Tidbits

JB Train Tours to close

JB Train Tours has announced it is closing, with operations ceasing as of Saturday 15 February 2020.

A statement on the company’s Facebook page says, “After more than four decades in the tourism industry in Southern Africa, we at JB Train Tours (since 1975) have decided to call it a ‘halt’.

“We’ve had long discussions, various meetings, alternative plans and some

sleepless nights before we made this decision. “As from Saturday 15th February 2020, we won’t be operational anymore – unless an energetic entrepreneur would like to continue this successful business!”

The company’s statement ends with, “Keep on traveling and enjoy life.”

JB Train Tours will reimburse bookings that have been made in 2020 and clients will be contacted directly to arrange this.

New luxury hotel inSandton to launch end2020

Newmark Hotels, a leading hotel management company, is opening a luxury hotel in Sandton, Johannesburg, at the end of 2020. The Catalyst Hotel will service both business and leisure travellers, with 207 rooms, a fully equipped conference facility, stateof-the-art gym and full-service spa.

The hotel’s location is close to the iconic Gautrain station, providing a quick and easy connection to O.R. Tambo International Airport, as well as Gautrain stations across Johannesburg and Pretoria. It is also on the doorstep of Sandton City and Nelson Mandela Square, which boast a range of shopping, dining and entertainment options.

City Lodge expands in Maputo

City Lodge Hotel Maputo opened its doors on 7 February 2020, making it the 62nd hotel in the City Lodge Hotel Group (CLHG). Located on Rua Para o Palmar in Mozambique’s capital city, the hotel is a quick 12-minute drive (6.5 km) from Maputo International Airport, as well as being conveniently located close to Costa do Sol beach, the city centre and various other business, entertainment, shopping and cultural attractions.

Andrew Widegger, CEO, CLHG, says, “We are excited about growth prospects in Mozambique and our new City Lodge Hotel Maputo is ready to accommodate both business and leisure travellers.”

City Lodge Hotel Maputo has 148 rooms, including one suite. All guest rooms feature en-suite bathrooms with maxi showers (selected rooms have baths), a queen bed or twin beds, air conditioning, Wi-Fi, television with selected DStv channels, tea- and coffeemaking facilities, a safe, fridge, USB ports on either side of the bed, and work desk with lighting and plugs for easy connectivity. Three of the rooms are designed for universal access.

With capabilities to deliver a full AV solution and a can-do attitude, Brandex is working to position itself as a leading industry player. Meetings talks to the company’s directors, Gabi Babinszky and Jack Smit, about their plans to get there.

Brandex directors: Jack Smit and Gabi Babinszky

After more than a year in the industry under its current model, Brandex’s unique selling point is that, through its offering, it can deliver a complete AV solution for all events and occasions. “We strive to deliver flawlessly with our hands-on approach. We have the knowledge and expertise to do it all ourselves, and the capabilities to service the organiser as well as the exhibitor. And, if we do run short, we have industry partners to assist us at any given time, day or night,” says Jack Smit, director at Brandex.

Brandex understands how important it is to deliver an impactful experience that is even better than the last, and the company is not only able to supply and install the equipment but also operates as an agency that is able to help conceptualise the look and feel your event, with sound and lighting to suit every occasion.

It sets itself apart from the rest as being the go-to for any and every AV requirement with its solutions-driven attitude, with no task proving too big or small.

“We provide full-on AV solutions that can cater for all requirements within this scope; from a basic LED screen set-up to the infrastructure that can support any exhibition, conference and gala function – we will always make a plan,” highlights Gabi Babinszky, also a director at Brandex.

FACTORS TO CONSIDER In as much as Brandex is about putting up a great show, there are multiple considerations that need to be factored in when it comes to the planning of a project and the behind-the-scenes set-up.

“This can take some time; you have a client to keep happy and a budget to manage, and we always want to give our clients the best solutions for their budget,” says Gabi. “Budget and design go hand in hand but, first and foremost, we need to understand the venue’s capabilities because its capacities need to be taken into consideration to suit the design, factoring in stage and visuals for the event,” adds Jack.

PERSONAL SERVICE Customer service is at the heart of Brandex. The company operates under a model that sees Gabi and Jack personally involved in each project and besides their “yes, we can” attitude, the businessowners are

based on-site to help deal with any challenges that may arise, as well as manage the day-to-day running of the business while being able to give their full focus to their clients and staff.

“The event services knowledge and experience within the industry of both directors is of huge benefit to Brandex and its clients,” says Gabi.

SETTING THE STANDARD Brandex adheres to the highest standards – not just in its service delivery but in health and safety too. Working with heavy equipment, electricity and wiring can be occupational hazards and the company takes its safety very seriously in this regard, with procedures in place to mitigate any risks as far as possible. Weekly toolbox talks and weekly checks are key, and all equipment is sent off to be serviced every 12 months.

“We prepare all gear before a show and work closely with all on-site engineers. And when projects are really big, we run all work past the engineers in advance to double-check they are happy with what needs to get done,” notes Jack.

“Brandex does a full assessment of the requirements needed for each of its installations well in advance. We manage the transportation and logistics of each project down to a T and leave no stone unturned,” emphasises Gabi.

TRENDING FORWARD The world is changing at a rapid pace and the directors of Brandex pay close attention to the way in which the industry is evolving.

“Expectations play a big role when it come to trends. We know that the current economy is challenging for both business and the consumer, so being able to afford the top trends out there is tough, particularly when we are talking about purchasing new equipment in dollar terms. With the local economy being what it is, we will grow conservatively and still deliver a wicked solution with superior customer service to all our clients,” says Gabi.

“Budgets are tight, and clients don’t have the money for too much – they would rather keep it small, focused and intimate, which works just fine for us,” explains Jack.

In the next 5 to 10 years, say the directors, they would still like to be an industry leader, with the bulk of their attention being on their clients, rather than on the growth of their business.

“We will not lose focus on the most important aspect of what we do, which is, of course, our clients,” concludes Gabi.

jack@brandexpro.co.za +27 64 655 6122 www.brandexpro.co.za

LIKE A

In an increasingly competitive space, uniquely tailored events that are most suited to your audience will be the differentiator. Meetings understands the ways in which you can get this spot on.

There is no doubt that conferences and exhibitions, when done right, are a potent marketing tool. And as we can see with our local industry associations, the MICE acronym is gaining popularity.

“Together, we will position this industry as part of every marketing strategy,” were the words of Projeni Pather, chairperson of the Association of African Exhibition Organisers (AAXO), which resonated with everyone attending the ROAR Awards held at the end of January this year.

We live in a world that commands perfection and on the tightest of budgets. This means that we must be creative not just in terms of bringing together all the elements required to deliver an exceptional execution but also in how we find the resources to bring together an out-of-this-world experience. An event only happens once and, coincidentally, this is also the precise number of chances we have to get it right.

FIRST THINGS FIRST… The most crucial aspect of how an event comes together is planning – if challenges arise during the organisation and management of an event, bringing together other elements such as creative content and nifty experiential ideas may not necessarily be hampered but poor planning can lead to a multitude of issues, which could overshadow these sorts of innovations. With the availability of the numerous tools available to conference and exhibition organisers (see our review in Meetings January/February 2020), we can ensure no stone is left unturned, and that nothing is left to chance.

From here, we can start applying the four Ps of marketing – product, price, place and promotion – to ensure that our event doesn’t

YOUR TAILOR’S CHECKLIST

Understand and prioritise your stakeholders Set clear objectives that are in line with those of your stakeholders Pick the right team Plan ahead Target your event Promote your event with an effective marketing campaign Track satisfaction Know what is happening when

lose focus of its objective, which is to deliver the right message, at the right time, to the right decisionmakers and those with buying power.

PURPOSEFUL AND IMPACTFUL The unique selling point of each of our events lies in its purpose. The scope of what delegates might be able to gain or achieve must be clear to them and these reasons must be clearly laid out ahead of the planning process (see sidebar for some key planning considerations).

While it is imperative to understand our target audience, the information we are presenting and the way in which the event is packaged needs to be broad enough that it can be accessible to a wide-ranging demographic. This is a tricky balance to strike

because in trying to put together an event that is different from all the rest and unique in its own way, we could omit part of our audience – so more traditional formats and experiences are sometimes still best.

DON’T BE SHY TO BE NOVEL Some of the most talked about events in history were those bringing something novel to the world at the time. Events are an effective way to showcase new products and discuss the latest market developments to a large audience. This could also be used to secure the buy-in of a potential sponsor who may have just the gimmick we’re looking for to excite and invigorate our audiences, but it is important that we don’t lose sight of why we’re including this in the first place.

The more interactive elements we can build into our events to create engagement and to understand our audiences, the better. Networking is still one of the top reasons for event attendance, where the delegate believes he or she may not be able to enjoy the same

CASE STUDY: DANISH SOCIETY OF ENGINEERS

Event Anne, as she goes by, is an events fundi in Denmark. This is her take on just one way you can tailor your event. “When we design conferences at the Danish Society of Engineers, we have several different tracks for the attendees to follow – even for one-day conferences. We bundle the presentations in clusters that match a theme, but make sure that the presentations are equal in length for the delegates to pick and choose which presentations to go to. The model we use is this: All speakers get 20 minutes to present, then there are 5 minutes for questions, then 5 minutes to switch between presentations. This means that all time slots on the programme are 30 minutes each and start and stop at the same time.”

level of interactivity anywhere else in the world.

BOOSTING ATTENDANCE AND SPONSOR BUY-IN

The more people who know about our events, the better it is for overall attendance. Any marketing done around an event should whet

EFFECTIVE PLANNING FOR EXCEPTIONAL MARKETING

Craig Evans, an Australian marketing expert writing for The Marketing & Growth Hacking Publication, emphasises the value of research for anyone organising an event. “It’s important that you don’t skip this part; putting on an event is complex and has a lot of moving parts, and without in-depth research, you will risk missing things,” he says. This research must define our goals and objectives by outlining the purpose of our event – what are we hoping to gain from the event as well as what the attendee will get out of it. Outlining what our event will entail will help us understand whether an execution of this nature is feasible or not. Determining our audience can have a major influence on the way the event is formatted and packaged. The way in which millennials absorb and retain information compared to their baby boomer counterparts will impact on how we interact and engage with our audiences, which is why getting to know who your audience is will result in more effective communication. Once the event concept and approach has been established and all relevant parties – from the client to the behind-the-scenes service providers – are in agreement, we can create a pre-production timeline. These will differ depending on the nature and size of the event but, ideally, this timeline should be done in advance, with enough time to book the venue together with other service providers and start creating a hype around the event. Lastly, events are always budgetconscious, especially if you’re putting on an event on behalf of another business or brand. Working to a budget will ensure that you effectively prioritise your spending and it determines what your event can offer. By having these most crucial objectives in place before we roll out our marketing strategy, it will safeguard budgets and, with our efforts less focused on money and resources needed in order for our events to run smoothly, we can focus on developing a powerful and creative campaign to market our event more effectively.

BONUS TIP: Our event campaign extends beyond the lead-up and the days it runs, and we can create a post-event impact that is long-lasting in the hearts and minds of our delegates and stakeholders.

coverage, the event has a better chance of securing repeat business and sponsorship. In much the same way we are promoting the event to our delegates, we also need to promote the event meaningfully among our potential stakeholders so that they can see and understand the value within the alignment between them and our event. Together with effective planning, our event can be an allencompassing success.

forward to, getting them interested in finding out more information. Further to this, impressing upon them how the event fills specific needs is essential so that they feel as if the event is not just a high-level talk shop occasion but one that is necessary to attend.

After an event has run once or more, it has a track record that can be leveraged to create a stronger brand presence, ideally attracting attendees and media to future events. Through better traction and

AV Active is a supplier of events and conference services including corporate video production, AV sound & technical production, and business centre conferencing. AV Active is based in Johannesburg with branches in Pretoria, Cape Town and Bloemfontein, providing AV, technical and smart conferencing nationally. Our aim is to exceed your expectations and ensure you have peace of mind with a smooth and hassle-free event.