especially in China.

UFI’s outlook for the year ahead

The months ahead will see UFI maintaining the focus on industry support and the evolution of industry business models, with advocacy, research and educational activities ongoing.

In-industry collaborations with global umbrella bodies like the Joint Meetings Industry Council and the ‘G3’ partnership with fellow global trade associations AIPC and ICCA, UFI will help to drive industry wide core projects like the ‘Net-Zero Carbon Events’ initiative.

UFI’s Global CEO Summit will kick off the 2023 events roster, taking place on-site in Lisbon (Portugal) from 1-3 February 2023.

In 2023, the UFI Global Congress will take place in Las Vegas, USA, from 1-4 November, hosted by the Las Vegas Conventions and Visitors Authority (LVCVA). For 2024, UFI’s Board of Directors has selected Cologne, Germany, as the destination for the UFI Global Congress.

From left: Monica Lee-Müller, managing director of Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (Management) Limited (HML), Hong Kong, as

Events Management — fourth edition launched

After much anticipation, we are pleased to announce that the Events Management: A developmental and managerial approach (fourth edition) handbook is published in a hard-bound format and as an e-book. This handbook is a major contribution to research and practice in the management of business events to be applied locally, nationally, and internationally.

By Professor Nellie

In 2016 Dr. Dimitri Tassiopoulos embarked on the updating of the 2010 and 3rd editions of the handbook. Sadly, he became very sick and passed away on 16 May 2017. Many new and existing authors were advanced in the updating of their respective chapters, which motivated Dimitri’s sister, Irene Tassiopoulos, to complete the updating of the 4th edition. Irene was assisted by Nellie (Magdalena Petronella) Swart to work through Dimitri’s documents

and notes in an attempt to honour his hard work and legacy. At the time of Dimitri’s passing, he had already worked through the majority of the chapters. The feedback was shared with the respective authors, and together Nellie and Irene did follow-ups to ensure Dimitri’s comments and suggestions were addressed.

Thirty-two authors contributed to chapters of which fifteen are based in South Africa, meeting the guidelines shared by Dimitri on the South African

Building back Exhibitions and Events together!

The founding Associations of the SA Events Council have consistently provided essential information and support on event safety, business relief and venue capacity. Ensure you are ready for business by engaging with your association today.

Swart, CMP, associate professor in tourism at UNISA.

percentage of contributing authors. The fourth edition remains the first multidisciplinary book of its kind and is guided by internationally recognised key knowledge domains for staging any genre of event professionally. It comes to you as a collaborative approach between experienced events practitioners and academics from a number of academic institutions around the world.

Authors favoured qualitative research methods to provide secondary information-rich content to ensure the most relevant content of a specific phenomenon was investigated and contextualised in a practical way. The book consists of eight parts, to ensure logic and chronological flow of content. A number of new authors ensured the content is updated, relevant, authentic, and adhere to the latest trends in events management, including chapters on eSports and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on events. Therefore, this handbook is intended as an academic and ‘how to’ professional text. Although numerous books are dealing with a variety of applied event disciplines, there is a relative dearth of books that provide the theoretical and methodological management knowledge base which is a prerequisite for establishing and managing events. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first events handbook to be published to address the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on events. Further, the need to develop adaptable problem-solving skills, foster professionalism and stimulate event research is seen as an overall outcome of this book.

Events Management: A developmental and managerial approach is about the actual developmental process of understanding what events are, and ultimately planning and managing events for the sustainable benefit of tourism destinations. This handbook will be of value to policymakers, academics, consultants, and business tourism practitioners.

My personal experience

When I was invited by Dimitri to co-author a chapter for the 4th edition of the Events Management: A developmental and managerial approach handbook, I would have never imagined that this project would land on my plate to finish. For the publication team and authors, this has been a long and emotional journey, especially for his sister Irene Tassiopoulos, who was adamant to finish this book. Irene wanted to honour each author who had devoted their time for the writing of a chapter, but also as a lasting legacy for her brother, Dimitri.

To me, it was not only an emotional journey, but we had a great sense of responsibility to honour Dimitri’s legacy. In the book we have tried to pay tribute to Dimitri Tassiopoulos and Julia Silvers, who contributed greatly to the events management landscape. Some of their original contributions were included, as we believed this was the lens through which they wanted to share their knowledge and experience. As managing editor, it was a delicate balance to honour the content Dimitri planned for the book, but also to recognise the challenges the events industry has been through over the last two years.

Radisson Hotel Group signs Glasgow Declaration

During this year’s COP27 in Egypt, Radisson Hotel Group, one of the leading international hospitality groups, reaffirmed its strong commitment to sustainability by signing the Glasgow Declaration and encouraging other hospitality groups to join the call for strong actions to halve emissions over the next decade and reach Net-Zero emissions as soon as possible before 2050. Radisson Hotel Group is one of the top 1,000 companies with published approved science-based targets and has taken significant steps to define a clear path to becoming Net-Zero by 2050, aligned with the landmark 2015 Paris Accord.

Tourism and Travel, as a sector, represented 1/10 of jobs and over 10 per cent of global GDP in 2019. On the path to recovery to pre-pandemic business levels, it is important to operate the industry with a holistic focus on sustainability, accelerated decarbonisation and inclusion to ensure a thriving growth in balance with planetary resources.

Radisson Hotel Group has made substantial strides to drive change in the hospitality industry’s response to climate change, towards sustainability, renewable energy, green building design, green mobility, and the establishment of the Hotel Sustainability Basics to target Net-Zero Hospitality by 2050.

Today, Radisson Hotel Group is continuing this call to action as a prominent signatory of the Glasgow Declaration, building on its existing strategic sustainability initiatives and commitments.

The Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism is a catalyst for increased urgency about the need to accelerate climate action in tourism and to secure strong commitments to support the global goals to halve emissions over the next decade and reach Net-Zero emissions as soon as possible before 2050.

Dirk Glaesser, director sustainable development of tourism, UNWTO, commented: “We are happy to count

Radisson Hotel Group amongst the already more than 700 supporters of The Glasgow Declaration. Together we are mobilising the industry to deliver effective climate action and reach Net-Zero as soon as possible before 2050. To support this commitment, each signatory must deliver a concrete, up-to-date climate plan within 12 months, which is evident by Radisson Hotel Group’s detailed Net-Zero Transformation.”

Inge Huijbrechts, global senior vice president sustainability, security and corporate communication, Radisson Hotel Group, added: “At Radisson Hotel Group we are serious about moving our company and its 1,100 hotels in operation and development on the path

to Net-Zero by 2050. The Glasgow Declaration expresses a clear direction of travel and overall vision for the industry. We activate our Net-Zero Transformation by helping our hotels to progress on the journey, starting with the Hotel Sustainability Basics and leading to full decarbonisation by 2050.”

This September, Radisson Hotel Group received confirmation and validation of its near-term Science Based Targets (SBTs) aligned with its commitment to be Net-Zero by 2050. This validation places Radisson Hotel Group among the top companies in the world who are aligned with the COP climate goals and who have set their carbon reduction targets according to scientific evidence. Radisson Hotel Group’s clear targets and plans include a reduction of its absolute Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions by 46 per cent by 2030 from a 2019 base year.

The Group also commits to reduce absolute Scope 3 GHG emissions from fuel and energy related activities and franchises by 28 per cent within the same timeframe.

Radisson Hotel Group actively strives to reduce its carbon footprint with a strategy focused on energy efficiency and renewable energy as two key impact levers. The Group is currently undergoing an energy transition and is rolling out renewable energy solutions that are designed to achieve the greatest carbon reduction impact tailored for each of its core markets. Over the past 10 years, Radisson Hotel Group has made great strides and achieved excellent energy efficiency savings of 30 per cent. In addition, the group has offset over

45,000 tons of carbon for clients with its 100 per cent Carbon Neutral meetings. Aligned with building LEED, BREAM, and EDGE sustainable building certifications, Radisson Hotel Group has defined its own Build Planet guidelines. The Group’s Build Planet guidelines provide an additional framework and modelling tools for forward thinking asset owners who are looking to join the path to net-zero. In 2021, the Group also reduced its carbon emissions by 22 per cent per square metre compared to 2019 and reduced its water footprint by 23 per cent per square metre versus 2019.

As a global leader in green mobility, Radisson Hotel Group is driving the travel and hospitality industry forward

with more green travel options and plans to expand its network of 510+ electric car-charging stations across EMEA, in partnership with Allego, the leading pan-European provider of electric vehicle charging solutions. Radisson Hotel Group recently launched the first ultra-fast Electric Charging Hub in Frankfurt, Germany, as a continuation of its commitment to support e-mobility. In India this September, the Group installed its first Electric Vehicle (EV) chargers in partnership with SunFuel at the Radisson Blu Plaza Delhi International Airport and plans to install additional EV chargers across the Group’s portfolio of over 100+ hotels across South Asia.

Earlier this year at the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC)’s prestigious Global Summit held in Manila, Radisson Hotel Group, together with other top brands, associations and destinations in the industry representing over 50,000 hotels and 70+ companies and destinations, launched the Hotel Sustainability Basics, a common and inclusive definition of hotel sustainability to drive responsible travel & tourism. Criteria include twelve actions which are fundamental to hotel sustainability. Radisson Hotel Group was a leading supporter and driving force behind the establishment of the Basics standard, which includes a coordinated set of minimum indicators that all hotels should implement to drive responsible travel and tourism, and is easy for consumers to understand.

The Tsinandali Estate, A Radisson Collection Hotel.

Hilton reinforces commitment to sustainability

Hilton announced recently the launch of its ‘Wild Spirit Wines of Africa’ Beverage Conservation programme. In collaboration with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) in South Africa and Under the Influence, guests can enjoy the best wines and spirits from prolific South African wine farms and spirit distilleries at eleven participating Hilton hotels across Africa and the Indian Ocean (A&IO).

The initiative was born out of Hilton’s ‘Big Five’ commitment launched in 2018, to drive sustainable travel and tourism in Africa. The ‘Big Five’ programme supports the implementation of youth opportunity, water stewardship, anti-human trafficking, local sourcing and protecting wildlife on the continent. The ‘Wild Spirit Wines of Africa’ programme is focused on driving three pivotal elements from the ‘Big Five’ – local sourcing, water stewardship and protecting wildlife.

“South Africa is known for its awe-inspiring wildlife, biodiversity and magnificent winelands and distilleries that all contribute to the country’s vibrant tourism sector,” said Jan Van Der Putten, vice president operations, A&IO, Hilton. “We are proud of our partnership with WWF South Africa and Under the Influence, in support of our Travel with Purpose commitment to drive responsible travel globally, while creating a positive environmental and social impact across our communities, operations and supply chain. We look forward to offering our guests the best African wines and spirits, in our hotels, across the region.”

The selected wine farms and spirit distilleries champion biodynamic and regenerative farming practices, environmental conservation, and protection of water catchment areas that meet the global best standards in sustainable travel and tourism.

Shelly Fuller, programme manager of sustainable fruit and wine projects at WWF South Africa said: “We are proud to see that Hilton has continued to walk-the-talk with the launch of its ‘Wild Spirit Wines of Africa’ beverage conservation initiative. The selected wine estates are members of WWF’s Conservation Champions, which is a voluntary membership-based initiative for environmentally responsible wine farms in the Western Cape, South Africa, and we are excited to showcase these businesses across all of Hilton’s participating A&IO hotels.”

The selected champion wine and spirit farms were chosen because of their unique storied history of winemaking, inclusivity, protection of the natural environment and the efficient use of technology to ensure the long-term sustainability of these invaluable lands. Some of the selected farms include: Bosman Family Vineyards, Vondeling Wines, Klein Constantia Estate, Paul Cluver Estate and Cederberg Wines.

For every bottle of Bosman wine sold, two per cent of sales go to the Bosman Adama Community Projects — a communal fund that improves the social, economic, and environmental conditions of their local community. Through their plant improvement facility, they propagate new, healthy vines while cutting nursery supplies. Klein Constantia has developed extensive soil erosion plans, with a special focus on sustainable viticultural practices, powered by solar energy, and

has recently signed a 5-year conservation stewardship agreement to formally protect their mountain slopes over and above their commitment to being part of the WWF Conservation Champions programme.

Allister Kreft, chief executive officer, Under the Influence added: “In our quest to deliver exceptional experiences for our clients and partner hotels, securing the best local product is quintessential to our business. As a trusted beverage distribution partner, we are proud to be affiliated with this remarkable initiative because good winemaking depends on a healthy environment, and it benefits everyone when nature is protected. The purpose behind this campaign is one our business shares, which is to champion the people doing the right thing and making this industry sustainable.”

Guests can enjoy the ‘Wild Spirit Wines of Africa’ list at participating hotels and can speak to a member of the team at any one of the following hotels: Hilton Garden Inn Umhlanga Arch, Hilton Garden Inn Gaborone, Hilton Garden Inn Lusaka Society Business Park, Hilton Garden Inn Mbabane, Transcorp Hilton Abuja, Legend Hotel Lagos Airport, Hilton Seychelles

Northolme Resort & Spa, Hilton Seychelles Labriz Resort & Spa, DoubleTree by Hilton Seychelles

Allamanda Resort & Spa, Mango House

Seychelles, LXR Hotels & Resorts, Hilton Addis Ababa and Hilton Sandton.

Childhood friends scoop Sun City waste management contract

SMME women waste management company recently kept the resort spick and span during the 40th anniversary Nedbank Gold Challenge, attended by almost 60,000 spectators.

Ofentse Melato and Tshego Molefi met when they were just young children. Tshego a former journalist and Ofentse a corporate administrator, decided to quit their jobs and become entrepreneurs. They registered a cleaning services company with the hopes of making a good living. They weren’t exactly successful with their concept, despite submitting profiles to several shopping centres in the area around Sun City. One day, said Ofentse, they received a call from Sun Village in a panic. “Their waste management service provider had dropped them.” They needed a refuse company to urgently assist.

And thus, Moli & Mela was born five years ago as a waste management company after the pair switched tack. In that time, their staff complement grew from two to 57, and turnover has increased 1,415 per cent, and the team's success is due in no small part to a contract at Sun City that commenced in July. “We started small and were clueless about how to handle

waste, so we started attending workshops to learn about the industry and acquire all the relevant accreditations and certificates to be compliant,” Tshego said.

An intentional start

When the company began with just two staff, Ofentse’s father helped out by driving the Nissan bakkie and trailer to collect waste. The team’s commencement at Sun City came when Ofentse applied for an internship with the company that was managing the resort’s waste at the time.

“We were intentional about the fact that we wanted to win the Sun City contract, so we went about learning as much as possible about the waste situation,” Ofentse said. After getting their foot in the door by working on landfill reduction, Moli & Mela positioned themselves to bid for the entire contract when it went out to tender.

In May 2022, as a local company we presented our offering, and, as Ofentse said, we went up against large companies as a small company

represented only by two women. “It was crazy competing against 45 big companies!”

“The inclusion and prioritisation of women and youth in our Enterprise and Supplier Development (ESD) is embedded in our Local Socio-Economic Development Strategy. At Sun City, we are intentional about empowering young women, not only within our organisation, but also through enterprise development and when we map development programmes,” said Tebogo Mokgejane, Sun City’s supplier and enterprise development manager.

These two ladies, in their 30s, had been servicing several other sites that include shopping centres, mega grocery stores, industrial companies and local mines before bidding at the resort. Their staff complement grew from two to 57 in six months.

At the recent 40th anniversary Nedbank Golf Challenge, they got to prove their metal, cleaning up waste left behind by more than 59,400 spectators watching the top-level tournament with players from all around the world competing on the internationally famous Gary Player Golf Course.

To cope with the 7,805 tons of waste, about a third of which was recycled, they needed another 80 workers as well as extra vehicles and uniforms, and other equipment. “You can imagine the waste produced over the period and managing 127 staff,” said Tshego of the tournament that ran over four days. “It went very well, and our client, Sun City, was impressed how we managed the project, as it was our first time.”

Growth ambitions

Next up, they aim to establish a commercially viable manufacturing plant where they will use recycled plastics to manufacture plastic products such as bins, bottles, and crates among other items. The project aims to employ another 300 people. Tshego and Ofentse see this as a way to change the narrative of the waste sector as turning waste into something that can be recycled, which is not an area in which many companies develop.

Through a relationship with Sun City, Coca Cola has donated a trailer to Moli and Mela which will assist with the waste management efficiency. While doing this for themselves, they also see their growth as a way to uplift communities and transfer skills.

“You run around like headless chickens; that’s what happens when you run a startup. You have to fill a lot of positions, like HR and jump into a truck if the drivers are not there. But we wake up happy every morning because we are living a life of purpose,” Tshego said.

“We are proud to have empowered these young ladies further to help grow their business so that they can help contribute to economic growth and job creation,” Tebogo concluded.

Ofentse Melato, left, and Tshego Molefi, founders of Moli & Mela, handled all the waste produced at the Nedbank Gold Challenge, held recently at Sun City.

WTM Africa Responsible Tourism Awards 2023 entries are open

Africa Travel Week is calling all sustainability champions, changemakers, movers and shakers to enter the WTM Responsible Tourism Awards 2023, as applications are now open for entries. This is your opportunity to be recognised as a leader in responsible tourism and to put your company on the world map.

The awards are integral to Africa Travel Week and honour responsible businesses which are leading the way on the continent. Established in 2004, these annual awards set the benchmark for best practices, encouraging tourism stakeholders to rally behind sustainable travel experiences.

Free to enter, the 2023 Awards are split into four regions: Africa, India, Latin America and the rest of the world. Each region’s winners will go forward to compete in the Global Awards at WTM London 2023.

“Sustainable tourism is a top priority worldwide, and we know that many African organisations are leading the way with their actions and initiatives. These awards are an opportunity for

recognition and celebration. We are very proud that South Africa’s Witsiehoek Mountain Lodge has been recognised in the Growing the Economic Benefit category and as an overall winner in the 2022 Global WTM World Responsible Tourism Awards,” said Megan De Jager, portfolio director, travel, tourism and creative industries portfolio at RX Africa.

Award entries will be judged by a panel of industry experts led by Harold Goodwin, WTM’s Responsible Tourism Advisor.

Mr Goodwin said: “The Responsible Tourism Awards are an opportunity for businesses and destinations to demonstrate their commitment to responsibility and sustainability. An accolade like this can bring significant business benefits, including increased awareness and a competitive

advantage. We encourage all eligible businesses to enter.”

“Africa’s tourism industry is booming again, and it’s more important than ever for us to embrace ways to preserve Africa’s unique assets for future generations,” says De Jager.

Registrants can apply for the following six categories:

• Best for Tackling Plastic Waste

• Best for Meaningful Connections

• Best for Local Sourcing, Craft and Food

• Addressing Climate Change

• Best for Diversity and Inclusion

• Best for Nature-Positive Tourism

For details on each category and to enter or nominate a business, venue or organisation, click here

Entries must be submitted by 17 February 2023.

SA Tourism advances the business events sector through collaboration at IBTM World

Partnerships and collaborations are key to propelling the global business events sector. This is the sentiment as the South African National Convention Bureau (SANCB) showcased South Africa’s business events capabilities at IBTM World in Barcelona, Spain.

IBTM World, which took place from 29 November to 1 December, brought together over three thousand destinations and 15,000 industry professionals from over one hundred countries across the world with the sole purpose to meet and create better business results for the business events industry.

During IBTM World, SANCB partnered with IBTM World’s Association Leadership Forum (ALF) to host associations. This forum forged knowledge sharing and engagement with the association community.

“The SANCB is committed to business events and capacity building, particularly post the pandemic, ensuring that we are rebuilding and strengthening together as the globe. Through our partnership and collaboration with the ALF, we are demonstrating the strength that comes with working as a collective in achieving a common goal, in this case

the goal is to emerge stronger, whilst showcasing our resilience as a business events sector to continue thriving, for the advancement of business events globally and in Africa,” said Zinhle Nzama, acting chief convention bureau officer at the SANCB.

The South African delegation, led by the South African National Convention Bureau, comprised of 18 exhibitors including three SMMEs, and showcased the country’s diverse services.

Ms Nzama said that the SANCB has attended a few other global platforms to showcase South Africa’s business events offerings and utilised the IBTM World platform to further showcase the South Africa business events sector to the global community.

“Throughout this year, we have made headway on the various platforms we have participated in. The key insight we have found is that the business events community already knows about

South Africa, which goes to show that we have done the awareness job, ours is now to bring people to South Africa to host their business events,” Ms Nzama continued.

On the second day of IBTM, Wednesday, 30 November 2022, the South African National Convention Bureau hosted a media briefing to provide key and exciting updates to South Africa’s business events sector.

“This platform was utilised to reassure the global business events industry that South Africa is open for business, and to showcase the improvements we have made to our offerings over the past while,” Ms Nzama concluded.

During IBTM, the SANCB took the opportunity to invite the sector to Meetings Africa, which takes place from 27 February to 1 March 2023, to come and experience the best of Africa’s business events products and experiences under one roof.

Taj Cape Town welcomes a brand new look

There’s no doubt that the tourism industry is experiencing a rebirth: during the first six months of the year, domestic tourism has increased by more than 100 per cent on the same period last year, with 15.2 million trips taken by locals. This compares favourably even to pre-pandemic times: according to a speech given by Tourism Minister Lindiwe Sisulu, 8.6 million trips were taken during 2019.

International travel is experiencing a similar recovery, with Cape Town International Airport’s international arrivals recording a recovery rate of 87 per cent in July, compared to the same period during 2019 — the highest this has been during the past five months, according to Western Cape Premier Alan Winde.

And it’s not just leisure travellers who are packing their bags: according to a study conducted by Research Dive, the global meetings, incentives, conferencing and events industry is set to grow by 5.9 per cent between 2021 and 2028 — a figure that’s driven by the 88 per cent of

companies that are planning events for the year.

Mark Wernich, cluster general manager Africa for Taj Hotels, said that Taj Cape Town is eagerly waiting to welcome these travellers and companies. “While Taj Cape Town has become an obvious choice for those seeking a luxury inner city escape, the hotel has always been popular with local, international and business travellers alike, as well as businesses that recognise the value of a trip to beautiful Cape Town as an incentive, or as a venue for workshops and meetings.

“We have always been very proud of this hotel — it is nothing short of iconic,” he continued. Mr Wernich refers not only to the hotel’s opulent décor or the sophisticated hospitality for which Taj Hotels is known the world over, but also the landmark site on which Taj Cape Town is located, within the premises of the old South African Reserve Bank.

The heritage of this special building, so much a part of Cape Town’s history, has been carefully

entwined with the heritage of the Taj Hotel brand, which is known for classic elegance and the hint of exoticism which is a nod to its Indian origins. The result, according to Mr Wernich, is a distinctively different, unquestionably luxurious interior — with a modern and dynamic thread running through it, thanks to the revival.

While the hotel may look rather different, certain aspects haven’t changed — such as the irreplicable ‘Tajness’ which is the cornerstone of Taj Cape Town’s famed hospitality. “We like to think that our service evokes a special feeling, and that this extends to all areas of the guest experience. You will be immersed in this experience from the moment you walk through our doors – it’s in everything from the way we treat our guests, to the tourism moments we help to create with input from local tour operators and providers who know this area best.” It all adds up to vivid memories of the Cape, with the Taj at the centre, Mr Wernich said.

Taj Cape Town is proud to reveal an exquisite new look, marrying its proud heritage with a fresh new contemporary vibe.

The CTICC goes all out to support local creatives and entrepreneurs

The Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) once again welcomed the return of its two successful annual lifestyle events from 26-27 November 2022, that invited visitors to shop local and support entrepreneurs and artists.

The events, THIS IS ART and The Gift Fair, ran concurrently at the CTICC, as they attracted a similar audience and allowed visitors to attend both events on the same day and enjoy some early festive season shopping.

The Gift Fair, in its third year, hosted a wide variety of local entrepreneurs showcasing gifts and selling arts and crafts, books and games,

health and beauty, jewellery, and stationery and delicious consumables.

THIS IS ART, in its second year, aimed at promoting local and emerging artists and their work, ranging from multimedia and installations, conceptual and textile art, ceramics and drawings, to photography, printmaking, sculpture and painting. Artists were provided

with space to setup mini exhibitions, as well as pop-up art studios and interesting workshops, which provided art enthusiasts, gallerists and buyers with a unique look into the creative process and an opportunity to commission work from fresh talent that caught their eye.

“Both shows are unique as they offer the smaller local entrepreneur and artist the ability to showcase and sell their products in a very professional, beautiful and iconic space and reach a larger target audience,” said Lillian Hlabangane, CTICC’s head of sales.

“At the CTICC, we contribute significantly to the Western Cape economy. We value the endeavours of all our small businesses and creatives and by providing a platform at these types of events, it helps them to generate an income and grow their operation. This in turn contributes to increasing job security and playing a part in economic development and recovery.

“These two shows ticked all these boxes and it’s great to see the excitement of artists and entrepreneurs alike present their much-loved creations and products to the public. In addition, both events highlighted South African talent and encouraged everyone to buy local,” she added.

Phenyo Marumo joins Minor Hotels Africa

For four decades, international hospitality group Minor Hotels has been pursuing perfection. A large part of the group’s success can be attributed to the diverse range of experience brought to the table by its team.

With the addition of Phenyo Marumo, as regional marketing and communications manager of Minor Hotels Africa, to the Johannesburg, South Africa office, the brand is set to shake up the status quo of the tourism industry once again.

He is tasked with driving revenue by positioning the Anantara and AVANI brands as the go-to choice for business and leisure travellers in the region. Mr Marumo will be leading all marketing and PR activities for the Minor Hotel’s Africa portfolio. His mandate is to serve both marketing and communications across the business. He will work closely with media and clients, as well as build relationships with the hotel general managers, hotel marketing staff, and the corporate office teams.

A forward-thinking powerhouse “What’s important is how brands fully leverage their USPs, setting themselves apart as the leader in a specific offering,” Mr Marumo said.

Starting off his career in tourism as the marketing manager of The Big Hole Visitor’s Centre in Kimberley, Mr Marumo left a mark by achieving several accolades including the Diamond Arrow for most interesting heritage site from the PMR Awards and a Silver Award for Excellence from the Cape Outdoor Adventure Show.

He then worked as the integrated marketing campaigns manager for the ABSA Group. During his time at ABSA, he worked on various strategies, which he developed and executed. His string of achievements in the financial industry includes being a key member of the successful Northern Cape government account bid, planning the first ABSA Art Exhibition in Kimberley, initiating and chairing the first Marketing Consultants

Forum, and winning the Manager’s Award for building and strengthening relations with strategic partners.

Mr Marumo’s return to the tourism industry was applauded when he joined SANParks in 2018 as the senior marketing manager. Leading his team of marketers, he played a pivotal role in establishing and strengthening relationships with the provincial tourism authorities and marketing bodies. Equally successful were a series of promotional campaigns launched during Covid-19, with the objective to maintain positive relationships and collaborations with partners in South Africa’s tourism industry. This included more affordable travel for the non-traditional market called ‘SANParks Stokvels and Travel Clubs’.

Digitally transforming the tourism status quo “I believe current-day marketing would involve stepping away from the norm or traditional ways of conducting marketing efforts,” Mr Marumo said.

Acknowledging the scars left on the industry by Covid-19, Mr Marumo thinks that brands with a high level of flexibility in their communication and marketing mix are primed to bounce back faster. The adoption of technology across various industries over the last few years has also created new opportunities for the tourism sector.

“Marketing in the current day requires leveraging technology, adopting new and innovative ways of communicating, and adapting to change swiftly and adequately,” said Mr Marumo.

“Marketing is no longer restricted to a simple ‘push’ or ‘pull’, but a 360-degree, multichannel engagement is a must to create an immersive experience that will streamline travellers’ decision-making. This requires

maximising, not only digital tools and platforms, but also leveraging both internal and external relationships with key stakeholders. One of the ways that Mr Marumo intends to do this is through collaborating with noncompeting brands in the public and private sectors.

Exploring multi-channel positioning to reach their target marketing quickly and effectively is top-of-mind for Mr Marumo and Minor Hotels Africa. “In the travel industry particularly, brands need to mean something to everyone e.g. a getaway or place of rest to some, a sabbatical for others, conduct a business or celebratory, tick off a bucket list item, not forgetting a place to capture the next best image for contentcreating influencers.”

Successfully conveying this in their marketing efforts, Mr Marumo believes, is the key to creating and maintaining momentum.

Oscar Baard — every day is an opportunity to learn

the next couple of years.

He was born and raised in Kensington, Cape Town. “Growing up I would’ve never thought that this would be the career path I’d choose, but I can recall always helping my mom in the kitchen when she would bake cakes for family and friends. Not knowing that the enjoyment would become the passion that drove me toward my achievements in my career. I matriculated from Kensington High School in 2004 and, the following year, I completed a Craft Bread and Confectionery Learnership course,” Oscar said.

He added: “The Craft Bread and Confectionery Learnership gave me the necessary skillset to get a headstart in the industry. I worked in a few bakeries before landing a position in a hotel.”

“The first hotel I worked at was Hotel Le Vendome, a five-star establishment, where I started off as a baker. I was privileged to have worked under an executive pastry chef who took me under his wing and trained me.”

Oscar has over 17 years of hospitality experience. “I worked at hotels like Hotel Le Vendome, Cape Royale Hotel, The Twelve Apostles Hotel and Spa, NH The Lord Charles Hotel, La Petite Ferme (Restaurant, Winery and Boutique Hotel). I have also spent a few years abroad at The Crowne Plaza Hotel and the French patisserie lifestyle brand, Fauchon Paris. I am a team member on the South African Culinary Olympic Team and I’m currently at Hotel Sky Cape Town.”

His goal is to open his own Patisserie. “This has been a dream for a long time, and I would like to start working towards that in the next five years,” he said.

Oscar said: “As a pastry chef, the fact that you get to be creative and produce all kinds of sweet creations is pretty cool and interesting. Also collaborating with the young chefs that are entering the industry. I’ve found that many of them don’t know why they have chosen this career path, apart from the love for

food, and I am one of many that are in a position to help them on their journey.”

“The pandemic has made people realise how important our health is, and therefore have shifted more to healthy eating than before the pandemic.

Many of us have started moving away from meat, dairy and conventional bread. Not completely for some, but in moderation. So grilled food over deep fried food, steamed food over boiled food, fresh fruit over sweet dessert,” Oscar explained when asked about trends.

Globally, he said: “In the pastry world, pastry chefs are doing their best to give desserts a more realistic look. From realistic fruit and food items to realistic objects. Chocolate and the endless possibilities of this versatile ingredient has also had its hand in shaping the pastry world.”

Oscar is married to Carmen. “We’ve been together for 10 years and married for two years. We have two beautiful babies, Eva is three years old, and Ryan is 18 months old.

For leisure he enjoys reading and hiking, when he finds the time. “Most of the little bit of free time I get I spend with my family.”

Oscar’s advice to newcomers who would like to become a chef is: “I think it’s important for young chefs to know why they have chosen this career path. They need to know what the end goal is for them. Every day is an opportunity to learn and improve on your skill. Do not stay in one place for more than five years, there’s only so much you can learn there.”

What is your signature dish?

Black cherry mousse, with layers of cherry jelly and cherry compote; cherry gel, salted caramelised almonds and chipotle popcorn. Pair this dessert with Diemersdal Merlot 2021.

What food trends are emerging in the conference industry?

Immunity-boosting snacks and ingredients

used in food. Plant-based sandwiches. Healthy and filling food to eat during a conference.

What has remained constant in this industry?

The only thing that is constant is change. It is vital to stay connected with the changing trends, and listen to your guests.

What is your favourite beverage? This is between a Paulaner Weiss and Woodstock Brewery Hazelnut Ale.

What is your favourite food?

I do like curry and roti. Rolled up, for when you don’t have the time and you just want a quick, convenient snack or served separate so that you can get your hands dirty and enjoy your meal.

What is your pet hate? The smell of cigarette smoke.

What is your great love?

I have to say my wife. I also love the outdoors, sporty activities and BJJ (Brazilian Jiu Jitsu).

Are you adventurous? I’ve gone abseiling once.

Oscar Baard, 36, pastry chef, Hotel Sky Cape Town, has over 17 years in hospitality and has a clear goal for

Topi strives to make every guest’s vacation awesome

Boardwalk Hotel rooms division manager, Topi Mkhonza, answers the phone and said she’s ‘running on adrenalin’. The four-star beachfront hotel in Gqeberha is at 100 per cent occupancy, with conferences and two tour groups in-house.

The Alexandra-born 40-yearold has been a nomad for most of her life and joined Boardwalk in July, following a stint at Sun International’s Wild Coast Sun resort in Port Edward, where she was involved in the rooms division.

After completing her hospitality management studies in 2002, Ms Mkhonza commenced a career in the hotel industry as a guest service attendant at a Bloemfontein hotel, and also worked at Hemingways Hotel in East London as front office manager.

“Wild Coast Sun brought out the best in me. Wherever I am needed, I jump in and assist. You are responsible for every single customer regardless of what area you work in,” Ms Mkhonza said.

She’s now brought her skills to Nelson Mandela Bay and is loving the friendly city. “I have never experienced such love in one place. The weather, however, is the opposite — absolute mood swings, one day has four different seasons.”

Her new role sees her reporting to Boardwalk Complex general manager, Tati Tsunke. “I oversee all hotel operations including reception, front office, porterage and housekeeping.”

With a team of fifteen staff, Ms Mkhonza works daily to make a difference. She is responsible for

ensuring service standards are up to date, and that guests are comfortable, but her key duty is managing the guest inventory and ensuring occupancies run at an acceptable level.

“If we are at a low inventory, I look for opportunities in conjunction with the marketing team to fill the rooms. We have to manage upcoming business and ensure rosters are done appropriately to manage the number of guests. I have to ensure that we achieve budget, and that our expenses are controlled,” she said.

A guest meeting an employee on a hotel room floor should receive the same greeting as at the front desk. “There must be a friendly attitude across the board.”

On a weekly basis, she walks the floors checking rooms, and also writes personalised welcome letters for guests booked into suites.

“The hospitality industry creates memorable experiences for people — birthdays, anniversaries. I don’t take that for granted and always strive to do something small to make that occasion worthwhile. Hearing a customer saying, ‘Thanks so much, I had a great time,’ is what I live for.”

Ms Mkhonza is married to Lewis and the couple have three children, Lewis junior, four, Onothando 13, and Khanya, 14.

Hearing a customer saying, “Thanks so much, I had a great time,” is what I live for.

Positive travel trends reported by City Lodge Hotels

City Lodge Hotel Group put out a voluntary operational statement yesterday (28 November 2022). Chief executive officer Andrew Widegger reported: “The lifting of the National State of Disaster in April 2022 has further facilitated positive travel trends with businesses and individuals returning to travelling, meeting and experiencing life while nurturing relationships which had suffered during the prolonged period of lockdown.”

Over the last few months, group occupancies have been bolstered by the return of international flights to almost pre-Covid levels, corporations returning to offices with an emphasis on building relationships and strategic planning. In addition, domestic leisure travel continues to flourish, boosted by our enhanced food and beverage offering across all brands, which has resulted in an almost 200 per cent increase in food and beverage revenue compared to the prior year.

Occupancies for the group for the financial year to date of 56.5 per cent have realised steady month on month improvements, even exceeding 2019 levels in certain months. Monthly occupancies for the group have grown from 52 per cent in July 2022 to 60 per cent for November 2022 to date. The outlook for December 2022 occupancies looks positive and we forecast to exceed 2019 levels based on current demand and interest from our ‘Don’t skimp on your summer’ specials, advertising campaign. The increased occupancies have resulted in better yielding with achieved room rates for the financial year to date up by 9.5 per cent on the prior year comparative period and around the same as 2019 levels.

The group continues to generate positive cash flows, with a positive bank balance of R226-million as at 27 November 2022. The planned capital reinvestment in the portfolio is currently underway with the fit-out and availability of the remaining floors at Courtyard Hotel Waterfall City due for completion in early December 2022 and the refurbishment of City Lodge Hotel V&A Waterfront scheduled to commence in April 2023. The group’s current debt position is R300-million, with access to a further R415-million in debt and overdraft facilities.

“Despite demand being slightly dampened by ongoing loadshedding, high inflation and interest rates, and their impact on the economy and disposable income, the outlook continues to look positive as life returns to normal and businesses and individuals embrace the freedom to take every opportunity to travel,” Mr Widegger said.

The group’s Integrated Report 2022 is available here: www.city-reports. co.za/reports/integrated-report-2022/ index.php. In it, you will find a wealth

of information, under this year’s theme “Embracing wellness”, on the group’s financial health and four brands – Courtyard Hotels, City Lodge Hotels, Town Lodges and Road Lodges – as well as its positive sustainability and transformation journey.

CLHG Andrew Widegger CEO.

Courtyard Hotel Waterfall City.

RX Africa builds solid foundations for future entrepreneurial expansion

As the fourth largest sector by percentage of GDP[1], South Africa’s manufacturing industry is thriving. Propelled by new technological innovation, such as automation and machine learning, new research identifies the sector’s potential to boost the country’s economic development, while highlighting the importance of linking small businesses into the manufacturing sector’s value chain.[2]

It is therefore no surprise that the entrepreneurial spirit runs high at The Africa Automation Technology Fair (AATF2023) and Future Manufacturing Africa Trade Fair and Summit (FMA2023). Taking place between 9-11 May 2023 at the Johannesburg Expo Centre South Africa, the events bring together leading public and private stakeholders including

multiple successful entrepreneurs and small businesses to mobilise and drive industry development and growth.

But what are the key characteristics of a successful entrepreneur? While some skills and abilities may be naturally present, others are learned and nurtured through careful practice and hard work. Here are three of over 150 world-class

suppliers and distributors from across the continent that will be exhibiting at AATF2023 and FMA2023, each demonstrating a vital characteristic that has helped drive their success to date.

The power of passion

When a business enjoys what they do, it is easier to stay motivated. This is why

having passion is so important as a motivator for entrepreneurial success. At Oculus Operational Innovation, a specialist supplier of complete operational control centre solutions, the passion to deliver integrated visual solutions is evident. Having identified a gap in expertise within the dedicated control room industry, the company has grown from a team of three in the early 2000s to an integrated, multi-discipline, specialised team of twenty, focusing on innovative mission critical control room solutions.

Knowledge is king

A thorough understanding of a niche or industry is another critical element of entrepreneurial success, as it helps a business to stay up to date with new trends and an evolving landscape. For family-run business Powder-Lak, a leading manufacturer of powder coatings in Africa, this knowledge came from its German founder, who has significant industry expertise as well as German technology knowledge, backed by his experience of European business

methods and requirements.

Be customer-centric Any business owner knows that all the innovation and expertise in the world means nothing without a wiling customer. Companies that put the customer above everything, put themselves on the best path towards success, from understanding consumer needs and attracting their attention, to personalising product solutions that cater for their changing circumstances. Supplier of industrial automation and networking equipment, Allpronix is one such company that strives to lead the industry in advanced technology, quality and affordable instrumentation, while ensuring that they provide their customers with products that are aimed at their specific, unique requirements and business processes.

Philip Woods, events director: business and technology at RX Africa, said: “We are proud to showcase many of Africa’s most forward-thinking entrepreneurs at The Africa Automation

Technology Fair 2023 and Future

Manufacturing Africa Trade Fair and Summit, all of whom are tapped into the disruptive future of manufacturing, automation and technology. We look forward to welcoming both visitors and exhibitors alike to the co-located shows and are confident that they will extract great value by exploring latest trends and opportunities, engaging with new buyers from across the continent and beyond, and making lucrative business connections.”

[1] https://www.engineeringnews. co.za/article/ innovative-funding-solutionsneeded-to-unlockmanufacturinggrowth-2022-11-0 7

[2] https://www.iol.co.za/businessreport/companies/a-tangiblelook-at-how-investment-in-themanufacturing-sector-can-createhundreds-of-thousands-of-jobs3489d818-604f-47e9-9ea6501e02128322

Companies that put the customer above everything, put themselves on the best path towards success

EXCO AND HEAD OFFICE

Chairperson: Kim Roberts e: info@mise-en-placesolutions.com c: +27 (0)82 652 2008

Vice-chairperson: Minister Kganyango e: mkganyago@csir.co.za c: +27 (0)79 513 8708

Treasurer: Jaques Fouche e: jaques@be-moved.co.za c: +27 (0)60 993 7542

Public officer: Alistair Stead e: alastair@scandisplay.africa c: +27 (0)73 236 6618

Chief executive officer: Glenton De Kock e: ceo@saaci.org c: +27 (0)82 575 7565

Membership services consultant: Alshanthé Smith t: +27 (0)71 299 0601 e: members@saaci.org

BOARD MEMBERS

Chairperson: Kim Roberts e: info@mise-en-placesolutions.com t: +27 (0)82 652 2008

Vice-chairperson: Minister Kganyango e: mkganyago@csir.co.za c: +27 (0)79 513 8708

Treasurer: Jaques Fouche e: jaques@be-moved.co.za c: +27 (0)60 993 7542

Public officer: Alistair Stead e: alastair@scandisplay.africa c: +27 (0)73 236 6618

Eastern Cape Chairperson: Melissa Palmer e: melissa@becbc.co.za t: +27 (0)82 437 7600 +27 (0)41 404 2431

KwaZulu-Natal Chairperson: Irene Vallihu c: +27 (0)79 692 4604 e: irenev@icc.co.za

Gauteng Chairperson: Neil Nagooroo c: +27 (0)82 929 5241 e: neil@nxlevel.co.za

Western Cape Chairperson: Angela Lorimer c: +27 (0)74 550 1000 e: angelajacobson862@yahoo.co.za

Coopted Youth Ambassador: Minister Kganyango e: mkganyago@csir.co.za c: +27 (0)79 513 8708

Coopted Learning Ambassador: Esti Venske

e: venskee@cput.ac.za c: +27 (0)83 482 9276

EASTERN CAPE

Chairperson: Melissa Palmer e: melissa@becbc.co.za t: +27 (0)82 437 7600 +27 (0)41 404 2431

Vice-chairperson: Claire Kivedo e: claire@overallevents.co.za c: +27 (0)82 4641 504

COMMITTEE: David Limbert e: david@magnetic.co.za c: +27 (0)82 9064 198 Gill Dickie e: gilld@bidvestcarrental.co.za c: +27 (0)79 527 7619 Wanda Fourie e: registration@easternsun.co.za c: +27 (0)72 608 1641 Claire Kivedo e: claire@overallevents.co.za c: +27 (0)82 464 1504

GAUTENG

Chairperson: Neil Nagooroo c: +27 (0)82 929 5241 e: neil@nxlevel.co.za

Vice Chairperson: Mary Mahlangu c: +27 (0) 81 574 9493 e: mary@flockplatform.com

COMMITTEE: Rendani Khorommbi Joburg Tourism t: +27 (0)11 883 3525 c: +27 (0)82 773 2999 e: rendanik@joburgtourism.com Zaida Enver Pure Grit Events and Exhibitions Management t: +27 (0)82 555 1049 e: zaida@puregrit.co.za

KWAZULU-NATAL

Chairperson: Irene Vallihu c: +27 (0)79 692 4604 e: irenev@icc.co.za Vice-chairperson: Gill Slaughter c: +27 (0)83 269 0279 e: gills@turnersconferences.co.za Treasurer: Sibusiso Mncwabe c: +27 (0)83 477 5536 e: sibusiso@marketingwell.co.za

COMMITTEE:

Tarannum Banatwalla c: +27 (0)83 254 9462 e: tarannum@jellyfishcatering.co.za Mabuyi Mosia c: +27 (0)71 117 7509 e: mabuyi@ikhono.co.za

Kavitha Dhawnath c: +27 (0)83 607 200 e: kavitha.dhawnath@gearhouse.co.za

Wiseman Mnguni c: +27 (0)78 220 2162

e: mboniseni.events@gmail.com

Sandile Dlamini

c: +27 (0)79 104 5510

e: sandile@anzomode.co.za

WESTERN CAPE

Chairperson: Angela Lorimer

c: +27 (0)74 550 1000

e: angelajacobson862@yahoo.co.za

e: ALorimer@Hotelsky.co.za

Vice-chairperson: Alex Wrottesley c: +27 (0)21 430 2060 e: alex@intoafrica.co.za

COMMITTEE: Ansu Colditz c: +27 (0)82 457 8071 e: ansuc@millenniumtravel.co.za Esti Venske t: +27 (0)21 460 3518 e: estivenske@gmail.com Zimkitha Bavuma c: +27 (0)72 172 5746 e: zim@live.co.za

Esmare Steinhofel c: +27 (0)84 056 5544 e: esmare.s@iccaworld.org Andrew Gibson t: +27 (0)860 111 625 e: Andrew@magnetic.co.za e: andrew.msct@gmail.com

Gheeta Payle t: +27 (0)86 123 7890 e: gheeta.payle@inhousevtm.com Lara van Zyl Paragon Africa t: +27 (0)82 223 4684 e: lvanzyl@paragong.com

EXHIBITIONS AND

EXSA OFFICE

www.exsa.co.za

EXSA Association Manager

Lee-Ann Alder t: +27 (0)82 550 0349 e: info@exsa.co.za

EXSA Chairperson and KZN forum head: Sibusiso Mchwabe (KZN) Marketing Well t: +27 (0)83 477 5536

e: sibusiso@marketingwell.co.za

EXSA Deputy chairperson, Head of WC forum:

Jacqui Nel (EC)

Exhibition Freighting G.S.M. t: +27 (0)21 552 7248

e: jacquinel@ef-gsm.co.za

Deputy head KZN forum: Sandile Dlamini Anzamode t: +27 (0)79 104 5510

e: sandile@anzomode.co.za

Deputy Head WC forum: Liam Beattie Hott 3D t: +27 (0)76 577 0989

e: liam@hott.co.za

Immediate past Chairperson: Doug Rix DK Designs t: +27 (0)82 579 7071 e: dougrix@wol.co.za

Directors: Kerry-Lee Bester Brilliant Branding t: +27 (0)72 265 6600 e: kerry@brilliant-branding.co.za Beert Kuiken Octanorm t: +27 (0)82 387 5324 e: beert.kuiken@octanorm.co.za

EVENTS ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHERN AFRICA

SOUTHERN AFRICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE CONFERENCE INDUSTRY

President: Tes Proos

c: +27 (0) 84 682 7676

e: tes@crystalevents.co.za

Treasurer: Peter-John Mitrovich c: +27 (0)82 318 1889

e: peter-john.mitrovich@grosvenortours. com

Sustainability: Daryl Keywood

Southern Africa Development: Brad Glen

East Africa Development: Chris Munyao

Young Leader Programme: Peter Mwanja

Africa Convention Bureaus: Rick Taylor

North Africa Development: George Fawzi

Board member at large: Rick Taylor

East Africa (Rwanda): Chris Munyao

North Africa: George Fawzi

North Africa support: Brad Glen

Secretariat & Events: Mariaan Burger c: +27 (0)82 557 8041

e: info@siteafrica.africa

SA EVENTS COUNCIL

46 Waterford Office Park, Waterford Drive, Fourways, Johannesburg

t: +27 (0)87 265 5840

e: aaxo@aaxo.co.za

Association coordinator: Anthea Buys e: anthea@aaxo.co.za

Chairperson: Devi Paulsen-Abbott, Dmg Events e: devipaulsen@dmgevents.com

Vice-chairperson: Tiisetso Tau, Synergy Business Events e: ttau@synergybe.co.za

Venue Committee Chairperson: Charles Wilson, Gallagher Convention Centre e: charlesw@Gallagher.co.za

Treasurer: Mark Anderson, Specialised Exhibitions Montgomery e: marka@specialised.com

Board of directors: Chanelle Hingston, Clarion Events Africa e: chanelle.hingston@clarionevents.com Sandra Barrow e: sandra.barrow@rxglobal.com Projeni Pather, Exposure Marketing e: projeni@exposuremarketing.co.za

e: hello@saeventscouncil.org

Chairperson: Raylene Johnson, CEO: TEBCO-SA Vice-chairperson: — –

Interim treasurer: Glenn van Eck, Chairperson: CEPA Spokesperson: Projeni Pather, Chairperson: AAXO

Members:

Kevan Jones, Executive Director SACIA Sharif Baker, Chairperson TPSA Tes Proos, SITE President

Justin Hawes, Managing Director: Scan Display & Event Greening Forum Treasurer Sibusiso Mncwabe, Chairperson EXSA Justin van Wyk, Chairperson SALPA

Mike Lord, Chairperson ESC

Arthur Goldstuck, PSASA Exco Member

Esmare Steinhofel, Chairperson: ICCA

Africa Chapter

Advisory Members:

Prof Nellie Swart, Associate Professor: Tourism Management

Corne Koch, Head: Convention Bureau (WESGRO)

Tiisetso Tau, AAXO member

Daryl Keywood, SITE Member

Bheki Twala, TEBCO-SA Executive Kim Roberts, SAACI Representative Western Cape

Robyn D’Alessandro, PR/Social media, Vivo Visual Voice CC

ICCA African Chapter

Chairperson: Taubie Motlhabane

Cape Town International Convention Centre t: +27 (0)21 410 5000

e: Taubiem@cticc.co.za

Deputy chairperson: Jacinta Nzioka

Kenya National Convention Bureau t: +254 722464221

e: jacinta@kncb.go.ke

Secretariat:  Esmaré Steinhöfel

ICCA Africa Regional director c: +27 (0)84 056 5544

e: esmare.s@iccaworld.org www.iccaworld.com/dbs/africanchapter www.iccaworld.org

EVENT GREENING FORUM

179 Jan Smuts Ave, Parktown North, Private Bag X7000, Parklands 2121 t: +27 (0)11 447 4777

e: info@eventgreening.co.za www.eventgreening.co.za

Chairperson: Morwesi Ramonyai, Borena Energy Vice-chairperson: John Avanitakis, Chat’r Xperience

Treasurer: Justin Hawes, Scan Display Secretariat: Lynn McLeod e: lynn@eventgreening.co.za

Executive director: Kevan Jones

SATI – South African Translators’ Institute

Executive director: Marion Boers t: +27 (0)11 803 2681 e: office@translators.org.za www.translators.org.za

SATSA – Southern Africa Tourism Services Association Box 900, Ferndale 2160 t: +27 (0)11 886 9996 e: pa@satsa.co.za www.satsa.com

SKAL International South Africa Secretary: Anne Lamb t: +27 (0)21 434 7023 c: +27 (0)82 708 1836 e: anne@yebo.co.za www.skalsouthafrica.org

STA – Sandton Tourism Association t: +27 (0)83 558 5445 e: secretariat@sandtontourism.com www.sandtontourism.com

TBCSA – Tourism Business Council of South Africa

Chief executive: Tshifhiwa Tshivhengwa Box 11655, Centurion 0046 t: +27 (0)12 664 0120

ABTA – African Business Travel Association

Box 2594, Pinegowrie, 2123 t: +27 (0)11 888 8178 c: +27 (0)83 679 2110 e: monique@abta.co.za www.abta.co.za

Founder: Monique Swart ASATA – Association of Southern African Travel Agents PO Box 650539, Benmore, 2010 t: +27 (0)11 293 0560/61 e: barbara@asata.co.za e: general@asata.co.za

Office manager: Barbara Viljoen Council of Event Professionals Africa Kevan Jones kevan@sacia.org.za t: +27 (0)11 083 6418 c: +27 (0)82 555 5556

Chairperson: Glenn van Eck Magnetic Storm c: +27 (0)82 800 2616 e: glenn@magnetic.co.za

FEDHASA National Office –Federated Hospitality Association of Southern Africa PO Box 3853, The Reeds, 0157 c: +27 (0)82 552 9862 e: ceo@fedhasa.co.za www.fedhasa.co.za

PSASA – Professional Speakers Association of Southern Africa t: +27 (0)11 462 9465

c: +27 (0)83 458 6114 e: admin@psasouthernafrica.co.za www.psasouthernafrica.co.za

SABOA – Southern African Bus Operators Association Postnet Suite 393, Private Bag X033, Rivonia 2128 t: +27 (0)11 511 7641 e: saboa@saboa.co.za www.saboa.co.za

SACIA – Southern African Communications Industries Association

c: +27 (0)82 555 5556 e: kevan@sacia.org.za

e: comms@tbcsa.travel www.tbcsa.travel www.tomsa.co.za

Member relations manager: Boitumelo Moleleki

TGCSA – Tourism Grading Council of South Africa

Private Bag X10012, Sandton 2146 t: +27 (0)11 895 3000 f: +27 (0)11 895 3001 e: enquiries@tourismgrading.co.za TINSA – Interpreters/Translators Network of Southern Africa e: info@interpreter.org.za t/f: +27 (0)11 485 2511 c: +27 (0)83 249 0010 www.interpreter.org.za

TPSA – Technical Production Services Association c: +27 (0)82 555 5556 e: kevan@sacia.org.za www.tpsa.co.za

Executive director: Kevan Jones TTA – Tshwane Tourism Association Box 395, Pretoria 0001 t: +27 (0)12 841 4212

e: secretary@tshwanetourism.com www.tshwanetourism.com

Chairperson: Bronwen Cadle de Ponte Secretary: Sithembile Nzimande Membership coordinator: Liz Oosthuysen e: membership@tshwanetourism.com

SOCIETY FOR INCENTIVE TRAVEL EXCELLENCE

ASSOCIATION OF AFRICAN EXHIBITION ORGANISERS

INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS & CONVENTION ASSOCIATION

OTHER ASSOCIATIONS OF INTEREST

AAXO launches Lunch and

series

With these figures in mind, exhibitions are a recognised component of a business’ marketing mix and form an integral part of face-to-face marketing strategies due to the sheer volume of captured audiences in attendance. Likewise, events professionals seek marketing to amplify their offering to their desired target audience and drive delegate attendance.

To educate and upskill members of the events industry on the right marketing mediums for their events, as well as highlight the importance of exhibitions in marketing strategies, The African Association of Exhibition Organisers (AAXO) has recently launched a new Lunch and Learn series which will cover a range of topics from Google advertising,

through to PR and communications.

“AAXO supports members’ training and development across a range of important issues and topics that impact their jobs, with awareness, education and sales being a key focus for events professionals across sectors. We’ve engaged with experts across the marketing mix to deliver quick and impactful content that will empower our members with the knowledge needed to succeed,” said Devi Paulsen-Abbott, chairperson of AAXO.

The AAXO Lunch and Learn training sessions provide an opportunity for members to meet, hone their skills and learn from experts across a number of functions, such as; content, marketing, digital, PR, communications, leadership, public speaking advertising,

sales, operations, finance and more.

The inaugural session, held on 25 November 2022, saw Remy Bazin, analytics consultant and Jeremy Abbott, head of consulting at Sprout Performance, discuss the new feature releases in Google Analytics 4 and how and when to make the switch.

Upcoming topics will include Metaverse marketing, writing winning event sponsorship proposals, out-of-home (OOH) advertising, PR for exhibitions, and how to use TikTok to share content.

For more information on the AAXO Lunch and Learn series, and how to join, visit www.aaxo.co.za [1] https://www.statista.com/outlook/dmo/ eservices/event-tickets/south-africa

Mjunxtion 4 yolande@mjunxtion.co.za www.mjunxtion.co.za

Premier Hotels 31 info@premierhotels.com www.premierhotels.com

SA Events Council 30 hello@saeventscouncil.org www.saeventscouncil.org

SAACI 18 info@saaci.org www.saaci.org

Site Africa 20 info@sitesouthernafrica.com siteglobal.com/chapter/site-africa

South Africa’s business travel in 2023

South Africa eased its final lockdown restrictions earlier this year, allowing virtual meetings to take place in person and creating new opportunities for business travel to return to pre-pandemic levels. While this news is a source of relief for the travel industry, it could come at a cost for travellers.

By

Why businesses should anticipate hotel rate increases

According to a 2023 Global Business Travel Forecast report, the cost of business travel, from hotels to airfares, will rise in the next year. The report highlights the growing demand for face-to-face business interactions and other factors, such as geopolitical uncertainties, inflationary pressures, and labour shortages, as the contributing factors.

Hotels, like any other profit-making organisation, set their prices and rates based on supply and demand. In other words, when the need for rooms is high and the availability of rooms is low, room rates will go up.

As much as these increased rates may act as a deterrent to eager travellers, the industry requires their support now, more than ever. Few industries were hit as hard by the pandemic as the hospitality industry, and the sector is still battling to maintain a stable bottom line. More importantly, if the pandemic showed us anything, it was that the hotel industry, and being able to facilitate face-to-face interactions, are a critical part of helping businesses thrive.

While business travellers may occasionally have to pay higher room rates at certain hotels during specific times of the year, there are ways for travellers and corporate clients to get the most value for their money when booking their next stay.

How business travellers can get more value out of rising hotel rates

Business travel will look very different in the coming years. The rising cost of air travel and accommodation will likely see organisations and visitors having to pinch pennies by bundling visits to multiple clients or holding several events over a single trip.

One way to offset the extra outlay is by joining a loyalty programme like The Capital’s La Famiglia. In the past, visitors

could opt into a fixed price deal over a set contract period. These static rates meant that clients would be protected from the price fluctuations when an influx of retail clients would push prices up. Now, by joining La Famiglia, business and leisure travellers will get further discounts on their static room rates and be able to take advantage of our dynamic room rates (rates that ebb and flow according to demand) should the rooms they want be cheaper than the contracted amount. These cost-saving measures and flexible and remote work arrangements are driving the adoption of ‘bleisure’ travel (a portmanteau of business and leisure travel in which tourists do both in a single trip) as the new modus operandi. As a result, the global bleisure tourism market is estimated to reach nearly US$ 497.5-billion this year, with demand increasing to a total market value of US$2,967.1 Bn in 2032.

Bleisure travel offers an alternative solution to the rising cost of business travel because people can partially cover their trip’s travel and accommodation costs by extending it into a quick getaway with family and loved ones.

In addition to adopting new trends, businesses can explore new corporate travel policies to keep up with the shifting travel industry. For example, companies can reduce employees’ travel costs by offering staff a booking process that provides more flight and accommodation options for better availability, preference, and rate options.

Technology now allows companies to adopt a more dynamic travel policy that can adjust the travel policy based on the available options at the time of booking. This will give business travellers more flexibility while complying with company policies.

Business-focused hotel industry

Although the hotel industry was primarily driven by a demand for leisure travel in 2021, this trend will shift to

accommodate more business travellers and offer specially developed packages for hybrid and remote workers.

Hotels are amenity-rich by nature, offering workers access to on-demand services, fitness centres, on-site cafes, fast internet, and so much more. The industry is already seeing this shift, where hotels are becoming a significant part of the hybrid working culture and even a new WFH (work from hotel) acronym.

Business travel is clawing its way back to normal after a challenging couple of years. However, hotel rates will continue to rise to meet this growing demand, and organisations and employees must adapt to this new environment.

Who is Marc Wachsberger ?

Marc Wachsberger is the managing director of The Capital Hotels and Apartments. The hotel group, with its innovative apartment hotel model that offers the best of accommodation, conferencing, and lifestyle events, has properties in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Cape Town, Durban, and Mpumalanga. He is married and has three children.

Marc Wachsberger: chief executive officer of The Capital Hotels and Apartments.

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