MEETING PLACES

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.

During 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. 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

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.

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!

CONSTITUTION HILL CRADLE OF HUMANKIND WORLD HERITAGE SITE DURBAN BOTANIC GARDENS ZEITZ MOCAA

Constructed in the 1890s, Constitution Hill in Johannesburg, Gauteng, is a reminder of South Africa’s difficult past. It was originally a prison for white male prisoners before a section for women was added. During the apartheid era, it was infamous for housing political freedom fighters who were deemed criminals and incarcerated in the most shocking of conditions. The guided tour of the premises is harrowing in some instances. This may be difficult for those who are sensitive to the graphic descriptions of some of the suffering endured by prisoners, but it provides remarkable insights into how South Africa’s Constitution was developed, with the tour ending at the Constitutional Court – the highest court in the land. Constitution Hill has remarkable and versatile spaces suitable for hosting a wide variety of events, ranging from small meetings to large conferences. This includes: Constitution Square, which can seat up to 2 700 people; the more intimate Old Fort Atrium, which can seat 78; and the Women’s Jail Atrium, which seats 100.

constitutionhill.org.za

The Cradle of Humankind is a historical marvel. Comprised of the Maropeng Visitor Centre and Sterkfontein Caves, part of the premises is an active excavation site on which new palaeontological discoveries are still being made. The Cradle of Humankind is set against a backdrop of the foothills of the Magaliesberg mountain range and an hour’s drive from both the Pretoria and Johannesburg CBDs. It provides a stunning vista of some of the world’s oldest rocks. As part of their experience, visitors can also better understand the evolution of man over the past 7 million years, which is guaranteed to make for an interesting and exciting part of your meeting or event. For events, the Maropeng Conference Centre has a dedicated events team on hand to assist you with ensuring your meeting, conference or team-building experience runs smoothly and makes its mark on your delegates. Spaces within the venue range from small to large, seating up to 500 delegates. Full- and half-day packages are offered and can also incorporate accommodation and other activities.

maropeng.co.za

The Durban Botanic Gardens is Africa’s oldest botanical garden and the city’s oldest public institution. It is ideal for those event organisers who want to provide their delegates with a natural and historical experience. The gardens are situated in Berea, KwaZuluNatal, and are home to major collections of cycads, orchids and palms, among other unique specimens of plant. Things to see and do at the gardens include the Butterfly Habitat Garden, which is a new feature. This space aims to educate visitors on the local butterfly population. It is an open garden that has been designed around a dome structure to create an ecosystem with plant species that attract butterflies and caterpillars. There are also several heritage trees for guests to admire, including a litchi tree that was planted in 1880. Indoor eventing venues at the Durban Botanic Gardens include its boardroom and conference centre, which seat between 20 and 200 people, depending on the format. Its three outdoor venues are much larger and can accommodate between 300 and 7 500 people.

durbanbotanicgardens.org.za

The Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (MOCAA) has the largest collection of African contemporary art in the world. Situated in the silo district of the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town, the museum is housed in a striking glass pillowed building renovated from an old 57 m tall grain silo. It opened its doors in September 2017. As part of the Zeitz MOCAA, its Centre for Education is comprised of a team of specialists who host programmes that are designed with the intention of allowing visitors to engage with the various collections. The Zeitz MOCAA premises is available for venue hire and its unconventional interior design provides an interesting and alternative experience for visitors. Each venue space is different, and events can be formatted to specific requirements. One of the most soughtafter spaces is the Atrium. Its architecture is not just impressive, but it also provides exceptional acoustics. Meanwhile, the Scheryn Collection Arena has its own PA system that is ideal for panel discussions. For a rooftop experience, the Zeitz MOCAA’s terrace will leave guests awestruck with its views of the V&A Waterfront and Table Mountain. Zeitz MOCAA provides extraordinary dining in the form of its Level 6 restaurant, as well as its catering for private functions – both run by its in-house team, Zeitz MOCAA Events.

zeitzmocaa.museum

Key to survival

The 2022 Hotel & Hospitality Show was a showcase for how innovation is at the heart of recovery for Africa’s hospitality sector. Meetings hears from dmg events, organisers of the show, on what went down.

For more information on the Hotel & Hospitality Show, visit www.thehotelshowafrica.com

The 2022 Hotel & Hospitality Show, organised by dmg events, kicked off on 19 May at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg – the first in-person event of its kind since the pandemic struck the tourism and leisure industry in South Africa. Attended by thousands of leading stakeholders from within the private and public sectors, event speakers hailed innovation as the key to survival within the industry after an immensely challenging period.

Lindiwe Sangweni-Siddo, COO at City Lodge Hotel Group, explained the Group’s need to sell off hotels outside of South Africa in order to survive the pandemic. However, she added that they had ultimately come out stronger, with food and beverage sales an increasingly important consideration within the sector.

Mike Vroom, executive director of Newmark Hotels, agreed that food and beverage sales had become a lifeline for their business. He explained their strategy of partnering with restaurants within their space to bring more people through the doors and generate an income.

“Such partnerships have proven beneficial for all parties,” he said, with restaurateurs typically viewing the industry differently and therefore able to bring a new dynamic to the relationship.

“As a result of our different approach to the industry, we have had our strongest 18 months on the food and beverage side,” Mike notes. Marc Wachsberger, MD of the Capital Hotel Group, added that while collaboration and coworking had become the new operative way for hotels post-Covid, the Capital Hotel Group had chosen to steer away from collaborating with student housing so as not to dilute their core hotel offering. However, he welcomed the boost from local tourism, which he said had gone a long way to resurrect the industry.

Glenn Stutchbury, operations director of Legacy Hotels and Resorts, encouraged the sector not to overlook country-centric partnerships with a reward system, pointing out that it would be easier than partnering with international rewards systems post-Covid.

RESTAURANT RECOGNITION

The Restaurant Association of South Africa (RASA) held its annual Rosetta Awards in collaboration with the Hotel and Hospitality Show during the three-day event. The Rosetta Awards recognise eateries, suppliers and personalities committed to service excellence in the sector.

“The Rosetta Award is recognition of the highest honours for service excellence and overall contribution to the upliftment of the restaurant industry,” said Wendy Alberts, CEO of RASA.

Keynote speaker Mpho Parks Tau – Gauteng MEC for Economic Development, Environment, Agriculture and Rural Development – highlighted the tenacity of the hospitality industry. He added that one positive outcome of the pandemic was the strong relationship that his department had built with key members in the sector, including RASA, as a result.

Greg Straw, MD and owner of Waterfall Markets, said that while the pandemic had forced all markets in South Africa to close, he was inspired by how many stallholders had persevered to open their own restaurants.

All speakers agreed that while the pandemic had severely impacted the hotel and hospitality industry, a strong recovery for the sector was imminent, with global economies opening and tourism on the rise.

“There is no ceiling for what this industry can achieve,” said Shaw.

Evan Schiff, portfolio director: Food, Hospitality & Trade at dmg events, concluded, “Overall, we are delighted with the response to the 2022 Hotel & Hospitality Show. Considering the severe impacts of lockdown on the sector, to see so many thousands of people attend – and to experience the support of so many restaurants and hotel GMs – really amplifies the importance of providing a platform for the industry to come together and discuss the best route to recovery. We will be focusing our efforts on expanding the sectors represented at the show to better provide resources to the sector in 2023 and beyond.”