COVER STORY
CHANGING GEAR As a full hybrid event, SAACI’s 2021 Annual National Congress was like no other. Shanna Jacobsen provides some insights from the action-packed, two-day experience.
T
he 2021 Southern African Association for the Conference Industry (SAACI) Congress was a remarkable showcase of what the business events industry can achieve. While many still have reservations around meeting safely in-person, the two-day event adhered to all health and safety regulations, reassuring delegates that their well-being was a top priority during their attendance. Held over two days between 19 and 20 May 2021, SAACI’s Annual National Congress welcomed strong participation from a number of industry bodies, including the South Africa National Convention Bureau (SANCB). Speaking on the first day, during the SANCB’s capacity building session, a point raised by Amanda Kotze-Nhlapo, chief convention bureau officer at the SANCB, is that if we are encouraging people to meet in-person, we also need to demonstrate that we are prepared to do the same. “We talk about recovery, but we can only recover if we go out there again,” she noted. Since its establishment in 2012, the SANCB has been key in the development of meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE), not just in South Africa, but also Africa. Through its bidding support programme, the SANCB has been able to provide R137 million in assistance. This has ensured that large, international conferences can take place on South African soil, which has contributed R37 billion to the economy. Through its revised bidding support programme, the SANCB is encouraging greater inclusivity, which you can read more about on page 8 in our industry inclusivity showcases.
ARRIVED INTRIGUED, LEFT INSPIRED Any reservations we had around meeting in-person were quickly dispelled as the social distancing and hygiene protocols in place ensured we could all have peace of mind and enjoy the inspiring sessions. “As we arrived for the SAACI Annual National Congress this week, many of us were not sure what the experience would be like, as it was the first time in 15 months that the business events industry met as a collective since Meetings Africa 2020. Well, the experience was refreshing. It was an experience of human interaction away from a screen, away from isolation, and one that was filled with knowledge and conversations that will indeed shape how we move ahead during the course of the next few months. It was clear that industry stakeholders needed to reconnect, and to check in with each person,” said SAACI in post-event communication.
THE LOGISTICS After being postponed last year, during what would have been the height of the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic in South Africa, the in-person component of the SAACI Congress took place at the newly refurbished Kgotla meeting rooms at the Indaba Hotel in Fourways, Gauteng. The event observed all protocols, including social distancing, sanitisation and hygiene, and screening. The virtual component of the event was supported by EventsAir, which caters for impressive interactivity and gamification, with delegates earning points for their engagement. Between its in-person and online attendance, SAACI saw 362 delegates tuning in for the event – its largest turnout yet.
4 • MEETINGS l MAY/JUNE 2021 www.theplanner.guru
