Business Events Africa – March 2021 by Contact Publications

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Voice of the Business Events Industry in Africa

Vol 41 No 3 March 2021

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Business Events Africa: Serving the business events industry for 41 years

CONTENTS

The authority on meetings, exhibitions, special events and incentives management

VOL 41 NO 3 MARCH 2021

About the cover JOHANNESBURG EXPO CENTRE

Published by the proprietor Contact Publications (Pty) Ltd (Reg No. 1981/011920/07)

HEAD OFFICE POSTAL ADDRESS: PO Box 414, Kloof 3640, South Africa

The Johannesburg Expo Centre (JEC), south of Johannesburg, is renowned as one of the country’s most sought after venues for some of the country’s most iconic events… unfortunately, everything came to a standstill a year ago, with the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

TEL: +27 31 764 6977 FAX: 086 762 1867 MANAGING DIRECTOR: Malcolm King malcolm@contactpub.co.za EDITOR: Irene Costa gomesi@iafrica.com SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER:

19 20 21

Cover Feature JOHANNESBURG EXPO CENTRE 4 The JEC is ready to welcome you back.

On the pages… EDITOR’S COMMENT 2 Trust us – we are ready! NEWS 3 Home Suite Hotels plots the future of hospitality. CHEF’S PROFILE 9 Executive chef Willie Mcotoyi. PERSONALITY PROFILE 10 Yolanda Woeke – committed to achieving client expectations. VENUE NEWS 13 The Capital Pearls appoints Logan Naidoo as hotel group’s youngest general manager.

Hosted Buyers ‘excited’ to attend fully virtual WTM Africa 2021. Darryl Erasmus joins TrevPar World. FCM rebrand ushers in new era of business travel.

Association news EVENT GREENING FORUM 22 Ways to shrink your event’s carbon footprint. SITE 24 Site announces Chapter of the Year and Excellence Awards winners. AAXO 26 Tapping into sensory engagement on digital platforms. SAACI 27 Keeping audiences engaged.

Vincent Goode vincent@contactpub.co.za DISTRIBUTION MANAGER: Jackie Goosen jackie@contactpub.co.za SALES REPRESENTATIVE: Irene Costa +27 (0)82 558 7387 gomesi@iafrica.com PUBLICATION DETAILS: Volume 41 No 3 Business Events Africa has 12 issues a year and is published monthly. Due to Covid-19, the magazine is currently only available in digital format.

publishers of Business Events Africa, is a member of:

SAEC 28 Challenging times in the events industry. EXSA 30 Cry the ‘forgotten industry’.

Regulars

ON SHOW SOLUTIONS CASE STUDY 14 Focusing on the future.

TECHNOLOGY 31 Flock kicks off new Knowledge Series.

CTICC AGM 16 Facing an ever-changing future with hope and optimism.

31 Index of advertisers. 32 Directory and associations of interest.

MARKET NEWS 18 Industry set for its first 2021 hybrid Africa MICE Masterclass 2021.

THE LAST WORD 34 Business survival advice for the industry.

Learning | Growth | collaboration

Official media partner

Official Journal of the Southern Africa Chapter of the Society for Incentive Travel Excellence

Official journal of the Exhibition & Event Association of Southern Africa

www.businesseventsafrica.com

Trust us – we are ready! The world has changed so much over the last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic; and yet there is still a desperate need for face-to-face engagement.

am ready! This is a sentiment I feel strongly about. I am ready to go to meetings, I’m ready to share knowledge, I’m ready to network again with industry colleagues. I’m just ready! I almost feel like I’ve been in a state of hibernation and am now waking up to this new world of opportunities. For the first time in a long time, I feel like things are returning to some semblance of normality. I have been to more face-to-face meetings in one month than I have over a year. It has been wonderful to reconnect and yes, the fear of the unknown, including the invisible virus, is still there; but I have switched my own mindset. It has been wonderful to see industry colleagues in person after a year of being separated. Let’s get going. The venues want to welcome you back, the organisers want to get back on site and the suppliers are ready. We all want to get back to the business of doing business. It is time! Fear, for me, is the lack of trust. Our sector has always been ahead in health and safety and ensuring safe environments for delegates to enjoy a conference, an event, an exhibition or incentive programme. The SA Events Council has launched the

#TRUSTUS campaign, as the events industry has been crippled by the pandemic globally. In South Africa, where very few businesses have received any support, it is critical to get the industry operational again. Messages about ‘events as superspreaders’ and ‘gatherings are dangerous’, have eroded confidence amongst our own practitioners, our clients and our audiences. If we are ever to safely resume, we need to build trust in the ability of the event industry to present solutions and resume safely. The #TRUSTUS campaign has the aim of dispelling the negative messaging around events that will leave a legacy of misapprehension and mistrust that could damage our sector, even after Covid has died away. The aim is to rebuild confidence in the professionalism and capabilities of the events industry among our clients, audiences and our own industry. This campaign is spot-on and will hopefully get the traction required to persuade government to reconsider its current number restrictions (100 indoors and 250 outdoors), which prohibit our sector from opening fully. We have a long way to go and – like it or not – hybrid is here to stay. Hybrid means a

combination of in-person events with a virtual component, so delegates have the choice of how they attend. During this month I have attended several webinars and hybrid conferences. What is clear from the various discussions is that our industry is very ready to resume and welcome delegates back. As a destination, we have several challenges; the slow vaccine rollout is a major concern as inoculation will certainly provide a ‘trust value’ for international travellers, and while they will be the last to return, domestic is going to be primary in getting our sector up and running, followed by regional travel into the rest of Africa. Air travel into the rest of Africa and visa restrictions remain our biggest problems here. However, let’s see this as an opportunity to make the dream of open skies in Africa a reality and look at a way of simplifying visa regulations when flying within the continent. If anything, this should be a priority now. I am ready! Are you ready?

Irene

Email: gomesi@iafrica.com

yolande@mjunxtion.co.za www.mjunxtion.co.za

Credit: Hein Liebetrau

EDITOR’S COMMENT

NEWS

Home Suite Hotels plots the future of hospitality As South Africa tentatively navigates itself out of its Covid-19 second wave, with a slight easing of restrictions releasing the stranglehold on the hospitality industry, Home Suite Hotels, a brand that offers a range of lifestyle hotels and suites styled for the independent traveller, has announced that two more premises are expected to open their doors during the year, one in Sandton and the other in Sea Point, Cape Town.

ome Suite Hotels first opened the flagship Home Suite Hotels, Bristol, Johannesburg in late 2019, and recently opened Home Suites The Quarter, Cape Town, in December 2020. Home Suite Hotels is pioneering a new breed of hotel stay, moving away from large, impersonal spaces to a more tailored, curated environment suited to the discerning traveller – be that for business or leisure. Founder of Home Suite Hotels, Gidon Novick said that while the future of hospitality is likely to be different from what came before, home-away-from-home establishments that provide a trendy, connected and personalised experience are likely to be sought after. “It is an extremely difficult time for everyone and many of us are still trying to recover, whether it’s health-wise or financially,” Mr Novick said. “Our Home Suite Hotels offer the perfect respite in a luxury, comfortable and safe environment and we are launching two more hotels this year, in Sandton and Sea Point, two of South Africa’s most sought-after locations.” Mr Novick said the hotel group is able to attribute its early success to providing guests with a home-away-from-home experience. “Many of our guests are chief executive officers, industry disruptors and www.businesseventsafrica.com

professionals who don’t want that big hotel experience. They feel safer at our premises, in terms of location and health. And, due to the generous size of our rooms, suites can be booked out for longer stays, for up to thirty days, making it the perfect escape to enjoy some downtime while still being close to all the action and amenities that a big city has to offer.” Location is important, Mr Novick said, which is why all the premises are in the most sought-after suburbs, close to the cities’ action hubs. He said that the hotels provide guests with all the modern amenities they’re used to, as well as carefully chosen extras, which they call “Suite Spots”. These Suite Spots, he says, are designed to take hotel stay into the post-pandemic world where the hotel blends a personalised experience for each traveller with flexibility and a homely environment. Among the hotels’ Suite Spots is contactless technology, which offers one-time registration, contactless check-in and admin-free access protocol. There are not just conveniences, rather they are relevant offerings for a new normal. “High-speed fiber is also no longer a luxury and so we ensure that all areas

have superb coverage, whether the chief executive officer wishes to work from the room, a board room or even next to the rooftop pool,” Mr Novick said. Other offerings include 24-hour security, on-site baristas, Netflix and DSTV, home-cooked meals, a pillow menu and a high-end mattress selection. All the rooms are spacious, offering bespoke design and comfort. As the world begins to adjust to what a post-pandemic economy might look like, Novick says Home Suite Hotels has hit the sweet spot with their hyper-personalised offering. “Guests can go downstairs to the chef and get a speciality cooked meal or request something special from the in-house barista. It’s this kind of personalised, flexible environment that we believe will drive the future of hospitality.” Leisure travel has already resumed, with business travel expected to follow shortly. However, Mr Novick said, business travel has changed forever, and it is paramount that hotels provide these travellers – both while they are working and when they just need time off – the experience they require and demand. “We couldn’t be more optimistic about our branded boutique offering to cater to this market,” he said. Business Events Africa March 2021 3

COVER STORY – JOHANNESBURG EXPO CENTRE

Johannesburg Expo Centre is ready to welcome you back The Johannesburg Expo Centre (JEC), south of Johannesburg, is renowned as one of the country’s most sought after venues for some of the country’s most iconic events… unfortunately everything came to a standstill a year ago, with the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

year later, the business events industry is ready to start up again. Johannesburg Expo Centre is ready to welcome you back. The Johannesburg Expo Centre should be top of mind when it comes to planning large-scale events and exhibitions for a variety of reasons. The venue’s flexibility allows it to handle any occasion - being equipped to host both indoor and outdoor events, depending on your needs. Whether your event requires quiet boardrooms for private meetings, extensive floor space for exhibits, a dance floor to host thousands of people or fresco refreshment stations, the JEC has the multi-purpose facilities to accommodate all of this and more. 4 Business Events Africa March 2021

The JEC has no shortage of space either with its 150 000m² of space to host mass events. Coupled with that, when it comes to parking, the venue offers secure parking for 20 000 vehicles, ensuring that exhibitors and guests alike can find parking with ease and get straight to business. The JEC is also hailed as one of the most accessible venues in the country with accessibility from all major highways and even a helipad on-site for registered helicopter landing needs. Its location is ideal for travellers, with five-star hotels in the vicinity and a mere thirty minutes from both international airports. The JEC’s mission is to harness professionalism, flexibility and hospitality

to offer clients world-class service; and to ensure that their experience always exceeds their expectations. Message from the CEO Adele Hartdegen, chief executive officer of Johannesburg Expo Centre. “If we can convey one single message from the year 2020, it is that we have missed you, we miss the face-to-face interactions with our clients as much as we missed the close contact with our loved ones during the hard lockdown and we simply can’t wait to welcome you back! “Whilst the global pandemic has had a very detrimental impact on our industry, www.businesseventsafrica.com

COVER STORY – JOHANNESBURG EXPO CENTRE

Adele Hartdegen

at JEC we have tried our level best to retain an attitude of gratitude and make the best of the challenges faced. We have been fortunate as a venue that to date no retrenchments have been necessary and, in fact, we have grown and developed our staff complement during this time, to ensure we are able to offer an even better service when we do reopen.” “If anything, the pandemic has made it clear that our industry is still relevant in the marketing mix, so often we would discuss and deliberate on the what-andwhen of digital, and now, we have all the answers. Surely digital has its place, but the last few months have proven that we cannot recreate our value-add to the marketing world by going digital only; face-to-face events remain business drivers and we do believe that, across all sectors of the events and business events industry, our clientele and visitors miss us just as much as we miss them!” Support role During 2020, JEC was involved in a few community projects, offering support where possible. From sponsoring masks for learners during Mandela month, to becoming involved with a donation programme for sanitary products for girls and sponsoring food parcels for families in the local community. JEC continues to actively drive projects with local EME’s and NGO’s to assist these entities in their development and connect them to the right people to facilitate training and development. The most recent interactions have been a closer working relationship with Soweto Tourism and the on-site EME Ethos Productions. The aim is to continuously aid the development of these entities by giving them first option on selected projects and dedicating time from our senior management team to refine their strategies and business processes. www.businesseventsafrica.com

Miss South Africa

In support of SOJO (South of Johannesburg) Tourism, and developing the image of the South of Johannesburg, as a tourism destination, the Johannesburg Expo Centre hosted some of the Mrs SA finalists of 2019. Amongst the beautiful ladies was Mrs SA runner up 2019 Enolcia Strever, Tandi Potgieter Mrs SA Personality 2019, 2018 Finalist Samantha Retief as well as Keketso Buhle Mthethwa and runner up of Idols Jacques Terre'Blanche as their photographer. The purpose of this tour was to expose public figures and influencers to what the South of Johannesburg has to offer to local tourism. The ladies were treated to champagne and snacks in our perfectly manicured gardens followed by a tour by golf cart around the venue and the current medical facilities. The last few months for JEC has been full-on business unusual, with the field hospital being on site for nearly a year. The venue had to learn how to and adapt to suppling a 24/7 service to our end client and creating a safe and happy environment for both our workforce, contractors, patients and the medical staff. The Restart Expo was hosted in November 2020, in partnership with Specialised

Exhibitions. The initiative was a joint idea developed by the respective leaders of the two entities. The objective of the event was to present the business events industry to the correct government departments to prove that the industry is capable of operating safely and adhering to regulations during this pandemic; that our industry is by no means comparable to mass gatherings and that the industry is essential to the GDP of the country, as it creates many job opportunities and involves many entities that are owned and managed by entrepreneurs. The main objective of the project was to present a post-show dossier to the Minister of Tourism, to urge her to consider allowing venues, especially ICCs with large capacity, to operate at fifty per cent capacity, but without the 250 pax limit. The dossier was submitted in December 2020 and the feedback from the Minister regarding the event was positive. Unfortunately, due to the second wave of Covid-19 later in December and into January, circumstances changed yet again, and we had to allocate time for the infection rate to slow down before making another approach to government. Business Events Africa March 2021 5

COVER STORY – JOHANNESBURG EXPO CENTRE

Upskilling “As a manager, I have always believed in developing the current staff in your employ before searching externally to employ. Team members with a positive attitude and willingness to learn are your greatest assets in any business,” Ms Hartdegen said. Matthew Motswakae, Dumisani Zondi and Prince Moloi have all been with the

Johannesburg Expo Centre for more than ten years, originally starting out in the maintenance and operational team. They each run their own portfolio now, within the JEC technical department. Under the guidance of Hannes Venter, general manager at the JEC, these individuals have grown and flourished. Initially, they were a bit hesitant, but as the reality of their new responsibilities dawned upon them, they had to quickly adapt to the change from working as maintenance members, to suddenly having laptops, generating reports, having to plan the activities and monitor results from their assigned team members. In addition to all of this, which was being done whilst adapting to running the venue on a 24/7 basis, ensuring that all assets and back-up equipment was in good, working order. It was a steep

learning curve, but through exceptional dedication and a positive mindset, these gentleman took the challenge head-on. They are now portfolio managers at JEC. “This is one of the greatest success stories of 2020 for the venue. Seeing staff grow and develop whilst taking full responsibility for a whole range of new tasks is truly rewarding for us in management. We are extremely proud of these individuals and we look forward to seeing them reach great heights in the coming years. “In line with our training and upskilling directive, we are also installing some workstations at the operational site office. This allows our other maintenance team members to have access to a personal computer to develop their computer skills, and access online resource portals to grow their knowledge base,” Ms Hartdegen said.

This is what they had to say:

Prince Moloi

“What excites me about my portfolio, as a facility portfolio manager, is that I am now responsible for maintenance and making sure that I meet the needs of the organisation and its employees, to look after all services that make the business or organisation work. I am an excellent listener and communicator to the people who work under me. What excites me most about looking after a large venue, like Johannesburg Expo Centre, is to ensure that everyone who visits has a wonderful experience and that they would like to return again.” Prince Moloi, portfolio manager facilities.

6 Business Events Africa March 2021

Dumisani Zondi

Matthew Motswakae

“Any opportunity and challenge brings new enthusiasm and excitement. My operations portfolio has exposed me to a new outlook on my work and business. The new set of responsibilities serves as a stimulus for new ideas and corporate growth. The best thing about my new role is that I am learning so much all of the time. I am adapting and coping very well under pressure and the experience of learning from the exhibition industry experts is invaluable.” Dumisani Zondi, portfolio manager operations.

“The most exciting part about my new portfolio is that it’s challenging and has taken me out of my comfort zone. Being in a leadership position requires me to lead by example and always be professional. Taking full responsibility for not only my actions but actions of my team. I'm enjoying every moment of my new journey.” Matthew Motswakae, portfolio manager property.

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COVER STORY – JOHANNESBURG EXPO CENTRE

Some of the JEC team members were asked to share what they missed most.

Ziad Khan

A few suppliers share what they miss the most

Refilwe Mokgaotsi

Believe Sibiya

“What I miss most about events is the adrenalin and pace of the event day setup, the magical moment at the end where somehow it all comes together. The moment when guests start arriving and everything is set up. It’s such a rewarding feeling to see how everything comes together and the moment when guests begin to arrive,” Refilwe Mokgaotsi, sales and event co-ordinator.

“The one thing I really miss is that very first meeting with a client. When we sit together, get to know one another, and understand the concept the client has. I become inspired by the thought of making the client’s dreams come to life. Knowing that I have made life easier for the client makes me take pride in the work I would have put in,” Believe Sibiya, sales and event coordinator.

“What we miss the most is the human aspect of contact and conversation, the one-on-one business interaction. Seeing families and just general public enjoying a great day out,” Ziad Khan, ZF Cleaning.

Dian Bekker

“Surely miss the events and exhibitions but what I would say we miss the most is the comforting sound of people enjoying themselves and the buzz and hype around the events and exhibitions. Then also the commitment of everyone putting the event together,” Dian Bekker, Main Event Catering Pty Ltd. Hannes Venter

Petronella Malebadi

The most exciting event that I enjoy and miss is the Rand Show. The reason being is because it’s the biggest show during the Easter period where we can bring our family, mostly to enjoy the kid’s entertainment,” Petronella Malebadi, receptionist.

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“The interactive participation between organisers, service providers and contractors during the planning, the build-up and the event phases. Then the experience once an event had been successfully delivered. I miss the feeling of satisfaction and the adrenalin of putting these events together. It is extremely rewarding, to see the entire event come to life and to acknowledge the talented individuals that made it happen. Mostly, I miss the opportunity to deliver such events,” Hannes Venter, general manager.

Earl Osborne

“I miss working with the JEC team and the organisers prior to the event and how the event materialises from an idea to an actual event. Business Events Africa March 2021 7

COVER STORY – JOHANNESBURG EXPO CENTRE

Mostly I miss being involved in the actual event and assisting the organisers through either videography, photography, audio service or just information tower activations. I also miss the financial rewards and benefits from the events we work on. Simply, just being able to pay staff and knowing their efforts are rewarded. “Overall, I miss the life that an event brings to a venue; the comradeship of all the service providers working hand-in-hand to deliver the events and the opportunity to meet new people and patrons and the exposure it gives me into other industries.” Earl Osborne, Ethos Productions. Organisers share what they really miss the most

Didi Okoro

“Half of the magic of the Rand Show comes from the world-class venue that we host it at. There is no other venue that can offer us the space, diversity and flexibility that Expo Centre does. Over and above the beautiful outdoor scenery, it’s the attention to detail that the venue offers and how they tailor-make solutions for our wide variety of clients.” On a personal note: Working with the JEC team is always a pleasure. The team is professional, go the extra mile and have integrity throughout all of the dealings. I know they have our best interest at heart. I would recommend them over and over again,” Didi Okoro, head of sales, Dogan Exhibitions and Events. “Having worked with Expo Centre since 2013, I have found the venue and staff to be extremely accommodating and always willing to assist, where possible, to ensure the successful delivery of our events. The size of the venue and other infrastructure, make it an ideal venue for large-scale events.” Joshua Low, chief executive officer Messe Frankfurt. 8 Business Events Africa March 2021

Joshua Low

Gary Corin

“Without a doubt, I have missed the planning and execution of events. As it is a large event, incorporating many different facets that are pivotal to the success of the show and client satisfaction, the physical interaction with quality key suppliers, the venue and the incredible team of people I work with over the year of planning, has also left a huge gap. As all event companies know, the build-up is filled with excitement and exhilaration seeing everything come together and when that ribbon is cut and the event is declared open for business. The atmosphere is electric and knowing your event has provided the platform for millions of dollars of business to be concluded on the exhibition floor. What a feeling! “The Johannesburg Expo Centre is the venue of choice to host the annual China Homelife and China Machinex Fairs. Easily accessible from all major arterial routes, which is important to the event attendees, plenty of parking and in line with the show expansion year on year, the ability to utilise more space but keep the show in one area is key to the success of the event. The Management and staff are all-round professional, courteous and have always gone the extra mile to ensure that the show has been successfully executed.” Glynis Du Toit, Expo Dynamix Pty Ltd (SA Project Manager for China Homelife and China Machinex Fairs).

“During the pandemic, the Johannesburg Expo Centre proved that they are a world-class venue. They were able to adapt and deliver a field hospital of international standard; considering the aircon, oxygen, ablution facilities, and the feeding of patients they administered to – and they still followed all the Covid protocols. They were able to sectionalise the venue whilst still housing their tenants, in a safe environment without intra-company transmissions of the virus – a testament to their adaptability”. “Our exhibitions provide a platform for our exhibitors to engage face-to-face with their clients, launch new products and stay up-to-date with industry trends. Humans crave socialisation and networking with new individuals. Face-to-face events provide countless opportunities to connect with others in a way that cannot be achieved online. It’s human nature to congregate. People have slowly and safely started re-engaging, and it’s time for business to do that again. We demonstrated our ability, as an industry, to do this under Covid-19 health protocols during our Restart Expo. We look forward to our industry reopening and taking a leadership position when delivering business-to-business exhibitions.” Gary Corin, managing director at Specialised Exhibitions. E: info@expocentre.co.za T: +27 (0)11 494 1920 https://expocentre.co.za/contact-us/ Contact Us | Exhibition, Conference & Events | Johannesburg Expo Centre https://expocentre.co.za

Glynnis Du Toit

MEETING YOUR DEMANDS, EXCEEDING YOUR EXPECTATIONS

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CHEF’S PROFILE

Executive chef Willie Mcotoyi Willie Mcotoyi brings a ‘taste from around the world’ to the Boardwalk Hotel.

he Boardwalk Hotel and Casino’s new executive chef, Willie Mcotoyi, was born in iQonce, and always promised himself that he would end his career back in his home province of the Eastern Cape. “I’ve never worked in the Eastern Cape and I’ve always wanted to bring the skills I have learnt around the world and share them with up-and-coming young chefs,” Willie said, who started work at the Sun International’s Boardwalk Casino, Hotel and International Conference Centre (ICC) in February. The 49-year-old chef brings his unique style of cooking, infused with “passion, simplicity and thinking” to Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth), where he aims to establish Kipling’s Restaurant inside the four-star hotel as one of the city’s best steakhouses. He is also redesigning the menus at the popular buffet and ala carte restaurant, The Bayside Pantry, inside the casino, aiming to introduce live cooking stations with “tastes from around the world – Mexican, Asian, Indian and South African”. Prior to his arrival in the friendly city, Willie, who is married with three children, was “part of the furniture” at another Sun International resort, Sun City. “I worked there for fifteen years, at the Palace and Soho hotels. The latter was where I took up my first executive chef position in 2014.” In 2017, he was promoted to the resort’s international convention centre, in charge of banqueting. Previously, he has worked in Germany

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and in Brussels while with the Radisson Hotel Group, The Table Bay in Cape Town and Emperor’s Palace in Johannesburg. “I’ve worked at about 13 or 14 hotels, but also in several restaurants in Cape Town in the 1990s,” he said. Willie fell in love with cooking during his high school years in Cape Town, while assisting his late brother Moses, a chef at the Cape Sun, in the kitchens. “After school I completed a Professional Cookery Diploma at HTA Culinary School in Johannesburg, and after some practical training, followed this with a management coaching certificate at the University of Stellenbosch. This has helped me when developing and coaching young chefs.” Bringing on new talent is a priority for Willie, who names Singaporean chef Jeffrey Siew as one of his mentors. His favourite dish to eat is umvubo, a traditional Xhosa meal prepared with maize meal, water and sour milk. “When my family hears that I am coming home, this is what they will cook for me. My favourite food memory is eating an eisbein in Germany; the way it was presented, with traditional sauerkraut. It was delicious.” He dislikes eating avocado, but enjoys using it in his dishes, and said gelatine is the most challenging ingredient to work with. “You train your chefs, but they often want a dish to set faster, so they use too much and when you taste the food, it is rubbery. Stick to the recipe,” he advised. When it comes to catering, Willie said he always advised his team to “get organised, get your prep done the day before, including your counting, and then doublecheck. You cannot be short on items like lamb shank.” Touching on how the pandemic had affected his domain, Willie said the health and safety regulations were “tough and costly, with a focus on strict hygiene”. “Management must be present, senior chefs guiding the youngsters. We are doing individual packaging for buffet breakfasts, with cooked items dished up by a chef. Working in Europe in the early 2000’s left a lasting impression on Willie. “The way they prepare, the organisation that goes into running a kitchen - it made me grow up and realise I wanted to aspire to their standards.” It is this precision that Willie aims to bring to The Boardwalk’s kitchens,

and he hopes that guests will visit to enjoy “the Sun International experience, which is the best in the Bay”. What is your signature dish? Slow-braised lamb shank, served with rosemary and coriander mash potato, root vegetables and pesto jus. Served with a full-bodied red wine, like Cathedral Cellar Triptych, which is a blend. What trends are emerging in the conference industry regarding food? Live cooking demo stations are an emerging trend. Customers want to be engaged and entertained. We are looking at doing themed cooking stations, with Asian, Mexican, American and Indian foods, for example. What has remained constant in this industry? Tea breaks with carbohydrates served, popular items like croissants and muffins. What global trends are there in the food and beverage industry now? Individual packaging on food, thanks to Covid-19 health and safety regulations. What is your favourite beverage? Lemonade. What is your pet hate? Gossip. If you aren’t happy with something, talk to me. I also hate lazy people. What is your great love? My wife, Christine. What do you do for leisure? I like hunting in my spare time – be it a springbok or a rabbit. Are you adventurous? No, you will find me watching cooking shows on TV. What advice do you have for those wanting to become an executive chef? It takes commitment, dedication, consistency and hard work. Business Events Africa March 2021 9

PERSONALITY PROFILE

Palace of the Lost City at Sun City

Yolanda Woeke – committed to achieving client expectations Yolanda Woeke, 46, vice president: sales and marketing, Dragonfly Africa, has always had a passion for travel and hotels. She began her career in hospitality.

have always loved travel, and to be instrumental in making bucket list experiences come true for big group travel to our magical destinations is a rewarding job. Dragonfly Africa is undoubtedly Southern and East Africa’s leading travel and destination marketing company, and I love being part of this extremely dynamic team.” Ms Woeke never thought about working for a Destination Management Company (DMC). “My passion was always operations, working with people and making sure that guests’ experiences are met, above and beyond.” “I also believed I would go into cooking, but the moment that Dragonfly Africa approached me to ask if I would like to join them, I said yes. I very quickly realised that they are not only the best in the industry, but also that they also treat their staff with the utmost respect and their team is their

10 Business Events Africa March 2021

biggest asset and value. This was probably the best decision I made in my life, nineteen years ago.” Ms Woeke said: “At present, the incentive industry is struggling hugely, from all key source markets and unfortunately, we all thought 2020 would be the year that we would need to recover from, but it has become noticeably clear that we also need to survive 2021. This time has certainly taught us to think outside the box, doing things we never thought we would do, offering virtual experiences, individual incentives, trying to make ends meet. More than ever, we are making sure that we are being seen, active on social media and connecting with our clients more regularly than before by using online platforms.” “The future for Africa, once all travel restrictions, vaccines, etc. fall in line, will be phenomenal. It will be the first destination people return to – that immersive, bucket www.businesseventsafrica.com

PERSONALITY PROFILE

list experience that brings experiential memories. Of course, our very natural physical distancing with vast areas, small cities and remote locations, for example; safaris are just such a no brainer. What can I say? Come to Africa! We are ready when you are.” Where did you grow up? I had a quite simple, innocent upbringing. I went to Belville High School and fell in love with cooking, thanks to my home economics teacher, Mrs Burger. She was amazing and really inspired me. She suggested that I attend hotel school, which I applied for in Bantry Bay. They only accepted forty students at the time, and I was lucky enough to be selected. I loved every moment of it.

What has been the biggest change you’ve seen in this sector? The biggest change I have seen is what we are experiencing right now – Covid-19. The hospitality industry is suffering, and the worst thing is that there is no help in sight, no assistance from government. It is sad, and very scary, and I worry for the future of hospitality. There are going to be very few hospitality students coming through, as they will also be concerned about the future of the industry. Having said this, I genuinely believe that business will return, and when it does, we are going to have a void from the loss of skilled hospitality staff, but also room for people who would like to diversify and who wish to be a part of this exciting industry.

Where did you begin your career? My career began, funny enough, at Sun City. I hadn’t even received my diploma yet, but there was the Nedbank Million Dollar Golf Challenge, as it was known in those days. A friend at Sun City said that they were looking for someone to handle the Nedbank Corporate Hospitality tent. I had the very first interview of my career and began the following day, looking after the who’s who of the zoo attending this very prestigious event. I then received an offer from the Entertainment Centre’s general manager to run the biggest F&B outlet in the Entertainment Centre, Jungle Café. From there I moved into the banqueting side of things, and at the young age of 23 I was one of the first female duty managers overlooking the whole Entertainment Centre at Sun City. I was fortunate to manage large events such as the Loerie Awards, Miss World and Miss South Africa which were all televised live. It was very intricate and demanding, but amazing. On several occasions I had to work 24 hour shifts to make things come together. My personal favourite was looking after the ‘Star Suites’, where I got to meet and look after some of the key stars of those days like Tom Jones, Michael Jackson, Cher, Oprah and Tina Turner. All of this at a very tender age, and I loved every single moment of it.

Were you always involved in this sector? Yes, always have been, even in high school when I worked part-time in hotels and restaurants.

How long have you been in the sector? I have been in this sector of the industry since I left school in 1992, so almost thirty years.

Do you have any hobbies? I love to cook and entertain, so it’s like being at work, but just at home. That’s how deeply rooted my passion and love for the industry is.

www.businesseventsafrica.com

Are you married? I am not married, but I have a partner who I love and adore and who respects my passion for the industry and time away from home etc. He is a super supporter of mine, his name is Deon. What role does your family play in your life? My family is particularly important to me. I always think of myself as being Greek or Italian as I have that kind of passion for my family. Unfortunately, in this industry, family doesn’t always get to come first, but when we are together, we have one hell of a good time! What would you change in your life, if you could, when looking back? The only thing is probably trying to create a better work-life balance. As I’m sure everyone in the industry knows, hospitality is your whole world. When you step into it, that’s what you do and that’s what you do best because you are only as good as the last program you ran, or meal you served. It’s a very demanding job, but we love what we do.

Do you play any sports? I don’t play sports, but I do love to be active. I love a good hike. There are so many opportunities for fantastic hiking up Table Mountain, Platteklip Gorge, Jonkershoek etc. on our doorstep, living in beautiful Cape Town. My favourite sport to watch is tennis and I love Djokovic and can’t wait for Wimbledon. This is one of my favourite things to do – watch tennis. It is a dream of mine to attend a male semi-final in the Wimbledon Tennis arena. That is my ultimate dream. What do you do for leisure? I like to stay at home when I get the chance, where I usually don’t spend much time. Or you will find me out and about exploring local, hidden African gems in our country. So, I travel for leisure too. What is your secret to success? What is success? I’m not quite sure. All I know is that I’m passionate, dedicated and completely committed to achieving the expectations of clients wanting to travel to Africa, and that’s what I strive to do. This must be the secret to my success. I believe in, and am passionate about the product – and our company – and I love what I do. What has been the most embarrassing moment in the industry? A long time ago I was working at Spier Wine Estate as the sales manager, and I hosted quite a few important clients for lunch. Eventually one of them said to me, “You do know that you’ve got a curler stuck in your hair?” I couldn’t believe it! I was on the estate with these guests for two hours and I had this big fat red curler stuck in my hair and nobody told me. It was so embarrassing and very funny and obviously a story that will be told for many years to come. What has been your biggest challenge in this sector? The biggest challenge in our industry is explaining to people how it all works, the logistics, as it is quite involved. We need to get them over that hurdle and the fear of Africa, which is not an easy sell. It should be, as it has the best on offer in terms of bucket-list experiences. I would also have to say calling ‘rain plan’. That is definitely a challenge, after months, if not years of planning an event, this is always stressful. Business Events Africa March 2021 11

PERSONALITY PROFILE

New York, New York

What is your pet hate? Flight delays. I spend a lot of time at airports around the world, and flight delays give me a serious case of hurry up and wait. AAAARGHGH! What is the most memorable place you have ever been to, and why? I would have to say Mozambique. I know I get to travel to a lot of beautiful destinations, but recently (prior to Covid) I went on a personal holiday to Mozambique. It was so different, and I loved it. The people, the food, the experience, the beauty of it. I loved every minute. Then of course, everyone knows, I’m one of the biggest fans of Gorilla Trekking. Be it in Rwanda or Uganda, it’s a bucket-list experience. What type of holiday would you avoid at all costs? A holiday with pre-planned group excursions, where you are spending most of your time in a bus looking through a dirty window. I like things to be private, personal, excusive and where I can choose when and what. If you could be anyone for the day who would you be and why? David Attenborough for sure. The things that he has experienced are incredible. I would love to be in his shoes for just one day. What is your favourite city? That’s a tough one, but I would have to say New York. It is a city that never sleeps. 12 Business Events Africa March 2021

It has a beat of its own, history, culture, great restaurants. Somehow, I feel at home in New York, and I just love it.

impulsive and crazy. I hated it, then I loved it and it was just the most amazing experience I have had.

What is your favourite book, film, TV programme? Favourite book: ‘The shackled Continent’ by Moletsi Mbeki. Favourite film: Out of Africa. TV: I prefer podcasts over TV and listen to Gareth Cliff religiously.

Who is your role model? Within the industry that would be Rupert Jeffries, our executive chairman at Dragonfly Africa. He has taught me everything I know. Lucy Quinan too, our senior operations manager. Rupert never lets anything go, and that’s how you remember it – quality, service, attitude, respect, all those wonderful things.

How do you relax? Unfortunately, I’m not very good at relaxing, as there is always something to do, especially operating in the key markets that we do, with almost no down time. When one country is sleeping, the other is awake, but if I do relax, it’s either with a beautiful hike, good food and wine at an amazing restaurant or yoga. What is your favourite food? I would like to say Japanese. Japanese or Korean food. I absolutely love it, the freshness, the different tastes and flavours, it’s unique. Of course, nothing beats a braai on my balcony. Who is your favourite movie star? I love Ryan Reynolds in his little red suit, in Dead Pool. It is such clever humour and he’s very good-looking. What is the most impulsive thing you have ever done? I abseiled from Table Mountain. Barry Futter from Adventure Works helped me to overcome some of my fears. That was

What advice do you have for anyone starting out in this industry and hoping to follow in your footsteps? Make sure that you are committed. You cannot do it half-heartedly. You have to be committed. What is your dream for the future? For now, we must get back to where we were before Covid-19. Where clients understand the importance of a DMC, that they understand the magnitude that Africa could have on a sales performance as a reward. I really dream and feel and believe that anybody who still needs to achieve that bucket list, needs to do it in Africa. We are travel-ready, we have what it takes, the people, the feel of Africa, the exquisite cuisine, the amazing accommodation, and of course the wildlife in its natural habitat. Perfect for their next trip. www.businesseventsafrica.com

VENUE NEWS

The Capital Pearls appoints Logan Naidoo as hotel group’s youngest GM Logan Naidoo, 34, has been appointed general manager of The Capital Pearls in Umhlanga, with Naidoo moving back to the property where he was assistant general manager previously after a stint as general manager of the group’s hotel in Rosebank, Johannesburg.

e is the youngest general manager in the group and his fitting into this role has been inspired by The Capital Hotels and Apartments’ investment in its people, and its entrepreneurship-focused growth strategy. Mr Naidoo joined the hotel group at The Capital Pearls, in 2017, as its Banqueting Manager, setting an incredible pace and exceeding all budgets and expectations in his first few months at the property. He complemented his passions for hospitality and servant leadership by taking advantage of the multiple training opportunities offered by The Capital Hotels and Apartments, including the group’s Generic Management Course. His first big move arrived in late 2018, www.businesseventsafrica.com

when he was promoted to deputy general manager of The Capital Pearls, when he fully embraced the group’s entrepreneurial approach, including its staff-oriented ethos in all interactions. With his personal motto being ‘deliver to your staff what you expect from your boss’, his approach saw The Capital Pearls have a successful 2019 festive season – paving the way for his move to The Capital on Bath in Johannesburg. His astute approach to hospitality saw this hotel enjoy an eighty per cent occupancy during the Covid-19 riskadjusted lockdown, and combined with his leadership, during one of the toughest periods in the group’s history, were the impetus behind him being

asked to return to The Capital Pearls as general manager to lead it through the 2020 festive season and beyond. “The Capital Apartments and Hotels believes in developing our future stars from within our own teams, and therefore we offer extensive training and work experience opportunities, whether they’re aligned to a person’s current role or not. “This means that everyone – irrespective what their job is – is able to make and take the opportunity to develop their skills and advance into new roles, and Logan is a wonderful example of the success of this approach,” said John Skelton, chief of people and culture of The Capital Apartments and Hotels. Business Events Africa March 2021 13

COVER ON SHOW STORY SOLUTIONS – JOHANNESBURG CASE STUDY EXPO CENTRE

Focusing on the future A case study on how global organisers, On Show Solutions moved their tourism roadshows into a virtual world. By Jacqui Reynolds, co-owner of On Show Solutions - global organisers of Africa Showcase.

e realised early in the pandemic that you can have an incredibly successful business, but without clients, you’re nobody. Tourism and events (especially tourism events) had halted overnight. After the initial shock, we realised that we did not want to hibernate and wait this out, but rather jump in with both feet. Why? We needed to play our part in giving the tourism industry, and especially our clients, a channel for recovery. The vehicle and the venue would be different, but the one constant that remains is that we get to continue doing what we’re passionate about - connecting African tourism companies to the best Africa specialists globally. It’s been exciting to be part of this initiative for Africa Showcase. We’re always evolving our roadshows to improve year on year, but our global team truly rallied together to ensure we could offer an impactful solution for our virtual world. From September to November 2020, AFRICA SHOWCASE ONLINE embarked on a digital world tour hosting events with tourism buyers in North America, Australia and New Zealand, UK and Ireland and Mitteleuropa (the German-speaking market).

14 Business Events Africa March 2021

How did we do it? We approached the virtual world a little differently to all the other online platforms. After extensive research we knew we did not want to be in a gaming world with pretend avatars. We did not want to use a one-size-fits-all software option. We wanted to create the feeling of being at one of our signature roadshows. We were very aware that some of our older buyers in the markets would just not get the hang of a virtual showcase if it was too technical. So we sewed together three elements to make it work. Integration between a web-based event platform, looping pre-scheduled meetings and a live studio feed enabled participants to get the full virtual experience. We encouraged our exhibitors to present from their properties, wherever Covid-19 regulations allowed, to create a virtual fam trip for the participants. International buyers could see into the safari camps, feel the African sunset/sunrise depending on our time zones and be reminded of all the amazing experiences that our continent offers. The new reality is that professional event organisers now need a wider set of skills to incorporate a range of technical proficiencies, experience of digital marketing, understanding of broadcast and

production, video creation and design. Virtual shows are actually more work than physical events with less room for error. There is a misconception that virtual events should be free, but to do it properly there are significant cost factors. Our events have always delivered a strong return on investment for participants with media and marketing coverage to attract the right audiences and we’ve always compiled solid post-show reports. Our online system offers further credibility, trackability of meetings and full analytics. Our matchmaking team offers a concierge service to pre-schedule all the meetings with qualified buyers who are invited by our global network of facilitators. While we cannot see into the meetings (ensuring exhibitors can still have private discussions), our video calling allows us to see who should be on the call and if anyone drops off, then our virtual helpdesk can assist in real time. The meetings are set to loop one into the next, so each meeting arrives seamlessly in the same way that our ‘speed marketing’ works in our physical events. We can do one-on-one meetings or one-to-many. The event platform can be fully branded and we can easily adapt it for small and intimate events as well as large-scale events. www.businesseventsafrica.com

ON SHOW SOLUTIONS CHEF’S CASE PROFILE STUDY

What does a digital audience want? We already knew that we were moving towards a digital future; Covid-19 has accelerated this. The nature of human interaction has been hugely affected, but people still want to connect. Our tourism sector is a particularly social bunch and we know how important it is for people to see people. Audiences in a virtual world expect: • Authenticity and a human touch. • Participation in an engaging experience. • Ability to self-select their experience. • Right content right now. • To be entertained. Research shows that participants in virtual events are not looking to be sold to. So we encourage our exhibitors to get to know the buyers and to be storytellers about their products. This is an opportunity to sell the dream of African travel in their own words from their unique location. Eighty per cent of people join virtual events for educational purposes; the next biggest reason is networking. Audience engagement is the largest challenge and we’ve tried to work some enjoyable elements into the online showcases. We run live travel quizzes throughout the events with questions featuring our exhibitors. We encourage the buyers to upload photos of themselves on safari or dressed in safari gear in their homes. We want to see what they look like on the other side of the screen, to create connections in a fun way and not only in business meetings. What’s next for Africa Showcase? The next edition for Africa Showcase Online is scheduled for 22 – 26 March 2021. Travellers from Europe are tipped to be the first wave of international visitors once the vaccine is sufficiently rolled out and general perception about travel safety starts to open up. The showcase will deliver the latest market insights and direct meetings with four prime markets: • Nordics 22 – 23 March 2021 • Central Eastern Europe and Russia 23 – 24 March 2021 • Southern Europe 24 – 25 March 2021 • Mitteleuropa and Benelux 25 – 26 March 2021 www.businesseventsafrica.com

Business Events Africa March 2021 15

PAGE CTICCSTRAP AGM

Cape Town International Convention Centre 2 entrance.

Facing an ever-changing future with hope and optimism The Board and shareholders attending the CTICC Annual General Meeting (AGM) heard an inspirational account of how, during unprecedented times, the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) has adapted its business to serve the people of the Western Cape.

aubie Motlhabane, chief executive officer: “2020 was an unusual year; but like a chameleon responding to its changing environment, the CTICC adapted to the challenges presented by Covid-19.” “We did this by pivoting our business practices, transforming operations and reigniting our passion for innovation. And, with the support of our various partners, we are cautiously optimistic. We are all going through a very tough time, but we are hopeful that brighter days are coming.” “The company was set for a good fourth quarter,” Ms Motlhabane continued, “and we were poised to achieve our revenue target of R285 million. However, when Lockdown Level 5 was implemented in March 2020, the CTICC’s closure had a significant impact on our performance, resulting in revenue falling to R220.7 million, 23 per cent below the initial target”. As a result of this, an EBITDA loss of R23.6 million was anticipated. However, with careful management of costs, Ms Motlhabane and her team managed to reduce the deficit to R12.5 million (a 46.8 per cent improvement on the revised target).

16 Business Events Africa March 2021

The Executive Mayor of the City of Cape Town, Alderman Dan Plato, pointed out in his Foreword in the CTICC’s 2019/20 Integrated Annual Report: “The CTICC has adapted itself remarkably to contribute to the opportunity city. Its cumulative economic contribution to the Western Cape Province has risen by R4.9 billion this financial year to R44.5 billion.” Furthermore, the centre’s contribution to South Africa’s national GDP was R5.5 billion. More than 11 000 jobs were created nationally, bringing the total number of jobs created since the CTICC opened its doors in 2003 to 142 326. These are jobs that have been made possible because of the existence of the CTICC. The CTICC also reported that 87.5 per cent of total procurement spend was with locally-based service partners, while 86 per cent of its spend was placed with B-BBEE service partners. In addition, 42 per cent of the total service partner base were women-owned enterprises, up three per cent on the previous financial year. Adapting with agility to serve the Western Cape and its communities One of the CTICC’s achievements that Ms Motlhabane is proud of is the hosting of

Taubie Motlhabane, chief executive officer of the CTICC.

the temporary Covid-19 Hospital of Hope in CTICC 1. The 862-bed hospital cared for more than 1 500 patients over the 11 weeks it was open. In that time, the CTICC kitchens provided up to six meals a day for patients, catering for a range of dietary needs, such as those with diabetic, cardiac and other specialised requirements. The CTICC also provided operational support, WiFi and security, amongst other services. “With our halls standing empty because of the national lockdown, www.businesseventsafrica.com

PAGE CTICCSTRAP AGM

donating space to the Hospital of Hope and the Ladles of Love feeding scheme made sense.” Ladles of Love required space to store, prepare and distribute food to some of Cape Town’s most vulnerable communities. In the sixty days they were based at CTICC 2, Ladles of Love delivered close to 2.6 million meals across Cape Town. “At these times, supporting our communities has become an important expression of the CTICC’s triple-bottom-line commitment to people, planet and profit,” said Deon Cloete, CTICC board chairperson in his foreword to the 2019/20 Integrated Annual Report. These initiatives brought the CTICC’s overall CSR contribution during the financial year to a total value of R5.5 million, an increase of 340 per cent. Hosting and creating extraordinary events and experiences: past, present and future. From July 2019 to March 2020, the CTICC hosted 397 events, including 34 international conferences, meeting their annual target. This figure was the same as last year, despite three and a half months of no activity. The largest international event was AfricaCom 2019, which was attended by 11 527 delegates, while other major local events included the Cape Homemakers Expo 2019 (26 686) and the Investec Cape Town Art Fair 2020 (22 000), as well as Mama Magic: The Baby Expo (19 782). In addition, the CTICC attracted a number of new events such as the Korean Consumer Showcase, the Asian Racing Conference and the Doha Debates. The CTICC also instituted its ‘own events’ this year, with the first CTICC Gift Fair attracting almost 3 000 visitors in November 2019.

The CTICC’s Hospital of Hope helpers.

www.businesseventsafrica.com

The CTICC’s Hybrid Studio.

The AllSport Expo was the CTICC’s next ‘own event’. This one-stop-shop sporting exhibition was formally launched in March 2020 and was planned for September 2020. However, it was postponed due to Covid-19. As Ms Motlhabane explained: “Although the CTICC could not host the full in-person exhibition due to Covid-19 restrictions, we demonstrated our agility by adapting the event and hosting digital AllSport coaching workshops in October and November 2020.” A specific and renewed emphasis on Africa-focused events during the year under review has built on the wide range of African-themed events already hosted at the CTICC by bringing in new events, such as the Africa Energy Indaba, the Manufacturing Indaba and Africa Halal Week, as well as MTN’s Global Connect trade expo.

Keeping sustainability to the fore, whatever the future holds In keeping with its sustainability focus, the CTICC diverted 71 per cent of its waste from landfill. Municipal water consumption was also reduced by 33.1 per cent. This was partly due to the CTICC’s reverse osmosis plant, which converts groundwater to drinking water. The quality of this water is so good, it was used by the Hospital of Hope for all their requirements. “The CTICC has been committed to being a responsible environmental citizen since it opened its doors in 2003,” Ms Motlhabane said. “We are conscious of the environmental impact of our operations and make every effort to reduce our consumption of water and energy.” Overall energy consumption dropped by nearly five per cent compared to the previous financial year.

Adapting to the ever-changing Covid-19 environment Premier of the Western Cape Alan Winde has noted in his foreword in the 2019/20 Integrated Annual Report that social distancing, remote working and connecting through technology has become the new – or next – normal. “The CTICC adapted swiftly and has not only implemented comprehensive Covid-19 safety measures under the C19-Care initiative, but has also introduced remote working, as well as a range of new hybrid and digital event options for its clients,” Mr Winde said. The centre can safely host events that fit the current constraints on public meetings, harnessing the very latest technology. A range of digital experiences is available, including a “walk-through” virtual experience.

So, where to next for the CTICC? “It has been almost a year since Covid-19 started disrupting our economy. The CTICC, like many other organisations, has been impacted by this global pandemic. We have had to adapt quickly and continuously. The future dictates that we continue to be agile and flexible, if we are going to thrive,” Ms Motlhabane said. “Our priority now is to get the CTICC back to full operational activity so that we can continue to contribute to South Africa’s GDP and the Western Cape’s GGP. We will focus on finding new ways of doing business and continue to innovate in the event space,” she said. Mr Motlhabane concluded by thanking her team and other stakeholders – as well as, in particular, the frontline staff who opened and sustained the Hospital of Hope. Business Events Africa March 2021 17

MARKET NEWS

Industry set for its first 2021 hybrid Africa MICE Masterclass 2021 Africa Tourism Partners in collaboration with South African Tourism, Gauteng Tourism Authority and BDO South Africa are pleased to announce that the 2021 Africa Business Tourism MICE Masterclass will be held in hybrid format.

he in-person session of the masterclass is scheduled to take place at Marriott Hotel, Melrose Arch, Johannesburg on 24 and 25 March 2021, with a limited number of physical attendees. The Masterclass is a professional development programme that offers a holistic view of opportunities for the Africa MICE industry during and beyond the Covid-19 era. The course will focus on among others, business recovery, survival strategies and how to do business differently, while providing a tangible solution to address current and future challenges. This is the first hybrid Africa Business Tourism MICE Masterclass since inception in 2018 due to Covid-19. The sector, as a whole, is struggling in this unprecedented time, therefore this course presents an outstanding opportunity for key players such as members and officials of Convention Bureaux, Tourism Authorities and Boards, ICCA, SITE, SAACI, AFSAE, PCOs, DMCs, SMMEs and entrepreneurs to reconnect. It also serves as an avenue to bring together experts across the international business events sector to dialogue, explore and share practical measures as well as sustainable interventions for the recovery and survival of the business events sector in Africa. 18 Business Events Africa March 2021

The course will be delivered in a highly interactive manner with a minimum number of pre-selected physical participants. This is to ensure strict adherence to Covid-19 protocols and safety. Considering the success of 2018 to 2020 Meetings Africa Business Tourism and MICE Masterclass, it is highly anticipated that the 2021 edition will be more impactful in providing support to participants in this difficult time, while equipping them with skills and knowledge for business continuity, survival in the “new normal” and post Covid-19 era. Another highlight is for delegates to gain insights into the significance of tourism equity and recovery funds for business continuity and industry revival from a business events sector perspective. Digital transformation, new approaches bidding, innovative venue and events management, business development, incentive travel and novel MICE business models in the “new normal” are also some of the key areas of discussions among several others. “It is encouraging to note that this hybrid Africa MICE Masterclass will be delivered by a faculty of renowned industry experts, academics and business

leaders from across the world,” said Christelle Grohmann, director, BDO, South Africa. “These include Dr. Rob Davidson - managing director, MICE Knowledge, UK: Amanda Kotze-Nhlapo, chief national convention bureau officer, South African Tourism; Nonnie Kubeka, head, Gauteng Conventions and Events Bureau; Prof. Dimitrios Buhalis, professor/established chair in tourism, Bournemouth University Business School; Rudi van der Vyver – chief executive officer, We Are Virtual, Elcia Grandcourt, director for Africa, UNWTO and Linda Pereira - executive director, CPL Events UK and Portugal. For registration and enquiries, please contact Rejoice Chishamba at: rejoice@africatourismpartners.com +27 (0) 11 318 1741/ +27 (0) 81 303 7030. www.businesseventsafrica.com

MARKET NEWS

Hosted Buyers ‘excited’ to attend fully virtual WTM Africa 2021 Hosted Buyer registration for the upcoming fully virtual Africa Travel Week (ATW), comprising World Travel Market Africa (WTMA) and International Luxury Travel Market Africa (ILTMA) has officially gone live – the first important step in hosting this much-needed platform connecting tourism industry professionals from Africa with the rest of the world.

osted Buyers have responded with enthusiasm, saying that they had expected the event to be held virtually due to the ever-changing travel regulations across the world, and were grateful for the opportunity to reconnect with their industry colleagues in this format. “Our Hosted Buyers are delighted that the event will continue to take place,” said Megan Oberholzer, portfolio director: travel, tourism and creative industries. www.businesseventsafrica.com

“The feedback we have received from buyers in North America, Europe, South America and Asia has been overwhelmingly positive, with our hosted buyers saying that, while they would have wished to connect in person, they’re excited that they will have an opportunity to connect, albeit virtually. Rao Usha from Rao Travel in the USA is pleased that the show will still be held. “I’m glad that this will be virtual, especially since it had to be cancelled in 2020.”

Marcela Souza from Live In Travel says WTM Africa has always been very important to her. “Being able to participate, having started my own company, is even more essential now. Africa is one of the destinations we most want to work with. For us Brazilians, it is an incredible destination.” Allan Falck, executive director Sundance Spirit is looking forward to another “highly productive, successful and superbly conducted WTM Africa.” Says Falck: “Anything Reed Exhibitions has in hand and organises is so professionally delivered. You have our support.” With attendees’ safety remaining the top priority, Reed Exhibitions Africa took the proactive decision earlier this month to announce a fully digital WTM Africa, with a focus on a show experience that delivers solid opportunities for business growth. The virtual format of WTM Africa will also apply to its suite of sister shows including International Luxury Market Africa (ILTMA), International Business Tourism Market Africa (IBTMA), The Sports and Tourism Exchange (SETE), Africa Tourism Investment Summit (ATIS), Travel Forward and EQUAL Africa. “Our virtual event platform makes it easy for delegates to participate in one-on-one meetings across the three days to accommodate different time zones. We already have buyers registered from the USA, UK, UAE, Spain, Poland, India, Germany, China, France, Brazil and Argentina, among others. Attendees will also benefit from additional value-adds such as directory listings, speed networking sessions, roundtable discussions, and forums from industry experts on a range of topics from hospitality, tourism, and aviation, to sustainability, resilience and recovery. Details on these will follow soon,” Ms Oberholzer explained. She added: “We have retained the virtual event on the same dates in April as the live event, as this is the correct time for the contracting season in Africa. This ensures that the timing is ripe for registered delegates to conduct meaningful business together and to collaborate on making travel to Africa happen again.” For more information on WTM Africa Virtual, visit: www.wtm.com/africa Business Events Africa March 2021 19

MARKET NEWS

Darryl Erasmus joins TrevPar World TrevPar World, well known in the hospitality sector as an innovative total revenue management solution provider, has diversified its offering following client and market demand.

he group has launched TrevPar World Distribution to offer existing and new hospitality operators’ stable, scalable, and the most affordable connectivity in market to the world’s global distribution systems (GDS). The group has appointed well known hospitality persona, Darryl Erasmus as the managing director of the new venture. Mr Erasmus, a well-known and respected figure in tourism and hospitality circles, spent several years working in the hospitality sector with various brands such as Protea Hotels by Marriott and the IHG owned Holiday Inn and Crowne Plaza brands. He has also led marketing and corporate communications efforts across Africa for the global travel e-commerce giant, Travelport, before spending a short stint outside of the sector as the chief executive of technology provider, Questek. Most recently as the chief quality assurance officer and the chief experience officer at South African Tourism and the Tourism Grading Council of South Africa, Mr Erasmus was instrumental in guiding the efforts of the destination to promote and position South Africa as a quality assured, diverse, and unique visitor experience destination. When asked about the recent appointment of Mr Erasmus as managing director of the new subsidiary, founder and chief executive officer for the group, Derek Martin said,“We are really thrilled that Darryl has agreed to join our team. He is a respected voice and personality in the sector. His diverse background, having worked with large international hotel brands, GDS e-commerce platforms, and South Africa’s quality assurance and destination marketing efforts at SA 20 Business Events Africa March 2021

Daryl Erasmus

Michael Breytenbach

Tourism, make him a huge asset to the team.” “The last year has been a rough time for the sector and as we all work towards our sector’s recovery, connectivity and widespread distribution of hospitality inventory and rates on global platforms is going to aid our recovery greatly. I’m excited to join such a dynamic team and to take TrevPar World Distribution’s cost effective connectivity solutions to the market,” Mr Erasmus commented, on his recent appointment. The group also welcomed Michael Breytenbach as an analyst to the team. Michael, a graduate of the Swiss Hotel School South Africa and University of Johannesburg Hospitality Management

will be assisting TrevPar World Total Revenue Management clients with developing and implementing strategic data driven revenue generating strategies. “Finding and developing young talent is a key focus within the TrevPar Group, we look forward to Michael’s contribution to the organisation,” Mr Martin said. On joining TrevPar, Mr Breytenbach said: “Having studied the TrevPar World Revenue Management module as part of my degree at the University of Johannesburg, it’s fascinating to be able to experience the implementation and see the importance of revenue management in practice. I’m excited and thankful to be given this unique opportunity.” www.businesseventsafrica.com

MARKET NEWS

FCM rebrand ushers in new era of business travel FCM Travel Solutions today unveiled a new logo and colour, new technologies and a new approach to corporate travel as part of an extensive rebranding initiative.

he rebranding comes at a time that business travel globally is experiencing unprecedented disruption with travellers’ needs changing like never before. “Over the last eighteen months we have been looking inwards and realised that our brand and corporate identity did not reflect who we are, or where we want to go. So, we decided to undertake a bold rebrand that better reflects our culture, ethos, and alternative position in the market,” said Andrew Stark, managing director of the Flight Centre Travel Group in the Middle East and Africa. “It’s an exciting era. It’s been a long time in the making but we couldn’t be more excited about our future and our new brand.” FCM’s single-minded purpose, throughout the rebrand, has been to ensure that customers can adapt, react, and thrive in this ever-changing world. To this end, the company has made some significant enhancements to its FCM Platform and its mobile app Sam. The bold green colour speaks to FCM’s new DNA: an energetic, sustainable brand that is not afraid to take a bold stance. FCM has taken a new direction with the new FCM platform, which is modern, user-friendly and built around customer choice. The platform integrates third-party booking tools to offer a smooth and flexible booking experience for both travel managers and travellers. Duty of Care, sustainability and AI powered reporting and savings are at the heart of the platform’s innovations. www.businesseventsafrica.com

The FCM platform offers vital information for travellers during their trip, and a fast response if an incident occurs. A new map dashboard gives travel managers a great overview of the location of their travellers, wherever they are in the world, with alert indications and a safety status for each traveller. It is now possible to display alerts and immediately see how many travellers are affected. Travellers may be contacted directly from the alert dashboard. Environmentally conscious travel is no longer an option, it is a responsibility. The FCM platform offers visual guidance on flight CO2 emissions, empowering both the traveller and the travel booker to make smart decisions as well as build carbon credits that may be invested in your nominated charities. Covid-19 has put pressure on companies’ budgets and expenses. The FCM platform allows you to know where your travel budget is going without digging into endless Excel spreadsheets. You are able to retrieve data easily by asking a simple question like, “What is my air spend?” Bonnie Smith, general manager FCM South Africa, explained: “Managing travel is more complex than ever. New needs emerge all the time. We realise that our clients can’t always wait for us to build solutions to all of their needs. That is why the FCM Platform is designed to be fully extended via APIs.” FCM’s mobile chatbot, Sam, has also received an upgrade and has evolved into a digital assistant across the entire platform. Sam provides AI powered alerts, booking tips and notifications both on desktop and on mobile. Ms Smith said: “We have found that intelligent recommendations, such as those provided

Andrew Stark

Bonnie Smith

by Sam, drive compliance. That is why we have enhanced Sam’s features significantly. For example, Sam now integrates with your calendar and suggests bookings for upcoming events. It will provide booking recommendations based on your preferred carriers, loyalty cards, preferred seats and more.” Mr Stark concluded: “FCM’s rebrand is more than just a pretty new logo and a modern new colour. It is a nod to a dynamic, demanding era of travel which requires the best in the business – a responsive and connected partner ready to take control and tackle disruption.” Business Events Africa March 2021 21

EVENT GREENING FORUM

Ways to shrink your event’s carbon footprint Different event formats have wildly differing carbon impacts. Understanding this can make for savvy event planning decisions.

ast year, the Event Greening Forum held a virtual Master Class on the topic #BuildBackBetter, unpacking how to host events that support best practice standards for preventing the spread of Covid-19 and promoting

22 Business Events Africa March 2021

sustainable outcomes. One of our international speakers was Shawna McKinley, a sustainability consultant, event planner, author and instructor based in Canada. She spoke about which event planning decisions

have the greatest influence on your event’s carbon footprint – which is the amount of greenhouse gases your activities release into the atmosphere, which in turn contribute to climate change. www.businesseventsafrica.com

EVENT GREENING FORUM

Not all greenhouse gases contribute to climate change equally. Because of this, a standardised measure – carbon dioxide equivalents, often written as CO²e – has been created to measure and account for all greenhouse gas emissions equitably. Ms McKinley identified four key areas as having the biggest impact on your event’s carbon footprint when compared to all other decisions: the event format (virtual, hybrid or in-person), the energy supply (where renewable energy is best), the venue’s sustainability (which usually refers to how well it uses resources), and switching to plant-based diets. So she recommends these are the four things event planners prioritise when deciding where to focus their energy and resources to produce an event with a low carbon footprint. It’s not surprising that taking events online, in part or whole, can significantly reduce your footprint. McKinley noted that hybrid events can reduce carbon emissions by sixty per cent or more. She also calculated the emissions of our virtual Master Class and what an equivalent in-person event would have produced. A number of estimates were used, but the online event worked out as having three per cent of the greenhouse gas emissions that the in-person alternative would have had: 35kg CO²e for the virtual event versus 1 160kg CO²e for in-person. At a traditional event transport is by far the biggest carbon contributor, followed by energy and then food. The virtual event had a minimal transport impact of 25.18kg CO²e for a production team of four people, whereas the impact would have been 1 137kg CO²e if this event had been held in person. This included four Cape Town participants flying to Johannesburg for the event. Keep in mind that there are many ways to reduce the transport requirements of an in-person or hybrid event. This includes choosing a destination close to where most of your delegates are based, finding a venue on a public transport route and offering delegates complimentary travel passes for it, choosing hotels within walking distance to your venue, using electric cabs where possible, opting for direct flights and so forth. In terms of energy use, the virtual event’s production team’s produced 6kg CO²e, while the in-person alternative www.businesseventsafrica.com

would have produced 13kg CO²e. This would typically be influenced by the energy efficiency of the venue as well as the power source. By using renewable energy certificates the carbon emissions can be offset. Refreshments are an important part of an event, which would add a further 10kg CO²e to its footprint. This could have been influenced by providing local, seasonal and organic food, while avoiding meat would have a significant impact on the footprint of the food. It’s important to note that Ms McKinley was not advocating that in-person events be exchanged for virtual ones. Rather she pointed out that this understanding is hugely valuable when you are planning your events with sustainability in mind. She said: “We need to consider the experience model that makes the most sense to achieve the event outcome, filtered through a lens of which model provides the least amount of environmental impact, and aligns best with our audience values.” With respect to our Master Class, taking it online was not only safer from a Covid-19 perspective, but it also made it easier for participants from around the country to join in, who may not have been able to attend otherwise. We could also seamlessly host two international speakers and make the event free-toattend for our members. These factors were all aligned with our priorities for this

event, so this format made the most sense. Any event planning may, however, aim to reduce its carbon footprint by considering transport, energy, the venue selection and catering options for the event.

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 wwweventgreening.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

Business Events Africa March 2021 23

SITE NEWS

Site announces Chapter of the Year and Excellence Awards winners Through the Chapter of the Year and Excellence Awards, SITE acknowledges the extraordinary efforts and performance of local chapter leaders and members, as well as recognising the importance of the SITE Chapter network to support growth and continued success of local initiatives that result in the strengthening of our incentive travel industry.

his year, the Chapter Excellence Awards acknowledge the extraordinary efforts and performance of our chapters across the globe. Throughout the lockdowns and uncertainty in our industry, our chapters reached out to and supported members with both educational and spirit-lifting content. They truly demonstrated the importance of an industry community like SITE. This year, we recognised chapters in eight categories and received submissions from seventeen different chapters. A judging panel of 29 volunteer leaders anonymously judged the submissions. Our thanks to each of these individuals for their support of our chapters.

Rising Star Award The Rising Star is awarded to a developing chapter that has delivered exceptional benefits for their members across a number of key areas. Accepting on behalf of the winner, SITE Africa, was Tes Proos, 2020/21 chapter president. SITE Africa expanded from a onecountry chapter, SITE South Africa, to cover an entire continent during the qualification period, necessitating a strategy shift to engage new regions. Chapter outreach utilised regional ambassadors and strong education to 24 Business Events Africa March 2021

promote the chapter, as well as incentive travel in general, which is new to many regions of the continent. The approach successfully increased membership by 22 per cent and the chapter continues to gain traction throughout all of Africa. Ms Proos said, “Winning the SITE Chapter Rising Star Award came as a very pleasant surprise. It was an extremely challenging year with the world going into lockdown only a few days after we presented our strategic plan during Meetings Africa.” In spite of the Covid-19 restrictions, we still had growth in new membership and our members were completely supportive in attending our virtual events and discussions. Hence, I would like to dedicate this award to all our African members. 2021 is proving to be even more challenging but there is never a time like the present to seize the opportunity to develop our future leadership and hone our skills to be ready for when our groups may travel again.

Excellence in Young Leaders The SITE Chapter Excellence Award in Young Leaders is offered to a Chapter which has supported a strong and vibrant young leader community through various chapter initiatives, with a focus on

personal growth and development of these young leaders within the larger SITE community. Accepting on behalf of the winner, SITE Chicago, was Colleen Brzozowski, 2020 Chapter President and the board. SITE Chicago’s young leader programme includes a combination of separate young leader engagements, along with intentional interactions between junior and senior industry professionals.

Excellence for a Sustainable Event The SITE Chapter Excellence Award in Sustainable Event recognises a single Chapter event or activity that demonstrates excellence in sustainability. Accepting on behalf of the winner, SITE Poland was Grazyna Grot-Duziak, 2020 Chapter President. As part of a larger scale project to focus on sustainability, SITE Poland executed an event themed around # 12 of the United Nations Sustainable Development goals, which outlines responsible consumption and production.

Excellence for a Special Event The SITE Chapter Excellence Award for a Special Event is awarded to the Chapter www.businesseventsafrica.com

SITE NEWS

that demonstrates creative excellence in delivering a signature event or activity that highlights the benefits of SITE membership and promotes advocacy for incentive travel in a truly memorable way. Accepting, again on behalf of the winner, SITE Chicago, was Colleen Brzozowski, 2020 Chapter President and the board. SITE Chicago’s flagship event, Holly Trolley, is a 5.5 hour progressive event featuring three Chicago venues with private trolley transfers in between. Aligning with SITE’s mission, the event was designed as a local-incentive-styled experience for members to increase engagement and build new business connections.

Excellence in Membership The SITE Chapter Excellence Award in Membership is awarded to the Chapter that has provided incredible value for their members during the qualifying period. This award considers member recruitment, retention, and engagement. Accepting on behalf of the winner, SITE Texas, were Lauren Dunnaway, 2020 Chapter President, and Randy Clark, VP Membership. Excellence in Education The SITE Chapter Excellence Award in Education is awarded to a Chapter that

created a multi-pronged approach to stay in touch and support members virtually. delivers a strong industry education component in their events and communications, aligned with the SITE Education Curriculum and/or SITE Foundation research. Accepting on behalf of the winner, SITE Texas, were Lauren Dunnaway, 2020 Chapter President & Melissa Soto, VP Events. SITE Texas crafted a year-long schedule of events based on a member needs assessment and alignment with SITE’s educational curriculum and the Incentive Travel Industry Index.

Excellence in Virtual Engagement The SITE Chapter Excellence Award in Virtual Engagement recognises excellence amongst SITE Chapters who have demonstrated creative and innovative approaches to engaging with their members through online, virtual and digital platforms such as a virtual event, social media campaign, webinar or other online activity. Accepting on behalf of the winner, SITE Canada, were Gabby Spanton, 2020 Chapter President and Pearleen Mofford, 2021 Chapter President. SITE Canada’s member engagement programme kicked into high gear once lockdowns were announced. The chapters

Chapter of the Year The SITE Chapter of the Year is the highest honour a Chapter can receive. It is awarded to a chapter that exemplifies the values and mission of SITE, demonstrates value to members, and establishes a sound leadership structure. Accepting on behalf of the winner, SITE Texas, were Lauren Dunnaway, 2020 Chapter President, and Lorraine Mahoney, 2021 Chapter President. Throughout the qualification period, SITE Texas amplified its focus on governance and operational excellence to deliver member value and ensure a strong succession to the chapter’s leadership. These efforts resulted in a year-overyear increase in membership of 12.5 per cent, with a 35 per cent growth in new members and a 78 per cent member retention, as well as engaging 25 per cent of the members in a volunteer capacity with the chapter. Key to this success was the launch of a chapter needs assessment to members which provided feedback used to refine the chapter’s strategy. Demonstrating its commitment to overall industry education and advocacy, the chapter contributed $5,000 to the SITE Foundation. Congratulations to SITE Texas, our 2020 Chapter of the Year!

What we’re all about: motivational experiences Why we do it? Business results! Site is the only global network of travel and event professionals committed to motivational experiences that deliver business results. Site provides insights and connections that inspire the utilisation of this powerful tool across diverse industries, regions and cultures. Site serves as a source of knowledge and best practices where members can make personal connections that sustain professional growth. Only one organisation sits at the critical intersection between those who seek the benefits of motivational tools and those who can provide these extraordinary experiences. That organisation is Site...

Contact

Email: info@sitesouthernafrica.com www.sitesouthernafrica.com www.siteglobal.com

AAXO NEWS

Tapping into sensory engagement on digital platforms Our industry’s goal is to reopen for business, but with no clear date in sight, we continue to see the loss of the skilled staff and companies that drive our business.

qually tragic is the loss of social interaction, which is key to building businesses. We are being forced to move events online and encourage attendee engagement through digital interaction. However, human beings are born with an innate need to interact physically. The power of physical contact is triggered by

the level of interaction with the five senses. We are, of course, sensory beings; it is how we learn and develop. Sensory engagement reinforces the way we experience an event. The move to digital and hybrid events poses potential risks for the exhibition industry. The power of exhibitions has always been attributed to the engagement of the senses; the potential buyers' tactile experience of the product is what seals the deal. Could selling behind a screen be equally effective once we remove the tactile engagement and all we are left with is our screens? With reports of human beings having an attention span of eight seconds, a second shorter than a 'goldfish', how do we ensure we are able to keep the attendees' attention online? We can ensure that the production quality is good, we are delivering compelling content, and that there are interesting interactive audience polls, but the challenge lies in extending the experience beyond the screen.

By Projeni Pather, chairperson of AAXO. Apart from the obvious, time and preparation are essential when attempting to engage the attendees’ senses online. All these suggestions require prior planning and groundwork with the attendee. My tips for tapping into sensory experiences on digital platforms, include sending samples to the attendee before the engagement; utilising items around the attendees’ office or home to create a tactile environment; forced breaks and networking sessions with peers; rewards for completing the tasks or staying until the end of the session; prize driven gamification of content, mini-individual or team challenges, and of course, time sensitivity to the attendees’ attention span. Will these activities guarantee success with the attendee? I think it is still too early to tell. One thing for sure, from research done across the industry, exhibitors and attendees can't wait to immerse themselves in the tactile experience that a physical event offers.

SAACI NEWS

Keeping audiences engaged By Glenton de Kock, chief executive officer of SAACI

With months of experience – and being realistic - it’s not a matter of if, but how, the meetings and events industry will continue to experiment and change in 2021 and beyond. We would all agree that it has been tough, and we still have a lot to learn.

he constant movement between alert levels in South Africa also presents a challenge when planning for any business events. We would encourage a holistic approach when planning for events during the remainder of quarter one and for quarter two of 2021. We have witnessed many who continue to demonstrate the ability to be agile as we charter these uncertain waters. With early indications that South Africa will see a gradual return to medium sized in-person business events in the third and fourth quarter of 2021, the continuation of hybrid and virtual events in the first and second quarter of 2021 will remain. The challenge is to stand out amongst all the hybrid and virtual events. We have shared that having the right skills, equipment, and plans are required in order to be successful. With the South African business events industry still very much restricted with regards to larger, in-person business

meetings, event planners and venues have recognised the need to retain audience attention for hybrid or virtual events. In certain research, indications are that audiences crave educational content at virtual events. As virtual versions of conferences and tradeshows continue into the new year, demand for certification courses and skill-building workshops is expected to continue. As SAACI prepares for the annual national congress 2021, one area we are all in agreement with, is to zero-in on which goals matter most for the audience right now and in the immediate future. Our efforts to bring in speakers who have already successfully navigated around the challenges that our industry has faced, coupled with providing real life experiences, is a corner stone to ensure audience engagement. In addition, the provision of materials that equip people with all the tools they require to succeed, is a key take-away aimed at providing

participants with something tangible through having attended the congress. We are also exploring how digital content such as eBooks, livestream podcasts, and videos make for great list-building value-adds for attendees. The coming months will call on all of us across the business events industry to challenge ourselves and innovate as we strive to keep our audiences engaged.

THE ASSOCIATION FOR CONFERENCE INDUSTRY LEADERS

CONNECT SAACI unites , supports and educates the business

events industry in southern Africa by creating sustainable environment for business growth

THRIVE Join SAACI and enjoy access to an inspiring network of industry professionals, while giving your business the professional status it needs to attract the attention of business leaders. GROW Become the business events professional you’ve always wanted to be. Access the SAACI Academy and enter a world of inspiration, connections and world-class skills development.

www.businesseventsafrica.com

Visit our online community: www.saaci.org www.saacicongress.org www.saaci-academy.org

+27(0)11 880 5883 info@saaci.org

Business Business Events Events Africa Africa October March 2020 2021 27 Learning | Growth | collaboration

SAEC NEWS

Challenging times in the events industry 2020 was a year that we in the tourism and events industry will never forget. The Covid-19 virus is dominating world news and the ensuing lock down period is a gravely difficult time globally. Our industry was hit the hardest worldwide.

By Ellen Oosthuizen, chairperson of SA Events Council

n the 25 years I’ve been in business, this was the last thing that I thought would happen to our industry. I was thinking of retiring but did not envisage ending my career like this. The tourism and events industry stretches over a vast area – and we are campaigning for all to open their doors again - events, exhibitions, concerts, tourism, venues, weddings and hospitality. Everyone in the industry has had to actively implement all protocols to safeguard ourselves, our staff, our 28 Business Events Africa March 2021

families and our working environment/s. Our focus has shifted from the everyday running of our businesses to ways of supporting safe, healthy and involved employees, suppliers and other stakeholders. Apart from the safety guidelines, we encountered another major hurdle: technology. Venues, event organisers, audio visual companies – even travel agents – had to quickly upskill themselves on unfamiliar technology. Zoom, Teams, Google Meet and the like entered our

homes and offices overnight. Sales executives had to keep us updated on their venues online, teambuilding got creative and offered online sessions, conferences/awards and other events suddenly had to be taken online and it was a very steep learning curve for all of us. Clients incurred extra costs in ensuring that the online sound was as professional as it would have been in-person, extra equipment needed to be brought in and the requirement that Wi-Fi needed to be sufficiently strong and www.businesseventsafrica.com

SAEC NEWS

stable became priority. Venues incurred extra expenses with having to bring in sanitisers and PPE items and staff had to remain compliant with the prescribed safety protocols. With the demise of buffet-style dining, catering had to be served in individually packed snack boxes. All these extra expenses are our new normal! On top of that, let’s not forget that we must now present JOC plans for 50+ pax, something that we have never done at this scale before. Event organisers must have a safety plan on how to mitigate risk and how to handle someone testing positive before, during or after the event. In March 2020, the SAEC (SA Events Council) was formed – represented by fourteen associations – to fight for the reopening of the events and tourism industry. The council has representation from: • Southern African Association for the Conference Industry (SAACI) • The Association of African Exhibition Organisers (AAXO) • Exhibition and Events Association of Southern Africa (EXSA) • Southern African Communications Industries Association (SACIA) • Technical Production and Services Association (TPSA) • The Event Safety Council (ESC) • Council of Events Professionals Africa (CEPA) • Event Greening Forum (EGF) • Society for Incentive Travel Excellence (SITE) • Professional Conference Organisers Alliance Network (PCOAN) • Professional Speakers Association of Southern Africa (PSASA), • International Congress and Conventions Association (ICCA) • The Township Business Events Council (SOBEC) • The South African Live Performance Association (SALPA) This collaboration of associations and bodies has been fighting tirelessly, since lockdown began, to open the industry by lobbying government and proposing responsible safety solutions to secure our future. The SAEC spent endless hours putting together the 42-page Events Safety Re-opening Guideline, preparing plans and procedures, meeting with government on ministerial level, writing letters to ministers and the president, hosting two proof-of-concept www.businesseventsafrica.com

conferences in July and September 2020, and supporting the Restart Expo in November 2020 at Nasrec, as well as the Recharge 2020 live event which was hosted by Big Concerts in Cape Town in December. All this effort has been to demonstrate that we are event safety ready to resume business. Yet all this seems to have been falling on deaf ears and it has been hard to remain steadfast. The lockdown has brought the industry together like never before. My experience, as part of the SAEC, is that we, as associations, have learned to collaborate for a single cause – and that is to open up our industry. Previously, we never needed to sit around a table with one another. It wasn’t seen to be necessary, although we knew about each other. During this lockdown, I have learned so much from exchanges with my colleagues on the SAEC - we have become a family. The lockdown has caused companies, venues, small business and airlines to close their doors. Tourism is struggling to recover. We have realised how much our industries overlap – and that we need to be supportive of one other because we depend on each other for business. Financially we were hit very hard. We are all in the same storm – each one in our own boat. Aside from trying to survive and pay our bills (personally and in business), we had to keep ourselves positive to keep focused on what is important in life – our families. Apart from our daily challenges to survive, we

remain wives, mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters who need to feed our families and pay bills. The Let’s Support Group, on Facebook, is one of many great initiatives showing how people in the industry support one another. Many of us have become entrepreneurs overnight and started side hustles to keep income flowing. We, in the events industry, are not a dying breed and we are not giving up! We are used to working hard, playing hard and we don’t take any challenge lightly. We are planning for survival. We will continue to meet new challenges for quite some time in the events and tourism industries - we just need to remain positive that we will get through this, together, somehow! I recently read this quote from Sir Richard Branson: “The best advice that I could give anyone is to spend your time working on whatever you are passionate about in life.’’ That is the only certainty in the minds of everyone in the events and tourism industries; we are all here because we have a passion for what we do, and do it, we will. Stay safe.

e: hello@saeventscouncil.org

Business Events Africa March 2021 29

#TRUSTUS

EXSA NEWS

Cry the ‘forgotten industry’ It’s a cry for recognition and protection for South Africa’s forgotten exhibition and event industry.

cry that largely concerns the severe restrictions imposed upon an industry that is a critical and essential contributor towards the recovery of the economy. Due to the lockdown measures under the Disaster Management Act, it is an industry that remains unable to trade in its core business activities and functions. It’s a cry for a stay of execution. From the banks and financial institutions that keep calling, that continue to hand companies over to their legal representatives, refusing to offer respite and the much-needed freeze on all credit card payments, overdrafts, bonds and

vehicle payments. This is not our fault, it is not our doing and yet our industry is labelled “high risk”. Companies are closing, folding, struggling to survive. It’s an industry afflicted. What is the value of business events sector? It’s an industry that generates expenditure which supports employment within the region. “Through the economic multiplier effect, re-spending within particular Industries generates an increase in economic output, household incomes and gross operating surpluses of business to support an increased number of jobs.” It’s an industry often coined “the dynamic tourism and hospitality industry”. Can it be deduced then, that this is where we should seek the muchneeded protection and recognition? If so, let it be forthcoming. It’s an Industry that offers safe, reasonable and implementable safety solutions to mitigate the Covid risk,

By Gill Gibbs, chairperson of EXSA

run by experienced role-players that focus on safety as a priority. It is a community of able-bodied, ready-tomobilise professionals that possesses the expertise, capacity and willingness to assist with the vaccination roll-out. It’s about building confidence - trusting in the Industry’s ability to recover and resume - for practitioners, for clients and for industry members. 13 March 2021 marked a year since the first batch of trade shows and events were cancelled. A week or so after that will be the anniversary of the first hard national lockdown. A year of no revenue in our core business activities – year of not utilising our skillsets and not enhancing our sector. The business events landscape is forever altered in this new normal era, yet never forgotten by its community of loyalists. It is a message to government #TRUSTUS to reopen safe exhibitions and events. Help us to keep our industry alive.

TECHNOLOGY

Flock kicks off new Knowledge Series Flock has kicked off season two of their Knowledge Series on 17 March 2021.

he first episode was on the event trends for 2021 and beyond and featured a panel of experts from a range of industries who spoke about the impact of virtual events on their businesses, their respective industries, and how event tech is changing the way that people and brands connect. Flock Eventing Platform is a leader in the online events space and has hosted a range of different kinds of online events for companies such as PSG, JSE and MTN. Flock is launching its second Knowledge Series which will cover global event trends as well as various industries’ responses to the ever-changing landscape of events. The event trends webinar is the first episode in the second season of the Flock Knowledge Series and explored the future of events and how Covid-19 has changed the global event landscape forever. Flock picked the brains of industry professionals from the tourism sector, cyber security, marketing, futurism, VR and AR, to gain a full understanding of what future trends are predicting.

Flock discussed the following topics with its panel of experts: • The huge impact online events has on the marketing industry. • Trends in virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) in online events. • The many different tools and strategies to engage online attendees and create unforgettable experiences. • The importance of data security in the online event space, how attendees may safeguard themselves and what to look out for. • What the event organisers’ role is with regards to online event security and attendee data protection. • Trends in the tourism industry. Mike Lysko, chief executive officer and founder of Flock Eventing Platform, said: “The nature and scope of events are changing every day due to rapidly developing tech innovation. No one knows what gatherings will look like in a year or even a few months’ time. Flock is always interested in opening up conversations and learning more about how other industries are handling the constant change and what they predict

Mike Lysko.

will happen in the coming months and years. Our webinar series will be a great resource for anyone looking to find out more about the ever-changing event and tech industry.” Sign up for the Flock newsletter and receive Flock’s 2021 Event Trends playbook for free: https://mailchi.mp/50902aa329c8/ tvfbep3p60

March 2021 Vol 41 No 3 ADVERTISER

PAGE

ADVERTISERS’ INDEX

WEBSITE

AAXO

aaxo@aaxo.co.za

www.aaxo.co.za

Africa Travel Week

IFC

atwconnect@reedexpoafrica.com

www.wtm.com/africa

Event Greening Forum

info@eventgreening.co.za

www.eventgreening.co.za

EXSA

exsa@exsa.co.za

www.exsa.co.za

info@expocentre.co.za

https://expocentre.co.za

Johannesburg Expo Centre

FC, 4

MJunxion

yolande@mjunxion.co.za

www.mjunxion.co.za

SAACI

info@saaci.org

www.saaci.org

SA Events Council

hello@saeventscouncil.org

www.saeventscouncil.org

SITE

info@sitesouthernafrica.com

www.sitesouthernafrica.com

www.businesseventsafrica.com

Business Events Africa March 2021 31

Business Events Africa – March 2021

Articles inside

NEWS

EDITOR’S COMMENT

TECHNOLOGY

MARKET NEWS

SAACI news

THE LAST WORD

PERSONALITY PROFILE

EXECUTIVE CHEF

EXSA news

SAEC news

SITE news

MARKET NEWS

MARKET NEWS

AAXO news

EVENT GREENING FORUM

VENUE NEWS

ON SHOW SOLUTIONS CASE STUDY

VENUE NEWS

CTICC AGM

MARKET NEWS

COVER STORY – JOHANNESBURG EXPO CENTRE