headquarters Published by Meeting Media Company (Europe) www.headquartersmagazine.com - press@headquartersmagazine.com
MEET AFRICA’S WHEELS OF GROWTH
This in-depth Africa feature is the second special edition of Headquarters Magazine December 2014
> Contents
How are you, Africa?
Colophon HQ or Headquarters is a niche publication for European and international associations headquartered in Brussels and all major European cities dealing with the organisation of worldwide congresses. Published 5 times a year. Circulation: 5,000 copies. Subscriptions 65€ (all incl.) in Belgium, 75€ (all incl.) in the EU, 95€ (all incl.) in the rest of the world. One subscription entails 5 editions of Headquarters a year. To subscribe: www.headquartersmagazine.com Editor in Chief Marcel A.M. Vissers T. +32 (0)3 226 88 81 marcel@headquartersmagazine.com Managing Director Cécile Caiati-Koch T. +32 (0)2 761 70 52 cecile@headquartersmagazine.com Account Manager – International Sales Kelvin Lu T. +32 (0)2 761 70 59 kelvin@headquartersmagazine.com Managing Editor J. Samuel Doveri Vesterbye T. +32 (0)2 761 70 50 - +32 (2) 471 07 23 24 Samuel@headquartersmagazine.com Cover © Jorgenmac | Dreamstime.com Design & Print Press Point Poelstraat 167 - 9820 Merelbeke T. +32 (0)9 362 52 50 - www.presspoint.be Supported by ESAE, the European Society of Association Executives, and UIA, the Union of International Associations Address 59 rue René Declercq 1150 Brussels (Belgium) T. +32 (0)2 761 70 50 F. +32 (0)2 761 70 51 www.headquartersmagazine.com press@headquartersmagazine.com
Marcel A.M. VISSERS Editor in Chief
It’s the second year in a row that a specialised magazine in association business publishes an extensive supplement on Africa as a meetings continent. With this medium, we wish to continue informing readers about Africa’s new and exotic meeting advantages! While readers get a glimpse of what Africa has to offer, more than 750 African association executives will receive this unique feature in 2014!
We shouldn’t abandon a continent that has been forgotten by the meetings industry. It all started about 3 years ago when I wrote about Africa being a continent forgotten by the most successful meetings industry continents: Europe and Asia. Is that still the case? I think the situation has changed, and especially in Europe. Professional organisations such as ICCA and AIPC are inviting African speakers to their congresses, and Africa is increasingly being referred to as a much sought-after destination. The efforts of the Meetings Africa and ICCA African Chapter are key in this context. Meetings Africa is showcasing Africa’s diverse offering of services and products more and more so African Associations and African meetings industry professionals can partner to help transform the continent. It’s also a pleasure to hear that the Africa chapter of ICCA is doing better and better. There are more than 50 members already. Experts also realise that Africa is the continent of the future. For this reason I am extremely happy that a well known consultant has contributed to this special edition, with their vision of Africa. However, not everybody is convinced yet. When I talk to CEOs of European Associations and ask whether they have ever considered organising a congress in Africa, I often receive the following reply: African and Gulf State destinations are not so popular with our board members for the time being. They are afraid of a lack of professionalism; they are uncertain and frightened of the unknown. South Africa is the exception. I believe that countries in East and Central Africa need to make great efforts to promote their services. They can rely on the support of South Africa that has come a long way already. Personally I think that Educational Conferences should speak up as they could play an important role all over Africa. In the meantime, scientific research has revealed that 775 headquarters of International and African associations are based in 34 different African countries. A period of Intra-African congress travel is dawning. I hope to be able to write more about Africa as the lion continent for congresses next year.
More articles on www.headquartersmagazine.com
Cécile Caiati-Koch
J. Samuel Doveri Vesterbye
Kelvin Lu
Contents South Africa Convention Bureau
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Still no growth in Africa
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Cape Town International Convention Centre
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CSIR International Convention Centre Tourism Minister of South Africa
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Cape Town, South Africa
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© Reg Caldecott
An African Workhorse It’s quite a challenge to put a continent on the meetings map. It can take years and someone has to play a pioneering role. On the African continent, South Africa undoubtedly steals the spotlight. We all know that South Africa is not Africa, even though Cape Town is where most of it started. The South African Minister of Tourism, Martinus Van Schalkwyk, explains the importance of South Africa for the meetings industry.
© Reg Caldecott
Official opening of Meeting Africa 2013. From left to right: Kingsley Makhubela (Director General Tourism), Frank Kilbourn (South African Tourism Chairman), Marthinus van Schalkwyk (Minister of Tourism), Thulani Nzima (South African Tourism CEO), and Amanda Kotze-Nhlapo (Executive Manager: National Convention Bureau)
Interview: Marcel A.M. Vissers MV: There was a time when Cape Town was equal to South Africa. This is how the European meetings industry became acquainted with South Africa. But this is no longer true. MvS: From the outset it was our intention to put South Africa on the international map. The beginning was irrefutably Cape Town because it was a city that Europeans were fond of. It was a city that had a very attractive, purpose-built convention centre. Cape Town has now grown into a successful meetings destination. And other cities have followed: Durban, Joburg and Pretoria all have extensive, professional meetings infrastructures. MV: You are the man who worked hard to set up a national convention bureau. Was that necessary? MvS: I think so. Don’t forget that we are a large and diverse country. Too much competition between the local convention agencies is not a good thing. It promotes fragmentation. I have always been a proponent of a National Convention agency that promotes the different aspects of the country on the international market. We achieved that goal in 2012 with the establishment of a South 6
Africa National Convention Bureau (SANB), headed by an experienced and highly qualified woman, Amanda Kotze-Nhlapo.
“We also want to continue to play a leading role on the African continent” MV: South Africa has several agencies abroad, but not yet in the most important continent (market), i.e. Europe. That sounds quite unbelievable. MvS: We’ve been through a transitional period, but now I can announce that we have appointed an agency that will represent us in Europe. GainingEdge is the name of the company. They are an important consultancy group in the world’s Business Events Industry. These consultants also assisted us with advice and practical information for setting up the SANB. MV: Which foreign markets are now important for South Africa as meetings destinations? MvS: I’d like to leave that question to Amanda, our National Convention Bureau Executive Manager.
AK: Countries like Russia, India, China and the Gulf States have become major clients. We continue to invest in this field because we believe a great future lies ahead. It’s also a unique opportunity to promote new South African destinations such as Nelson Mandela Bay, Gauteng Province and the Northern Cape. We also want to continue to play a leading role on the African continent, and involve other African countries in developing the Meetings Industry. This is where Meetings Africa, the annual Fair and Congress for all African stakeholders, has a key role to play. Countries such as Mozambique, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and Uganda deserve our support so we can become strong together in Africa. South Africa National Convention Bureau Telephone: (+27)11-895-3097 Email: bjorn@southafrica.net Visit us at www.southafrica.net
Still no growth in Africa? In the past decade or so the average numbers of international meetings (according to ICCA statistics) hosted in Africa stayed relatively unchanged. The expectations of local industry experts however, expressed in interviews and congress presentations have been much more optimistic. So why did the numbers not grow substantially? And is there any hope for a changing pattern in the near future?
According to ICCA, Africa hosts roughly 3% of the international meetings. The continent however counts 14 to 15% of the global population and the discrepancy between those two percentages alone should already raise some eyebrows. The fact of the matter is that in the past 10 to 15 years the continent hosted more than 500 international congresses. Interestingly enough all these congresses have, as far as I know, been successful. Congress organisers choosing an African destination for their meeting in the eighties and even in the nineties were perhaps accepting a risk. At least they were prepared to take their meetings away from the well-trodden paths! But taking those risks paid off and delegates and organisers alike had unforgettable experiences.
“The youngest convention centres on the continent, all in South Africa, have reported record breaking results” For Africa the timing of the global recession was indeed extremely unfortunate, because in the past decade the continent was only just
emerging! If there would be more supply of dedicated meeting space, definitely more international meetings would find their way to Africa. This global demand would even be further enhanced by the rapidly growing number of true African professional organisations that need to meet across the continent, as well as a steady flow of international and African government orientated meetings.
“The growth in international meeting statistics in Africa has to come from new venue initiatives” So, where the rest of the world is still reluctant with the development of new convention centres - rightfully so I would say – the situation in Africa is different. The youngest convention centres on the continent, all in South Africa, have reported record breaking results and incredible occupancy figures
Dirk Elzinga
for their recently closed financial years. And although they really try to make space for more events, it seems hardly possible. The growth in international meeting statistics in Africa has to come from new venue initiatives. It is encouraging to know that there are several of these new plans underway now, both in South Africa as well as in really new destinations such as Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Ethiopia and even the DRC. And around this time already a new convention centre will open in Tanzania! For this reason I have not the slightest doubt that the next decade – finally – will show the long expected growth figures of international meetings in Africa! Dirk Elzinga, Convention Industry Consultants, Cape Town, South Africa
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©Alain Proust
Cape Town
CTICC hits record high 2.99 billion after decade of success The Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) hit a record high in its tenth year of operations and added R 2.99 billion to the national economy and more than R 1 billion to the Western Cape’s coffers.
CTICC Chief Executive Officer, Rashid Toefy said that for the 2012/2013 fiscal year, the centre achieved a net profit before tax of R 27 million, the highest in the centre’s ten year history. “More importantly, the centre continued to make a valuable contribution to driving job creation and skills development in South Africa”, he said. Through the centre’s activities more than 7500 direct and indirect jobs were created nationally during the period under review.
The centre has a sustainable forward book and several large scale international conferences have been secured until 2020. These include the 35th International Geological Congress in 2016, which is expected to attract over 6000 delegates and the World Congress of Internal Medicine in 2018. The centre’s expansion process is set to get underway next year and the CTICC will be ready to trade in 2017.
The centre also set the bar for sustainability reporting when it became the first convention centre in the world to produce an integrated annual report, which is aligned to the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) framework. The report has been externally assured against comprehensive stringent criteria that meet the highest standards for international organisational reporting.
Generating growth and sustainability
Leading the way in international standards of best practice The centre was also awarded a Level 2 BBBEE certification for the second consecutive year. More than 70 % of the centre’s procurement spend was awarded to black and women owned suppliers. “This represents the seriousness of CTICC’s intent in investing in and developing its people and embracing the broad-based approach to wealth creation and participation of previously disadvantaged individuals in the mainstream economy”, said Toefy.
“We have improved our performance by achieving a Level B + Application this year”, said Toefy. This included comprehensively reporting on more than 30 sustainability indicators and measuring progress in this regard.
The centre capped the year at 537 events, compared to the 514 in the 2011/2012 financial year and reached another significant milestone, when it generated over 1.3 million delegate and visitor days. This is a 15 % increase from 2012 and is the highest figure recorded over the past ten years. Visitor numbers are expected to increase to over 1.7 million over the next 5 years”, said Toefy.
Issued by the Cape Town International Convention Centre For more information contact Zeenat Parker, Corporate Communications Manager at +27 21 410 5050 or 071 888 2623.
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CSIR
Tshwane,
South Africa’s Academic, Research and Science Conference Capital
CSIR Conference Room, Tshwane
There are many reasons to host your conference in the administrative capital city of South Africa, Tshwane (Pretoria). If your event is of an academic, research or scientific nature you are bound to attract more delegates and have a richer program which really delivers value. Tshwane is a buzzing hub of academia, science and research. With four universities and no less than seven national science councils this leading academic city is a true centre of scientific research and learning and reportedly boasts the highest level of education in the country. Tshwane is a cosmopolitan city. Tshwane has the most foreign representative bodies in the world after Washington DC. As the seat of government, all South African Government Departments are in Pretoria. The Office of the State President is in the magnificent Union Buildings, - visited by many heads of state from around the world. Pretoria as the capital city is the diplomatic hub of South Africa with over 135 embassies and diplomatic missions such as the United Nations, World Bank and European Union. Tshwane is truly an African city. Apart from Nairobi in Kenya, Tshwane is the only African city where you can view free roaming big African game within the city boundaries. Boasting two nature reserves (Groenkloof and Rietvlei) containing animals such as rhino, antelope, lion and giraffe close to the city
centre and a third, on the city boundaries, which boasts the Big 5 (Dinokeng) game viewing opportunities abound. The CSIR International Convention Centre (CSIR ICC) is situated in the eastern section of this leading South African city. The Convention Centre has played host to countless local, national and international conferences over its 36 years of existence and this wealth of experience is a unique benefit to its clients. With venues built to international standard and seamless services for all business events needs, the CSIR ICC and the city of Tshwane provide you with a truly beneficial and rich experience for your next conference.
Tshwane, a mega city within South Africa, lies only 50km from O.R. Tambo International Airport and is connected to the airport by the Gautrain rapid rail link. Five major highways lead into the City of Tshwane providing vital access from all over the region. The centre’s total capacity is 1,000. The main auditorium seats 500 theatre-style and the secondary auditorium 150 persons, both with built in desks and interpreting equipment. Other rooms seat from 10 to 150 and the 1,000 sqm exhibition hall leads from the main foyer giving exhibitors maximum exposure to conference delegates throughout any confex. The maximum number of meeting rooms is 11 when all the room-dividing partitions are in place. The Convention Centre boasts innovative technology, bespoke menu creation and superb service. Being located away from problematic traffic Is what sets the CSIR ICC apart, it is set in natural surrounding and have an alfresco dinning deck with options including a traditional South African ‘Braai’ under African skies. 11