Nineteenth Edition // March 2013
Featuring Aleit Wedding Coordination Aleit Events A-Design
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THE OPENING
NINETEENTH EDITION – MARCH 2013
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SANKE WEYERS
INTERVIEW WITH THE SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER OF A-DESIGN
3 WEDDINGS ZAMBIA WEDDING - RACHAEL & BRENDON
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EVENTS IMN EXECUTIVE DINNER MINING INDABA 2013 METRO FM AWARDS
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36 16 5
FEATURES A-DESIGN
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IN CLOSING FIRST WORLD PROBLEMS
INDEX // 3
OPENING //
THE OPENING Nineteenth Edition – March 2013
Quoting myself in my closing of the 17th edition of The Aleit Online Magazine – “yes we are just a month away from a brand new year 2013”. Indeed we witnessed the exodus of a phenomenal year and welcomed the new 2013, which got off to a much busier start than expected. With one more week of holidays left before the scheduled office reopen date for the events team, one short call from the SABC threw a spanner in the works. This meant overnight flight bookings and presentation preparation. Almost an hour-long presentation followed bringing with it a catalyst and kick-start to a very busy year ahead. It was an absolute honour and privilege that we were granted the opportunity to plan and execute the annual Metro FM Music Awards. We touch more on the prestigious awards evening on page 22. Jotting down this opening, gazing through my lounge window, as everything gets washed down by the summer Johannesburg thunderstorm rain, I reflect back on three years ago when I made the move to join The Aleit Group - then perceived to be “career suicide”. The journey has been nothing but a remarkable one filled with ongoing growth. Sit back, relax and indulge in yet another superb edition. Happy reading…
Kind Regards, Thabo Matlhako Director - The Aleit Group
THE OPENING // 5
SANKE WEYERS It was with great excitement that we once again headed off to the spectacular Lourensford Wine Estate, this time to chat to the creative eye behind The Aleit Group Online Magazine. It was however with even greater haste that we returned to our studio, realising that Sanke was already patiently waiting there for us. With the usual cheerful smile, Sanke told us more about her role as graphic designer at A-Design.
Tell us more about your design history: I always knew I wanted to study design and found that I had a deep grounded passion for the creative process involved in it. A four year course in Graphic Design at Potchefstroom was thus the natural next step. After the completion of my studies, I dreamed of travelling to France – the ultimate destination for any artist really – but it seemed that there was a different plan for me. My travels found its destination in the gorgeous Cape Winelands, where 2 days after my interview, I was the new graphic designer for an exciting new design company, A-Design. What does working at A-Design involve? I am responsible for the design of Newsletters as well as printing and web design. I also do a lot of events stationery, mood boards, logo design and corporate ID’s. You are such a talented young artist. What does A-design do to keep you in their grasp? We are a very intimate team - just 3 people working together on something we all love. Each project is a team effort consisting of much laughter and hard work. We have so much fun together, and the picturesque setting of our new office on the incredible Lourensford Wine Estate is truly such a vibrant and happy space. So in essence, very little persuasion is needed to keep me in this incredible space. What outside of your working environment makes you happy? My biggest passion is God – He is everything to
me. I would love to go to France one day for missionary work. We often perceive rural Africa and mid Asia as the areas most in need of missionary work, but Europe desperately needs to receive the gospel. Faith and trust in God is truly lost in first world countries where God is not needed. Driving to work every morning with the incredible Helderberg mountains as a backdrop, God’s awesomeness and majesty is so evident – I could not ask to work in a better space. Aleit is very much a designer in his own right. What influence does he have on your work? Aleit is very involved at A-Design – he feels very much at home within the design space, not because he has a background in design, but rather because of his keen eye for detail and natural flair for style. He gives us absolute free reign and our own space to be creative, but has such good taste that we always look to him for guidance and opinion, especially when we are doing creative things for weddings and events. What inspires you creatively? As a designer you constantly need to stimulate your creativity - you can’t stare at your computer and trust that something will simply happen. I’ve taken extra courses in shoe-design, tried to learn French and to top it all off I am currently studying part-time make-up. Never stop learning and alway be inspired!
EVENTS | IMN EXECUTIVE DINNER //
IMN EXECUTIVE DINNER Our annual IMN Executive Dinner took place in a beautiful Penthouse situated in Cape Town’s famous Loop Street. With its spectacular 180 degree views over the city including Lion’s Head, Table Mountain and the Harbour, this incredible setting created a memorable palate for an unforgettable event. For this year’s exclusive dinner our creative team experimented with the ‘Ombre’ movement. This worked especially well in the modern space, surrounded with glass. Long white tables were adorned with flowers styled in colours ranging from light plum and dove blue to dark purple and navy, all contributing to the amazing atmosphere of the evening. Glassware, as well as our artist palette inspired menus, complemented the flowers and unique look. Guests were transported by luxury shuttles to the venue, where they received Graham Beck Brut on arrival by the outside pool deck, with the sunset as a magnificent backdrop. The melodious swing rhythms of a jazz duo entertained guests during pre-drinks, while they enjoyed delectable canapés. Stir food catered for guests in the modern open plan kitchen and guests had the opportunity to see the chefs live, prepping the wonderful six course feast. Menu items included West Coast rock lobster ravioli, beef fillet, Cape salmon and dark chocolate torte served with Madagascan vanilla bean ice cream and spiced red wine berries. A coffee bar was the perfect encore to an incredible evening and guests could enjoy a delicious selection of petit fours before departing to their respective hotels.
EVENTS // 11
EVENTS |MINING INDABA //
EVENTS // 17
MINING INDABA This year’s take on the annual Mining Indaba cocktail event was without a doubt a great start to an exciting year! Guests were transported by luxurious branded shuttles from the hustle and bustle of the CTICC to 62 Roeland Street, where, upon arrival on the seventh floor, guests were blown away by the panoramic views of the city. With an “Urban Forest” inspired theme, the blank canvas setting of a photographic studio was turned into an organic and fresh looking interior where plants hung from the ceiling, creating the effect of walking into a lush forest. Light boxes in the ceiling allowed the sunshine to freely add natural light to the room. We loved the cork screen printed menus and wooden bars. Patches of wheatgrass created beautiful displays for our natural menus and canapes, while astro turf flooring, tulip bulbs and stylish woven furniture completed the look. Guests were treated to canapés, bowl food as well as torte cake with gold leaf courtesy of Stir Food, all served from wooden structured live food stations. Organic plants were displayed in wooden boxes which complimented both the wooden bars and food stations. We look forward to the forthcoming events in 2013 where The Aleit Group continue to wow guests with fresh new ideas!
EVENTS // 18
EVENTS |METRO FM AWARDS//
EVENTS // 23
METRO FM AWARDS The 16th of January saw the who’s who of the music industry in Johannesburg come together at the stunning Summer Place in Hyde Park for the much anticipated announcement of the nominees of the 12th Annual Metro FM Awards. Guests were welcomed in true VIP style on the black carpet where the soft jazzy music of a talented duo led guests out to the picturesque poolside setting. An exquisitely sculpted fountain formed the centerpiece of the outside arrival area, framed by sweeping lawns where guests could enjoy a selection of mouthwatering canapés. In contrast, the atmosphere inside the venue was an opulent one, adorned with elegant splashes of white, black and gold. Deep buttoned satellite bars, suede and leather couches as well as striped ottomans created a chic setting. Colourful lighting surrounded the venue, creating an ambient and warm feel to an exciting evening. Proceedings were kicked off with MC’s William Lehong and ever so gorgeous looking Azania Masoka, both from Metro FM. During the course of the evening guests were wowed by featured artist performances from DJ Black Coffee performing with Thiwe and Zakes Bantwini. DJ Ganyani performed his new hit song, which features Mlu and Big Nuz. The last performance was by Dr Malinga well known for his entertaining flying kicks. DJ Glen Lewis followed by The Naked DJ set the after party on fire with their dance tunes. The event was broadcast live to the millions of Metro FM listeners, and tremendously enjoyed by a group of high profile guests. Good luck to every nominee on the upcoming Metro FM Award Ceremony.
EVENTS // 29
WEDDINGS |THE ALEIT GROUP IN ZAMBIA //
THE ALEIT GROUP IN ZAMBIA The Aleit Group has long been perceived as the industry leading event specialists in South Africa, and the results truly speak for themselves. When Aleit Wedding Coordination was recently asked to execute a wedding surpassing all international expectations in rural Zambia, the team delighted at the prospect of this seemingly impossible task. On Monday January 7th 2013, a team of the most sought after industry specialists gathered in the heart of Cape Town to load one of the largest wedding shipments to ever travel from South Africa to Zambia. Vases, couches, ovens, sound equipment, bars, chandeliers, flooring, and yes, even fabric napkins were loaded into the containers, which, after a full day of loading, were sealed and sent off to the South African border. The coordination behind this shipment was on a mammoth scale, as serial numbers, photographs, weight, dimensions and the value of every single object had to be catalogued in order to pass through customs. One week later, The Aleit Group Team and 22 service professionals from Cape Town were already hard at work in Zambia, creating a fairy tale setting at one of the most spectacular venues in Africa – The magestic Victoria Falls. A crisp white marquee was erected, later to be draped in beautiful white fabrics. Opulent damask curtains surrounded the tent, as the original Capetonian flooring was being installed. Twelve thousand roses arrived safely at the venue, displaying beauty in their full glory - it seems like their first class treatment by the British Airways team paid off. Not long after this, tablecloths were steamed, glasses polished and cutlery shined to perfection. The results of all this hard work promised to be exceptional - and it truly was. The wedding celebration was unforgettable... After the incredible ceremony next to the roaring Zambezi River, guests were ushered to the romantic pre-dinner setting. Prayers were answered as the rain stayed at bay until the last guest was under cover. Roses in shades of soft pink adorned the old English setting at the parlour of the Royal Livingstone Hotel, where a jazz pianist entertained guests while the couple enjoyed their intimate photo session with acclaimed photographer, Joe Dreyer and their incredible duo of videographers from FJS Productions. The reception was equally stunning! The marquee was truly an opulent oasis in the harsh yet beautiful setting of rural Africa. Chandeliers, cut crystal water goblets, damask tablecloths and exquisite imported dÊcor created a picture perfect setting.
WEDDINGS // 27
The wedding day was not the end of this incredible experience though... Guests remained in Zambia to join Rachael and Brendon on what can only be described as a honeymoon of Hope. The Aleit Team, Joe Photography and FJS Productions stayed behind with the couple to join them and capture every moment of their charitable work in Zambia. Their charity Health Hope Zambia, founded by groom Brendan and supported by his beautiful bride Rachael, strives to uplift the people of Zambia by providing a mobile medical clinic, including an HIV/Aids program. Health Hope Zambia’s team of medical staff travel up to 150km from the capital Lusaka each day, and have provided free medical care to more than 8000 patients in the past year. They recently also started a feeding programme, serving free meals to over 100 000 people. Our team lent a helping hand by not only building and painting many desks for a rural Zambian school, but also feeding more than 800 grateful school children. Creative Director, Johnny Hamman, spent two weeks working hand in hand with the couple in an attempt to make a difference. Heavy labour and kilometres walked on the vast African plains left a feeling of hope to a people very much in need of it. Working with the immense poverty in these hunger stricken areas was truly an eye opening experience – once again awakening a realisation that there is such a great need for the most basic essentials and the important role that we can play in changing lives for the better.
WEDDINGS | RACHAEL & BRENDAN //
RACHAEL & BRENDAN ROYAL LIVINGSTONE We had the great opportunity of chatting to bride Rachael after her unforgettable wedding. What a wonderful feeling it was to walk down memory lane once more and relive one of the most exciting and exhilarating African experiences we have ever had. How did you meet? Brendan and I met back in 2000 when I moved in next door to him. Yes, I was the ‘girl next door’. What was your best moment of the day? Wow, that’s a difficult one. The whole day and night was just amazing for both of us - such perfection created by The Aleit Group. I would however have to say walking down the aisle to my emotional groom was the highlight. Brendan has such a soft heart. It was thus the most natural sight to see him crying and I just couldn’t wipe the smile off my face. The setting was beautiful with the Zambezi river in the background. It’s a difficult one though, because along with that was the moment when we entered the marquee and experienced an overpowering wonder – greater than I had ever dreamt of. What about us stood out to you? Everything about The Aleit Group is perfection. Nothing about the whole day or night could be faulted. The whole look of the ceremony was beautiful and the reception even better. Nothing was ever too hard for Johnny and both he and Aleit didn’t let us stress or lift a finger. Getting The Aleit Group to do our wedding is one of the best decisions we ever made and I couldn’t imagine what the day would have been like without them. Tell us more about the honeymoon. After the wedding we spent 4 nights at the Royal Livingstone with all of our guests who had travelled from Australia and the UK, going on Safari’s and doing all the great activities there are to do in Livingstone. We then went on to take them all to Lusaka where we have our charity Health Hope Zambia. We wanted to get them involved with helping those less fortunate, which is Brendan and my passion in life. Being together for 12 years Brendan and I have travelled the world so we decided to spend 3 weeks after the wedding doing what we really love – helping others.
Tell us more about your day: My big day was exactly what I had imagined. I loved how easy and stress-free The Aleit Group made the run-up to the wedding as well as on the day for us.They became trustworthy friends that we knew we could rely on. We couldn’t have asked for better coordinators. What advice would you give to other Bridal couples tying the knot soon? My advice would be to leave your wedding in the professional hands of The Aleit Group. Don’t think you can create the same amazing day yourself because it would be impossible. Also don’t stress and just enjoy the day! On our wedding day I was so relaxed and in the moment, however before the day I was very nervous! Once our big day arrived I realised that there was no need to be. You are marrying the person you love most in the world and that really is all that matters! Well that and having a beautiful wedding ;)
WEDDINGS // 13
WEDDINGS // 43
FEATURES | A-DESIGN //
D
VERSITY Diversity diverse [daɪˈvɜːs ˈdaɪvɜːs] adj 1. having variety; assorted 2. distinct in kind Diversity is an art in itself, and something that the team at A-Design truly excel at. Their large client base spans numerous industries, anything from florists to event companies, record labels to cycling tours. Conceptualising and designing something unique and extraordinary for such a vast spectrum of ideas is often challenging. So what is ADesign’s secret to success? Focus! Absolute focus on a specific project empowers the team at ADesign to become one with the project that they are working on. This enables them to synchronise themselves with the concept, thereby creating works of art. Intense focus on each project, cutting out everything else for that moment, enables the team to easily make a creative shift from a florist’s website to a rock band’s cover designs. In essence, what has made A-Design such a great success is their ability to completely lose themselves in the projects that they work on, placing a little part of themselves in each project. This has ensured great results in every project that they partake in.
IN CLOSING //
FIRST WORLD PROBLEMS Every now and then a little eye opener jumps in the road and suddenly surprises us. We all see ourselves as well matured and experienced in life until you are, quite unexpectedly, taught yet another lesson. One of the biggest blessings of my career is that you get to see so much, learn so much from other people, even though they are highly repellent people. These are the people you learn the most from. Every day of meeting new clients, suppliers and scenarios actually adds to the process of a Wedding Planner becoming a more evolved and experienced person. With that being said, we do not typically get the respect we deserve in the business sector. In South Africa, wedding planning is not yet as respected a business as it is internationally. Yes, I am bitching again. And that is the reason for this letter. I often find myself bitching and moaning. As this is such a challenging industry we can quickly find ourselves moaning and groaning over a glass of wine. Let me take a few steps back before I get to my point... I had the privilege of traveling to Zambia recently to plan the spectacular wedding for the wonderful couple Brendan and Rachael. After the wedding I traveled with them to work at their wonderful charity Health Hope Zambia.
What an eye opener! I must say six days of being in the presence of immense poverty, the likes of which I have never before seen was a massive eye opener for me. I can’t believe how jaded people tend to be, that we forget every day how privileged we are to have the lives and careers we are so fortunate to have . We moan and bitch about the smallest stupidest things. Even with our abundant blessings we struggle to stay happy. Therefore, I have now pledged that when I start bitching, to stop and remind myself that it is most probably a first world problem and that there are millions of people needlessly suffering in the world. Thank you Brendan and Rachael for a life lesson I will treasure forever. Cheers to eye openers! Happy March Everybody!
Kind Regards, Johnny Hamman Creative Director - The Aleit Group
SERVICE PROFESSIONALS EVENTS IMN EXECUTIVE DINNER Venue Flowers Catering Registration Stationery Shuttle Service Light & Sounding Hiring Furniture Bar & Staff Photography Entertainer Coffee Station
Hip House La Maison Westin Grand Aspen & Co Stir Food A-Tek A-Design MK Exotic Tours Presentation Staging Top Table In & Out Events Shake & Serve Joe Photography Gary Deacon Duo Coffee Rights
MINING INDABA Venue Sound & Lighting Décor Shuttle Services Catering Stationery Bar & Staff Investements Registration Flowers Entertainment
Opus Studio Presentation Staging Red Hot Events MK Exotics Stir Food A-Design Shake & Serve Shabros A-Tek Floral Affairs Breakfast Included
METRO FM AWARDS Venue, Bar, Staff & Catering Flowers & candles Furniture AV & Lights MC’s Performing artists:
Summerplace Flower Art Propstars Presentation Stagin Azania Masoka - Metro FM DJ William Lehong - Metro FM DJ DJ Ganyani featuring Big Nuz & Mlu DJ Black Coffee featuring Zakes Bantwini Dr Malinga DJ Glen Lewis DJ Nakes
SERVICE PROFESSIONALS WEDDINGS RACHAEL & BRENDAN Venue Photographer Videographer DĂŠcor Food Sound & AV Lighting & Structure Flooring Hair & Make-up Entertainment
Royal Livingstone Joe Photography FJS Productions Red Hot Events Royal Livingstone Presentation Staging Something Different Concepts & Shows Connecta Floor Gorgeous 2 Go Shine Band