F OE C M EU T ISN G P L A C E S
ENRICHING CULTURAL EXPERIENCES Break free from the boredom of the boardroom to deliver rich experiences for your delegates. Meetings provides some of South Africa’s most exciting cultural and historical sites to pair with your next MICE event.
D
uring the pandemic, many of us may have, at some stage, suffered from a degree of cabin fever. Being cooped up indoors and limited to travelling between the confines of our homes and the grocery store, especially through the harder lockdown, provided very few opportunities to be out and about socialising and sightseeing. As some semblance of normality returns, a degree of reservation still exists among many.
SMALL-TOWN HERITAGE There are many small towns in South Africa with points of historical interest. One of these is Wakkerstroom, which is the second oldest town in Mpumalanga. The 160-year-old town has wideopen spaces, gravel roads dotted with donkey carts, and a number of old buildings that have been beautifully restored – almost all with a story to tell. The town also has three national monuments, a historical cemetery, and numerous statues, memorials and plaques.
Although there is a clear demand for in-person experiences, many of us think more carefully than ever before about who we might encounter when we go out and whether where we are travelling has sufficient health and safety protocols in place. This has resulted in event organisers and planners needing to find ways to ensure that the meeting and eventing experiences they are hosting benefit attendees enough for them to want to physically be
present. A means to achieving this is to create blended interactive, engaging and immersive experiences around points of interest such as cultural and historical sites. “Enhancing human-to-human connection is the bedrock of most events. Settings rich in cultural heritage are tangible showcases of human history and endeavour; they add a rich background that can inspire and leave a lasting mark on event participants. Cultural heritage venues lend events a unique opportunity to get people thinking, encourage discussions, and make space for a diverse range of perspectives,” says Skift Meetings. With its rich history and diverse culture, South Africa has many heritage hotspots that are ideal for your next event. Let’s take a look at a few!
20 • MEETINGS l MAY/JUNE 2022 www.theplanner.guru
