13 minute read
Tidbits
Meetings’ must-know minutia
MV Wakashio oil spill clean-up continues in Mauritius
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Clean-up operations in the lagoons and shores in the south-eastern region of Mauritius have been ongoing after bulk carrier MV Wakashio leaked 1 000 tonnes of oil into the Indian Ocean. The carrier ran aground on 25 July, with a major containment and extraction process taking place to remove the remaining 3 000 tonnes of hydrocarbon aboard the vessel before it eventually broke in two on 15 August.
Key appointments were announced for GL events South Africa in August that will see industry stalwart Craig Newman assume the position of CEO, where he will have an overarching role across the Live, Venue and Events divisions. Moving from heading up PR and Marketing for GL events South Africa, Adele Hartdegen takes over the reins as CEO of both the Johannesburg Expo Centre and Dogan Events, while Ishmael Atanasi has been appointed CEO for GL events South Africa’s Live Events Division.
Lost airline revenues impact GDP
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has revised its outlook on the impact of the novel coronavirus pandemic on Africa’s aviation industry, which initially forecast that US$6 billion (R98 billion) in passenger revenue would be lost, with a $28 billion (R458 billion) decline in GDP.
The governing body now estimates that the continent’s GDP derived from aviation could plummet by up to $35 billion (R572 billion).
Closer to home, South African Airways (SAA) is said to have met the requirements for a R10 billion business rescue package. According to Minister of Finance Tito Mboweni, the funding will be derived from private equity investors and other strategic partners.
The airline has not made a profit since 2011, and the business rescue package means SAA will not go into liquidation but will shed around 3 700 jobs.
#LightSARed campaign highlights plight of live events industry
On 5 August, all across South Africa, more than 500 buildings and landmarks were illuminated red to highlight the emergency facing the country’s live events and technical production industries, which have been without work during the months-long lockdown in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Bringing attention to the support needed by the industry during this time, the #LightSARed campaign saw freelancers, venues and businesses standing together in solidarity to raise awareness around the desperate situation faced by countless companies and individuals.
More information on the campaign can be found on the #LightSARed homepage at lightsared.org.za.
SAFARI serenade
Corporate safari therapy and Christmas in the bush beckon at Tau Game Lodge.
Ever been on safari in spring? The hype of the animal kingdom expressing its joy in the new season, when new life unfolds not only for the animals but also for their natural habitat, is pure magic. The fresh green grasses and bush, budding blooms and seeds popping, not to mention animal offspring seeking the warming sunshine in their newly discovered world, make for an unforgettable spring safari in full, living colour at Tau Game Lodge within the Madikwe Game Reserve.
Recent corporate visitors report an ideal escape after a difficult year in business, post the global pandemic. Witnessing the new season unfolding, when many species that hibernate during winter are now seeking nature’s smorgasbord, adds to the spectacle of the bush.
Migrating birds travel from afar to mate and create new life in this natural big five safari paradise.
Suddenly, a conference, team-building or strategy session does not feel like work but more like a much-deserved safari holiday, when ideas start to flow and the human spirit is revived.
MEET AT TAU Tau is perfectly suitable as a medium-size meeting venue for 20 or 30 delegates.
Dinner is hosted either in the boma, restaurant or dining deck, depending on the weather, which always presents a pleasant surprise element for corporate and regular guests.
Tau’s state-of-the-art convention centre is situated within leisurely walking distance from the lodge and seats small groups – and up to 60 delegates, once social distancing rules are relaxed, comfortably.
The high-quality conference equipment serves three sub-halls, while the two breakaway rooms accommodate 10 delegates per session.
TREAT YOURSELF AT TAU The Tau Spa Oasis is a further luxe experience, offering a bird’s-eye view of the verdant surrounding bush – and spectacular birdlife. The lodge is enclosed within the reserve,
ABOUT TAU GAME LODGE Tau Game Lodge opened its five-star safari doors in 1995 and offers 30 rooms – from standard to luxury and family suites. The venue is both eco- and family-friendly and comes complete with a conference and events centre. For a relaxing, restorative experience, head to the Tau Spa Oasis. The highly addictive Tau live webcam at taugamelodge.co.za/main-lodge/live-webcam is sure to keep you enthralled.
resulting in guests being subtly fenced in, while game, including several crocodiles, roam free. The early morning safaris are mesmerising, offering magical light for photography, with a pit stop for Amarula coffee and delicious buttermilk rusks overlooking the verdant bush, while game rangers always keep a vigilant eye on game and predators. Afternoon game drives include dazzling African sunsets with delicious sundowners before returning to the lodge for a convivial dinner with guests and rangers chatting about their safari sightings of the day.
Game viewing is not limited to safari drives. All 30 rooms and the lodge hospitality decks, as well as two pools, offer views of the large waterhole, where the game extravaganza of the wildest and most entertaining order plays out naturally 24/7. PLAN AN UNFORGETTABLE CHRISTMAS SAFARI A normal five-star safari day at Tau Game Lodge starts with an early wake-up call, if you’d agreed on this with your ranger over a delicious dinner the previous night. You dress in your comfortable clothes and layer up as early mornings are cool.
Wash face, brush teeth and meet at the hospitality area of the lodge for a hot coffee of your choice – a smooth latte, cappuccino or even a steaming mug of hot chocolate. You indulge in a kitchen-baked fresh muffin.
You then get rugged up in a woolen blanket on a safari vehicle, with a canopy for comfort, among a maximum of six guests to adhere to social distancing rules for your safety. Then, you are off to see game of all sizes and descriptions, in their natural habitat, and you even have the option of your private safari vehicle at an additional fee.
Fast-forward from a spectacular game drive to indulging in a breakfast fit for royals, served at your private table overlooking the lush waterhole, where you see the natural pecking order of the wild – from a crocodile lazing on the embankment, hoping to trap a snack, to the myriad birdlife avoiding his primed jaws, elephants trumpeting their arrival, and probably a hyena and lion giving each other the evil eye.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS Now, just imagine spending Christmas in this spectacular location. No need to drive – you are within easy walking distance of your five-star home from home during the feast. Word on the safari trail is that once you have spent Christmas
in the bush with the folks most dear to you,
you’re converted for life. And prior to your final departure, you already start planning your next Christmas – in the bush.
The Tau team has adopted additional health and hygiene measures to provide guests with complete peace of mind during their visit – from arrival to settling into their rooms. Each room undergoes meticulous, deep cleaning before all guest arrivals.
The culinary team’s delicious and healthy meals are served à la carte and tables are spaced apart at an appropriate distance.
success EVOLUTION of
Despite the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on business, Presley Mokotedi, founder and managing director of Garona Communications and Projects, is determined to make a difference. He gets personal with Meetings.
PRESLEY’S #1 BUSINESS TIP:
Presley Mokotedi was raised with the spirit of entrepreneurship instilled in him from a young age.
“I always wanted to be an entrepreneur when I was growing up. I used to help out with the family business and, from here, I developed the desire to have my own business one day,” Presley tells Meetings magazine.
His career in the live events industry kicked off with a stint at a Johannesburg-based exhibition infrastructure service provider. This planted the seed for how he would later go on to develop the model for his own company that he had dreamed of having one day in the future.
“I started Garona Communications and Projects 13 years ago and, with time, I have managed to fund the purchase of our own equipment and resources to provide stand design, construction services and a full turnkey solution for clients’ marketing material – from graphic design and printing to corporate gifting,” says Presley.
At the beginning of 2020, Garona Communications’ pipeline was set to see the business through comfortably for the year. However, the Covid-19 pandemic has, as for most businesses in the MICE sector, resulted in many projects cancelled or put on hold.
“Covid-19 has affected us negatively because, as an exhibitions and events company, we have not been able to do any of our core business for the past half a year, due to large events being banned. We have struggled, as this is where we generate the bulk of our revenue,” laments Presley. ALTERNATIVE AVENUES Even though the Covid-19 pandemic and national lockdown have put a damper on business, Presley is driven towards finding the solutions to ensure Garona Communications and Projects survives.
“We currently find ourselves challenged, with no big projects on our hands, and we are providing services such as printing vinyl stickers for PPE companies. We are also printing Covid-19 awareness posters for a number of companies; through this part of our business offering, we are able to pay our bills,” he explains.
Even with eased restrictions on gatherings, the live events industry still finds itself somewhat challenged. Commenting on this, Presley believes that there will need to be stronger government interventions before activity within the exhibitions industry can reach previous levels.
“While President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that the country would be moving to Level 1 of lockdown, with a maximum of 250 people indoors and 500 outdoors, it unfortunately still limits what we can do, especially in exhibitions. With the large number of people directly employed by the industry who are breadwinners, the government will need to consider opening up for more people so that the events industry can start operating again,” he urges.
Small businesses make up a large portion of the events and exhibitions industry, and Presley believes South Africa should support small players to minimise the huge level of unemployment and poverty in the country.
“We employ, support and skill people, and play a huge role in the growth of the economy,” he highlights.
FUTURE FOCUS On what the outlook will be for the business events industry going forward, Presley feels we will experience a permanent shift.
“It goes without saying that people will be wary of going to large-scale events because they will be worried about being infected with the novel coronavirus at these types of gatherings. In addition, the knock-on effect of the virus has resulted in a near crash of the economy and many businesses have closed, while others don’t have the budget for expos and events. It is going to take a very long time to bounce back to where
we used to be and we are going to have to work hard to totally revive the industry,” he says.
Presley advises business owners to keep promoting their services during this time; Garona Communications and Projects is following all Covid-19 protective measures to stay safe and working to ensure that the company is top of mind so that clients do not forget about it.
“We are equipping ourselves with more knowledge and making the most of the downtime – we are researching and learning about the latest trends so we can generate new ideas and execute on innovative and original concepts when the industry comes back online fully. I must admit that although it is tough, we are hanging on because we have a passion for what we do, and we are utilising the
ABOUT PRESLEY MOKOTEDI
Presley is the founder, owner and managing director of Garona Communications and Projects, which opened its doors 13 years ago. Prior to this, he worked as a sales executive for a local exhibitions company, where he gained invaluable experience. Through its excellent reputation, Garona was awarded a three-year contract as South African Tourism’s international exhibition partner. The contract commenced in 2019 and will run until 2022. Presley is a firm believer in transformation and skills transfer in the country. As a recently appointed board member of EXSA, he is looking forward to positively contributing to the exhibitions industry.
time constructively to revamp our website (garonacom.co.za) and update our company profile. We are also still marketing our business and it keeps us going,” he notes enthusiastically.
STAYING THE COURSE Challenges aside, Presley is more passionate than ever about the potential that his business has on making a positive difference on livelihoods. One of his greatest inspirations is seeing how, through Garona Communications and Projects, he is able to uplift lives.
“Garona Communications and Projects was a dream to have, and to now give up a dream because of Covid-19 is not an option – we are building a legacy through the way in which we strive to upskill our staff and I would like to tell all business owners and industry players never to lose hope. We have all taken a knock as a result of the pandemic but the best thing to do currently is to work as hard as we possibly can and have faith that we will get through this as an industry,” Presley concludes.
