Tidbits

Meetings’ must-know minutia

Event safety designations formally recognised

In a step towards providing competency in sound risk management for events hosted on South African soil, two new formally recognised event safety designations have begun their roll-out. An initiative driven by the Southern African Communications Industries Association’s Event Safety Council, draft designations for both event safety practitioners as well as event safety professionals were gazetted in August last year and approved by the South African Qualifications Authority on 20 November 2020.

R1.2 billion Tourism Equity Fund launched

A partnership between South Africa’s National Department of Tourism and the Small Enterprise Finance Agency saw the launch of the R1.2 billion Tourism Equity Fund in January 2021. With the aim of creating a more inclusive and representative sector, the fund will be used to support black entrepreneurs – women and youth in particular. Qualifying individuals can submit their funding proposals directly to the Department of Tourism.

Qatar Airways increases flights in Africa

After becoming the first international carrier in the world to achieve a 5-Star Covid-19 Airline Safety Rating by air transport rating organisation Skytrax, Qatar

Airways has committed to increasing flights to several

African destinations, starting in February. The airline is also currently offering refunds and an unlimited number of date changes on tickets issued before 30 April and for travel taken by the end of the year.

Forced quarantine for SA travellers to the UK

With South Africa being recognised as a high-risk destination, arrivals from the country to the UK will face a mandatory quarantine period that means isolation in a hotel for 10 days. This will come at a set cost of £1 500 (approximately R30 000) and be at the traveller’s own expense. Similar measures have been implemented in Australia. Ireland has also temporarily suspended visa-free short-stay travel from South Africa, with very limited exemptions.

Marriott expands global footprint

Marriott International has announced its pipeline for 2021, which includes three new African hotels, all based in Egypt. These are the JW Marriott Cairo Mena House that will open in the last quarter of this year and be within walking distance of the iconic Great Pyramids, as well as the St Regis Cairo (pictured), together with the St Regis Almasa, located just outside of the hustle and bustle of the city.

A GOOD Vïb

Pronounced ‘vibe’, Vïb Cape Town is a newcomer to the accommodation market and one of only four of its kind in the world. Meetings delivers the lowdown on what makes the hotel stand out.

Embarking on a new venture during a pandemic takes guts but to see through the opening of a hotel that has been in the pipeline since 2016 takes inspiration from a very special place. Just ask Muslim Jaffer, the owner of Vïb Cape Town.

“We have been working with Best Western International on this project since 2016 and are confident that our long-term vision and investment in the first Vïb by Best Western in Africa is the right decision. Now that we’re open, we’re thrilled to be welcoming guests!” he says.

Vïb Cape Town officially opened its doors for business on 21 December 2020 and its amenities are definitely not typical of your standard hotel stay – in fact, far from it! Setting itself aside from the rest, the Vïb hotel is home to the Jaffer Modern Art Gallery. Occupying the whole seventh

EXCEPTIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY MEASURES

In accordance with the local regulations set out by the South African government – together with Best Western’s stringent health and safety standards – Vïb Cape Town adheres to the most rigorous hygiene and cleanliness protocols. Based upon guidance provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency, and Health Canada, the We Care Clean programme addresses everything from guest room and common area cleanliness to streamlined processes that minimise contact between guests and associates, while maintaining the customer service you expect from a Best Western-branded hotel. This includes sanitiser dispensers that are provided in every room as well as contactless QR menus in the restaurant – extra additions over and above the required to add to each guest’s safety,

floor, the gallery aims to promote established and aspiring pan-African artists to both the local and international markets.

“Visitors will be able to enjoy a spectrum of works of various genres and media, from painting through to sculpture and ceramics. Being situated within one of Cape Town’s most vibrant global hotel brands will guarantee an audience for the art displayed,” enthuses gallery owner Shafina Jaffer.

EYE-POPPING

As the first Vïb by Best Western in the southern hemisphere, with Signal Hill as its backdrop and breathtaking views of the Atlantic Ocean lapping the shores of Robben Island, the hotel is a dazzling structure that lacks no aesthetics. Situated conveniently close to the Cape Town International Convention Centre, V&A Waterfront and all major freeways, getting around is a breeze, which is made even easier with Vïb’s complementary shuttle service*.

Rising eight storeys from the ground, Vïb Cape Town can be found in the cosmopolitan suburb of Green Point and comes complete with a rooftop pool that cantilevers out from the building across a distance of 25 m and overlooks Main Road. The aquarium-grade portholes at the bottom of the pool and plexiglass facade add both a safe and beautiful finishing touch to this attractive feature.

For those curious to see what the hotel is about, pop in at Eye Bar – a stylish new foodie go-to with a contemporary menu. Located on Vïb Cape Town’s ground floor, Eye Bar comprises a cocktail bar, grab ‘n’ go coffee station, an indoor restaurant and open-air terrace. The venue is open daily to members of the public and guests of the hotel. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served, as well as tapas-style sharing plates. Outside of lockdown restrictions, the bar serves signature cocktails, wine, spirits and soft drinks.

BEAT THE ‘JANU-WORRY’ AND PLAN FOR FEBRUARY’S MONTH OF LOVE WITH AN IRRESISTIBLE VIBE!

The first month of the year always welcomes measures that offer relief from those alltoo-tight purse strings, especially with February’s Valentine’s Day plans on the horizon. In addition to those typical start-of-a-new-year woes, January and February 2021 will be spent with lockdown restrictions in place, which means that we can’t enjoy the same recreational activities we usually would. This – combined with pandemic stress and constant concern for loved ones – means that many of us are still in need of a holiday! The good news is that it is indeed possible. If you’d like your partner to feel like the fairy king or queen from Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream, then treat your Oberon or Titania to a budget-busting staycation at Cape Town’s ‘vibiest’ new Atlantic seaboard hotel. Vïb Cape Town is welcoming guests with a dinner-bed-and-breakfast special offer so incredible you’d be forgiven for thinking you were dreaming! The ‘Midsummer Night’s Vïb’ lets you and your favourite person enjoy a glorious staycation that’s easy on the pocket and geared to help you unwind. All this for only R1 300 in total – that’s a wallet-friendly R650 per person for dinner, bed and breakfast! The ‘Midsummer Night’s Vïb’ special offer was created to provide a desirable solution for a romantic Valentine’s Day getaway and is valid until 28 February 2021. Ts&Cs apply. Please quote ‘Midsummer Night’s Vïb’ with your booking request.

MORE THAN A HOTEL

With 76 eco-friendly rooms across six floors, Vïb Cape Town amenities cater for both locals in need of a change of scenery and for businesspeople on the move. Designed by Robert Silke, a well-known South African architect, the technology-centric hotel has been specifically created to meet the needs of today’s urban traveller.

“Our rooms are designed specifically to provide our guests with every necessary comfort and convenience tailored to their specific requirements, including no less than an extra-length queen-sized bed, large-screen TV, generous bathroom with a shower, Nespresso machine, individual workstations with Herman Miller task chairs, and dedicated Wi-Fi access points in each room,” says Niall Bruyns, GM for Vïb Cape Town.

Our goal has been to identify and cater to every requirement of today’s busy, connected traveller, enhanced by one of the world’s most beautiful settings.”

Niall Bruyns, GM of Vïb Cape Town

For those requiring additional IT security, individual ethernet cables are also standard across all 76 rooms – ideal for those in the techpreneur or start-up space. And with the ever-growing trend towards staying fit and healthy, Vïb has also built an on-site gym that sports the latest fitness equipment such as digital treadmills and ellipticals, as well as a weight-lifting bench and dumbbells.

As part of its commitment to supporting all things local, the hotel’s South African guests will receive a local rate for bookings made directly through Vïb Cape Town.

*Complementary shuttle includes transfers within a 5km radius of the hotel, subject to availability. Transfers further afield are also available at a competitive rate.

Addressing the

CONTINUITY CONUNDRUM

In order to tackle the chasm created by postponed and cancelled events, could remote event planning and hybrid events be here to stay? Meetings understands how this format could usher in a new era for MICE.

Rather unfortunately for us all, the Covid-19 pandemic didn’t evaporate into thin air as midnight on 1 January 2021 rolled around. In countries such as South Africa, it only made its presence more deeply felt, with a second wave reminding us of the devastation and upheaval caused not just by the novel coronavirus disease, but also by the measures in place intended to mitigate against exposure to possible infection. The reality of where we are currently is that we don’t have a fix on how long it will be until we are able to meet safely and comfortably in-person. Thankfully, there are options available to us to ensure business continuity, and this has also provided planners with the means to support their objectives.

According to a Bizzabo survey, while 95% of marketers believe that in-person events will make a comeback, for event planners still mulling the benefits of hybrid, it is worth noting that 90% of marketers have plans to invest in virtual events. Their targets are most typically defined by attendee engagement and while hybrid and virtual events have provided a worthwhile solution for bridging the gap for large-scale in-person experiences, this comes with the added challenge of keeping audiences engaged.

ENGAGED AUDIENCES

Before social media provided an added dimension to everything we do, it was deemed impolite not to pay full attention at an in-person

DELIVERING AN EXCEPTIONAL PRE- AND POST-EVENT HYBRID CAMPAIGN

• Put a spin on content marketing • Take your social media marketing to the next level • Make your emails exciting • Scale your content through amplification • Gamification is a must • Touch base with attendees • Make it easy for attendees to communicate

Source: SA Events Council

event; however, because it has become more accepted for delegates to either tend to mail or post their eventing experience on social media, as planners, we should be accounting for a degree of inattentiveness.

The most precious commodity planners and marketers seek at events is engagement with their attendees, which is in competition with delegates’ attention spans. From the attendee’s perspective, it is challenging to absorb the full extent of what is said, and even more so in a digital environment where your event unfolds in a different way.

Audience engagement is easier to achieve during in-person events because it is a much richer sensory experience. Following a conversation that is streamed online or on another platform requires a lot of concentration, and with multiple devices and apps that have notifications firing off at various times, it is tricky to know how attentive each of your delegates is unless they are actively engaging and interacting – often doing so on multiple platforms in this context.

MULTILINGUAL, OMNICHANNEL

There was already an increasing demand for hybrid events long before the pandemic, and it was only a matter of time before these became a more conventionally adopted format. Now, with the right technology, hybrid events can be integrated across a number of platforms, giving these types of events access to a much larger potential audience.

“Rather than opting for a web conferencing solution that satisfies one need, look for one that satisfies the majority. Platforms like BlueJeans, ON24 or SpotMe, for example, have enterprisegrade features that are suitable for most remote and hybrid events; they just need to be supplemented with a few additional tools… What you need to look for and acquire is a platform that’s technology agnostic. In other words, one that works well (or even seamlessly) with other solutions. You should be able to, at any point, add third-party integrations to your platform with ease. If doing so requires bespoke workarounds, you’ll spend more time managing the platform than actually using it,” says hybrid event specialists Interprefry in their Remote and hybrid event planning guide.

Interprefy also provides a cutting-edge solution to deliver content in different languages with a widget that translates audio and video from the event in real time.

“Most platforms don’t offer this capability as standard, so Interprefy plugs a huge gap in the conferencing space,” it says.

DEEPER INSIGHTS = ROI

For those who have a firm grasp on analytics and can formulate even a general understanding of how successful an event was in terms of audience engagement, it is a game changer. It might not immediately translate to rand and cents but for marketers, this is how they determine whether their ROI was worth the initial investment. Without breaking any privacy laws to obtain the information, the more details that the analytics are able to provide for any given person on their engagement habits, the better.

Paying attention to how we collate and interpret these analytics has never been more important – or valuable, especially during a time when as much as half of marketing resources are being reassigned. This means that we have to work harder than ever to justify budgets and spend, and without the unique insights coming from each event, it is a missed opportunity and one that we may not be afforded next time around.

To supplement your insights, consider surveys and polls that can be deployed across all of your channels and platforms, either before, during or after your event, and consider sharing some of these findings with attendees explaining that your objective is to grow engagement, as this might also encourage greater participation in the future.

WHEN DO YOU PLAN ON HOSTING HYBRID EVENTS?

Projections of virtual events from Q4 2020

Source Cvent