COVER STORY: SAACI

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.

The 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.

THE LOGISTICS

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. 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.

FURTHER READING

• SANCB Bidding Support

Programme Review • SANCB National Association Project • Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi-

Ngubane – Tourism Department

Budget Vote 2021/22

Geoffrey Makhubo, CoJ Executive Mayor, with Kim Roberts, SAACI National chairperson, during the signing of the CoJ | SAACI Business Tourism Collaboration that took place at the Indaba Hotel on 20 May 2021

SAACI has played a pivotal role in highlighting the plight of the ailing business events industry to national government and is working closely with local bodies to support the recovery of the MICE sector. The Congress kicked off a day after the Minister of Tourism, Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane, delivered her department’s 2021/22 budget vote, where she noted that: • 55 bids for international meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions were submitted for the period 2022-25 • the 55 bid submissions have a combined estimated economic impact of R899 million and may potentially attract 30 521 international and regional delegates to South Africa during 2022-25 • thus far, South Africa has won 16 of the bids submitted for the 2020/21 financial year, with a 29% conversion rate • these secured business events will contribute R296 million to South Africa’s economy between 2022-25 and attract 9 825 international and regional delegates.

Attendees have a look at the sustainability market. Each attendee was given 150 ‘SAACI Bucks’ to spend at the market to support the small businessowners in their endeavours BIG ANNOUNCEMENT

Delegates were abuzz upon arrival on the morning of the second day, as a big announcement was due to take place. Attendees were not disappointed when Executive Mayor Cllr Geoffrey Makhubo of City of Johannesburg (CoJ) arrived to sign a three-year memorandum of understanding (MoU) with SAACI on various areas of cooperation under what will be known as CoJ | SAACI Business Tourism Collaboration. This will explore the following areas of opportunity: i. Co-bidding and mutual coordination – the creation of joint bidding activities for key identified conference/conventions for CoJ.

A joint approach with SAACI members will be developed to ensure that ‘Destination

Johannesburg’ increases its number of hosted business events. Identification of clients where the city would be of interest followed by the creation of joint proposals/bids highlighting or based on synergies between SAACI members

and the CoJ with legacy benefits through working together. ii. Enterprise development – the creation of a full business events value chain, which will form the framework of a dedicated business events incubation system or programme [CoJ | SAACI Business Tourism Collaboration], which will develop capacitates of entrepreneurs and also grow innovation organically in line with the future needs of the industry. iii. Research, statistics analysis and intelligence – analysis of studies focused on industry trends, security (risk analysis), governance (impact of policy that may influence how business events are managed in the future), and defence (terrorism). This will include identifying opportunities for CoJ based on current leads and existing partnerships with SAACI. iv. Business events promotion and sales activity – the collaboration will identify how association buyers and industry decisionmakers are educated on ‘Destination

Johannesburg’, with the aim of forging longterm relationship development. v. Work opportunities – establish job creation programmes in business events industry that are a specific key part of the collaboration. vi. Youth learning – access and utilisation of the SAACI Online Academy matched through masterclasses, which will be developed within the parameters of the MoU. The unemployed graduates and youth active in the business events industry will be considered in the development of this programme. vii. Joint collaboration for MICE strategic initiatives – through agreements/MoUs with partner associations, a joint implementation of high-impact initiatives will be embarked on. “SAACI views strategic partnerships like these as a way in which public and private sector can work towards the recovery of the industry,” enthused Kim Roberts, national chairperson of SAACI, on the signing of the MoU.