The Event Issue 4

ISSUE 04 | 2015

+ THE BEST OF LUXURY EXPERIENCES + THE LAUNCH OF JACARANDA EVENTS

06 08 12 A CHAT WITH THE LAST WORD BRADLEY BROUWER IN LUXURY

JAZZ FEST 2015

SAT’s President for the Asia Pacific region gives fascinating insights into his unique role in promoting South Africa

Our resident muso Kim Muller spent the weekend at CTIJF. Actually, we haven’t see her since...

Turn to page 8 for the lowdown on the crème de la crème of luxury experiences, and how SA leads the pack.

CONTENTS | 01

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02. BestCities Not Afraid to Ask the Tough Questions

03. A Chat with Carol Weaving 04. IBTM Africa: International Buyers Searching for African Suppliers

05. Lanzerac Wine Estate: For Work or Play; It’s a Winner

06. A Chat with Bradley Brouwer 08. Taking South African Luxury Experiences to New Places

11. Jacaranda Events: Complete Event Service Solutions

12. Cape Town International Jazz Festival Review

16. Mining Indaba Invests in Africa 18. Tech Talk: Star Wars has Finally Landed

20. Turkey: Where East Meets West at ACE of M.I.C.E. Exhibition

24. Movers and Shakers 26. IMEX Frankfurt 2015: Driving Business with the Force of Global Opportunities

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TECH TALK WITH KIM

SPOTLIGHT ON ZAMBIA

Tech guru Kim Muller goes deep into the world of hologram technology, and how it’s shaping the events industry.

This spectacular country is a must-see for conference organisers looking for professionalism and natural wonders.

27. Event Greening Forum: A Path to Sustainability

28. Zambia: The Perfect Blend of Business and Leisure

30. The Northern Cape: Where Business Meets Culture

32. Events 34. Travel News: Kenya Airways Boosts Operations

35. Associations 36. Directory

02 | NEWS

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BestCities

Not Afraid to Ask the Tough Questions © Dubai Tourism

© SA Tourism Cape Town was one of the cities evaluated by BestCities.

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estCities Global Alliance have undertaken their 6th consecutive Client Survey at a time when competition in the international convention market is at an all-time high and client satisfaction has never been more important.

All six client surveys from 2009 - 2014, have been conducted by LJ Research and measure ongoing levels of service and expertise provided

by BestCities’ full partners.

“Winning business as a result of word-of -mouth referrals is dependent on achieving high approval rates among existing clients and in today’s highly competitive environment; client satisfaction is even more critical,” says Karen Bolinger, BestCities Board Chair and CEO of Melbourne Convention Bureau.

“Six years of evaluating our clients has provided BestCities with a highly valuable resource unmatched by any other convention bureaux alliance and the data collected allows us to consistently monitor our commitment to deliver high-quality services as well as to make direct comparisons to previous years.

“For example, we have seen client satisfaction with ‘Response time to Requests’ increase from 8.97 in 2010 to 9.08 in 2014.

Although a minor increase, the data indicates that our bureaux reacted to the feedback and,

Dubai, one of BestCities’ partners.

as part of their regular audits, addressed the areas of concern and improved their internal processes.

“This improvement in service is a direct benefit to all our clients, and as we embark on a new strategic direction with an even stronger customer focus, it is more important than ever that we continue to ask the tough questions and be ready to listen and respond to the feedback – both good and bad,” says Ms Bolinger.

The ten* BestCities partners of Berlin, Cape Town, Chicago, Copenhagen, Dubai, Edinburgh, Houston, Melbourne, Singapore and Vancouver were all evaluated, in the 2014 survey, across a range of areas including bureau performance, bid services and delegate boosting.

“Regularly capturing and assessing client feedback also provides us with insights into any

occurring trends as well as identifying areas for improvement,” continues Ms Bolinger.

“We know that delegate boosting is an area that clients feel very strongly about with 48% of respondents making use of the service in 2014. However, feedback also suggests that more information should be provided and that it could be tailored more closely to fit delegates’ needs and requirements.

“With our capacity to harness the collective power of our partners, BestCities is addressing this challenge by working towards a model of attendance building where clients will receive the same high level of assistance across 12 destinations and five continents,” concludes Ms Bolinger. *During the period of this survey, Bogotá and Tokyo were not full members of the Alliance and as such are not included in these results.

SPOTLIGHT | 03

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A Chat With

CAROL WEAVING: World Travel Market Africa is just days away.

The Event: What can attendees expect from WTM Africa this year?

Carol Weaving: Apart from showcasing over 500 exhibitors this year, we are really excited about our side events that complement this B2B show. The WTM Africa Events Programme is really set to wow visitors with a series of debates, seminars and talks from a vast array of speakers covering a wide variety of interesting industry related topics.

In addition we are privileged to have the 11th International Conference on Responsible Tourism in Destinations (RTD11) running alongside WTM Africa. The conference will also be held at the CTICC on the 14th and 15th of April and all delegates will have free access to WTM Africa. As part of the WTM Portfolio we will host, for the very first time, a responsible tourism awards ceremony at WTM Africa. These awards follow the longrunning success of The World Responsible Tourism Awards at WTM (London). This year, WTMŽ Africa also welcomes five of South Africa’s provinces; The Western Cape, The North West Province, The Northern Cape, Gauteng Tourism and Nelson Mandela Bay, in addition to a large increase in international exhibitors to cater for the outbound market.

The Event: How did you select the speakers and what are the key talking points?

Weaving: The WTM Portfolio that consists of the four leading business-to-business travel trade events in the world; World Travel Market (London), Arabian Travel Market (Dubai), WTM Latin America (Sao Paulo) and WTM Africa (Cape Town) is the industry leader when

Carol Weaving, Managing Director of Thebe Reed Exhibitions

it comes to addressing the most relevant issues that face our industry and as a team we agree on content that will hit the spot and that is key to the event. The speakers that can deliver the best content, and who are experts in their field locally, therefore are invited to participate on that basis. This year, some of the themes to be covered include: responsible and transitional tourism, competing globally, sustainable business economics, business inspiration, technology and how to collaborate with bloggers.

The Event: What sector of the industry does WTM service and who should attend?

Weaving: What makes WTM Africa a stand out show is that we deliver an event to the travel trade that fully encompasses a holistic B2B

experience that has something for everyone.

It is unique in its offerings to the African and International travel market in that it caters to both inbound and outbound sectors of the travel industry. It is the only event of its kind in Africa and it therefore appeals to exhibitors from all over Africa and beyond. For example in addition to the African participants, this year we have five international tourism boards participating with their various stand partners. They are Turkey, Malaysia, Abu Dhabi, India and Thailand. We would encourage all travel professionals whether working in the inbound tourism sector or the outbound travel sector to attend. In particular those based here in South Africa.

The show is right here on their doorstep and if they preregister it is free to attend.

04 | NEWS

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International Buyers to Attend ibtm Africa in Search of "Go to" Suppliers

The ibtm Africa team is ready to welcome you.

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btm africa, a highly targeted event, offering an exclusive opportunity for African and Indian Ocean exhibitors to connect and engage with top-level international decision makers, has confirmed a strong line up of international buyers with proven business to place. Suppliers from the continent will attend the show which is set to take place in Cape Town, South Africa (13-15 April, 2015).

Top international meetings, events and incentive planners from large corporations and agencies included in the line up of

Hosted Buyers who have been qualified to participate include; BI Worldwide China (China), HelmsBriscoe (Turkey), Maesse Marketing Consultancy Ltd. (Germany), Blaycation (Canada), The Scienomics Group (U.S.), Inception Global Ltd. (UK), Haye Incentive Travel (Netherlands), Paragon Europe (Belgium), Speed Sailing International (UK), AstraZenace (Russian Federation) and Abbott (United Arab Emirates).

“The quality of our international buyers who have proven business to place with exhibitors

and those who are participating in ibtm africa 2015 will benefit from this opportunity, so if there are pan African venues and services that are still wanting to join this MICE community for business, networking and learning, we welcome them, but they need to be quick!” said Shinu Pillai, Exhibition Manager for ibtm africa.

The value of being a Hosted Buyer is evident from those all ready to participate in this year’s event. Mark Stiles, Chief Vacation Officer, Blaycation, Canada commented, “It will be key to meet the local experts who can offer travel and incentive solutions for our business.

I am hoping to meet a few like-minded travel partners that can act as my “go to” suppliers in Africa.”

Yakub Khan, Purchasing Manager, Gulf & Levant Region, Global Sourcing Global Purchasing Services, Dubai commented, “Attending ibtm africa is very important for our business as it allows us to understand the destination and what Africa has to offer us in terms of events, incentive meetings, hotels, site seeing, team building activities etc. I am planning for a couple of events in Cape Town and the Africa region, so this event will provide me a lot of value and information.” ibtm Africa, part of Africa Travel Week, will bring together African and Indian Ocean suppliers including Hotels and Venues, National/ State Tourism Organisations and Convention Bureaux, Travel Management Companies, Destination Management Companies, and other MICE related suppliers for this exclusive showcase of their products to the same number of international Hosted Buyers.

For more information on exhibiting at ibtm africa please visit www.ibtmafrica.com or contact ibtmafrica@reedexpo.co.uk

SPOTLIGHT | 05

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LANZERAC WINE ESTATE For Work or Play; it's a Winner

Lanzerac Cellar Hall Venue Foyer

Lanzerac Cellar Hall Conference Setup

Lanzerac Wine Estate

Lanzerac Wine Estate Swimming Pool

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was recently invited to experience a guided tour by Jo-Anna Looms, Marketing Manager of Lanzerac Wine Estate. The tour began with a comprehensive history of the estate and a stroll past some of the estate’s prized artwork, which are breathtaking in their grandeur, before moving on to the meeting rooms. The casual manner in which guests took a break from their gourmet breakfasts to shoot the breeze with Jo-Anna is testament to the warmth of her character and the personal care and attention she gives to all who pass through Lanzerac’s gates.

Sitting in one of the sumptuous boardroom chairs is an experience in itself. Top quality chairs deserve top quality work, and I can attest to the fact that one feels that one should be doing important work when sitting in these chairs. To be inspired simply by the furnishings in a meeting room is a feat, and it is clear

that only the very best furniture and decor is displayed in Lanzerac’s meeting and conference areas. Not to mention the guest suites themselves, which are currently undergoing a R60-million renovation.

The undeniably opulent suites are endowed with classic and ornate French furnishings, many of which are imported. Each of Lanzerac’s 48 rooms is being given the same magnificent treatment, and the fact that Lanzerac is so affordable is simply staggering.

The conference and event room is a versatile space with state-of-the-art audio and visual amenities. The walls can be hung with thick curtains, or the brick walls exposed, or covered with branding. The options are endless, as are the options for coloured lighting and lighting combinations. The space lends itself to corporate events, weddings, formal functions, or simply a party; albeit in fabulous surroundings.

by Katie Reynolds

The grounds, which include more than one inviting swimming pool, are also perfectly suited to outdoor events, such as picnics and team-building. The magnificent and imposing mountains provide the perfect backdrop; the view simply can’t be faulted.

The tour included an exploration of the wine cellar as well as a tasting of several of Lanzerac’s fabulous wines. The tour, which begins with a colourful history of the estate and the personalities instrumental in its creation, managed to balance heritage with anecdotal fun. I can personally affirm that Lanzerac’s signature range had me insisting that I take a few bottles home to share with family and friends.

In closing, my time at this tremendous estate left me in no doubt that businesses, couples and families alike will find the perfect venue for work and play at Lanzerac.

06 | SPOTLIGHT

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© SA Tourism

A CHAT WITH BRADLEY BROUWER

South Africa Tourism's President: Asia-Pacific

The Event: Firstly, how do you spend your work days?

Bradley Brouwer: I usually spend a week every month in Japan and around two weeks every month in China. My diary is very busy and varied; from media interviews, trade seminars, consumer seminars and government relations with tourism and aviation sectors and administration.

The Event: What are your objectives in Japan?

Brouwer: Needless to say, our objective is to meet our targets, in terms of arrivals, spend, and increased awareness of South Africa, etc.

To be more specific, our key focuses are: • To build Japanese’ confidence in South Africa by providing information that positions South Africa as an attractive and welcoming destination.

• To get more Japanese travellers to be aware of South Africa as an attractive leisure (and business) destination.

• To engage with the Japanese travel trade and to provide them with a range of fresh itineraries which promote a variety of value-formoney aspects of South Africa that can be sold confidently and easily. We remain focused on empowering the trade to market and sell South Africa better.

The Event: And your objectives in China?

Brouwer: I am responsible for developing tourism opportunities in both China and Japan, and in South Korea. In my role, the key activities I am taking charge of include strategic analysis, marketing planning and setting up the operations to promote South Africa while building the South African brand, to further develop relations with the travel trade, media and other stakeholders in these markets. In China it is important to keep South Africa top of mind as a destination for future travel considerations.

The Event: How receptive is the Japanese market to South Africa’s tourism and business event/MICE offerings?

Brouwer: • A growing number of travel agencies in Japan have been showing interest in selling South Africa, and H.I.S., a major travel agency in Japan, opened its office in Johannesburg in early 2014, the 1st Japanese agency to open in South Africa.

• We position Japan as one of the attractive markets in the Asia and Australasia region and categorized as one of the ‘investment’ markets in our portfolio.

• The number of Japanese visitors to South Africa in 2013 (Jan-Dec 2013)

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showed a year-on-year growth of 22.2% to 42,045, setting out a record arrivals figure for two years in a row. Please bear in mind that there is no direct air link between Japan and South Africa.

The 22.2% growth was more than quadruple the 4.7% growth rate of the total international tourist to South Africa. In fact, Japan’s growth rate was the highest among our key portfolio percentage-wise in 2013.

It should be fair to say that an arrival growth of this nature is remarkable and encouraging, considering the fact that the total number of Japanese outbound dropped by 5.5% in 2013.

I should also point out that approximately 70% of the Japanese visitors to South Africa in 2013 were on business. In terms of trading, South Africa is Japan’s largest trading partner in Africa, while Japan is South Africa’s 3rd largest.

Tokyo International Conference on Africa Development (TICAD) in 2013 marked a new wave of interaction between Japanese companies and African countries including South Africa. And, more Japanese companies have been expanding their business in South Africa.

So, there is room to grow business

SPOTLIGHT | 07

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© SA Tourism

Bradley Brouwer’s mandate is to promote South Africa as a business-events location to the Asian market.

tourism as the relationship between the two continents has been elevated to a strategic partnership and is becoming more ambitious.

The Event: Is this sentiment echoed in China?

Brouwer: As one of the most sought-after destinations in the world, South Africa has brought a wide range of its business offerings to China. South African Tourism exhibited at the China Incentive Business Travel and Meetings Exhibition (CIBTM) for several years now and has introduced its worldclass business and events tourism resources and offerings with the NCB to the tourism industry in China.

South Africa’s business and MICE products are fairly well accepted in the Chinese market and are doing really well.

We helped facilitate visa applications for two MICE travel groups for about 3 250 people this month. South Africa’s travel products are more competitive now while the rand has depreciated. As a result we are doing continuous promotional efforts with our partners and media, and are increasing the destination’s brand awareness and reputation. Companies like automobile and medicine manufacturers as well as some insurance companies that are conducting MICE travel groups annually tend to choose off-the-beaten-track destinations like South Africa; this is a huge opportunity to grow MICE even further from China.

The Event: What are the key elements of your marketing campaigns?

Brouwer: In Japan, our key communications strategy is: • To promote the unique combinations of tourism offerings – scenic beauty, flowers, wildlife, adventure, and people

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– which sets South Africa apart.

To develop a stronger heartfelt connection with South African culture, heritage and people in the Japanese sentiment to grow a sense of affinity to South Africa. We want to bring South Africa closer to the heartland of Japanese people.

We want to be seen as welcoming by Japanese people. We want them to know that South Africa is a nation of ubuntu – warm, friendly and welcoming people.

Our people are a key destination brand differentiator.

We want to enshrine the realities of a warm, welcoming people with a vibrant can-do culture in a destination with a rainbow fusion of influences. The only country that provides both an authentic African experience and cosmopolitan, contemporary first-world lifestyle experience with highly developed firstworld infrastructure.

Together with our trade and media partners, we have been undertaking a series of “deal-driven campaigns” during the current fiscal 2014-15 to give a concrete reason for Japanese wanderlusters to experience unique combinations of what South Africa has to offer as a leisure destination.

At the same time, we provide contentrich information in our local website to showcase key itineraries that can be experienced with the campaign tour products.

In China, our key communications strategy is: • To further enhance the brand image and brand awareness of South Africa under the new theme for 2015 – “Interact with South Africa in an Authentic Way”.

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Authenticity is very important to the Chinese who tend to seek authentic experiences in South Africa and aspire to meet and interact with locals. Trade media projects will be conducted to echo with this.

To also leverage the annual Meetings Africa and INDABA platforms and FAM trips to present South Africa’s diverse business tourism offerings and the latest products on offer.

SA Tourism’s annual trade workshops are essential to educate and communicate with the Chinese travel trade and to provide them with the latest information through their South African counterparts.

Brand and independent South African booth presence during the annual China International Travel Mart and China International Business Travel Mart is essential in China.

A few joint marketing agreements will be signed with Chinese trade partners to deepened cooperation and sales potential.

The Event: What is the greatest part of your job?

Brouwer: One of the greatest parts is to get to travel to many countries and to get to know many people with different cultures, which makes my life richer. I believe that travelling is an essential part of living well.

I really enjoy my work because I think that I have such a great opportunity to share these market insights with fellow South Africans, and I think that the cultural diversity is of most interest to me and to know more about the Chinese travel trends as they change so fast. China is a great country with huge opportunities.

08 | FEATURE

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TAKING SOUTH AFRICAN LUXURY EXPERIENCES To New Places

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n 2015, as South Africa and many other countries look to China not only for investments but also to grow the interest in their tourism offerings, luxury brands and unique experiences may just be the answer.

According to a recent article by Andiswa Maqutu in Business Day Live, China has moved from being South Africa’s ninth-largest tourism source market to the fourth-largest in 2013. Over 98 million Chinese tourists travelled abroad in 2014, making the nation the “number one source market in the world” for international travellers.

South African diamonds are one of the luxury products that the Asian market flocks to, says Michael Jones, Co-Founder of AfricaCreate, a company promoting African brands in China. “The Chinese believe that SA is the source of diamonds so they should be

by Kim Muller

cheaper here. They are doing the same in Italy and London with, for example Louis Vuitton bags. The Chinese have become the number one consumer of luxury goods around the world,” he explains. He goes on to say that Chinese travellers also spend the most, often forgoing expensive tour packages in favour of shopping at their destinations.

In March, the Global Business Travel Association’s educational and research arm, the GBTA Foundation, released its latest GBTA BTI Outlook – China Report, which showed that total spending on Chinese-originated business travel grew an estimated 16.6% in 2014, while the growth in both leisure and business travel demand has led hoteliers to significantly increase their presence in China over the last decade. Incentive travel is also on the rise, according to reports from M&IT

India. “Incentive travel is one of the fastestgrowing segments within India’s outbound MICE movement,” says Chang CheePey, Executive Director for South Asia, Middle East and Africa at Singapore Tourism Board. “Many Indian companies organise annual incentive travel as a business too to reward and motivate top-performing employees as well as external channel partners to drive top sales.” Experts also say that the Indian market has the same potential as the Chinese market segments.

In the same way that the number of Asian travellers is growing, the number of hotels in the Middle East and African regions has grown to supply the demand for accommodation.

According to the EIBTM Trends Watch 2014, 628 new hotels were under contract, totalling 147,454 rooms. Trade shows, too, have been playing their part in bringing Africa’s luxury

FEATURE | 09

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All images: © SA Tourism

offerings to the fore, with INDABA 2015 and We Are Africa partnering under the banner of “Two Shows, One Africa”, and World Travel Market (WTM), ILTM Africa and IBTM Africa taking place in one location in mid-April.

Trends in the Luxury Industry Skift Travel IQ released a report called The 14 Trends that will Define Travel in 2014. In it, writers Rafat Ali, Jason Clampet, Dennis Schaal and Samantha Shankman cite the rise of the silent traveller as one of the trends.

Although human interaction is less important to this demographic, they say that “big data and personalisation offer a way for travel companies to offer that invisible pillar of support.” Skift goes on to say that the blurring

of business and leisure travel is increasing, while the role of hotels has evolved over the last decade during “the boom of interest inn experiential travel. Guests arrive to hotels with a wealth of previously researched information and demand more from their stay.” As a result, a number of independent and branded properties promote themselves as a ‘travel experience’ rather than a mere place to lay the head.

Aviation is also beginning to deliver on self-service, an increasingly popular form of travel, especially for Millenials. From do-ityourself check-in and print-at-home baggage tags to self-serve Global Entry, flyers are spending more time on their own while in the air. “All of this means that experienced travellers are able to move through the

airport faster without waiting on staff to direct them,” Skift says, “In the coming year, we’ll see airports saving money on ground personnel by replacing officers at security exit gates with glass portals.”

Finally, the report cites a continued rise in Chinese Independent Travellers, despite outbound travel in China still dominated by group tours. “Chinese travellers top almost every list of tourist superlatives,” the study concludes, “They are now the world’s biggest spenders on shopping while abroad and the most numerous overseas arrivals at global airports…a new generation of affluent Chinese consumers has come of age that is more global, educated and consumption driven than their parents. Their habits are different, too. Instead of just shopping malls, younger

10 | FEATURE

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All images: © SA Tourism

The World’s Top Luxury Hotel Brands According to an index by Genevabased Digital Luxury Group, Chair of Luxury Hospitality of Ecole Hôtelière de Lausanne (EHL), Professor Samad Laaroussi, the Hilton Worldwide received the most interest last year, followed by Starwood Hotels & Resorts and Hyatt.

The World Luxury Index Hotels 2014 is based on data from 485 million online searches on 70 brands in 20 markets. The index suggests that global interest in high-end accommodation has grown by 7.7%, with the biggest rise in interest in the Luxury Exclusive category. The major growth rate comes from China (+39%), with Chinese consumers getting closer to the level of interest of the UK market – the secondlargest market for the sector.

“Such a significant increase in interest for luxury hotels from China can

be attributed to a few things. Firstly, numerous western hotel brands are opening in second, third and fourth-tier cities, building brand awareness in parts of China where wealth is increasing and overall luxury hotel awareness may be low. This could mean that – after experiencing a particular brand in their home country – Chinese tourists are now seeking out this brand when they travel abroad,” says David Sadigh, Founder and CEO of Digital Luxury Group.

Here are the top ten hotel brands for 2014: 1. Hilton 2. Sheraton 3. Westin 4. Four Seasons 5. Ritz-Carlton 6. Hyatt 7. Renaissance 8. Embassy Suites 9. InterContinental 10. Hyatt Regency

independents are more interested in the lived modern culture of their destinations.”

Cape Town remains an incredibly popular destination for luxury travellers seeking a unique experience. According to Africa Panda, a Hong Kong-based tourism marketing company, Cape Town is one of the most popular cities for Asian tourists visiting South Africa, mentioning adventure tours such as sandboarding, abseiling from Table Mountain, mountain biking, hot air ballooning and shark cage diving as welcome pursuits.

Another unique luxury experience is the ‘glamping’ phenomenon – glamorous camping. Says Kate Rau of SouthAfrica.net: “There is no shortage of glamping holidays in South Africa. Travellers looking for luxury tented accommodation can rest assured there are plenty of glamorous options from which to choose, as well as less-traditional glamping venues such as tree houses, five-star trailer parks and lavish bungalows.” Rau goes on to explain that places like Gorah Elephant Camp and Marataba Safari Lodge are ideal for glamping, while Knysna’s tented tree house resort is both environmentally friendly and set in a pristine forest of the Garden Route National Park. The Chalkley Treehouse at the Lion Sands Game Reserve offers lavish outdoor living, while the Airstream Rooftop Trailer Park at the Grand Daddy Hotel, or the Santos Express’s train carriage rooms in Mossel Bay offer fabulous, one-ofa-kind experiences.

Other favourite places for visitors from Asian markets include wine farms – especially those with a courier service enabling visitors to order wine and send it home – as well as private game lodges, helicopter tours, and the penguin colonies. Sun City continues to be a popular destination.

SA Tourism has been working hard to boost both regional and international tourism to the country, and one of the ways it’s doing so is through innovative technologies like Oculus Rift. Besides this, Bradley Brouwer, SA Tourism’s President for Asia Pacific, says that the department is looking to grow the number of tourists from China significantly.

Brouwer goes on to say that small efforts could help move this growth along, such as making tourists feel at home – writing notices in Chinese or South African businesses linking up with Chinese bank card Union Pay. South African Airways will also be raising the number of direct flights to Beijing from August this year.

JACARANDA EVENTS | 11

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JACARANDA EVENTS: Complete Event Service Solutions

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acaranda Events was born following a series of innovative initiatives that the Tshwane Events Centre (Tshwabac) launched a few years ago aimed at supplementing the income generated by venue rentals. Over the years these initiatives have grown significantly to such an extent that they’ve become a fully–fledged business in their own right.

Jacaranda Events is an innovative eventingsolutions company that does not only offer out-of-the-box service solutions at the Tshwane Events Centre, but country-wide as well. We’re here to make our mark on the country’s events scene.

Jacaranda Events offers complete event service solutions which include: • • • • • • • • • • • •

Catering and bar services Event logistical supply Event planning Project management Event marketing Exhibition management Event staffing solutions Corporate functions decor AV/Stage set up Accreditation services Airport transfers Accommodation bookings

We have 4 distinct business What is the relationship disciplines namely: between Jacaranda Events and Tshwane Events?

• Event logistical support •

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Hospitality which incorporates the Conference Centre, on and off site catering services, as well as the newly created Jungle Café which is open to the public six days a week and available for various functions.

In addition there is an eventing arm that will assist clients in project managing events.

Our marketing service division will specialise in event-marketing product launches, activations and many more.

The two share a mutually beneficial relationship, as the services offered by Jacaranda Events directly benefit from those presented by the Tshwane Events Centre. While the Events Centre will provide the venues for conferences and other events, Jacaranda Events will be in charge of the conference and catering platforms.

What makes Jacaranda Events unique?

Jacaranda Events is a collection of professional individuals hailing from the eventing industry.

We are geared towards an entrepreneurial spirit to deliver innovative and profitable solutions to the events industry by providing quality event logistical support, conferencing, catering events creation and marketing services. The company is closely associated with the Tshwane Events Centre and can offer the client unique eventing opportunities and experiences.

Any events that Jacaranda Events have lined up?

Our first client is the annual Tshwane Business and Agricultural Show in August where we will be involved with the complicated logistical support as well as catering and marketing functions.

For more information on the services Jacaranda Events can offer, or if you have an event that needs a fresh approach, contact Ricky da Costa at 012 327 1487 or ricky@jacarandaevents.co.za

12 | FEATURE

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All images Š Kimberleigh Aleksandra

Ringo Madlingozi on the Kippies Stage

Jitsvinger with bassist Wesley Valentine

Mahotella Queens 50th Anniversary Celebration

CAPE TOWN INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL

Offers up a Melange of Musical Flavour by Kim Muller

Thundercat at Bassline Stage on Saturday night

The Brother Moves On at Moses Mololekwa

Swedish pop group Dirty Loops

FEATURE | 13

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T

he sixteenth Cape Town International Jazz Festival kicked off on Friday, 27 March, with all the grandiose its slogan portends. Fondly known as the Jazz Fest to locals, Africa’s Grandest Gathering opened with Yvonne Chaka Chaka on the Kippies stage, the revered Madala Kunene at Rosies, rising Afro-jazz star Zoë Modiga at Moses Molelekwa and Cape Flats rapper Jitsvinger opening the Bassline stage.

Although I managed to catch the latter two performances – one of the only problems with the festival was that so many amazing artists were scheduled for the same time slots – they were well worth it. Zoë Modiga is an incredibly talented young vocalist and lyricist, dazzling the crowd with some of her original sounds. As I watched her show I was swept up along with the rest of the audience by her sheer range and ability to fill the room with her presence.

Jitsvinger, too, was brilliant, although entirely different to Zoë. This Afrikaans poet is proud of his heritage and makes no bones about it. During his show, he slowed the momentum with a poem called Voorouers, no doubt lost to the internationals in the

audience, but poignant for South African attendees nonetheless. He was originally supposed to be accompanied by Gary Arsenic, a local DJ on the hip hop scene, but due to unforeseen circumstances was unable to perform. Instead, Wesley Valentine and Ruby Crowie brought some much-needed bass and drums to the set.

From there I rushed over to the Moses Molelekwa stage to catch award-winning jazz artist Melanie Scholtz. Despite being a veteran in the industry, she was fresh to death in a killer outfit. Scholtz’ performance, however, I found rather vanilla after Modiga’s scintillating show, with the only two redeeming features being her solid band, complete with pianist Bokani Dyer, and a couple of head-bopping tracks featuring Jitsvinger.

The CTIJF’s headline act of the night was the Mahotella Queens. The group celebrated their 50th anniversary at the festival. Since 1964 they’ve evolved from a sextuplet to a trio.

The youngest member, Amanda Nkosi, is only twenty-nine, but can harmonise with the best of them. I felt my feet moving involuntarily from the get-go. Such fun to watch. From

the Queens, I popped into an Indian-UK-SA collaboration between Purbayan Chatterjee, Talvin Singh and Shane Cooper. Chatterjee is an immense sitar player – and the first I’ve seen live, which was quite an experience.

Known for amalgamating traditional Indian classical music with contemporary world music, together with Singh on tabla (similar to bongos) and Copper on double bass, they brought some terribly intricate and fascinating sounds to the stage.

Finally, towards the end of the Friday, I dragged my aching feet back to Bassline.

There was no way I would be missing intrepid hip hop group Prophets of da City! POC, as they’re fondly called, was one of the main crews in Cape Town’s underground hip hop scene in the 80s and 90s. Although members fluctuate frequently, they’ve racked up an impressive name for themselves, playing at Nelson Mandela’s inauguration, performing alongside James Brown, The Fugees, Public Enemy and many others. Their show was as awesome as expected, especially with EJ von Lyrik of former female hip hop crew Godessa making an appearance.

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All images © Kimberleigh Aleksandra

Saturday, 28 March was arguably better than the Friday – although I once again had the problem of picking and choosing which acts to see! What a wonderful problem to have. I caught a few dazzling moments of South Africa’s own afro pop crooner Ringo Madlingozi at Kippies before heading over to the Manenberg stage to check out the Delft Big Band with some up and coming jazz musos like Zeke Le Grange.

From there I raced back to the Bassline stage, where I spent most of the evening. Future Afro foursome TheCITY, who launch their EP in April, opened the evening with their soulful, urban tunes. Lead vocalist Bonj Mpanza wowed the crowd and got them moving with her rich, melt-in-your-mouth voice, while Clem Carr, Ruby Crowie and Ryan McArthur headed up keys, drums and bass respectively with immense vigour.

Hip hop crew Cannibal Ox, whom I was fortunate enough to meet backstage, brought some Harlem flavour to the festival, while our

TheCITY’s drummer, Ruby Crowie

Bonj Mpanza of TheCITY

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Lead vocalist Bonj Mpanza wowed the crowd and got them moving with her rich, melt-in-your-mouth voice, while Clem Carr, Ruby Crowie and Ryan McArthur headed up keys, drums and bass respectively with immense vigour.

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Prophets of da City

own homegrown pop stars Beatenberg played to a crowd of screaming hormones. Their set was met with fantastic enthusiasm. Even if they played badly (which they didn’t) I’m sure they’d have gotten a resoundingly positive response.

Before Beatenberg, however, I saw Swedish pop group Dirty Loops bring their Michael Jacksonesque tunes to the stage, and Jozi performance art collective The Brother Moves On at Moses Molelekwa. What a great show by TBMO – but I already knew they would be fab.

Other acts included Hugh Masekela, Pacific Express, Al Jarreau and Amel Larrrieux, with Thundercat as the final act on the Bassline stage for the Saturday night. What a special performance from bassist Stephen Bruner. I’ve long been a huge fan, but seeing him perform live was an entirely different experience. And his reference to kiddie show Adventure Time halfway through the set made me feel as though he was speaking directly to me. This was a Jazz Fest I won’t easily forget.

Ringo Madlingozi on the Kippies Stage

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FOLIO: O

27 Years of Professional, Punctilious Translations

ne of South Africa’s oldest, most versatile and professional language service providers, Folio has – since its inception in 1988 – grown its business to an astounding level. The company, founded by Philip Zietsman, now translates 54 African languages, 32 European languages and 23 Asian languages. Although their strong suit is translation – from medical and legal documents to advertising copy – this is one of many product offerings. Folio’s voice-over department offers a comprehensive service to clients who need voice-over artists for promotional or educational material. They do voice supervision, to ensure words are pronounced properly in adverts, for instance, and script translations and supervision on set to ensure authenticity in actors’ speech.

They also offer interpreting and transcription services for conferences and events.

Folio has hundreds of freelance translators and interpreters on their books from across the world, says Zietsman, the Folio Group’s Managing Director. “I realised that Africa was a huge untapped commercial market where manufacturers could sell their products in large emerging economies like Mozambique, Tanzania or the DRC, but not necessarily in English,” he says of Folio’s expansion into Africa over the last decade. “People have this misconception that everyone in the world speaks English. Even when they do, like in South Africa, it’s been proven over and over that a Zulu or an Angolan, for instance, would prefer to buy products in Zulu or Portuguese. The emotional element as far as languages are concerned is not

to be underestimated.”

In 1999, Folio Online was founded to work exclusively with foreign clients and included in their portfolio are the three largest technology companies in the world. “We work with Microsoft, Garmin, YouTube, Google, and other major companies in African languages,” Zietsman explains. Johan Botha, Director of International Clients at Folio Online, says that they have worked on a number of IT and telecom translations for multi-national corporations. “We do a lot of medical translations, chemical trials from all over the world and medical devices,” he adds, “For example, if you have diabetes, you might get an injection pen. Some of these injection pens now come with a little computer screen on the pen, and we translate the UI – the user interface – on that pen into Swahili, Lingala, or any other required language.”

Folio only hires interpreters and translators who are mother-tongue speakers of the desired language, while tertiary qualifications in the target languages are expected. “We are professionally trained, just like a doctor is professionally trained, to be a translator,” says Botha. “People study for years to become a translator. When someone comes into your office and says ‘I speak ten languages fluently,’ you run away because you know that person is not a translator.” Zietsman agrees, saying, “We will not use that person – maybe as a voice, but certainly not as a translator. The moment the skill is scattered over so many languages, it gets diminished. It impresses people to say I speak ten languages. It doesn’t impress us.”

For translations, Folio often uses ComputerAssisted Translation (CAT) tools, which is where a human translator is assisted by a computer program that memorises translated sentences and words so that the translator can use it as a reference when similar words or sentences come along. An impressive bit of technology used in some South African hospitals is Folio InterTel, a telephonic interpretation service that can be used in a medical emergency to interpret a doctor’s words to the patient in his/her mother-tongue. With this level of innovation, it’s not hard to see Folio forging ahead into the future with ease.

Did you know?

Folio’s simultaneous interpreters have interpreted at several events and conferences such as the 2013 Samsung Media Launch and the Cape Town South Africa-Italy Summit in 2014. Folio provides consecutive interpreting for numerous clients such as Old Mutual, the Western Cape Health Department and the National Training Institute. They also provide South African Sign Language (SASL) interpreting for meetings, consultations and conferences, such as the Western Cape Government Land Reform Summit 2014, as well as on-site SASL interpreting at Valkenberg and Lentegeur psychiatric hospitals.

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MINING INDABA INVESTS IN AFRICA Once More in 2015

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little over 20 years ago, shortly after the now iconic 1994 elections in South Africa, a small group of people came together at the Cape Sun Hotel to discuss and share their vision for mining investments on the continent. The Investing in African Mining Indaba was born.

Fast forward to today and Mining Indaba has become the largest and most revered mining investment event in the world. We spoke to Maria Palombini, Group Marketing and Public Relations Director of Mining Indaba, to find out what makes this show so successful and where they are headed in the future.

Maria Palombini

The Event: Why is it important to have an African event geared towards local businesses and internationals working within the continent?

Maria Palombini: Africa has long been known for its export of resources to the world. However today, Africa is on the cusp of what is becoming known as the “emerging market story of the next decade�. Today, Africa has a growing educated and young adult base which makes the continent quite appealing to companies who want to reach this growing audience of potential consumers. Many African governments have implemented progressive policies to attract investments in different markets such as telecommunications, manufacturing, and more.

The mining industry in Africa has opened the gateways for global investors to peek inside on what the continent has to offer.

Mining in Africa gave birth to the launch of many secondary supportive industries such as construction, transportation and logistics, waste

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management, and others. Through revenues earned from mining, there was opportunity for investments in infrastructure development and education in order to make it viable for other industries to enter and get the attention of global investors.

The Event: What does it take in terms of manpower and numbers to organise an event of this size?

Palombini: A great portion of our planning strategy revolves around the fact that our core organising team is based in New York and London. However throughout the years we have developed solid relationships with many different partners who are now integrated to the Mining Indaba brand. We have more than 30 partners on the ground including printers, event managers, technology companies, public relations firms, and of course the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC), who has been our strongest and most supportive partner throughout the years. The quality of the individuals behind these partnerships has been a strong asset to us and has been critical in ensuring the annual successes we have had with the Mining Indaba.

As the conference continues to become more global, the demand for customising the conference experience becomes that much greater. Every professional comes to the Mining Indaba with their own business agenda and trying to meet the expectations of 7 000 plus people representing 100 countries and more than 2 300 international companies, becomes a significant feat.

The Event: How long has Investing in African Mining Indaba been running and what is the estimated ROI in business created through the event each year?

Palombini: The Investing in African Mining Indaba (informally known as Mining Indaba) is in its 21st year and has always been held in Cape Town, South Africa.

There have been two direct benefactors of as a result of the Mining Indaba’s history: a. The African mining sector. Since the inception of the Mining Indaba, the African mining sector has grown each year. The Mining Indaba is a central pathway for key players to meet the right people at the right time. It is an unparalleled week of deal-making and discovery in African mining. It is estimated that billions of foreign investment dollars have been

b.

channelled into African mining as a result of the relationships and opportunities discovered at the annual Mining Indaba.

The local Cape economy has directly benefited from R552-million throughout the last eight years (2006-2014) and 4 500 direct and indirect jobs have been created during that time. It has been noted by the local Cape business owners that the Mining Indaba audience brings more revenue than when the City of Cape Town hosted the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

The Event: What has the conference’s growth trajectory been like in the last few years?

Palombini: In 2004, the Mining Indaba grew substantially enough to expand into the CTICC, its present hosting venue. But it was not until 2010 that the Mining Indaba experienced significant growth. Throughout the last five years, the conference has grown from 3 000 delegates in 2010 to 7 800 delegates in 2013, a record-breaking year. It has grown from 200 sponsoring companies to 489 in 2013.

The Event: How healthy would you say the mining industry is in Africa?

Palombini: Africa today continues to be considered as one of the most mineral-rich continents in the world. Unfortunately the global mining industry has trailed quite a bit as a result of lagging commodity prices. However investors and global mining companies continue to look to Africa as one of the most important regions to focus on for when the global mining industry returns. South Africa has served as the gateway into Africa for many years. For mining it continues to be one of the more heavily operated areas on the continent and presents great opportunities for foreign investors. In order for the country to maximize the foreign investment dollars and the return of increase in demand for resources, it will need to continue to refine legislation and further its work in mending relationships between labour and mining companies.

The Event: What were the highlights from the 2015 Investing in African Mining Indaba?

Palombini: The 6 750 delegates at the 2015 Mining Indaba arrived with some uncertainty as a result of the lagging commodities prices, but departed with a sense of optimism based on the information from experts on the stage and the many one-on-one conversations made at the event. The greatest change to this year’s

Mining Indaba was the conference programme featuring some of the world’s top economists, continental experts, and of course, the inclusion of Tony Blair, former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, as a distinguished speaker.

The programme also featured investors representing some of Africa’s and the world’s largest dealmakers as speakers and panellists, as well as some of Africa largest and top emerging mining corporates.

The Event: Where do you hope to see the Mining Indaba in 5-10 years? What kind of legacy would you like to leave for the African continent?

Palombini: We plan on seeing the Mining Indaba remain true to its core mission: bringing all the right professionals to continue to capitalise the mining industry in Africa. Our goal is focused on having every participant leave the conference each year knowing they might find the right connection, uncover some new exciting investment opportunity and make the deals that will continue to bring their business forward.

The legacy we hope to leave behind is rooted in our social commitment to education; to empowering the next generation of mining leaders. The Mining Indaba Bursary Programme was founded in 2013 in which we provide up to US$30 000 to South African university students pursuing studies in mining or engineering. The programme originally started as US$20 000 for two students and now in 2014 it was increased to U$30 000, helping four students. The bursary programme covers costs for four students for one academic calendar year – covered costs include tuition, books, room and board, mine excursions and other related academic expenses. Also in 2014, we added an annual endowment of US$2 500 to REAP – the Rural Education Access Programme – based in South Africa. This programme helps underprivileged students from the regional providences in SA to help them continue their tertiary studies.

The Event: Are there any plans in motion for next year’s event yet?

Palombini: We have just begun to plan for 2016.

Our first and foremost priority is to continue to unite global investors with attractive mining opportunities on the continent. In order to achieve that we will continue to invest in our conference programme to bring in the best analysts, investors, macroeconomists and the right experts. If the market starts to turn around towards the latter portion of 2015, the 2016 Mining Indaba will be one of the most critical events for African mining.

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HOLOGRAPHIC TECHNOLOGY Star Wars has Finally Landed

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ver four years ago, Michio Kaku wrote on Big Think that “a new device has been created that can transmit 3-dimensional images in close to real time. This could result in major advances in holographic tele-presence technologies,” he said… and since then, it slowly but surely has.

Holographic technology has extended beyond the outlandish sci-fi realms of Star Trek and Star Wars, and has become part of a new movement in the events industry.

Tupak rose from the dead to perform at Coachella in 2012 in the form of a hologram, stunning 90,000 festival goers. The likes of Christian Louboutin, Michael Kors, the Grammy Awards, Starbucks Coffee, Google, and so many others have been using it as a new way to market their products, not only at launches, conferences and exhibitions, but in the boardroom, too. In November a new product was launched that will bring 3D hologram tech into the confines of the home. It’s inevitable that this technology will eventually become the new norm. To help you get your head around it, I’ve compiled a short list of the key players who likely to impact the global eventing industry in the future through holograms.

1. Musion: World Leaders in Holographic Technology Based in London, UK, Musion is the brainchild of Uwe Maass, who has a wealth of experience in the live events industry.

Founded in 1997, the company continues to create award-winning and unique projects, like HRH Prince Charles’ holographic keynote address at the World Future Energy Summit and a Guinness World Record for their work with Indian prime Minister, Narendra Modi. This is the company that digitally resurrected Tupac Shakur, helped Mariah Carey perform in five European cities at once and helped create extraordinarily branded events for the kings and queens of the fashion industry. Musion’s products include Eyeliner, the core of their technology, a visual effect created through a holographic projection system. Others include EyeSay, EyeCandy, TelePresence, Digital Resurrection and Musion 3D Studios. www.musion.com

2. AV Concepts: Where Tech and Creativity Converge AV Concepts is one of the oldest companies in the game, having been founded by

two industry veterans in 1987. Constantly developing new technologies, the company has experience in doing general sessions, breakout rooms, product launches, experiential events, entertainment events and immersive events. These include the Grammys, Coachella, Epson Infocomm 2014, Nike and Dell World. With seven venues across the states, AV Concepts is also a leader in experiential marketing and offers clients full services including AV staging and production, exhibitor services, project management, content development and more – and that’s aside from their holographic stages, projection mapping, displays and digital signage. www.avconcepts.com

3. Holoxica: Serving Integral Industries in the Modern World.

Located at Edinburgh University, Holoxica designs holograms that service the medical, scientific, engineering and architectural industries. In medicine, they design holograms using data from medical scanners like the CT Scan and MRI, to serve hospitals and medical students for informative and display purposes. Through

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scientific visualisation, Holoxica creates holograms from 3D presentations for scientific applications from particle physics to astronomy, while in the engineering fields, they make graphic models of machinery in the energy, automotive, aerospace and other sectors. Finally, Holoxica’s holographic prints also enable architects to show clients their designs in a cost-effective, digital way with channelling that allows for multiple views. www.holoxica.com

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Holoxica creates holograms from 3D presentations for scientific applications from particle physics to astronomy.

4. LXI: Leaders in 3D Holographic and Interactive Touch Technologies Servicing Africa, Europe and Asia, LXI works in a number of areas in eventing – from event and corporate displays, to mall, exhibition and content shows. Located in Johannesburg, LXI offers full turnkey eventing services along with the brilliance of 3D holographic technology, as well as virtual in-house teambuilding, digital activations and billboards, stand design, build and installation, and memorable campaign concepts including animation, production and app development. But perhaps the most interesting thing about LXI is its sheer range of digital products – touch screens from windows to tables, video walling, digital info desks, and holographic products such as the Hoload, Holocube, Holovision, 3D Holo Mist and of course the unforgettable staging offerings. www.lxi.co.za

5. BLEEN: The Future of Home Entertainment The Bleen Projection System, announced late last year, is set to bring holographic technology into the consumer market. Bleen uses large-scale 3D reconstruction to create moving holographic images projected over 8ft in height. The unique thing about this new tech is that it doesn’t require and screens, lenses or glasses for viewing, but instead is contained in a compact, geometric or egg-shaped structure, inconspicuous enough for the office, gallery or living room. Content designed to display from Bleen must be specifically produced for the system, which will be available for purchase froman online app market. Bleen Inc. has launched an Indigogo Campaign to crowdfund its first round of home hologram systems. Devices should be available in late 2015, and are expected to retail for $800, although Indiegogo contributors can preorder one for $400 (around R4,800). www.bleen.com

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TURKEY: Where East Meets West at ACE of M.I.C.E. Exhibition 2015 © Swisshotel

Swissôtel

Congress, meeting and event sector (MICE)’s biggest international gathering ACE of M.I.C.E. Exhibition opened its doors for the second time this year. It hosted almost 800 national and international hosted buyers and 262 companies from 25 countries.

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ongress, meeting and event (MICE) sector is rising constantly in the world and the biggest international gathering of the sector, ACE of M.I.C.E. Exhibition opened its doors for the second time this year. The exhibition was held at Istanbul Congress Center on February 26-28 2015 and gathered sector professionals from Turkey and all around the world. The Event’s publishing director, Lance Gibbons attended the show as a guest.

ACE of M.I.C.E. Exhibition was organized by the Tourism Media Group, supported by the Association of Turkish Travel Agencies (TÜRSAB) and with the general coordination of Tatu Event. The exhibition gathers national and international MICE professionals under the same roof. In 2015’s exhibition many event planners and congress organisers from 25 countries including Spain, Azerbaijan, Austria and Greece.

Tourism Media Group General Manager Volkan Ataman gave the opening speech of the meeting and mentioned that the MICE industry, which has a very important market

share in the world economy, continues to grow in Turkey every year, saying, “Since 2007, we have been creating the infrastructure of this exhibition and we finally organized the first ACE of M.I.C.E. Exhibition last year. We believe we’ve received a lot of attention from both Turkey and the world. ACE of M.I.C.E. Exhibition is one of the biggest gatherings of the global MICE industry and is more powerful and equipped this year. Last year, our exhibition had 169 attendees and this year we have 262 attendees from 25 different countries which shows a growth of 41 percent.

Last year, we hosted 9 800 visitors in the exhibition and this year we’re expecting more than 13 000 professional visitors. We organize ACE of M.I.C.E. Exhibition in three different venues with 108 sponsors and our exhibition continues its road to become the leader exhibition of the MICE industry.”

Within the ACE of M.I.C.E. Exhibition, Tourism Media Group General Manager Volkan Ataman also shared the “Congress, Meeting and Event Sector Market Report” survey results which is a grand operation to show the real power and the market volume of

Turkey MICE industry.

270 different meeting management companies, meeting hotels, 194 congress centre and event venues, corporate hosted buyers, 400 special associations and official corporations and many companies from Turkey participated to this grand survey.

Featured Hotels: Swissôtel Marking the completion of the first stage of a majestic renovation, 198 newly designed guestrooms and suites are now open in the west wing of Swissôtel The Bosphorus Istanbul, a flagship property for Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts and a member of the Leading Hotels of the World.

Conceived by renowned interior design, Khuan Chew of KCA International, the contemporary new look lets the light of the Bosphorus flood into the guestrooms, fusing the very best of Swiss sophistication, precision and simplicity, with the warmth of Turkish culture. From the colours of the Bosphorus and the cityscape, to the textures of the Dolmabahce Gardens, the entwining

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Renaissance Hotel ‘’No matter where or why you travel, there’s always something wonderfully new to be found.’’ is the integrated philosophy of

© Swisshotel

influences of both Europe and Asia are present in each space. The Bosphorus strait shimmers into view thanks to Chew’s emphasis on floor to ceiling windows in every room and suite, ensuring guests have a real sense of place each time they return.

And the room renovation is merely the beginning; the hotel’s full renovation will see the re-design of the renowned Gaja Rooftop and pool, a new restaurant, and the introduction of seven glamorous Loft Suites – bringing high-life loft living to the banks of the Turkish metropolis with full height brick stone walls, duplex accommodation and statement steel staircases.

“The opening of the beautiful new rooms in the hotel’s west wing marks the completion of an incredibly exciting first phase in our renovation project,” explains Gerhard Struger, general manager, Swissôtel The Bosphorus, and regional vice president Turkey & Eastern Europe. “Guests will relish the spectacular views and exquisite design which truly highlight the unique location of our hotel on the banks of the Bosphorus.”

A member of the Leading Hotels of the World and awarded Europe Luxury Hotel 2013 by World Luxury Hotel Awards, Swissôtel The Bosphorus is a five-star hotel in the heart of Istanbul on the European banks of the Bosphorus. With 65 acres of historical gardens and 497 guestrooms and suites, the hotel offers a diverse collection of restaurants and bars that leave absolutely nothing to be desired. The hotel’s award-winning Pürovel Spa & Sport offers luxurious holistic spa treatments from all over the world.

Swissôtel The Bosphorus, Istanbul also offers guests Swissôtel Living, the brand’s residential concept, with 63 elegant apartment suites. Guests can enjoy privacy at their own pace, as well as use of the full range of hotel services including an exclusive rooftop pool.

The west wing of Swissôtel The Bosphorus Istanbul opened in February 2015, with 167 Classic Guestrooms, 28 Corner Rooms, and three Suites. The seven Loft Suites will be completed in May 2015.

Full renovation work will be complete in Spring 2016.

Swissôtel The Bosphorus

Renaissance Istanbul Bosphorus Hotel.

The Renaissance Istanbul Bosphorus Hotel is the 1st five star Hotel in Turkey which has been awarded USGBC LEED Green Building Certificate and received a “Green Star” from the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism for its environmentally friendly practices and environmental awareness.

Offering stunning views of the Bosphorus, the magnificent towering Renaissance Istanbul Bosphorus Hotel is located on the European side of Istanbul, in Besiktas, midway between the areas of Taksim and Levent. The hotel is in walking distance to key Istanbul shopping malls, business centers and Bosphorus’ main boat harbor. With Renaissance Hotel’s unique understanding of both comfort and use, Renaissance Istanbul Bosphorus will be delighted to host you in one of new 214 comfortable rooms and Presidential Suite which reflects the modern lifestyle norms with its modern architectural design.

Renaissance Istanbul Bosphorus’s intriguing and state-of-the-art venues will deliver high quality and pleasing events you have sought after. A team of professional event planners wait to exceed your expectations with 12 meeting rooms and unique The Ball Room. Located one level below the lobby area, featuring 430m2 of

event space as well as a theatre style capacity of 600 people The Ball Room is the ideal venue for weddings and events. With its lowest ceiling point at 4.85 metres The Ball Room can be divided into three sections.

Positioned on the top floor of the Renaissance Istanbul Bosphorus Hotel, Horizon meeting room offer breathtaking vistas of Istanbul.

Appointed with a state-of-the-art technical system and high service level, Horizon is an attractive venue for impressive events.

Arts Restaurant offers the most delicious dishes from Turkish and worldwide cuisine.

It is located above lobby level in a warm and casual atmosphere of Renaissance Istanbul Bosphorus Hotel. The talented chef combines creative flair with a passion for local traditions and seasonal ingredients. Be awe-inspired on the top floor by the truly amazing view of the Bosphorus and the city’s historical peninsula, while sharing a special cocktail or delicious cuisine dishes at 212 Bar&Restaurant. Enjoy its stunning view of the Bosphorus; with flawless aperitifs, drinks from around the world and vibrant flavors created by awardwinning chefs.

The Luxurious, well-equipped Fitness & Spa Centre offers unique services like Turkish Bath, Fitness Center, 19 different massage types, Sauna and Steam Room to unwind, relax and rejuvenate your body and soul.

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Featured Conference Venues Istanbul Congress Center Billed as Istanbul’s newest and largest conference centre, the Instanbul Congress Center is a sure bet for stylish and professional business events.

The G0 floor, which you’ll find just after you enter the main entrance of ICC, has a luminous ambiance and a stylish decor, making it ideally suited to launches and other kinds of events.

B1 Foyer has an area of 2 500m and it holds seven meeting halls in the Istanbul Congress Center. It is the new address of private cocktails and events with its unique view of the Bosphorus.

B2 foyer of Istanbul Congress Center has 10 different meeting rooms varying in sizes between 38 and 1300m, used for different purposes. Harbiye Auditorium located on the B2 level hosts all kinds of events from opera to theatre plays, from concerts to private screenings on its 3,028m area. The auditorium has 12 different entrances and it can host 3 700 guests. Another hall located on the floor is Çamlıca Hall, an ideal venue

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Grand Hyatt Journey to a destination where the traditions dimensions of East and West blend seamlessly at the Grand Hyatt Istanbul hotel.

One of the best five star hotels in Turkey, this luxury Istanbul hotel reflects the spirit and culture of the city. Located in the new centre of modern Istanbul, the Grand Hyatt Istanbul hotel brings you close to Taksim Square, Istiklal Street, the entertainment district and various shopping malls.

Meeting your high expectations of five star hotels in Istanbul, at the Grand Hyatt Istanbul, you can relax in modern, stylish and comfortable surroundings, and unwind in 360 luxury Istanbul hotel rooms and suites with spectacular views of the city, the pool or the Bosphorous Strait. The Istanbul city centre hotel is just minutes away from the historic landmarks of the Old City, including Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and Topkapi Palace. The Istanbul hotel’s Taksim location means you’ll also find yourself within walking distance of the main convention and exhibition centres, for a flawless businesstravel experience. At this outstanding five star hotel, Istanbul’s countless highlights are as close at hand as any guest could wish for.

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Renaissance Hotel

for dinner meetings. The hall can host 528 guests in its theatre order, and 224 guests in class room style. The second-largest hall of ICC; Üsküdar Hall can host 1 404 guests in theatre order and 504 guests in class order on an area of 1302m. While Beyazıt Hall, set on a 781m area, hosts 774 in theatre order and 308 in class room style, Emirgan Hall, which can host 736 guests in theatre order, can be divided into two with a soundproof screen. Beylerbeyi Hall can host 384 guests on its 525m area and it has four simultaneous translation rooms and four different entrances.

The large and comfortable car park of Istanbul Congress Center is built on a 32,905m area and it has a capacity of 850 cars. It offers safe service 7 days and 24 hours a day. Sized between 17 and 168m, 89 workshop halls of Istanbul Congress Center have every kind of technological equipment and can host multipurpose meetings.

Istanbul Congress Center hosts widely attended domestic and international fairs on floors B4 and B5 with a total area of 16 000m. This area with a floor-to-ceiling

height of 7.2m can be used for all sorts of functions, from launches to product presentations that require extra room.

ICEC Istanbul Lütfi Kırdar - ICEC, in the heart of the Congress Valley; has the capacity to host all kinds of organizations from conventions to fairs, from concerts to exhibitions with its halls in daylight and a view of the Bosphorus at its location in the cross section of Istanbul’s elegant restaurants, luxury brands and fashion districts.

Istanbul Lütfi Kırdar - ICEC has the most extensive variety of sound, light and image technological infrastructure in Turkey and it has been equipped by the best brands in their categories. The professional staff is very experienced and offers constructive solutions. Anadolu Auditorium has been calibrated acoustically by Dolby Labs and it is the only hall with Dolby Digital Surround System in Turkey. The sound and imaging infrastructure of the Anadolu Auditorium, designed entirely with fiber optic and digital, has the state-of-the-art technological stereoscopic active imaging system. In the

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ICCA Ranking

WORLD 2012

WORLD 2013

EUROPE 2012

EUROPE 2013

Destination

Rank

Rank

Rank

Rank

Turkey

21

18

13

10

Istanbul

09

08

08

07

Antalya

109

103

56

57

Izmir

207

106

107

59

Ankara

363

193

181

101

hall, designed with a stereo simultaneous system, translation services can be rendered in 32 languages at the same time.

There are fixed projection screens in the Anadolu Auditorium, Topkapı and Marmara Halls and the projection screens can also be customized in all the other halls. Besides the Anadolu Auditorium, there are fixed technical and simultaneous translation cabins in the Rumeli, Topkapı and Marmara Halls. The technical and audiovisual equipment is maintained to the highest standards and is continuously upgraded.

Halic Congress Centre Ideally situated along the shores of the world famous Golden Horn, the Haliç Congress Center is easily accessible from anywhere in the city via the E-5 and TEM Highways; it is also within strolling distance to the Miniatürk Theme Park and the Rahmi M. Koç Industrial Museum.

Moreover, thanks to two recently built tunnels, the Haliç Congress Center is now within a short 10-minute drive from the downtown hotel and shopping districts without getting bogged down in İstanbul’s

street traffic.

Imagine a meeting venue by the sea where urban sounds mingle with the cries of gulls and waves lapping against the shores of the Haliç Congress Center; an unforgettable scenic location where you can take a break from the chaotic city without actually having to leave it.

Spread out over an area of 102,000 m2, with 16,000 m2 of outdoor space, the Haliç Congress Center is comprised of Galata Ball Romm and four main interconnecting structures called Sadabad, Kuleli, Pera and Haliç.

The Haliç Congress Center bears the distinction as the convention center which offers the most alternatives available for all types of organizations in İstanbul. Its halls, auditoriums, foyers and outdoor areas are the most sought after for holding conventions, meetings, conferences, product launchings, exhibits fairs, cocktail parties, wedding receptions, film galas and special theatrical performances. Incorporating the latest technological infrastructure, the Haliç Congress Center also hosts the largest auditorium in İstanbul.

24 | MOVERS AND SHAKERS

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MOVERS AND SHAKERS

Lindiwe Rakharebe

Lindiwe Rakharebe Appointed As New Durban ICC CEO The Durban ICC Board is pleased to announce that Ms Lindiwe Rakharebe has been appointed as Chief Executive Officer of the Durban ICC effective from 1st April 2015.

Rakharebe has a strong background in corporate management and has worked in a managerial capacity for all four of South Africa’s major banking institutions. Her areas of expertise include strategic planning, research, marketing, community liaison, policy development and basic principles of good corporate governance.

Ms Rakherebe holds a Bachelor’s degree in Management Leadership from the University of the Free State as well as other qualifications in Marketing Management and Management Development. She is highly qualified and brings over 30 years’ experience in the

corporate environment.

Chairperson of the Durban ICC Board, Ms Mato Madlala announced “The Board is extremely pleased to have secured Ms Rakharebe as Chief Executive Officer of the Durban ICC. Whilst her professional experience prior to this has mainly been in the corporate financial sector, she is an exceptional executive who has repeatedly demonstrated her ability in strategic management and leading high performance teams.”

“She is well known for her passion and dedication in growing the KwaZulu-Natal economy, so it is fitting that she takes the reins at the Durban ICC, considering the immense economic impact which the company has on the provincial and national economies. We are confident that under her leadership the company will continue to grow from strength to strength as Africa’s leading

convention centre”, added Madlala.

Rakharebe joins the Durban ICC from her position as ABSA’s Regional Executive for KwaZulu-Natal. Commenting on her appointment Rakharebe noted, “It is a great honour and privilege to take on this new role.

I am thrilled to serve my city and my province and showcase ourselves to the world with great pride, that we have in our possession a ‘world class’ destination.”

“My experience in the finance sector has groomed me to work well in a structured environment which will ultimately result in clean audits and a strong sense of order.

This shift also gives me the opportunity to hone in on my creativity. Service excellence is crucial in this business and I believe that if you have love for people, then so much more can be achieved.”

Rakharebe joins the Durban ICC at a time of strong forward momentum, with the company posting profitable financial results for the fourth consecutive year and having received a clean, unqualified audit from the Auditor General in the last fiscal year.

The Centre is also set to host a number of high-profile international events in the coming months, including the World Routes Development Forum, World Sociology Science Forum and World Forestry in September 2015 and the International AIDS Conference in 2016.

Lindiwe Rakherebe succeeds Julie-May Ellingson who stepped down from the position in July 2014. Operations Director Nicolette Elia-Beissel has served in an Acting-CEO capacity in the interim.

“I am passionate about teamwork and plan to work very closely with our stakeholders to ensure that the world recognises our potential. It is important to have synergy and work collectively to achieve the best results”, concluded Rakharebe.

TGCSA’s Chief Quality Assurance Officer resigns Thembi Kunene, Chief Quality Assurance Officer at the Tourism Grading Council of South Africa (TGCSA), a unit of South African Tourism, has tendered her resignation effective from 31 March 2015.

Thulani Nzima, Chief Executive Officer

MOVERS AND SHAKERS | 25

www.theevent.co.za

(CEO) of SA Tourism commented: “I thank Thembi for her dedication and service during her employ with South African Tourism. Her leadership at the TGCSA and her formidable strategic approach has certainly contributed to elevating South Africa’s position as a world-class, quality assured tourism destination, both locally and globally.

“Thembi has been a dedicated and loyal member of the executive team since her appointment. We wish her success and we thank her for her contribution to the growth of TGCSA and the advancement of its mandate.”

During her eight-year tenure as Head of TGCSA, one of Thembi’s key achievements included leading comprehensive consultation to secure buy-in from the industry for South Africa’s revised and globally benchmarked quality grading criteria. This restored star grading credibility in tourism. More recently, Thembi also spearheaded the launch and implementation of the premier tourism recognition programme - the Lilizela Tourism Awards.

Nzima concluded: “It is important that we continue with our focus and efforts to deliver a globally credible quality assurance body for tourism products in South Africa. The process to recruit a suitable replacement for Thembi has begun and an announcement on developments in this regard will be made in due course.”

The Board, Management and staff of South African Tourism wish Thembi all the best in her future endeavours.

Heidi Warricker appointed as general manager for Fiera Milano Exhibitions Africa Global exhibitions company, Fiera Milano, has appointed Heidi Warricker as general manager of Fiera Milano Exhibitions Africa (Pty) Ltd. In addition to taking the reins for the company’s South African products, including the Good Food & Wine Show (Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban), Food Hospitality World Africa and the Cape Town Art Fair, Heidi will also be spearheading the

Heidi Warricker

company’s expansion into the African market.

A Rhodes University journalism graduate, Warricker joined the exhibition industry in 1996. She is a results-driven professional and her experience, having staged over 40 large scale consumer and trade exhibitions, is extensive. Warricker has always placed emphasis on producing events of exceptional quality and innovation while delivering optimal business results for exhibitors and powerful marketing results for participants as well as engaging and rewarding experiences for visitors. Among many others, Warricker conceived and executed award-winning exhibitions including Africa’s leading boat, dive and leisure show, The National Boat Show (featuring Dive Expo).

“I have a pool of really talented people here”, says Warricker. “They have shown incredible commitment and passion for the Fiera Milano brand and its products. I feel very

privileged to now lead the team in growing our events in new and exciting ways.”

Fiera Milano’s head of International Development, Fabio Aromatici says: “Heidi’s experience in launching and driving the growth of events and exhibition brands makes her an ideal leader for Fiera Milano in Africa.”

Founders of the Good Food & Wine Shows, the Tables of Peace and Unity and the Cape Town Art Fair, Christine and Louise Cashmore, sold their brands to Fiera Milano in 2012 and after 16 years of passionate commitment to the industry, they have retired to enjoy more family time.

Aromatici said: “We would like to take this opportunity to thank Christine and Louise Cashmore for the fantastic work they have done for Fiera Milano in South Africa for many years. It was a pleasure to work with them.”

26 | SPOTLIGHT

www.theevent.co.za

IMEX FRANKFURT 2015: Driving business with the force of global opportunities

F

rankfurt, Germany will host an allencompassing platform created to provide outstanding business opportunities for 3 500 exhibitors and 9 000 visitors, of which 4 000 are hosted buyers.

IMEX, a leading force in the worldwide meetings industry, has 12 years of success as the hub and source of ideas in the meetings industry.

•

•

• Twelve initiatives can be credited to the event’s success, these include: • Hosted Buyer Programme: The programme thrives on providing buyers, on a large and international scale, with total choice and opportunity.

• Online Diary: This service is aimed to maximise your time at the show.

• German spending power: With a worldwide representation, this platform is set up in the centre of Europe’s influential and profitable market.

• Associating with the industry: Many events co-locate around IMEX as a result of industry associations, corporations and connections.

• Unrivalled education programme: IMEX hosts a variety of industry education events, from seminars to informal group

•

•

•

•

discussions, delivered in both English and German.

Association Day: Provides invaluable insights on association-related topics one day before IMEX. Exclusively Corporate @IMEX: One day prior to IMEX, this is a day of dynamic learning and networking designed by corporate buyers.

Green Awards: An occasion honouring and acknowledging industry efforts to reduce environmental impact.

The IMEX Challenge: an opportunity to contribute a financial legacy, held every two years. The next challenge is set for 2016.

Politicians Forum: A platform of necessary engagement between the industry and politicians.

IMEX Vision: An initiative open and free to all, to ensure you’ll leave enriched with insights, inspiration, and new learning.

Future Leaders Forum: For the future of our industry, internationally, and the development of talent.

IMEX Frankfurt is a one-stop-shop for planners looking to book and organise worldwide meetings, events and incentive travel programmes.

The Event spoke to ICCA President, Nina Freysen-Pretorius, about the ICCA presence at IMEX Frankfurt. “After our annual ICCA Congress, IMEX Frankfurt is the busiest time of year for ICCA, as so many ICCA members are present at IMEX in Frankfurt,” said FreysenPretorius. ICCA will be exhibiting at IMEX Frankfurt, and have a great involvement in leading up to the event. “We traditionally have an ICCA @ IMEX Mid-year Plenary Meeting on the Monday before IMEX in which we always have some important announcements to make, as well as ICCA Sector and Chapter meetings. We are also very involved in IMEX’s Association Day, and are also organising the ICCAS Association Expert Seminar (AES) in the weekend before IMEX.” Attendees, relative industry players, and members can look forward to a new initiatives spearheaded by ICCA that will innovate its membership benefits. Freysen-Pretorius told The Event, “We have accelerated that recently and at IMEX Frankfurt coming up in May, we’re actually going to be launching how that database if going to be improved and enhanced with really big data.”

IMEX 2015, 19-21 May, Frankfurt

EVENT GREENING FORUM | 27

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EVENT GREENING A Path To Sustainability

by Rebecca Henderson, Earth Probiotic

M

eetings Africa, the largest business tourism event in Africa, achieved a new level of event greening in 2015 by recycling 100% of the food waste generated during the event.

Event Greening Forum member and host of the event, Sandton Convention Centre, instituted a complete recycling programme.

In addition to the ‘standard’ recycling of materials, Meetings Africa ensured for the first time that all organic waste including food waste, biodegradable coffee cups, food packaging, wooden utensils and even flowers were collected and separated at source for composting.

Recycling food waste is a significant challenge. In addition to having a high emission footprint of 335kg/tonne CO2e emissions, it also consists of both easilycompostable material, such as vegetable leaves, and difficult-to-compost material, such as meat and other proteins. Specific treatment

methods are required to ensure that the full matrix can be safely and easily composted.

As a member of the Event Greening Forum, Earth Probiotic Recycling Solutions (Pty) Ltd provides scalable food waste recycling solutions for events, hospitality and waste management industries.

Earth Probiotic uses probiotic bacteria in order to ensure that 100% of the food waste matrix can be safely and effectively composted - including cooked and uncooked meat, bones, fish and dairy.

Food waste was separated at source and collected in airtight digester bins. This waste was layered with ‘Bokashi’ (wheat bran infused with beneficial microorganisms). Once filled, food waste collection bins were sealed and left to ferment for 14 days. The fermentation process ensures that the food waste does not rot and thus eliminates Greenhouse Gas emissions - while also eliminating any pathogens which might be pre-existing in the material. The fermented waste can then be

safely composted with the addition of carbonrich material.

At Meetings Africa the carbon component came from biodegradable cups, food packaging and wooden utensils. Earth Probiotic provided an on-site macerator which shredded the materials. This reduced the volume of this collected waste by 95%.

This simple solution had a significant impact on Meetings Africa 2015. Through the initiative the event managed to divert 883kgs of organic waste from landfill and saved 288kgs of C02e.

28 | COUNTRY SPOTLIGHT

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ZAMBIA: The Perfect Blend of Business and Leisure © Matthew Grollnek

© Gary Bembridge

T

he southern region of the African continent is home to a kinetic country landlocked by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia and Angola; Zambia.

Zambia is home to some of Africa’s mostfeted wildlife and extraordinary birdlife. This raw wilderness is one of Africa’s most waterrich countries, boasting five vast lakes, three major rivers, 17 waterfalls, and a number of wetland areas.

The Victoria Falls is one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. The countries prize tourist attraction is classified as the Largest Waterfall in the World. Although neither the highest nor widest, the dimensions of the Victoria Falls consequence is the largest sheet of falling water in the world.

COUNTRY SPOTLIGHT | 29

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© Greenwich Photography

This majestic cascade is situated in the scenic city of Livingstone. Livingstone flaunts the original charm and rustic merits of the old British colonial city it once was.

Its close proximity to the allure of the Zambezi River and the river’s main feature, the Victoria Falls, deems Livingstone as Zambia’s tourism centre.

Lusaka, home to the headquarters of The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), and the capital city of Zambia, is the country’s business-events hub. Lusaka serves as a positive consequence of the country economic liberalisation, and continues to be among the most fast-developing cities in Southern Africa.

© Simon Whitehouse

What’s Happening Now? Zambia will host delegates from around the world at the Southern Africa Banking and ICT Summit, in Lusaka this month. Zambia’s mining sector has been on a gradual rise and has experienced significant foreign interest. Looking forward, the country will host its 5th Zambia International Mining and Energy Conference and Exhibition (ZIMEC 2015) in June year.

Key Venues Mulungushi International Conference Centre Conveniently located in close proximity to the airport, city centre, and the country’s most prestigious hotels and shopping malls, the Mulungushi International Conference Centre (MICC) is Zambia’s leading conference centre. MICC resides in the capital city of Lusaka; the centre of both commerce and government in Zambia.

The modern centre comprises a total of 21 conference halls, state-of-the-art audiovisual equipment, and accommodates up to 2 500 delegates in conferencing luxury. Encounter impala and springbok in the MICC gardens, marvel at pictures depicting Zambia’s beloved tourist destinations, and enjoy the unification of tradition and modernity at the MICC.

Getting to Zambia by Air The landlocked country has three major airports, serving predominantly intercontinental direct flights.

Harry Mwanga Nkumbula International Airport, is located in Livingstone, and serves as the gateway to the country’s most

picturesque city. Harry Mwanga Nkumbula International Airport, formerly known as Livingstone International, is the closet airport to the Victoria Falls.

Kenneth Kaunda International Airport, officially known as Lusaka International Airport, has a capacity of two million passengers per year. Located in the capital city, Lusaka, the Kenneth Kaunda International Airport is the gateway to the Southern African gem that is Zambia.

The airport known as the Ndola Airport, resides near the international border with the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Climate Zambia’s altitude allows the country to experience more pleasant climates than other tropical countries. The high, landlocked

country experiences three seasons: cold and dry (May to August), warm and wet (December to April), and hot and dry (September to November). Temperatures vary depending on the height of the plateau.

Average maximum temperatures include highs between 15°C to 27°C in cool seasons, and 27°C to 35°C in warm season. Average minimum temperatures range between 6°C to 10°C.

Did you know?

Copper is the key resource of Zambia. Zambia is the world’s fifth-largest producer of copper.

Population 14,638,505 (CIA, World Factbook, June 2014)

30 | REGIONAL SPOTLIGHT

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Spring-flower country

The Big Hole

THE NORTHERN CAPE: Where Business Meets Culture

T

he Northern Cape, sandwiched between the Western Cape to the south and Namibia to the north, is the largest province in South Africa.

Although the largest, this arid province is the most sparsely populated province in the country, at three people per km². The large province consists of three major cities/towns.

Kimberley is the capital of the Northern Cape. Known for its significant diamondmining past, Kimberley’s mining industry not only contributes historical significance, but left what is said to the largest hole excavated by hand as a landmark and attraction in this quiet city.

Kimberley is also home to an international skateboarding event, the Kimberley Diamond Cup. John Block, MEC for Finance, Economic

Development and Tourism in the Northern Cape, said, “The province strives to enhance its reputation as an ideal destination for extreme sports and adventure.”

Upington is the province’s largest town, resting on the banks of the Orange River; Northern Cape’s most important asset. The mighty river is a source of irrigation to a number of vineyards along the most northerly wine-making region of South Africa. The large town, covering 580.8 km², is at the centre of the karakul sheep and dried-fruit industries.

Springbok resides in the hearts of the Namaqualand spring-flower country.

Namaqualand’s beautiful terrain, with its breathtakingly beautiful explosive displays of wild flowers, sprawls over a total area of 440,000 km² along the west coast.

The large province comprises a number of vast significant landscapes including the Richtersveld Cultural and Botanical Landscape, which is one of South Africa’s World Heritage Sites. The site is owned and managed by the Nama community – descendants of the Khoi-Khoi. Another significant destination is the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, which is Africa’s first formally declared trans-border conservation area between South Africa and Botswana.

The Northern Cape boasts impressive astronomical constituents, including the world’s largest telescope, the Square Kilometre Array (SKA), and the Southern Hemisphere’s largest astronomical observatory; the multinational-sponsored Southern African Large Telescope, or SALT.

REGIONAL SPOTLIGHT | 31

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© Mittah Seperepere Convention Centre

© SA Tourism

© Mittah Seperepere Convention Centre

Mittah Seperepere Convention Centre

Big Mac Index South Africa ranks 7th out of 45 countries in the “Big Mac Index 2012”. The price of a Big Mac is 42% less in South Africa than in the USA. In Switzerland and Norway, it is 62% more.

Key Venues Mittah Seperepere Convention Centre Located opposite the capital’s most renowned landmark, The Big Hole; Mittah Seperepere Convention Centre is the Northern Cape’s largest conference centre.

The newly built MCSS has the capacity to accommodate 2 500 delegates in its main auditorium. The edifice comprises breakaway rooms, VIP boardroom with foyer and ablution facilities, kitchen, assembly areas,

“

“

Located opposite the capital’s most renowned landmark, The Big Hole; Mittah Seperepere Convention Centre is the Northern Cape’s largest conference centre. The newly built MCSS has the capacity to accommodate 2 500 delegates in its main auditorium. storerooms, extensive car-parking facilities, and much more. The modern centre offers to meet the needs of all delegates and guests attending the various functions.

Climate Few areas in the Northern Cape receive more than 400mm of rainfall per year, as the vast part of the province is arid to semiarid. The province enjoys highs of 30°C, soaring higher than 40°C occasionally in summer months. Winters are clear and frosty, with temperatures that plummet below -10°C in the southern areas, and receiving light snow fall.

Population 1,1 million (Stats SA 2011 census)

Contacts Experience Northern Cape E-mail: info@experiencenortherncape.com Website: www.experiencenortherncape.com Northern Cape Tourism Website: northerncapetourism.org

Mittah Seperepere

Occupancy

School Room Style

900

Cinema Style

2 500

Gala Dinner

1 000

Amphitheatre

2 500

Breakaway Rooms

50

32 | EVENTS

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APRIL OLD MUTUAL TWO OCEANS MARATHON EXPO 1 – 3 April Cape Town International Convention Centre 2015 RAND SHOW 3 – 12 April Expo Centre, Johannesburg FÉDÉRATION INTERNATIONALE DES CONSEILS EN PROPRIÉTÉ INTELLECTUELLE INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS (FICPI2015) 11 – 19 April Cape Town International Convention Centre INTERNATIONAL LUXURY TRAVEL MARKET AFRICA � 13 – 15 April Cape Town International Convention Centre INCENTIVES, BUSINESS TRAVEL & MEETINGS EXPO AFRICA� 13 – 15 April Cape Town International Convention Centre WORLD TRAVEL MARKET AFRICA� 15 – 17 April Cape Town International Convention Centre

19TH WORLD CONGRESS ON DISASTER AND EMERGENCY MEDICINE 21 – 24 April Cape Town International Convention Centre A’SAMBENI AFRICA BUSINESS TOURISM EXPO 21 – 25 April Zimbabwe International Exhibition Centre, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe AQUELLE TOUR DURBAN EXPO 24 – 25 April Suncoast Casino and Entertainment World, Durban DECOREX CAPE TOWN 24 – 27 April Cape Town International Convention Centre 18TH AUTOEXPO AFRICA 2015 27 – 29 April Kenyatta International Convention Centre

EVENTS | 33 41

www.theevent.co.za www.filmmakerafrica.co.za

AFRICAN CONSTRUCTION EXPO 12 – 14 May Sandton Convention Centre

MINING COPPERBELT TRADE EXPO & CONFERENCE 5 – 6 May 2015 Mist Gardens, Kwite

IFSEC SOUTH AFRICA 12 – 14 May Gallagher Convention Centre

AUTOMECHANIKA JOHANNESBURG 6 – 9 May JHB Expo Cente

OSH EXPO 12 – 14 May Gallagher Convention Centre

18TH KENYA INTERNATIONAL TRADE EXHIBITION 7 – 9 May Kenyatta International Convention Centre

MAMAMAGIC, THE BABY EXPO 14 – 17 May The Coca-Cola Dome, Johannesburg

COATINGS FOR AFRICA 11 – 13 May Sandton Convention Centre TOTALLY CONCRETE EXPO 12 – 14 May Sandton Convention Centre

IMEX FRANKFURT 16 – 18 May Frankfurt, Germany AFRICA LABORUM 27 – 29 May Cape Town International Convention Centre GRAND DESIGNS LIVE – JHB 29 – 31 May The Coca-Cola Dome, Johannesburg ELECTRONIC & GAMING EXPO 29 – 31 May Cape Town International Convention Centre

Naima Mclean at Bassline Stage © Kimberleigh Aleksandra

MAY

34 | TRAVEL NEWS

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© UR-SDV via Wikimedia Commons

KENYA AIRWAYS to Boost Operations with New Flight Schedule

A

s part of its transformation program, Kenya Airways announced several flight scheduling changes that will take effect from 1st of April 2015.

This change is expected to boost connectivity for its passengers by 20%.

This is coinciding with the planned runway upgrade program by the Kenya Airports Authority that will see the Nairobi’s JKIA runway closed for six hours daily, from 12am to 6am for the next year.

Kenya Airways will now operate improved schedule that ensures efficient use of its aircraft and crew and flight connections for passengers. There will be an increase in flight frequencies to some cities on its network especially in Africa and a changed flight schedule.

Kenya Airways’ Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Mbuvi Ngunze said the rationale behind this hub redesign program is to augment operations while accommodating the runway upgrade.

Africa Africa is the main beneficiary of the changes allowing for better connectivity into Europe and Asia. Intra Africa connectivity will also be enhanced by the new schedule.

East Africa In a push to grow the leisure market and boost local tourism, flights to Malindi go up from seven to 14 per week (double daily) and Mombasa (56 to 63 per week). Frequencies into Tanzanian towns of Kilimanjaro and Zanzibar have also doubled to two flights a day.

Southern Africa Kenya Airways has introduced daily night flights to Lusaka, Zambia and Lilongwe in Malawi in addition to the existing day flights.

Mozambique flights to Maputo will increase from four to five a week and flights to Nampula increase from three to four a week. In Zimbabwe, Harare flights go up from current 14 flights to 21 per week.

Central Africa Kinshasa in the DRC will now be served by the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, to accommodate more passengers and cargo.

Flights to Yaounde and Doula increase from five times per week to daily.

West Africa As part of its Bilateral Air Service Agreement with the Governments of Ghana and Liberia, Kenya Airways will operate a flight between Accra and Monrovia on the 5th freedom agreement.

These agreements allow airlines to operate between two cities without returning to the hub.

The flights will operate as the airline awaits clearance by the Kenyan Ministry of Health to resume flights between Nairobi and Monrovia suspended last year following the Ebola outbreak.

- Courtesy of Linda Larbie – African Business Communities

ASSOCIATIONS | 35

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The Exhibition and Events Association’s, EXSA, annual two day conference dates have changed to Monday 8th – Tuesday 9th of June as a result of the Markex date changes. The conference is still set to take place at the prestigious CSIR, Pretoria.

“We have a great speaker line up giving exceptional value to delegates” reported GM Sue Gannon, “something for everyone with breakaway Master Classes for the different Forums – venues, organisers, suppliers, and the Young Professionals Forum, with subjects that vary from business tools to sales and marketing.”

This year delegates will be inspired and benefit from the insights and experiences of various thought leaders including: Richard Mulholland the

founder of The Missing Link and marketing guru; Emma Sadlier the author of “Don’t Film Yourself having Sex” who will delve into the legalities and risks of social media; Gilan Gork, South Africa’s very own “Mentalist and Master of Influence,” will show delegates the power of non-verbal communication; and Wayne Duvenage will talk about Service Excellence.

EXSA also encourages the Young Professionals to take advantage of the 50% discount if they are under the age of 35, to share the knowledge imparted and grow their network of industry professionals.

For further information, please call the EXSA office on 011 805 7272 or email: aimee@exsa.co.za

© Courtesy of CSIR International

EXSA’s 2015 Conference dates change

36 | DIRECTORY LISTINGS

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ADVERTISERS COMPANY

TELEPHONE

EMAIL

WEBSITE

Event Greening Forum

+27 74 369 6369

lynn@eventgreening.co.za

www.eventgreening.co.za

Expo Centre Johannesburg

+27 11 494 1920

info@expocentre.co.za

www.expocentre.co.za

EXSA

+27 11 805 7272

exsa@exsa.co.za

www.exsa.co.za

Folio Translation Consultants

+27 21 426 2727

pziets@folio-online.co.za

www.folio-online.co.za

Jacaranda Events Pty Ltd

+27 12 327 1487

ricky@jacarandaevents.co.za

www.jacarandaevents.co.za

Markex

+27 10 003 3060

leighm@specialised.com

www.markex.co.za

Scan Display Solutions

+27 11 447 4777

justin@scandisplay.co.za

www.scandisplay.co.za

Tshwane Events Centre

+27 12 327 1487

ricky@tshwabac.co.za

www.tshwane-events.co.za

Š deathtothestockphoto.com

CONTACT US

Cover Image: Courtesy of Jacaranda Events Pty Ltd Publisher: Lance Gibbons lance@filmeventmedia.co.za Executive Editor: Katie Reynolds katie@filmeventmedia.co.za Head of Design: Sheree Steenkamp sheree@filmeventmedia.co.za Writer: Kim Muller kim@filmeventmedia.co.za Assistant Designer: Lauren Smith lauren@filmeventmedia.co.za Editorial Assistant: Carryn Gabriels carryn@filmeventmedia.co.za

Production Co-ordinator: Tammi Klein tammi@filmeventmedia.co.za Account Executive: Sue-Anne Maree sue-anne@filmeventmedia.co.za Account Executive: Gareth Murgatroyd gareth@filmeventmedia.co.za Group Sales Manager: Lloyd Kirsten lloyd@filmeventmedia.co.za Sales Co-ordinator: Tracey-Anne Arendse tracey-anne@filmeventmedia.co.za 57 2nd Avenue, Harfield Village, Claremont 7708, Cape Town, South Africa Tel: +27 21 674 0646

Join us www.filmeventmedia.co.za www.theevent.co.za DISCLAIMER: Opinions expressed in The Event do not necessarily represent the official viewpoint of the editor or the publisher, while inclusion of adverts/ advertising features does not imply endorsement of any business, product or service. Copyright of this material is reserved. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this publication, The Event and/or its employees may not be held liable or responsible for any act or ommission committed by any person, including a juristic person, referred to in this publication. It and they furthermore accept(s) no responsibility for any liability arising out of any reliance that a reader of this publication places on the contents of this publication.

CONTACT LLOYD KIRSTEN

Tel: 021 674 0646 | email: lloyd@filmeventmedia.co.za