PAGE IMEX STRAP FRANKFURT REPORT
South Africa takes centre stage at IMEX Frankfurt 2022 While the South African business events industry, like many countries across the world, was hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic, South Africa still has a variety of quality-assured business events products and services geared up to host safe events with service excellence.
T
his is the message that 23 South African exhibitors, led by Deputy Minister of Tourism, Fish Mahlalela, took to the world as they participated at IMEX Frankfurt, Germany. Having started on 31 May and ending on the 2 June at Messe Frankfurt, IMEX is one of the world’s largest global trade exhibitions and it is back, in a physical format, after a two-year absence. “Given the scale and importance of IMEX Frankfurt, it is the ideal platform to provide the most updated information about destination South Africa. We want to reassure our partners from across the world that they can come to South Africa and have safe 22 Business Events Africa June 2022
and successful events. South Africa is a vibrant business events destination. On the back of our rich heritage, natural beauty and our vibrant people, we have an opportunity to reclaim our share of big global events and, of course, international arrivals,” Deputy Minister Mahlalela said. Deputy Minister Mahlalela attended the IMEX Frankfurt Policy Forum on the first day of the trade show. He joined other world leaders as they deliberated on redefining and influencing the future direction of business events, related to policy making and strategic destination management. “Being at IMEX Frankfurt reaffirms our country’s credibility and it cements our
commitment to growing business events even further. As clearly articulated at the Policy Forum, now, more than ever, it is important that events return in physical form as they provide much needed revenue injection and economic boost for the cities and the countries that host these events. A case in point is that Frankfurt would not have as many people from various parts of the world as they do today, had it not been for this trade show [IMEX],” said Deputy Minister Mahlalela. A key component of South Africa’s business events strategy is to ensure that demand is met by adequate, diverse and unique tourism products and services to entice business events delegates www.businesseventsafrica.com
