The Event Issue 10 by Film & Event Media

ISSUE 10 | 2014

2015

MEETING IN

AFRICA? MEET

EPG

THE EVENT PL ANNER’S GUIDE TO AFRICA IS THE WIDELY ACCL AIMED PREMIER MARKETING TOOL FOR AFRICA’S BUSINESS EVENTS INDUSTRY. CONTACT SUE-ANNE MAREE / SHANNON ATKINSON

tel: 021 674 0646 | email: sue-anne@filmeventmedia.co.za | shannon@filmeventmedia.co.za

CONTENTS | 01

www.theevent.co.za

02. New Messaging App for Businesses Hits SA

04. Emerging African Events Markets 06. Tech Talk – The Year of the Wearable

07. Kenya to Host Africa’s Biggest Convention Centre

09. G-DRIVE Mobile – Another Category Leader

10. The ABCs of PCOs 14. The 2014 Loerie Award Winners 18. End of Year Parties & Corporate Gifting

The ABCs of PCOs – Part One

Parties and Gifting

Kim Muller breaks it down letter by letter.

As the world enters the festive season, The Event looks at end of year parties and gifting from a new perspective.

22. Loeries Expo: Another Resounding Success

24. Tanzania takes centre stage with the Swahili International Tourism Expo

Event Greening Forum: Wise Up on Waste!

26. The Runways of SA: Spotlight on Fashion Weeks

28. Zimbabwe: A Natural Wonder 30. Northern Cape: The Diamond Capital of SA

Spotlight on South Africa’s Fashion Weeks

Zimbabwe – A Natural Wonder

Siyanda Bani takes you down the runway for a peek inside the glittering world of fashion.

for your business event.

Reconsider Zimbabwe as an ideal destination

32. Events 34. Associations 36. Directory

02 | NEWS

www.theevent.co.za

New Business Messaging App Hits SA

brand new app has just been launched in South Africa for businesses, agencies, distributors, shops, and universities. The new Business Messenger app, which has been described as “Whatsapp on steroids”, is absolutely free and can be used to send bulk messages to clients alerting them of promotions and specials. Users can also sign up for Low Cost In App Advertising in order to promote their businesses to a minimum of 5,000 app

users across the country. The system costs a meagre ZAR290.00 per month. Organisations can use the free Messenger app by creating groups within their accounts and assigning group leaders to manage them. Other users then request to follow the organisation’s groups which are relevant to them. They can also send out one-way messages to mobiles, while the segmentation option allows one to send messages that are applicable to a specific group and its followers.

“Our streamlined database management means that you will never have to worry about wrong numbers or outdated mailing lists,” explains Mark Waite, a spokesperson for the app, “You can also assign group leaders to manage all of your groups for you.” Messenger is available for iPhone, Android, BlackBerry, Feature Phones and Desktop, with other mobile devices in the pipeline. For more information, email Mark Waite at freemessengerapp@outlook.com or call him at +27 (0)81 271 4228.

Inaugural WCIP Focuses on Climate approved an Outcome Document, which will help strengthen the rights of over 370 million indigenous people across the globe. “We have set an important precedent with regard to our rights. The dream is that it will allow us to have a prosperous life for all the peoples benefited by this day,” Ms. Menchú said. The document also focuses on the rights of indigenous women, as well as the problem of violence against women. The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) also called for greater support to the economic and social empowerment of indigenous peoples. “Unless we mainstream the rights of indigenous peoples, unless we are serious about their empowerment, unless we work with them as equal partners – then any global development agenda we conceive will be a hollow exercise, empty because it will not reach the most disadvantaged,” said IFAD President Kanayo Nwanze.

he first ever World Conference on Indigenous People (WCIP) wrapped up on 23 September with a focus on the future of the planet. The two-day conference, which ran parallel to SecretaryGeneral Ban Ki-Moon’s Climate Summit, brought over a thousand indigenous and non-indigenous delegates together to discuss issues like the realisation of their rights, which includes pursuing objectives of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, adopted in 2007. “Issues related to territory, our natural resources, territories, seas, rivers, are today like the soul of indigenous rights,” Nobel Peace Prize winner Rigoberta Menchú told UNTV and UN Radio. Menchú is an indigenous Guatemalan activist who believes that the week’s events are a sign of hope towards a “full life and not just survival.” According to UN reports, the conference

One of the portraits taken at the WCIP 2014

04 | FEATURE

www.theevent.co.za

Courtesy of Sofitel The dazzling Sofitel Abidjan Hotel Ivoire pool area © SAOTA IC Lagune, a modern, shopping complex along the lagoon in Abidjan

EMERGING AFRICAN EVENTS MARKETS: Sofitel Abidjan Hotel Ivoire, Côte d’Ivoire

Who Are The Next Generation?

“

Côte d’Ivoire – Ivory Coast West Africa has finally woken up to the many economic possibilities that lay ahead of it and Côte d’Ivoire has raised its sleepy head to join the party. The football-crazy nation is one of eight West African countries to have secured US$19 billion’s worth of infrastructure projects with Arab Gulf companies, much of which will go towards road and railway investments. The country’s economic capital, Abidjan, is the largest city in the nation and the third-largest French-speaking city in the world. It has a number of MICE hotels including the Sofitel Abidjan Hotel Ivoire, which won the 2014 World Travel Award as Côte d’Ivoire’s Leading Hotel. The adjacent Abijan Conference Centre is home to prestigious galas, seminars and conventions. Its Palais Des Congres seats up

“

outh Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania and Egypt have long been continental leaders in business events. These countries have seen continuous growth in the meetings sector as they ploughed into their respective industries. But now a new breed of conference managers are emerging in Africa – and we’re not talking about Rwanda with its new convention centre or Zambia with its steady rise in hosting mining and agricultural exhibitions. These countries are only just beginning to realise the impact that business events and incentives have on the economy and, as such, are only now getting serious about investing in the MICE industry. Meet the Y generation in African business events.

to 1,650 delegates and there are five additional meeting rooms that hold between 20 and 1,450 guests. Other meeting places of note are the Palais de la Culture, the 743-square-meter Galerie Christian Lattier, the 300-seat Niangoran Porquet Theatre, the 700-seat Kodjo Eboucle Theatre and the Espace Bernard Dadie, which hosts up to 5,000 persons. A new conference venue in Abidjan is also currently under construction. Designed by Stefan Antoni Olmesdahl Truen Architects (SAOTA), the slick new centre will also be a 25-storey hotel and apartment building and will overlook the Boulevard de Gaulle and the lagoon. SAOTA has also designed IC Lagune, a modern, shopping complex along the lagoon in Abidjan which opens up towards the water.

These countries are only now getting serious about investing in the MICE industry. Meet the Y generation in African business events.

FEATURE | 05

www.theevent.co.za

The Radisson Blu Hotel, Dakar, Senegal © SAOTA The Radisson Blu Hotel, winner of the World Travel Awards © SAOTA

The Radisson Blu Hotel; exterior view

The Radisson Blu Hotel’s impressive staircase

Senegal Senegal’s vibrant capital city Dakar is nestled between arid desert lands in the north and lush, tropical forests in the south. The country is slowly beginning to tap into its abundant offerings to create a rich tourism industry and as such, the business events industry has begun to develop. The Radisson Blu Hotel won the World Travel Awards for Senegal’s Leading Hotel for two years in a row. It also hosts the annual West and Central AfricaCom conference, while the opulent, five-star King Fahad Palace Hotel has hosted over 3,000 national and international events and provides a unique range of meeting and conference options. The vast property has

a 6,000 square metre conference centre with 66 meeting rooms and offices, and two auditoriums seating 700 and 120. These aren’t the only conference options for Senegal, however. The capital is in the midst of a huge infrastructure upgrade, with Istanbul-based Tabanlioglu Architects winning the bid to design the Dakar International Congress Centre last year, and a host of other CBD office blocks and new accommodation going up. Meanwhile, the current Dakar Exhibition Centre still commands respect, with a massive, interlinked complex for business events – the Senegal Pavilion, which also functions as an entry hall, seven regional pavilions which are used for exhibitions, a few exposition halls surrounding the main pavilion and a conference hall and adjacent offices.

Ethiopia Ethiopia has been ahead of the curve for quite some time now. Not only is it perfectly situated between the Persian Gulf and the Suez Canal to offer Middle Eastern meeting organisers an additional African option, but it is also near business events hubs like Kenya and Tanzania, creating some healthy competition in the East African region. Ethiopian Airlines in particular has seen tremendous growth in the last few years, while their MICE industry is perhaps less well-known. The airline won the World Travel Awards 2014 for Africa’s leading Airline in Economy Class, while the Hilton in Addis Ababa has scooped up the award for Ethiopia’s Leading Hotel for five years in a row. The Hilton’s ballroom holds up to 600 guests, while an additional three sophisticated boardrooms can accommodate up to 25 delegates each. In September this year, InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) announced that it would continue to expand into Africa with its first hotel in Ethiopia. The Crowne Plaza Addis Ababa is ideally located near the African Union headquarters – a source of numerous business events in the city – as well as the African Union Convention Centre and the United Nations Convention Centre. The new development will have a range of meeting facilities including a boardroom, seven large meeting rooms and a ballroom for larger events. Pascal Gauvin, Chief Operating Officer of the Indian, Middle Eastern and African leg of IHG says, “Crowne Plaza Addis Ababa is a strong addition to the brand and with this being our first hotel in Ethiopia we will now have a presence in 13 countries across Africa.”

06 | TECH TALK WITH KIM

www.theevent.co.za

2014: THE YEAR OF THE WEARABLE it’s not fully water resistant, but this is small beans when considering something normallooking in wearable tech. www.martianwatches.com

2. The Dash Headphones by Bragi

Courtesy of Notifier Images © Martian

These nifty, wireless in-ear headphones are ideal for anyone who constantly struggles with tangled wires. Not only will they put your wire woes to rest, but they will also measure your heart rate, body temperature, speed and number of steps and calories burned. Bonus points for the subtle design – and the fact that they play music pretty well, too! www.bragi.com

3. Logbar’s Ring This creepy little device has Minority Report written all over it! Ring, by Logbar Inc., packs a whole bunch of computing power for something you slip on your finger. The machine controls home appliances through custom gestures, as well as writes text by drawing letters in the air with your finger. Plus, thanks to its unassuming design, everyone will think you’re truly magical. www.logbar.jp/ring/

n July this year, Forbes reporter Stuart Leung predicted that by the year 2018, the wearable technology market will be worth US$8.36 billion (R89.9 billion). And his case is very strong. Google forges ahead with its absurd Glass gadget and all the wonderful apps associated with it, but Google is not alone. A multitude of tech publications have christened 2014 as “The Year of the Wearable”. Influxes of smart watches that are both Android and iOS friendly have begun to appear. As have rings, fitness trackers and even a ‘healthy’ tattoo. Now although there are many, many options in

this department, we’ve narrowed down a few key pieces of wearable tech that will benefit any business owner in the meetings industry.

1. Martian Notifier At first glance, the Martian Notifier is a simple, analogue wristwatch. But this US$130 time piece is so much more. You can get alerts for just about any mobile application on your handset – from email and Twitter to texts and calls. You can even set the Notifier to discretely buzz your wrist in distinct staccatos depending on which app is calling for attention. Although it is splash proof,

4. Jawbone UP24 Jawbone’s UP24 is an incredibly easy-to-use fitness tracker that counts steps, sleep and calories. It is also water resistant, light and comfortable to wear. The device syncs with iPhones and Android phones over Bluetooth and although it has no screen to quickly check your progress, it has the benefit of not looking ugly. It looks great on anyone, comes in a variety of colours, and people think “bracelet”, not “clunky wristwatch” – which is ideal if you desire a simple, fun device with individually-tailored insights. What’s more is that Jawbone has just rolled out an UP24 firmware update that increases battery life to 14 days. www.jawbone.com

NEWS | 07

www.theevent.co.za

Kenya to host Africa’s biggest convention centre by Geoffrey Mosoku

he Ministry of Tourism has announced plans to build Africa’s biggest convention centre as it seeks to diversify tourism products. The facility to be called Bomas International Conference and Exhibition Centre will sit on a 82-acres at the current Bomas of Kenya grounds. The centre will have a 15,000 capacity exhibition space, 10,000-delegate capacity conference centre, five luxurious hotels with a total capacity of 2,000 beds, presidential pavilions, VIP pavilions, fully furnished apartments, coffee shops and business centres among others. The hotels will range from 2-star to 7-star and will cater for all categories of exhibitors and conference tourists. South Africa’s Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC)

is the biggest in Africa. Kenya is using CTICC and London’s World Travel Market Centre as benchmarks as the country seeks to attract business travellers in its bid to achieve a target of about three million tourists annually by 2017. The Bomas centre will be strategically placed, 11 kilometres from the city centre and just a stone’s throw away from Nairobi National Park. Tourism Cabinet Secretary Phyllis Kandie said development of the centre offers a central plank of how the sector intends to go forward in the medium and long term. The ministry is also seeking partners to help build another exhibition and conference centre in Mombasa. “We need to go big on convention and conference tourism. We also need to make more hay out of cultural tourism and you will see more cultural festivals in partnership with

Nairobi, Kenya

the counties as well,” she said. Bomas CEO Ahmed Quresh said construction will begin next year, adding that the private sector will partner with the State to fund the project.

08 | 3D DESIGN

www.theevent.co.za

Clash of the Titans

his month saw the 3D Group engage in it’s busiest month yet. We had 36 stands at Electra Mining, four at Aerospace and Defence and three others around the country. While we put in 48 hour shifts and some major overtime, we completed

all projects on the day the shows opened. Granted, we usually hand over one day before the official show opening, but as all projects were ready on the opening day, we see this as a major success. This month we build Neotel, Vodacom and Telkom at my Broadband and Landis

and Gyr at AMEU. 3D Shell and 3D Cape have made some major strides in our industry too; signing up Huntex, Design Indaba, Photo and Film, IT Expo, all of Terrapin and Spintelligent shows for three years. Well done to all involved! “ONE team, ONE spirit, ONE Solution”

NEWS | 09

www.theevent.co.za

G-Technology

G-Drive Mobile with Thunderbolt-Another Category Leader quick backup of documents through its Time Machine capabilities. Storage Review recently compared the G-DRIVE Mobile to other 1TB portable devices with Thunderbolt options. According to in-house testing, the 720RPM drive adds about 10MBps to the average read and write speeds. In a Windows 7 environment, they recorded speeds between 120.3MB/s and 124.7MB/s. The G-DRIVE’s design is sleek and eyecatching in and of itself; it is similar in size to an iPhone 5 and roughly three times as heavy. The sides are the same silvery shade as the body – an aesthetic improvement on older models. In all, the G-DRIVE Mobile with Thunderbolt is a handy device that’s sure to withstand the pressures of everyday use, another in a long line of quality devices with top-tier performance.

G-Drive Mobile with Thunderbolt © G-Technology

ooking for a portable, reliable storage device? The HGST G-Technology G-DRIVE Mobile with Thunderbolt and USB 3.0 is an all-round winner. The durable, 1TB hard drive is small enough to pop in your bag, and you’ll never have to pack an AC adapter because it is bus powered (it charges through the same port that connects to your computer for storage functionality). Initially formatted for Macintosh, the drive can be reformatted for PC with the help of G-Tech’s online support. Unfortunately, once that’s done, it can only be access through a PC OS, not via Apple OS. The G-DRIVE’s most important feature is speed, making it ideal for heavy data carriers. It boasts file transfer speeds of up to 136MB per second, plus any Mac users will enjoy the

10 | FEATURE

www.theevent.co.za

THE ABCS OF PCOS: PART 1 by Kim Muller

rofessional Conference Organiser is a word that’s flung across the event space quite often. The name itself – better known as PCO – is pretty self-explanatory and needs no dictionary definition. But what exactly does a PCO do and why are they pivotal to the industry? Tamlynne Wilton, Director of Business Development & Marketing at MCI South

Africa says that PCOs are important for the same reason that a professional architect and builder are an important part of the construction process. “The role of a PCO is multifaceted,” Wilton explains, “We are knowledge and technology partners, project managers, creative experts, trend spotters and setters, quality controllers and meeting designers. While you can organise your own

conference, it is much the same as building your own house. PCO’s are the experts in this field and ensure that your event is not just a meeting, but that audiences are engaged and energised while ensuring the triple bottom line principles are embraced.” With this in mind, The Event excavated a plethora of information from industry specialists on the subject.

Accommodation This is often one of the first things that any delegate queries when they consider attending an event. Will the accommodation be up to standard? Will it be near the conference facility? These are questions PCOs are mindful of when a venue option

presents itself. Many PCOs negotiate reduced rates or unique partnerships with hotels in the area. These are usually stargraded places of accommodation where guests are assured of the hotel’s quality. The International Association of Sound

and Audiovisuals reiterates the importance of location, saying “Spreading people out over a city is very impersonal and tiring and defeats the main benefits of the conference, which is to have the delegates meet and discuss their mutual concerns.”

free needs analysis consultancy as part of their willingness to ‘share the risk’ with other parties. There are several payment models that are commonly used such as a fixed management fee, a management fee per delegate, a fee per abstract or paper handled, a percentage of the budget or even

profit sharing. “It is our advice to talk to the PCO and have open dialogue to ensure both parties have a clear understanding of each other’s needs so the most appropriate transparent pricing structure can be established,” says Congrex, a PCO from Holland.

go together because in the event business things are always changing, which requires you to be flexible to develop a solution – and solutions come about as a result of your creativity.” Nicole Bennett, Owner of Perry Consulting echoed his

sentiment saying that a PCO should “enjoy creative problem solving – no matter how well you plan, something will pop up and you must enjoy being able to solve challenges quickly and with the resources at hand.”

Budget Although the association or event owner will always have ultimate control over the budget, it’s always good to engage the PCO from the planning stages. Most PCOs have flexible pricing structures that vary according to the level of service support that is needed, and some even offer a

Creativity After a recent collective response from the LinkedIn events community, the Event Manager Blog reported that a number of clients wanted a creative PCO. Said James Minella, an Events Operations Director, “Be creative and flexible. I think these two

FEATURE | 11

www.theevent.co.za

Delegates and Registration It is important for any PCO to determine early-bird and final registration dates before invitations are sent and registration forms are published. A registration procedure should also be decided upon, such as online, paper-based or both, as well as which online registration system will be used and whether it

will be hosted on the conference’s official website. Other decisions around registration include accommodation – will delegates be able to book hotels and tours through the event website? Will specific partners, sponsors or destination management companies be involved in this process? Registration forms should

be comprehensive and should be created according to the conference programme. Items such as meals and dietary requirements, transportation, sessions and workshops, the social programme and spousal packages can be included and decided upon at an early stage already.

possible exhibitors with a unique package, but they will also have to create contracts, send information to exhibitors on points of contact, conference goals, procedural instructions,

final agendas and floor space allocation. The floor space should be mapped out for exhibitors, who should in turn send the PCO their requirements for the booths.

advantage. Anroopa Banerjee Gupta, a Marketing Communications Expert, recently shared a congruous story with the Event Manager Blog. “I know of someone who was working on a tradeshow. She got the entire booth set-up done by 3am and the next day, when she arrived at the

booth 30 minutes before show time, she realised that the company president’s profile poster had been put up in such a manner that his nose got chopped off. She actually got a 7ft X 3ft poster mounted before the show – she had an extra poster at hand.”

while the emergence of a new middle class have opened up myriad opportunities. PCOs need to be ahead of the game in this respect, according to MCI Group’s online insights. “Rapid globalisation is also posing a number of complex challenges. Organisations must contend with a volatile

global economy, intercultural sensitivity, climate change, resource scarcity and an array of regulatory standards, while increased competition, consumer demand for transparency and the drive towards digitisation is forcing many to rethink their business models.”

Exhibition If the conference has a dedicated exhibition as part of its programmes, this needs to be wellplanned and executed as early as possible. Not only will the PCO have to reach out to

Flexibility Flexibility is the be-all and end-all of any PCO’s profile. In any event, things will happen that are out of the PCO’s control. They need to be quick on their feet and capable of solving anything with a level head. Planning for the best and being prepared for the worst can also be a great

Globalisation Globalisation, in a nutshell, is the process by which businesses and other organisations develop international influence or begin to operate on an international scale. In recent years, factors such as low-cost international travel and constant connectivity have drastically accelerated this phenomenon,

12 | FEATURE

www.theevent.co.za

Hybrid Events A hybrid event, for the clueless few out there, is a trade show, conference, seminar or workshop that combines a live, in-person event with a virtual, online component. A great example of this was the recent Leadercast 2014 that was broadcast live from Atlanta, USA to a number of

gatherings across the globe including Cape Town. “Changing consumer behaviour and the development of a collective social conscience, advancements in technology and a volatile global economy has presented various challenges and opportunities for our industry,” says Wilton, “We are seeing

a move towards digitisation, an increase in hybrid events and changes in the way that people engage. In addition to this, there is a greater focus on sustainability and legacy building programmes which are so important for the socio-economic development of our continent and its people.”

that PCOs belong to industry associations which are vital for our own growth as professionals and for the standardisation and professionalism of our industry,” says Tamlynne Wilton of MCI Group. “We are active members in all four international industry associations, ICCA, IAPCO, PCMA and MPI. Our contribution to the industry is through content as we believe sharing best practice is vital for

the betterment and professionalization of our industry as a whole. Recognised as a thought leader in the strategic engagement and activation of audiences, our experts are leading the way in diverse industries, from healthcare and life sciences to ICT, luxury, automotive, energy, financials and FMCG, and in diverse areas, from digitisation to sustainability and regulation and compliance.”

exhibitors, venue owners and many more people leading up to and over the duration of a conference. Greg Ruby, Event Management Specialist at Baltimore Convention Centre says, “Have a sense

of humour – we are not talking rocket science here. Have fun with the work and the people you work with, and in most cases they will want to work with you again in the future.”

Influence One of a PCO’s biggest assets is his or her rolodex of contacts. These are the people and services that a PCO needs in order to get an event up and running, and who are, essentially, their bread and butter. This is why it is so important to have rapport with businesses and help move the industry in the best possible direction. “It is important to note that while PCO’s are important, it is even more important

Jocund A cheerful disposition never hurt anyone – in fact, it probably does the opposite and attracts people. A PCO’s disposition is incredibly important as they are dealing with clients, suppliers, delegates,

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS Conferences and exhibitions generally have a certain number of hours and simultaneous events to fill over their running days. These may come in the form of council meetings, plenary lectures or panel discussions. One of a PCO’s jobs is to liaise with potential speakers and manage their travel, accommodation and

other logistical issues that may arise. Most speakers are invited a good few months in advance – if not the previous year – so as to ensure their availability and to create some kind of media hype ahead of the event, especially if the speakers are in demand. “When it’s your role to choose the speakers for your next annual conference, company

meeting, or special event, you wield significant power over its success,” says Nina Spencer, a Motivational Speaker based in Toronto, Canada. “Choosing the ‘right’ presenter can mean the difference between basking in the glory of a memorable event and bearing the brunt of criticism for selecting an inappropriate speaker!”

FEATURE | 13

www.theevent.co.za

Logistics Logistics pertains to the management of all elements of a conference or exhibition. This includes project management, financial management, venue, registration and accommodation management, as well as audio visual production, the handling of

abstracts and papers, graphics, printing and sponsorships. Most PCOs offer a comprehensive service that covers logistics on all sides, but they can also be tailored to meet the client’s specific needs and objectives. According to Congrex, conference logistical

management includes but is not limited to, consultancy and advice on the structure of an event, supplier contract negotiation, business planning and timeline management, arranging secretariat functions for committees, on-site staffing, and event evaluation.

Marketing and Promotion Marketing an event begins as soon as possible, which means that most annual conferences have a marketing strategy already in place for the following year before their current event has come to a close. This strategy includes, but is not limited to, creating a comprehensive and easily navigable conference app, creating a website and keeping it updated with the latest event news, images and press releases, and having specific points in the strategy where some kind of media hype is created in the build up to the conference. Using social media to

promote the event is an incredibly popular and effective way of both gauging and generating interest. A simple but focused conference message strategy should be developed, says Joseph Oliver, a Technologist for Proxivision. “By being focused and keeping things simple, you will allow your message to stand out against the background noise found through other vendors’ and competitors’ likely ‘unfocused’ messaging.” There are a number of ways in which to market an event, says Robin Lockerman, CEO of MCI Group’s Institutional Division.

These include event branding, creating a customised conference identity, promotional items, print collateral, email promotion, promotion at other events, direct mail, advertising, telemarketing, media relations and of course sponsorships and trade partners. “Finally, the old adage that you have to spend money to make money rings true. Research shows it’s rare for more than 2% of conference budget to be spent on marketing the event. A minimum expenditure of 5% will be more effective in attracting new and repeat delegates,” says Lockerman.

14 | FEATURE

www.theevent.co.za

Exuberance at The Loerie Awards Ceremony on Sunday, 21 September 2014, held at CTICC

THE 2014 LOERIE WINNERS T

he 36th Annual Loerie Awards took place on Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 September 2014 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre. MC’s John Vlismas and Anele Mdoda did a fantastic job of cracking up the audience. A particular highlight was Mr Vlismas’s magnificent entrance on the actual Iron Throne from the hit series Game of Thrones (while dressed as crystal-meth chemist and pop-culture hero Walter White). The after-parties took place on Long Street and Shimmy Beach Club, where celebs, VIPs and other guests danced, drank and danced some more. The Loeries is an annual recognition of the best work produced in the brand communication industry in our region – including the whole of Africa and the Middle East. The awards were judged by over 140 local and international experts in their fields, including four international jury chairman from Hamburg, Melbourne, New York City and San Francisco, as well as regional judges from Accra, Nairobi and Dar Es Salaam.

A total of 256 awards were handed out in the main categories, with the winners being broken down as follows: All Entries

2534

Student Professional 342

2192

Prof noncraft entries

1453

Prof craft entries

739

Grand Prix

Gold

Silver

Bronze

101

Craft Gold

Craft Certificate

This year, a total of four Grands Prix were awarded. They were: • Grid Worldwide Branding (Pty) Ltd for Anti Est Anti Est #Unlearn, in Design Mixed-Media Campaign. • One Kingdom Creative Studio for Mi-Fone Oju Africa App, in Digital &

•

Interactive – Mobile Applications & Sites FCB South Africa (PTY) LTD for CocoCola South Africa A rainbow for the Rainbow Nation, in Outdoor Media. Ogilvy & Mather Johannesburg for Lucozade Give me strength.

Effective Creativity Award Introduced in 2013, the Effective Creativity category, sponsored by Woolworths, allows previous Loerie winning entries to be measured for effective business results. Two Gold Loeries were awarded: To Ster Kinekor and FoxP2 for Great moments at their Greatest; and Johnnie Walker and the King James Group for Johnnie Walker One Bottle. Africa & Middle East In the categories for entries from outside of South Africa three Gold, seven silver and six bronze Loeries were awarded. Three Golds went to: • Communication Design: Abdul Latif Jameel Community Initiatives Unsung Heroes, by Brand Union (United Arab Emirates).

FEATURE | 15

www.theevent.co.za

Design MixedMedia Campaign John Vlismas and Anele Mdoda at the Awards Ceremony

• •

Ubuntu Award: Unilever’s Sunlight Ray of Hope by Jericho Advertising (Zimbabwe). Radio Communication: Sawa Mninjah and Geometry Global Dubai (United Arab Emirates) for Rescue Radio.

Special Awards Loeries Hall of Fame – Keith Rose Keith Rose, director and founding partner of

Velocity, was inducted into the Loeries Hall of Fame, for his outstanding contribution to the industry. Marketing Leadership and Innovation Award – Claudia Walters Claudia Walters, Marketing Communications Manager of Mercedes-Benz, was honoured with the Marketing Leadership and Innovation Award.

Adams & Adams Young Creatives Award The award, for exceptional achievement at the age of 27 or younger, went to Matthew Pullen and Freda Raubenheimer. They each received a Gold Loerie and a trip to the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, courtesy of Adams & Adams. Antalis Creative Use of Paper Award The winner of the 2014 Antalis Creative Use

16 | FEATURE

www.theevent.co.za

Andrew Human and Helen Zille on the Loeries Red Carpet

of Paper Award is the Johannesburg Zoo and Y&R South Africa for See what comes out in the dark. The award includes two Apple iPads for the creative team.

Unilever Ubuntu Award for Sustainable Marketing The Unilever Ubuntu Award for Sustainable Marketing honours brand campaigns that do good while doing good business. A Gold Loerie was awarded to Exclusive Books and 140 BBDO for the Exclusive S.E.E.D Library. Loeries Creative Future Scholarship This year the scholarship was awarded to Banzi Kasana of SACS High School in Cape Town. For the first time this year, additional bursaries were offered by Vega School of Brand Leadership and the Red & Yellow School allowing two more students to benefit from the programme. Recipients of these bursaries are Ida Janine van Staden from Parklands College and Chiquita

“

The winner of the 2014 Antalis Creative Use of Paper Award is the Johannesburg Zoo and Y&R South Africa for ‘See what comes out in the dark’.

Williams from PJ Olivier Art Centre in Stellenbosch.

Student Awards This year four Gold Loeries were awarded: • Emijl de Kock, Leigh Pietersen, Emma Philip, Sanri Pienaar from AAA School of Advertising Cape Town for National Geographic - Almanac of Extremely Average Animals. • Jodia Steenkamp from Stellenbosch Academy of Design and Photography for Expose -Calendar. • Shana Sivewright AD, Melissa Fontini CW from AAA School of Advertising Cape Town for Recollection.

•

“

The Times Newspaper Award The Times Newspaper Award went to One School at a Time and Joe Public for Project English. As part of the prize, Joe Public secures next year’s campaign for the Times Creative Press Ad challenge, valued at R160 000.

Frané Els from the North-West University for Ubuzu.

Three Craft Gold Loeries were awarded: • For Print & Design Crafts- Illustration, Karabo Moletsane from the Open Window School of Visual Communication for Sho’t Left, titled Sho’t Left a zine. • For Print & Design Crafts- Typography, Almari Carosini from North-West University for Pylon Typeface, titled Pylon Typeface. • For TV; Film & Video Crafts, Frané Els from the North-West University for Ubuzu titled Ubuzu.

18 | FEATURE

www.theevent.co.za

The Annual White Celebration at Molenvliet, organised by The Absolute Collection

PARTIES & CORPORATE GIFTING End of Year

s we near the end of 2014, the air is buzzing with party fever. Planning a successful end-ofyear event is often quite a task for companies and should not be left for the last minute. There are so many things to consider, for instance, what music or entertainment will be on hand? Will you have an interactive foodie element, ice-breaker games or a photo booth? How large will the bar tab be? Even deciding on a specific party theme can be arduous, especially if you’re adding a funky dress code to the mix. This unending list of options can be daunting for the best of organisers, but a great party requires just a few main ingredients, says Karla Oettler, Owner and Founder of The Absolute Collection, an innovative, one-stop event planning

company in the Western Cape. “The most important aspects of a good event or party are attention to detail, showcasing new trends, good food that fits with the theme, and entertainment,” she explains, “It is also key that you have a great team of service providers working with you to ensure all aspects of the party are of good quality, and that things run smoothly.” Oettler goes on to say that starting early and book your suppliers before the end-of-year rush is imperative. “Make sure that you get the best and exactly what you want. You need to know what the client’s expectations are, and always over-deliver! Also always have a back-up plan – you never know what could happen.” Kirsten of Bright Ideas Event Management, a niche, family-owned and run company, agrees, saying, “Entertainment is key to a

successful year-end, whether it be a chilled pool party or a full-on themed party. As long as everybody is having fun and is entertained you are a winner.” There are a few non-negotiable elements needed to ensure a good party, says Jacqui Higgins of of CLA Brand and Event Engineering. “These include excellent and sufficient catering, a pleasing, comfortable environment – including taking weather and temperature into account – that is easily accessible to all, and well thought out entertainment. It is important to know your target audience and the reason for the event. The event should fit the preferred outcome, whether it is a more formal event with awards being presented or a casual ‘bring the family’ vibe.” Barry Futter, Owner of Adventure Works,

FEATURE | 19

www.theevent.co.za

All Images Courtesy of Ruby Jean Photography © Ruby Jean Photography

“

The most important aspects of a good event or party are attention to detail, showcasing new trends, good food that fits with the theme, and entertainment. It is also key that things run smoothly.

a teambuilding company that does end of year events, has another gem of advice to add: “Check if past events have been done for your client,” he says, “This is to ensure that one doesn’t repeat past experiences or make the same mistakes as in the past. It allows room to improve. Also realise that one cannot please everybody – making allowances and trying to please everybody often results in a watered down event. In many cases one should make decisions based on your knowledge and experiences and stick to it.”

So…How Much? Budget is one of the first things that can ruin a good party plan so ensure that you know exactly what you can spend…and what you can’t. Once your budget is in place, it’s

time to plan and decide what will be used where. “We all know that the end of the year workload can bring additional stress, so plan as far in advance as possible to make sure that you are on top of everything,” says Futter. Bright Ideas Event’s Kirsten says that budgets can be a huge challenge as you’re often given less to work with than you might need. And this year, it seems that companies are more stringent than ever before. “Budgets are tighter and clients want to get more value for money,” she says. “That means perhaps throwing a yearend and a teambuilding together.” With this in mind, there are a number of ways to cut down on unnecessary things. “Don’t spend unnecessary money on designing and printing beautiful invitations.

20 | FEATURE

All Images Courtesy of Ruby Jean Photography © Ruby Jean Photography

The theme should be coordinated and incorporated into all aspects of the event including the food, music, and layout.

“

www.theevent.co.za

The fact is most people are going to look at it once to get all the necessary details and then it will be going right into the trash,” a recent article on the Crowne Plaza Johannesburg’s website says. Picking a day other than Friday or Saturday will also cut your costs, especially if your venue is in a central business district. Most venues and suppliers charge premium rates for weekend celebrations and tend to get snapped up quickly. Picking a theme can also reduce costs, as most function venues offer specifically themed evenings that can be booked as a package. This will not only save you money on décor, but will also save time on working out the details.

Food Glorious Food Food and budget go hand in hand. Often the one depends on the other and the quality of catering usually comes down to how much can be spent. There are a number of ways to avoid budgetary issues in this department, writes Sandra Minnaar, contributor for Meet Magazine. “Stay within budget by getting your colleagues to cook their own food – and they’ll have fun doing it, too. Potjiekos competitions are simple to facilitate,” she says. This works extremely well for other facets of the event

The catering at the Annual White Celebration at Molenvliet was artfully presented

as well – especially if you’re catering to many people. Consider activities that encourage participation such as games with players, cheerleaders, announcers, scorekeepers and photographers. This will help keep people entertained and involved without stepping out of their comfort zone. Generally the budget for any event is split so that about 60% goes to food and bar tabs, while the rest is used for décor, venue, entertainment and other bits and bobs. This ensures a well-rounded approach to organising an event. Mixing and matching various foods is a great way of getting people excited. “Food pairing is a big thing right now, with cake and bubbly bars, etc.,” says Oettler. “People are a lot more interactive and there’s more focus on entertainment – sketch artists,

fire dancers, DJ’s or live music. The theme should be coordinated and incorporated into all aspects of the event including the food, music, and layout. Whatever it is, the theme needs to flows throughout.” Oettler goes on to express how critical it is to get catering right: “People always talk about the food after an event, so make sure they will be saying good things. The food must be spectacular, from the variety and presentation to different trends and flavours. Be adventurous, and have more than enough for everyone.”

The Art of Gift Giving Although most event planners either opt out of gift giving or tend to give guests small, branded tokens, corporate gifting is still a

FEATURE | 21

www.theevent.co.za

Adventure Works organise fun teambuilding activities that could elevate your company’s morale

popular trend with a number of benefits that should not be ignored. “Corporate gifting within the workplace assists in forming a common bond between everybody. Customized promotional products and advertising gifts are the perfect way to target new customers, increase employee relationships, boost brand awareness and ensure that your marketing strategy and advertising campaigns have the maximum effect with bottom line results,” says Simon Jonsson of Corporate Conference Gifting. Higgins says that good food and entertainment are key, but “recognition by way of a gift and personalized note or message add enormous value and if possible should be part of the celebration.” Barry Futter agrees on the importance of corporate gifting at end-of-year events. “Ensure clients feel looked after,” he says. “Clients like to know that they are appreciated or mean something to your company. Even if it’s a small gift or card to thank them, or an additional surprise activity – all these small gestures go a long way.” The trend in gift giving this year is general to go smaller and some popular items include power banks, desktop items, laptop bags and of course branded flash drives and pens. “Pens and flash drives are still important because it is easier to carry a flash drive with a 260-page catalogue than to

carry a hard copy,” says Jonsson, “Pens never outdate – how many times has one needed a pen to sign a credit card slip, and there is no pen near? Pens with a stylus on one end are vogue at the moment.” Other big sellers are bags of all shapes and colours. “Make it too good to throw away,” says Andy Johnston, President and Creative Director of The Idea Group, “Just imagine how it could increase the image of your organization and the impact of your conference if the attendees loved your bags and considered them filled with unique, exclusive, valuable items and information?”

Teambuilding as an Alternative

A teambuilding event rather than an end-ofyear do could greatly impact your company’s morale – and isn’t too hard on the pocket either. Organisations like Adventure Works offer exciting teambuilding activities that guarantee loads of fun and then some. “What we would like to call unique is our Design Your Own Putt Putt Course. Teams receive the equipment needed to put this together, where creativity and innovation is key. Urban Rooftop experiences as well as Flyboarding are all on Adventure Works’ clients bucket list. In terms of popularity, our Urban Adventure which explores the unique history and culture of our Mother City is still a familiar favourite. Our Minute to Win it, one of our more affordable yet popular activities is a very fun and interactive team build with great benefits for all staff,” Futter says. He says that companies are more interested in having fun and promoting team spirit in 2014. As such, original teambuilding activities like boersport and Survivor have made a comeback. But original, unforgettable events still trump trends. “Clients are always looking for something unique and they want to be ahead of the game,” says Futter. “We try to keep track of these by receiving feedback from clients and agents, as well as tailor making specific requests or enquiries that are out of the norm.”

22 | SPOTLIGHT

www.theevent.co.za

LOERIES EXPO Another Resounding Success

SPOTLIGHT | 23

www.theevent.co.za

“

The Expo is a meeting place for ad agencies, top corporate brands, media and PR companies and we hope to see the birth of many great ideas, collaborations and opportunities as a result!

“

he Loeries Expo is a branding and marketing exhibition that took place at the historic City Hall during the Cape Town Creative Week, leading up to the Loeries Awards ceremonies on the weekend. Creative Week Cape Town started as a legacy event for Cape Town’s World Design Capital 2014 bid. Some of the brands that will were showcased at the Expo included Adams + Adams, Backsberg, Bizcommunity, Continental Outdoor, DStv, Facebook, Film & Publication Board, Gearhouse, Google, Hertz, Times Media, SAA, Unilever, Woolworths and YouTube. As part of the exciting activities at the expo there was gaming, wine-tasting, photo booths and a juice and coffee bar. Loeries Expo organiser, Taryn Fowler of Film and Event Media, said, “This year our Loeries Expo had more fun, interactive brand activations with lots of giveaways. The Expo is a meeting place for ad agencies, top corporate brands, media and PR companies and we hope to see the birth of many great ideas, collaborations and opportunities as a result!”

All Images © Loeries 2014

24 | SPOTLIGHT

www.theevent.co.za

TANZANIA TAKES CENTRE STAGE at the Swahili International Tourism Expo “It is an indisputable fact that Tanzania bears unparalleled tourism potential both in terms of abundance and variety of its attractions.”

Fast Facts Venue Mlimani City Convention Centre, Sam Nujoma Road, Dar-es-Salaam

est known as the “Land of Kilimanjaro, Zanzibar and The Serengeti”, Tanzania could easily be called the capital of the natural wonders of Africa. The country is blessed to be home to three of the seven natural wonders of Africa: Mount Kilimanjaro – known as the pinnacle of Africa as it is the highest mountain in Africa and the tallest freestanding mountain in the world; Ngorongoro Crater – the largest unbroken caldera in the world, renowned for its abundance and variety of species of wildlife, and The Serengeti, where the largest animal migration in the world takes place! The word “Swahili” is an Arab word, meaning “the coast”. Ultimately it came to be applied to the people living on the East Africa coast and their language. The ‘Swahili’ coast refers to The Mystical Islands of Zanzibar and Tanzania mainland’s coastline which boasts of 805 kilometres of palm fringed unspoilt beaches. Tanzania’s rich culture and history, traversing from a blend of African, Arabic, Persian, Indian values, are what make Tanzania’s people and their language stand out from other cultures in the world. Swahili International Tourism Expo (S!TE) was Tanzania’s first ever International Tourism Expo, developed by Tanzania Tourist Board (TTB). The Expo will be held annually in October at the Mlimani City Convention Centre in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania’s commercial capital located along the coastline of Tanzania, East Africa. S!TE focuses on inbound and outbound travel to Africa and drew hundreds of tourism and travel professionals from all over the world. Editor of The Event, Katie Reynolds, gave

a presentation on digital marketing, and focused on marketing Africa to the world, as well as marketing to Millennials. This was preceded by a magnificent three-day tour of Zanzibar. Lucky delegates were also treated to a four-day post-tour of the Serengeti. The Expo took the format of a travel and trade exhibition with a conference element focusing on tropical tourism, sustainability, conservation and other market related issues. TTB has appointed a leading exhibition and events management company, Pure Grit Project and Exhibition Management Ltd., to partner with them. Pure Grit Project and Exhibition Management Ltd. has many years of experience in managing local and international trade events within various business sectors.

Exhibitors Profile Transportation: Airlines, Charters, Railways, Travel Agents, Tour Operators, Group Travel Operators, Destination Management Companies, Passenger Transporters, Rail, Airlines, Cruise liners, etc. Accommodation: Game and Safari lodges, Holiday Packages and Holiday Financers Technology Providers, Online Travel Portals, Hotel Reservation Networks, Property Management Systems, Hotels & Resorts, Wild Life Resorts, Eco-tourism camps. Health Spas and Ayurvedic Centres: Golf Resorts, Time-Share Resorts, Corporate Clubs, Amusement Theme Park etc. Adventure Sports: Aero Sports, Aqua Sports, Terrestrial Adventure operators. Others: Educational Institutions in the field of hospitality and tourism studies etc. Medical Tourism, Travel Insurance Services, Financial Institutions, Foreign Exchange Buyer Profile Inbound and Outbound Tour Operators and Travel Agents, Marketing Companies, PR and Media, Advertising Companies, Incentive Travel Representatives, Product Sales and Marketing Managers, Social Network Drivers and Media Bloggers, Local and International Media, National Tourism Authorities, Educators, Agencies and Associations.

EVENT GREENING FORUM | 25

www.theevent.co.za

WISE UP ON WASTE! F

ollowing on from our article last month on the EGF site visit to Turffontein Landfill, it is becoming evident that we need to start taking action now with our waste initiatives in the events industry. All major city centres are tightening up on city by-laws to ensure events have an integrated waste management plan (IWMP). The City of Johannesburg has launched the ‘Wise up on Waste’ initiative which is an easy-to-understand guide for event organisers, venue managers and landowners as well as the city council, which is involved in the coordination of events within the city.

Before the event Waste management should not be seen as an ‘add-on’ to the event plan but rather as an integral part of the planning process. Ensuring a clear outline of the aims of the waste management plan and how these aims will be met, will assist the organiser in achieving these goals. Ensure that all staff and volunteers have been trained on the waste strategies. If not, get them up to speed as this goes a long way in achieving the overall objectives.

During the event It’s a good idea to have a briefing at the start of each day, prior to the event/show opening. The roles and responsibilities of each team member can be addressed and any concerns can be raised. Recycling bins should have been placed in and around the venue prior to the event. However, these bins need to be monitored by a designated team throughout the event. They will be able to identify whether or not a bin is working in a particular location. Bins should be moved to assist with the waste management in a particular area where there is a high level of litter from attendees. It is good to ensure that all bins are easily accessible and clearly marked for waste separation. Get the media involved as this will help to spread the message and get the public to understand the objectives. Make use of social media platforms to reach the masses and spread the message quickly and

effectively and, most importantly, ensure simple and clear messaging is placed in and around the venue. Consistently communicating the waste management plan to the public and staff will ensure that the waste management objectives are achieved. The clean-up process should be ongoing throughout the event. This will not only reduce the amount of litter but it will also reinforce the integrated waste management practices for the attendees.

After the event The ultimate goal is to leave the site in the same, or even better, condition than it was in prior to the event. During the clean-up phase after the event, vendors often dump their rubbish next to bins, without taking the time to separate the rubbish. Therefore one needs to continue to encourage staff and vendors to use the recycling facilities provided. Follow up with the waste service contractors to ensure that all collected materials have been or will be delivered to the correct recycling facilities. All work put into designing, implementing and managing your waste management plan needs to be evaluated and recorded for future reference. A report on the event is an important tool which will be useful in the planning of the next event.

To conclude, waste management is one of the easiest components to achieve in planning an event and all efforts in this process will make a contribution to extending the life of landfill sites around the country. Information sourced from the City of Johannesburg’s Wise up on Waste booklet. For more information on the Wise up on Waste initiative, contact Jerry Zulu on +27 11 587 4285 | 082 559 3689 or email jerryz@joburg.org.za. For Cape Town resources and by-law information see www.capetown.gov.za/solidwaste. For Durban resources see http://www.durban.gov.za/ City_Services/cleansing_solid_waste. To find your closest recycler simply go to www.mywaste.co.za and type in your type of material and address.

26 | SPOTLIGHT

www.theevent.co.za

Lyric

SA Fashion Week Summer Collections 2012

PALSE Homme © SA Fashion Week

THE RUNWAYS OF SA:

Spotlight on Fashion Weeks

SA Fashion Week Summer Collections 2012

ashion Weeks in South Africa are an exciting time, fashionistas fill social media feeds with photos from different shows, hot models, the latest creations from designers and snaps of the who’s who of the fashion world seated front row and centre at the shows. Creating sustainable businesses in fashion is more than showcasing designs

by Siyanda Bani at a fashion week. The aim of showcasing at fashion week is to give exposure to the models and designers and ultimately create revenue from their designs. Furthermore, to create job opportunities as well, should major retailers be interested in stocking the designers work in their stores. The very first Fashion Week held in the country was SA Fashion Week which was launched in

1997 with 17 designers showcasing their work (none were supplying stores with their designs); it has now grown to 65 designers showcasing their creations in 2013 with 35 designers who either supply major retailers or have their own stores. Over the past 16 years, SAFW has shown the collections of over 200 previouslydisadvantaged designers, giving them

SPOTLIGHT | 27

www.theevent.co.za

“

Over the past 16 years, SAFW has shown the collections of over 200 previouslydisadvantaged designers, giving them the opportunity to enter the retail space.

Black Coffee SS Collections 2013

SA Fashion Week Summer Collections 2012

the opportunity to enter the retail space. SAFW started the SAFW Pop-Up Shop, giving designers the opportunity to sell their collections directly to consumers in a luxury shopping centre. This also gives the designer, who has never been in direct contact with the consumer, the opportunity to do research, network and connect with the media. SAFW also started the SAFW Buyers’ Lounge where the boutiques in SA come to buy the collections of the designers – this takes place straight after SAFW. Other fashion shows in the country are in major cities namely; Cape Town Fashion Week, Johannesburg Fashion Week and recently Durban joined in with a two-day extravaganza called Fashion Flair. It’s

Gert Johan Coetzee

the repeated emphasis of the business of fashion that keeps the cog wheels of all fashion weeks turning, and the most notable support from retailers has been largely from the Edcon Group. The Group launched the Renault New Talent initiative, in which young designers can enter and the selected winner supplies Edgars stores in Sandton and Melrose Arch with their creations. This competition provides young designers with support, knowledge transfer and up-skilling to grow their business strategies. And for the models, competitions such as ‘The Face of Fashion’ provides models with exposure to the industry and the right representation from leading model agencies in the country.

28 | COUNTRY SPOTLIGHT

www.theevent.co.za

ZIMBABWE:

A Natural Wonder

by Siyanda Bani

ictoria Falls is one of the most magnificent Natural Wonders of the World and is one of Zimbabwe’s main tourist attractions. The falls make up a two kilometre wide sheet of water that gushes into the Zambezi River. Zimbabwe is also home to the continent’s largest elephants which can be found at Zimbabwe’s sanctuary of wild life, the Hwange National Park. The

country’s capital is Harare, also its largest city and home to the National Gallery of Zimbabwe and the beautiful Harare Gardens. Aside from spectacular natural wonders, Zimbabwe is a great meeting place for business events. This year, one the most important meetings in the Southern Africa region, the SADC Summit of Head of States and Government was successfully hosted in Zimbabwe.

What’s Happening Now? Zimbabwe Infrastructure and Mining Indaba The Zimbabwe Mining and Infrastructure Indaba, organized by the AME Trade Ltd Africa and Middle East Trade Ltd will take place from 8th October to the 10th October 2014 at the Meikles Hotel in Harare, Zimbabwe. The conference will cover areas such as identifying mining opportunities

Garybembridge Heroes Acre, Harare, Zimbabwe

Did you know? Zimbabwe has an impressive adult literacy rate of 90% – one of the highest ratings in Africa

COUNTRY SPOTLIGHT | 29

www.theevent.co.za

Getting to Zimbabwe by air The national airline is Air Zimbabwe and the two major international airports are the Harare International Airport situated in the capital city of Harare, and Bulawayo International in Bulawayo. Many of the international flights to and from Zimbabwe route through OR Tambo Airport in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Key Venues Rainbow Towers Hotel and Conference Centre This massive conference venue is located in Harare with a multi-functional 4 500 seater auditorium with 12 additional meeting rooms.

Rainbow Towers Hotel and Conference Centre also offers interpretation facilities for up to 11 languages, allowing delegates to communicate with ease. A fully equipped Press Centre with press galleries is located in the main auditorium exhibition space. In addition, full secretarial services at the business centre will ensure the conference runs smoothly. Elephant Hills Resort The Elephant Hills Resort is among the finest when it comes to the most modern and upmarket conferencing facilities in Zimbabwe. This Resort features eight conference rooms that can seat between 14 and 500 delegates. The Kalala Room is the biggest conference room in the resort and can seat up to 500 delegates, it contains some of the latest audio and video equipment which is controlled from a concealed control room. The Elephant Hills Resort is a great choice for smaller and

in Zimbabwe and keeping up-to-date with developments in the mining sector. The Indaba focuses on mining, infrastructure and finance, which are so integral to the success of Zimbabwean economy that is striving to be driven by the mining sector.

The majestic Victoria Falls © Shutterstock

“

Aside from spectacular natural wonders, Zimbabwe is a great meeting place for business events.

more intimate conferences such as training sessions and meetings. The hotel has a highly experienced and skilled team of conferencing and banqueting staff who are capable of handling events of all sizes.

Climate Zimbabwe enjoys a lovely temperate climate. The central Highveld plateau has temperatures coming up to 28 degrees Celsius. Lower-lying parks like Hwange and Zambezi NP are warmer all year round and temperatures can reach 31 degrees Celsius. During the wet season, from November to March, rains usually fall in heavy afternoon showers, but they can sometimes be lighter and steady for a couple of days. The dry season, from April to October, is colder and almost rain free.

Population 13.72 million (World Bank, 2012)

30 | REGIONAL SPOTLIGHT

www.theevent.co.za

NORTHERN CAPE

The Diamond Capital of SA by Siyanda Bani

orthern Cape is the largest province in South Africa and also the least populated.The splendour of the Northern Cape lies in the big skies, impressive floral display of wild flowers and rich history. Kimberley, “The Diamond Capital of the World”, is the largest and most modern city of the Northern Cape, with much to see and enjoy, especially from a historical point of view. Legend has it that a man called Erasmus Jacobs once found a shiny stone in 1866 and sold it in London for 500 shillings. Once it was determined that it was a 21.5 carat diamond, the hill was turned into a hole as flocks of men with shovels came digging, yeilding more that 2 700 kilograms of diamonds. A trip to the Northern Cape Province, especially in spring, would be incomplete without a detour to include Namaqua National Park. Namaqualand is rich in bulb flora, and over 1 000 of the estimated 3 500 plant species that occur here are found nowhere else in the world forming, multi-hued carpets across the landscape. The Northern Cape is a remote province

and this could be ideal for team building purposes. But for conferences, meetings, product launches, breakfast presentations, company breakaways, strategizing meetings, team-building and workshops there are more than enough venue options.

What’s Happening Now Ghaap River Xtreme This is the perfect event for team building as it contains various activities and challenges to partake in. Activities include wake-boarding, barefoot ski, x-terra, road races, marathons, swimming over the Vaal River, the Volleyball Xtreme Challenge, helicopter rides, paintball and much more. Browse the stalls and exhibitions or enjoy the Landzicht wine, honey and nuts tasting. This event will be happening between the 24-26 October in Kimberley and all proceeds go to local charities. The BRICS Trade Tourism Expo The BRICS Trade, Tourism & Investment Expo will be taking place from 29 – 31 October 2014. The aim of the expo as

defined by the Premier of the Northern Cape, Mrs Sylvia Lucas, is to “improve trade, investment and the exchange of technology between the respective countries. This is required to enhance these countries’ human capital needs (intellectual property, research, innovation, technology, education and training), infrastructure and industrialization to make them more competitive.”

Key Venues Broadwater Broadwater conference venues cater from the smaller executive group of five people up to 40 delegates. The venue is situated on the same property as 4-star accommodation for 40 people, as well as a restaurant. Guests can enjoy sunset cruises and enjoy some wine tasting. Broadwater is situated 80 kilometres from Kimberley Airport. Desert Palace Hotel & Casino Resort State-of-the-art equipment to help you execute presentations seamlessly, Desert Palace Hotel & Casino Resort can host between 60-350 guests. The resort has an

REGIONAL SPOTLIGHT | 31

www.theevent.co.za

Images Courtesy of SA Tourism

amusements centre and a crèche to keep children occupied. It is located just 7km from the Upington CBD, Kuruman. The casino is available for adult amusement.

Getting to Northern Cape by Air Kimberley Airport has flights coming and going to Johannesburg OR Tambo and Cape Town International airport, the carrier is SAA Express. A second airport available in the Northern Cape is in Upington. SAAirlink is the only airline currently operating from and to Upington, and offers regular scheduled flights between Cape Town and Johannesburg.

Climate The Northern Cape and Namaqualand is a dry, hot region that is classified as semidesert. It scarcely ever rains and some areas have less than 100 millimetres of annual rainfall.

Did you know?

Population

The world’s smallest tortoise, the speckled padloper (padloper means ‘path walker’), is found in Namaqualand.

840 000 people (Source: Stats SA)

32 | EVENTS

OCTOBER SWAHILI INTERNATIONAL TOURISM EXPO (S!TE) 1 - 4 October 2014 Dar Es Salaam AGRI EXPO EQUESTRIAN SHOW 10 - 12 October 2014 Cape Town CAPE CONSTRUCTION EXPO 15 - 17 October 2014 Cape Town

www.theevent.co.za

OIL TRADING AND LOGISTICS EXPO 28 - 30 October 2014 Lagos SPORTS & EVENTS TOURISM EXCHANGE (SETE) 28 - 30 October 2014 Johannesburg INDIACORR EXPO SINO CORRUGATED 29 - 31 October 2014 India

RETIREMENT EXPO 24 - 26 October 2014 Johannesburg

THE EAST AFRICA SOCIAL MEDIA CONFERENCE 29 - 31 October 2014 Uganda

BABA INDABA 24 - 26 October 2014 Johannesburg

CAPE EXPERIENCE 31 October - 1 November 2014 Cape Town

TOTALLY CONCRETE 27 - 29 October 2014 Dar Es Salaam

MAMA MAGIC - THE BABY EXPO 31 October - 2 November 2014 Cape Town

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

EVENTS | 33 41

NOVEMBER FOOD QUALITY AND CONSUMER TRUST CONFERENCE 5 - 6 November 2014 Johannesburg IFEA 5 - 7 November 2014 Johannesburg

CAKE AND BAKE SHOW 14 - 16 November 2014 Johannesburg EIBTM 18 - 20 November 2014 Barcelona

ÂŠ Dewald Daniels for Cosmo | Bird on a Wire

DURBAN MOTOR SHOW 7 - 9 November 2014 Durban

34 | ASSOCIATIONS

New CEO Appointment for Reed Austria World-renowned exhibition and conference mogul, Reed Exhibitions, announced on 24 September that a Mr Martin Roy has been appointed as the new Chairman and CEO of the Austrian branch. Roy will succeed Director Jungreithmair on 1 January 2015. The newly appointed CEO is currently a member of the management board and has been Managing Director of

www.theevent.co.za

Finance, HR and IT for Reed Exhibition Austria for twelve years. After studying social and economic science at the Vienna University of Economics, and business at the University of New York, Roy went on to work with Unilever/Eskimo-Iglo where he took on the role of Director of Finance. He also served as Chief Financial Officer at Axess AG in Koppl, near Salzburg before his current engagement with Reed Exhibitions. Andrew Fowles, Regional President Europe of Reed Exhibitions International said of the appointment: “With Martin

Roy we have chosen continuity in the company on a national level, as well as proximity to the local markets.” “We fully trust Martin; he has proven his capability over many years,” Fowles continued, “Martin has significantly shaped the strategic direction of the company on a national level for the last two years and played a leading role for many years. On an international level he supported Reed Exhibitions entry into Russian market. We are sure that he, together with his management team, will continue to follow along the successful path of Reed Exhibitions in Austria.”

ASSOCIATIONS | 35

www.theevent.co.za

Messe Frankfurt recently acquired a majority share in SA Show Services, the company appointed by the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (NAAMSA) and the Expo Centre to organise and manage the previous two Johannesburg International Motor Shows. The acquisition has been welcomed by both parties because it is seen as holding significant potential benefits for the 2015 show, set for 14-25 October. The newly-named SA Shows Messe Frankfurt will also take over the Expo’s role as NAAMSA’s joint venture partner.

“NAAMSA welcomes the new international link with Messe Frankfurt and is looking forward with great anticipation to that company’s specialised input into the creation of the local motor industry’s best ever motor show,” Dr Johan van Zyl said at the Motor Show launch on 25 September. He went on to say that because technological developments in the automotive industry is growing at an exponential rate, the upcoming show would be the ideal opportunity for exhibitors to display, demonstrate and explain this new tech to consumers. Messe Frankfurt is one of the largest trade fair organisers in the world. The company has offices across the globe, as well as extensive expertise in exhibition organisation – allowing it to leverage international involvement for next year’s show.

Courtesy of SA Tourism

NAAMSA Welcomes Messe Frankfurt’s Acquisition

36 | DIRECTORY LISTINGS

www.theevent.co.za

ADVERTISERS COMPANY

TELEPHONE

WEBSITE

3D Deco

+27 86 133 3326

sales@3ddeco.co.za

www.3ddeco.co.za

3D Design

+27 11 608 1588

conrad@3ddesign.co.za

www.3ddesign.co.za

CCPP

+27 82 800 6861

clint@ccpp.co.za

www.ccpp.co.za

CLA Events

+27 11 6998900

jacqui@claeventing.com

www.claeventing.com

Crossroads Hotel

+265 1 750 333

reservations@crossroadshotel.net

www.crossroadshotel.com

Event Greening Forum

+27 74 369 6369

lynn@eventgreening.co.za

www.eventgreening.co.za

Expocentre

+27 11 494 1920

info@expocentre.co.za

www.expocentre.co.za

Intercape

+27 21 380 4444

andries@intercape.co.za

www.intercape.co.za

IT&CM Asia

+65 6395 7529

olivia.ng@ttgasia.com

www.itcma.com

IT&CM India

+65 6395 7575

contact@itcmindia.com

www.itcmindia.com

Prosperis Technology

+27 86 178 2266

info@prosperis.com

www.prosperis.com

SANCB

+27 11 895 3000

convention@southafrica.net

www.businessevents.southafrica.net

Sandton Convention Centre

+27 11 779 0000

scc.info@tsogosun.com

www.saconvention.co.za

Selbys

+27 31 700 6697

liam@selbys.co.za

www.selbys.co.za

SETE

+27 11 549 8300

Rene@ThebeReed.co.za

www.sportsandevents.co.za

Showgroup

+27 11 888 5000

info@showgroup.co.za

www.showgroupworld.com

The Loeries

+27 11 326 0304

info@theloerieawards.co.za

www.theloerieawards.co.za

Cover Image: The Annual White Celebration at Molenvliet, Special thanks to Ruby Jean Photography ÂŠ www.rubyjean.co.za 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 Editorial Assistant: Siyanda Bani siyanda@filmeventmedia.co.za

Brand Manager: Sue-Anne Maree sue-anne@filmeventmedia.co.za Account Manager: Shannon Atkinson shannon@filmeventmedia.co.za Production Co-ordinator: Tammi Klein tammi@filmeventmedia.co.za Sales Co-ordinator: Tracey-Anne Arendse tracey-anne@filmeventmedia.co.za Manager, Special Projects: Taryn Fowler taryn@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.

ISSUE 05 | 2014

ISSUE

04 | 20

ISSUE 06

| 2014

+ INDABA 2014 Reinventing Travel Trade Shows

+ MAMA + BABY = EVENTS MAGIC + MARKEX 2014 + YOUT + KENYA H & EVE S T N NTS L EVE IENTIA EXPER RE D O T N S A URY IONS IN + LUX NOVAT ING IN IT C X +E CAPE THERN + NOR Why are Parenting Shows so Hot?

A Leader in East African Events

e Com

for

Get

Insp

ired!

Shak

ing U p th e

Indu

stry

Play and ABA IND

201

me xtre f E d o

an A L

the Business Events Industry.

www.theevent.co.za t. +27 (0) 21 674 0646 e. Sue-anne@filmeventmedia.co.za / Shannon@filmeventmedia.co.za

www.facebook.com/eventnewspaper

www.twitter.com/TheEventSA

Johannesburg Sandton Sun, Courtesy of SA Tourism

Contact Sue-Anne or Shannon to Advertise.