The Event Issue 05/2013

Issue 5 | 2013

Building and Upgrading Hotels Africa Moves to Meet Growing Demand

Greener Venues Sprouting Up in Africa and Beyond

INDABA 2013

CONTENTS 31

www.theevent.co.za Publisher: Lance Gibbons lance@filmeventmedia.co.za Executive Editor: Maya Kulycky maya@filmeventmedia.co.za Business Manager: Taryn Fowler taryn@filmeventmedia.co.za

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Sales Manager (SA): Jardin Roestorff jardin@filmeventmedia.co.za Sales Manager (Outside SA): Shaun Ross shaun@filmeventmedia.co.za

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Head of Design: Jess Novotná jess@filmeventmedia.co.za Editorial and Design Co-ordinator: Danielle Illman danielle@filmeventmedia.co.za

57 2nd Avenue Harfield Village Claremont 7708 Cape Town South Africa Telephone: +27 21 674 0646 www.filmeventmedia.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.

Join us

Prism Awards

02

South African Tourism Road Show

04

China Announces Plan to Increase Travel

04

IT&CMA China

05

INDABA 2013

06

BRICS Summit

07

Thai Tourist App

07

Best Cities Client Workshop

08

IMEX 2013

09

Corbin’s Tech Talk

10

Gauteng Travel Guide

10

AV Unlimited Delivers

11

Greener Venues

12

Building and Upgrading Hotels

18

Regional Spotlight: North West Province

26

Country Spotlight: Ghana

28

Event Greening Forum

31

Opportunities

32

Associations

34

Directory Listings

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NEWS

PRISM Awards

Put Winning Campaigns in the Spotlight

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We are often amazed at the creativity, insight and return on investment that consultants and practitioners have delivered to their clients.

The 2013 results far surpass this.

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T

he PRISM Awards recognise public relations and communications professionals who successfully incorporate strategy, creativity, and professionalism into successful campaigns.

This year, the winners of the PRISM Awards were exceptional announced at the 7 April ceremony in Sandton, South Africa were exceptional, says Marilyn Watson, Chief Judge of the PRISMS. “We are often amazed at the creativity, insight and return on investment that consultants and practitioners have delivered to their clients. The 2013 results far surpass this.” says Watson.

Ogilvy Public Relations Johannesburg was the winner of the 2013 overall PRISM Gold Award for its ‘Add Hope: Journey of Hope’ campaign on behalf of KFC/Yum South Africa. Ogilvy defeated 55 other public relations consultancies, corporates and other in-house public relations departments who submitted almost 200 campaigns for

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the Award. Their campaign was “exceptionally integrated”, combining traditional, digital and social media with above-the-line and activations. Through R7-million in media coverage in two months, Ogilvy PR achieved a return on investment of 1:34. National, regional and community media amplification was delivered through 67 broadcast stories, 29 print features and articles and 24 online stories. Six earned five-minute mini documentaries were flighted twice weekly on national TV. 1 831 new online conversations were generated with over 4,3 million opportunities created to see the conversation.

“This campaign showed an excellent understanding of the client’s problems and opportunities,” commented Watson, “There was sustained execution of the campaign, with brilliant results!”

Meanwhile, Retroviral Digital Communications won the Gold Award for ‘Best Small Public Relations Consultancy’. Retroviral’s

niche is as a communication agency that strives to support its clients’ business objectives and generate online word of mouth spread for brands. The company is the recipient of several PRISM Awards. Last year it won two Gold Awards at the PRISMs - for its ‘Last Dictator Standing’ campaign it implemented for Nandos and for the ‘#Shoes on Feet’ campaign it delivered for the Put Foot Rally Foundation.

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G�l� Aw�r� W����r� CATEGORY

GOLD WINNER - CAMPAIGN NAME

GOLD WINNER PR COMPANY

GOLD WINNER CLIENT

CATEGORY SPONSORS

Community Relations

Community Relations

PR Worx

PR Worx

Zoom Photography

Consumer PR for an existing product

True Love, a Magazine Romance

Tribeca Public Relations

TRUE LOVE magazine

TRUE LOVE magazine

Add Hope: KFC Journey of Hope

Ogilvy PR Johannesburg

KFC/Yum South Africa (YUM! Restaurants International)

Environmental

49M

Global Interface Consulting Eskom

Eskom

Integration of Traditional & New Media

Johnnie Walker’s One Bottle Liquor Store

Atmosphere Communications, Society, Hammer Events, King James

Johnnie Walker (Brandhouse)

Blue Apple

Launch of a New Product

Launch of Hyundai R1200LC-9 Excavator

Ngage

HPE Africa

NGO Campaign

AddOption

PR on a Shoestring

OREO: ‘Celebrate the Kid Inside Us All’’.

Plato Communications

Kraft Foods South Africa

Public Sector

I Play Fair. Say No! to Doping

Tin Can PR

SA Institute for Drug Free Sport

Social Media for PR

Nando’s #25Reasons Campaign

Retroviral Digital Communications

Nandos

Flair Bar

Sponsorship

Sunfoil Sponsorship of Proteas Test Series Cricket for the Season 2011/2012

Shirley Williams Communications

Willowton Group

Anglo American

Technology

Launch of Waze App in South Africa

Atmosphere Communications

MiX Telematics - Waze

Virtual Productions

National Adoption Coalition

The Riverbed Agency

Thelane Theatre Productions

INDIVIDUAL CATEGORIES Best Up-and-coming Public Brittany Preece - Cerebra Relations Professional

AdVantage

Best Small Public Relations Retroviral Digital Consultancy Communications

Airports Company South Africa

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NEWS

SOUTH AFRICAN TOURISM Kicks Off Road Show to All Nine Provinces

SA Tourism CEO Thulani Nzima

S

outh African Tourism’s Chief Executive Officer Thulani Nzima, is hitting the road this year, visiting each of the nine provinces to meet with provincial and local tourism industry counterparts to discuss tourism trends and to personally experience old and new tourism products.

The ‘Connecti9ns’ road show kicked off in the Western Cape, where Nzima was hosted

T

he Chinese government has announced that it intends to increase travel among its citizens – a move which could have a significant impact on destinations in Africa visited by Chinese tourists. In a recently-released document the government emphasized the importance of travel as a way to enhance the nation’s economy as well as individual quality of life. “Outlines of the Chinese Citizens’ Travel Initiatives 2013–2020,” states specific steps the government will take including: • building or expanding airports, highways, hotels and attractions • increasing the amount of paid leave for workers • increasing tax deductions for company incentive and conference travel • allowing schools to expand current travel windows beyond summer and winter breaks

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In recent years South African Tourism has focused on promoting South Africa as far more than a wildlife destination, one that also offers rich lifestyle tourist attractions in the areas of design, fashion, music and the arts. The road show highlighted not just international tourism, but the need to increase domestic tourism as well.

“We want every South African in every corner of the country to experience the joy of being a tourist in their own land. Domestic tourism accounts for more than 70 percent of all tourists in the country at any given time and domestic tourism growth can only be achieved through close collaboration and synergy between national government and provincial and local tourism authorities,” said Nzima. “Tourism is every South African’s business. Our industry is a major driver of GDP growth. It creates and sustains thousands of jobs and is the livelihood of millions of South Africans. It is an industry worth championing and protecting and we can only do so as a strong tourism industry collective,” concluded Nzima.

Announces Plan to Increase Travel

www. theevent . c o. z a

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The plan calls for a 10 percent increase in domestic and international travel during 2013.

It also emphasizes sustainable tourism.

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CHINA

by WESGRO to get first-hand knowledge of the tourism products on offer in one of the world’s most popular tourist regions. This three-day visit included talks with city of Cape Town, Western Cape provincial tourism authorities, and key industry stakeholders. “The tourism industry is a flourishing and critical sector. But we need to look beyond the numbers and refresh our understanding of the newest tourism products and the latest trends affecting the industry. The past year has consistently seen tourism growth of over 10% from all of our markets. We need to understand how we gear up to meet this increase and how we cater for any new trends in tourist preferences and behaviour. This is why our road show this year to meet our provincial counterparts and tourism industry partners is such an important project for us,” said Nzima.

South African Tourism is visiting the provinces, Nzima said, “to experience these tourism products and to get more exposure because as a destination marketing organization, it is important that we better understand the products we are selling.”

According to Xinhua News Agency, a record 60,000 Chinese visited South Africa in the first half of 2012. Xinhua reported that South African Minister of Tourism Marthinus van Schalkwyk said, “A total of 60,272 Chinese visitors came to South Africa in the first half of 2012, representing a massive 68 percent

growth compared to the first six months of 2011 and overtaking France as the country’s fourth-largest overseas source market.” Now, tourism professionals will have the opportunity to increase those numbers.

The plan calls for a 10% increase in domestic and international travel during 2013. It also emphasizes sustainable tourism.

Even without the government emphasis on travel the Chinese travel market was set to expand due to rising incomes and growing internet bookings. This was expected to lead to a 15% increase in Chinese outbound travellers from 2012-2017 according to forecasts by Euromonitor International. Business travel spending is forecast to increase by 15.1% in 2013 to USD $226 billion according to the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA). Hong Kong and Macau are the most popular destinations for Chinese travellers, but non-Asian countries are rising in importance.

IT&CMA CHINA Showcases the Best of Asia’s Business Events Industry

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T&CMA China, the leading international MICE event in China, marked its seventh instalment by welcoming 3,000 business events professionals from sectors including DMCs, PCOs, corporate travel and associations to Shanghai to explore business, education and networking opportunities. The Event’s Publisher, Lance Gibbons, was there.

“IT&CMA China successfully showcased what Asia has to offer and brought together buyers and sellers in a fascinating environment, Shanghai. It’s clear that the infrastructure exists to support the goals of the region to attract industry events.”

The year’s event included new initiatives implemented to strengthen the value proposition for exhibitors including a greater focus on association buyers and corporate travel buyers, enabling exhibitors to schedule up to 100% of their appointments ahead of the event, and

NEWS delivering more Chinese buyers to the event.

“This emphasis on the Chinese Buyers is what IT&CM China is about. What makes IT&CM China’s value proposition unique from the other IT&CM events in Bangkok and India, is the opportunity for exhibitors to explore business potential with the Chinese market,” said Darren Ng, Managing Director of TTG Asia Media.

Organisers have also given the profile of attending buyers a makeover. Dake Zhu, PCO, PEO and Event Director of co-organiser CITS International MICE said, “Our exhibitors tell us that they are also interested to meet with Association buyers and Corporate Travel buyers.

Thus, this year, the composition of Chinese buyers will have a higher percentage of Association and Corporate Travel buyers.”

Meanwhile, the event was also showcased the 6th Annual TTG China Travel Awards where 59 of Greater China’s best travel trade organisations were lauded for their achievements over the past year.

20 organisations were first-time winners, including American Airlines, Best American Airline Servicing China. In the Resort Hotel category, Banyan Tree Hangzhou clinched the Best Resort in China, while Chengdu made its

debut as Best City in China (Leisure Travel), positioning itself against other top destination front-runners. Two of last year’s Best New Hotels, Sheraton Beijing Dongcheng Hotel and St. Regis Shenzhen, clinched the Best Business Hotel in Beijing and Best Luxury Hotel in Shenzhen respectively.

This year’s awards also saw 7 previous winners defend their titles – Air China, Singapore Airlines, Shanghai, Ascott China, Holiday Inn Macau, The Garden Hotel, Guangzhou, and The Venetian Macao-Resort-Hotel.

“These organisations are undisputedly the leaders of the industry. It is no mean feat to stay on top in this competitive climate,’ said Mr Ng. For more information visit: www.itcmchina.com

ADVERTORIAL

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OURISM EXPO BOTSWANA 2013 is a consumer and trade based marketing platform that will take place in Gaborone, Botswana from the 13th16th August 2013. The theme for this year’s expo is “Bringing Travel/Tourism to the people” This year’s expo will see over 50 exhibitors from within the region and international tourism service providers spend four days marketing and promoting their services and properties to the local travel enthusiast.

Botswana being a landlocked country it is a primary market feeder for tourism within the region. Local travel enthusiasts travel extensively

13T�-16T� Au�us� 2013 G�b�r��� , Bot�w�n� outside the borders of Botswana and therefore it is imperative to educate local potential travellers and create awareness within the local travel market of what services and products the regional and international market has to offer.

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FACTS ABOUT TOURISM EXPO BOTSWANA

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Has over 2500 consumer visitors per annum Has over 200 trade visitors per annum

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Provides excellent and targeted marketing platform for exhibitors to reach a specific and direct target group such as high income earners.

Provides excellent networking opportunities with the local trade market.

Over Half a million pula in trade was conducted at TOURISM EXPO BOTSWANA 2012

For Bookings and Enquiries Contact Tel: +267 3185740 / 74069372 / 74902173 Email: tourismexpobots@gmail.com www.tourismexpobotswana.com www.th eeven t.co .za T H E EVEN T

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A Showcase of Heritage and Culture Planned for

INDABA 2013

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he South African Tourism INDABA 2013, Africa’s top travel show, is set to offer new innovations, opportunities, and networking platforms for the tourism trade and international buyers this year to stimulate tourism business in a market growing well above the rate of global growth.

Between January and November 2012, South Africa attracted over 8.3 million international tourists and had grown at 10.5% (against average global tourism growth of 4% in 2012), as the country continued to solidify its reputation as a world-class leisure and business events destination.

INDABA 2013, at Durban’s Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre, from 11 - 14 May aims to build on these gains.

Last year’s INDABA theme of “Shaping our Future Together” - will again be the theme at INDABA 2013, which will also have a strong ‘Heritage and Culture’ focus. The event is meant to facilitate key introductions, business opportunities and exposure to hundreds of exhibitors

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The event is meant to facilitate key introductions, business opportunities and exposure to hundreds of exhibitors across the tourism spectrum.

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NEWS

across the tourism spectrum. For the tourism industry, INDABA 2013 provides the opportunity to interact and forge strong business links with some of the world’s top travel buyers.

Over 1,165 main and sharing exhibitors and 2,000 international and local buyers - 250 of them top international buyers hosted by South African Tourism - have already confirmed their

attendance at INDABA 2013.

A new addition at INDABA this year will be a ‘Heritage and Culture Pavilion’ located at the Durban Exhibition Centre, which will showcase South Africa’s world heritage sites, leisure offerings, culture, art, design and music. The pavilion is a major project undertaken by the National Department of Tourism and South African Tourism, in collaboration with the MOJA Heritage Collection, and it will be an exhibition of some of the country’s best heritage and culture tourist offerings and distinctively South African tourism products.

“Our market research shows that travellers are increasingly looking to experience the unique, authentic, personal South African stories. They are looking to meet the locals, experience where they live, eat where they eat and be part of the country’s culturally rich lifestyle, while learning about the history of this great country. The Heritage and Culture pavilion will be an exciting addition to INDABA 2013 and we have also included a number of new elements to the show this year which will be of major value to buyers and exhibitors,” says South African Tourism Chief Executive Officer Thulani Nzima.

For more information visit: www.indabasouthafrica.co.za.

BRICS Summit Puts South Africa in the Spotlight

T

he two-day 5th BRICS Summit, welcoming heads of state from member countries Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa was recently held in Durban, South Africa. The event, organised by the South African Department of International Relations and Cooperation, was the first of its kind in Africa.

The Summit was an opportunity for South Africa to boost its tourism, business travel, and conference business. It also allowed for the country to gain valuable experience hosting a high-profile, international event. The Summit was not without hiccups. There were several critical media reports noting late starts, disorganisation and lack of communication, and headphone mishaps left delegates frustrated and cast South Africa in a less than favourable light.

However, Julie-May Ellingson, Chief Executive Officer of the Durban ICC, where the event was hosted, noted that world-class facilities were called for - and delivered, despite challenges with accreditation, securing additional technical equipment and food supplies,

and weather. She told The Event, “With any event of this calibre and complexity one can expect a certain level of challenges. The key challenge related to accreditation. Given the high level nature of the event it was necessary to implement certain security measures including accreditation. The accreditation was handled by the State Security Agency (SSA).

Unfortunately the delegates, particularly those from the business community, were not made aware of the accreditation processes which led in some instances to delegates being delayed or refused entry.” She added, “It is also our recommendation to clients, when hosting complex events of this nature is to enlist the services of a professional event management company to assist with managing the myriad of logistical arrangements.”

This suggestion was echoed by other industry experts. Nina Freysen-Pretorius, National Chairperson of the Southern African Association for the Conference Industry (SAACI), says that for an Inter-governmental conference like BRICS the importance of the appointment of a Professional Conference Organiser (PCO) and other accredited suppliers is critical. “SAACI has been lobbying for a considerable amount of time now for all government departments to acknowledge credible and accredited suppliers.

The lack of adherence and recognition by some government departments of the importance attached to using credible industry suppliers, has in fact led to the formulation of the safety and security bill. Also, if tourism is to be taken se-

NEWS

riously, the manner in which either association or inter-governmental conferences are hosted needs to be professional, smart, friendly and efficient. We really do have the resources and skills and should be putting them forward so that we are competitive and taken seriously. The appointment and use of sub-standard suppliers and conference organisers tarnishes our image and impedes future job creation and growth within this sector,” she says.

Sue Gannon, General Manager of the Exhibition & Event Association of Southern Africa (EXSA) adds, “It is always vital to use a professional organiser – and their credentials should be thoroughly checked out beforehand. Have they ever done an event on this scale before? And are they a member of their industry’s association – be it EXSA or SAACI? Both Associations have strict Codes of Conduct and can assure whoever uses their members of total professionalism in putting on any large-scale event. In the event of a production being too large for one organiser, they would enlist other companies to pull-in expertise required to ensure the “show went on” as planned. You will always get behind the scenes hitches, but the most important thing is that front of house doesn’t see what’s happening and problems are fixed quickly, quietly and efficiently. How will this happen? By using a professional company who has experience and can call on the right people at the right time to help find that solution quickly and quietly.”

Want to Be Safe as a Tourist in Thailand?

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he Thai Tourist Police are promoting an iPhone 'Tourist Buddy' app. The free app, available at the iTunes store, puts travel information and safety advice at tourists’ fingertips.

The app is currently available only for iOS devices like the iPhone and iPad, but Tourist Police officers say the app will be available in the Android store "soon".

According to the iTunes page, "This app acts like your Buddy. When you are lost or need to find travel places, you can use this

app for searching."

The app warns travellers in to be aware of possible scams - a consistent complaint of western tourists in Thailand. It names the towns where this is a problem at the moment and what types of operators to be wary of, like jet-ski operators.

"Before renting, please make sure that the jet-ski has insurance," the app reportedly says, after stating that in Phuket, specifically, rental companies and agents must have insurance and be ready to show proof.

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This app acts like your Buddy.

When you are lost or need to find travel places, you can use this app for searching.

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There’s an App for That

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NEWS

Workshop Held Down Under

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estCities, the first convention bureau alliance, gathered executives representing international conferences in Australia for the BestCities Client Workshop 2013 from 9 – 12 April, hosted by the Melbourne Convention Bureau (MCB).

Cape Town, South Africa is the only member of BestCities on the African continent.

BestCities Global Alliance includes a network of nine international convention bureaux - Berlin, Cape Town, Copenhagen, Dubai, Edinburgh, Houston, Singapore, Vancouver and Melbourne - which are committed to a quality assured convention bureau service charter.

An initiative of the BestCities Global Al-

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Cape Town, South Africa is the only member of BestCities on the African continent.

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BestCities Client

liance, the workshop was attended by each partner city and seven potential clients with the capacity to bring approximately 11,950 delegates to Melbourne with an estimated economic impact of AUD $70 million.

In addition to business development and networking forums, the workshop also included site inspections of Melbourne’s world-class conferencing facilities and hotels, and a trip to the Yarra Valley.

Responding to a survey, each executive said they would recommend Melbourne as a conference destination and would consider Melbourne for a future event.

One delegate said that Melbourne had “perfect conference venues, ease of transport, an adequate hotel base and world-class food and dining options” and “(the city’s) conference facilities exceeded my expectations”.

MCB Chief Executive Officer, Karen Bolinger, said the Workshop presented a wealth of opportunities for Melbourne.

“The clients who attended the BestCities Client Workshop were from a wide range of fields including aquatics and obstetrics, right through to particle acceleration, veterinary science, emergency medicine, microbiology and neurophysiology,” Ms Bolinger said.

“As Australia’s intellectual capital, Melbourne excels in these fields and is home to some of the world’s preeminent researchers, scientists and academics, making it the perfect host city for any one of these events.

“During the Workshop we were able to showcase these strengths, as well as the pinnacle of the city’s conferencing infrastructure, the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, and some of the state’s leading hotels including all Crown’s properties; InterContinental Melbourne The Rialto; Hilton Melbourne South Wharf; and Grand Hyatt.”

Ms Bolinger concluded by saying that the BestCities Global Alliance was an important asset to MCB.

NEWS

Announces New Hosted Buyer Online Tool

F

ollowing the successful test and roll-out of a new single email inbox for hosted buyers at IMEX America last year, the IMEX Group is introducing the same concept for all hosted buyers at IMEX in Frankfurt, Germany from 21- 23rd May. The new online tool works by amalgamating all exhibitor communications to a given buyer into an inbox on the IMEX website.

Buyers receive a single daily email alert directing them to the online inbox which can be searched by keyword, exhibitor name and subject line. Appointments can be made di-

rectly from the messages within the inbox.

At the same time the buyers’ diaries have been completely updated with a fresh new user-interface reducing the number of clicks to make an appointment from 7 to 3. In this way, email volumes are greatly reduced for buyers and appointment making is easier, quicker and more productive.

Says Carina Bauer, CEO of the IMEX Group, “This is one of the most important online developments we’ve made for IMEX buyers in recent years. It was warmly welcomed in the US so we expect a similar reaction to its simplicity

and user-friendliness for our Frankfurt show.

We know that buyers are extremely busy and the best way we can help them maximise their business ROI from the show is to make planning and preparation as simple, targeted and as quick as possible.”

Other new innovations for buyers include a new Networking Hub on the show floor to help them meet and find peers, a new educational forum for corporate planners – Exclusively Corporate @IMEX, a redesigned educational programme including a new Research Pod at the Inspiration Centre and hundreds of new exhibitors from both established and emerging destinations.

Last year IMEX in Frankfurt attracted just short of 4000 meetings, incentive travel and events industry hosted buyers from 71 countries. Total attendance over the three days, including trade visitors, was 14,143. Over 64,000 business appointments took place between buyers and exhibitors during the show, 40,000 of which were made between individual buyers and exhibitors (the remainder being group appointments).

For more information visit: www.imex-frankfurt.com/register.php

NEWS

Corbin’s Tech Talk: Mobile Social Networking Improving the Attendee Experience

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ne good contact made at an event can often pay for the whole trip! Yet, until recently, the way most events managed this very important component did not get much thought. For decades, the name badge was the principal networking tool. By chance, attendees would notice a name badge, strike up a conversation, and make a contact. Although this works, there is much to be desired in this haphazard approach.

Fortunately, with the combination of social media and mobile technologies, there is a plethora of possibilities to improve the networking process. Meetings were the original social media and mobile social tools are a natural to path of development. And the good news is that many of them are free or very low cost!

Here are some to consider: Bizzabo (Bizzabo.com) Price: Free Bizzabo is a business discovery app designed to help event organizers communicate with attendees and attendees with each other. Planners can add their event (or import the details from EventBrite) including logo, dates/times, place, social media links, and agenda. A range of promotional tools are provided including “Download App” buttons and QR codes to include at your event website and promotional materials. There is an automatic scheduling function to send out notices to social media channels the weeks and days prior and during the event with customized reminders to download the app.

OleaPark (OleaPark.com) Price: Freemium This is another mostly free event guide social networking app. Event organizers create an event (dates, time, location, social links, etc.)

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at the OleaPark website. Tools are provided to promote the event with digital flyers, buttons and push messages (for a fee). A range of analytic tools measuring attendee behavior are also provided.

Qrious (Qriousapp.com) Price: Free for attendees, exhibitors pay an event fee to receive leads.

Qrious is social discovery and lead sharing system using apps and QR-coded name badges.

Event organizers enter the program information and can import registration data from RegOnline, EventBrite and other registration systems. Badges are printed out for free with individual QR codes. Exhibitors pay an event fee to receive leads for the QR codes scanned.

There is no fee-per-lead and exhibitors can use as many smartphone to their account as desired. Attendees connect their social networks to Qrious and can see who is coming to the event. Qrious recommends who to meet, and why, using attendees’ roles, goals for the event, exiting social nets and specific business interests via the web and on their phones.

Shhmooze (Shhmooze.com) Price: Free Shhmooze is a smartphone app that matches a name, interests and expertise to the faces around you at a conference. Shhmooze highlights existing connections on LinkedIn and Twitter showing attendees who they know and recommendations on who to meet. Attendees sign into Shhmooze with LinkedIn, Twitter or Foursquare to create their profile. The app doesn’t rely on the conference organizer to create the event.

These are just a few of the dozens of options out there. Most of the major event guide apps are building in social media links as well.

Many of the full-featured networking companies (such as Pathable.com, Presdo.com, DoubleDutch.com; Eventium.net) have strong mobile components. When mobile technology and social media meet, the benefit is to create richer and more valuable events by helping attendees make the best connections possible.

This article was excerpted from Corbin's March/April 2013 TechTalk Newsletter. To read the newsletter or for more information visit: www.corbinball.com/techtalk/

Gauteng Travel Guide the Top Travel App in South Africa Gauteng Tourism’s first mobile app has reached the number one spot as South Africa’s favourite free travel app download.

The Gauteng Travel Guide is produced by the Gauteng Tourism Authority and Tourism Radio, and encourages all travellers, domestic or international, to explore the province. Travellers go where they like and the guide goes with them, drawing their attention to attractions, venues and activities.

A travel companion for exploring Gauteng, the Gauteng Travel Guide consists of detailed travel information of more than 350 Points of Interest (POIs) across all Gauteng’s regions. This includes approximately an hour of audio content on some of the province’s most popular tourist attractions.

Dawn Robertson, CEO of Gauteng Tourism says that the organisation has made a strategic decision to promote the diversity of the province’s attractions and experiences on the mobile platform in-line with staggering local and international growth achieved and projected for mobile. “With 1.08 billion smart phones in use globally, mobile penetration to reach 96% globally by end 2013 and mobile set to overtake fixed Internet access by 2014, mobile cannot be ignored by destinations and travel products as a premium marketing and communications tool.”

Gauteng Tourism’s e-marketing manager, Kay Robertson, says, “Even though the app has reached downloads in over 40 countries, data shows that it is the domestic market that is overwhelmingly interested in the Gauteng Travel Guide with 83% downloads recorded in South Africa. This echoes Gauteng Tourism’s focus on the domestic market in the wake of the global economic crisis, which has resulted in the launch of the popular ‘I’m a GeePee’ discount programme. Users of the Gauteng Travel Guide will find convenient pointers to and information on the attractions featuring GeePee specials.” She added that the Gauteng Travel Guide will be maintained and expanded to include even more attractions as the province is rich with a wide range of quality experiences across all themes of interest.

AV UNLIMITED DELIVERS

NEWS

Unique 3D Mapping Experience

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or most of the year Cape Town City Hall sits empty, a grand dame dreaming of better days, her stunning architecture a reminder of a time when function was always matched with form. Samsung and The Event Production Company (EPC) recognized the beauty of this aging queen and decided to give her a digital facelift.

They made bunnies run across her walls before drowning her under the sea and carrying her off to a far away land filled with fairies and wonder.

AV Unlimited was contracted by EPC to undertake a 3D mapping project for the Samsung Africa Forum 2013 in the main auditorium at this lovely heritage site. Whilst

3D mapping has been done before in South Africa only AV Unlimited is using Coolux’s Pandora’s Box Server System, making this a truly unique project in South Africa.

WE HAVE THE TECHNOLOGY The award winning Pandora’s Box Server System offers the best high performance link between projection and digital imaging compositing. The 3D rendering engine is the most advanced technology in image warping and blending.

A TALENTED TEAM The AV unlimited team moved in with surgical precision, projectionist Peet van der Colff spent a day placing and lining up the Barco HD 14 projectors. When he was done the Coolux engineers Timo Wienhold

and Wadim Wall rolled in to start the warping and 3D mapping process. When the warping was complete there was not a pixel out of position and the curves and flourishes of the stunning architecture became part of the visual story. Even though it was a no smoking building wisps smoke curled their tendrils under the doors and then transformed the room into the night sky littered with stars.

The job wasn’t done there though. Lighting designer Phillip Chames then blended the rest of the room into the video, creating a seamless virtual experience. Phillip made this process seem as simple as flipping on a light switch.

To complete the exercise inside a working week, give or take a late night or three, AV Unlimited’s sound engineer, the aurally gifted Tumi Matlhaela matched the sound to the enveloping video so that the audience could completely lose themselves in a technological wonderland of sound and vision. Performing artists Zahara, Cabo Snoop and CODA’s violinist Galina Juritz were also grateful for the wash of sound that gave their unbelievable talents extra body and colour.

There was nothing but praise for the AV Unlimited team, all of whom just shrugged, smiled and said, “That’s how we roll.”

FEATURE

GREENER VENUES

Sprouting Up in Africa and Beyond

�� Le���� St��e�

W

ith so many conferences now being held on the topic of going green, it’s incumbent on the venues hosting these events to have green credentials of their own.

You can’t stage an eco-friendly congress in a centre that’s a notorious blight on the environment, so in their efforts to attract such business, conference centres themselves are becoming world leaders in environmentally friendly functionality.

The Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA) defines a green building as one that is energy efficient, resource efficient and environmentally responsible, with design, construction and operational practices that significantly reduce or eliminate the negative impact of development on the environment and the occupants.

That may sound a little nebulous, but some increasingly common building practices demonstrate that in practical terms.

The design and construction costs are diminishing as supply chains for green materials and technologies mature and the industry becomes more skilled at delivering green buildings, says GBCSA CEO Brian Wilkinson. Operating costs fall through reduced energy and water consumption and lower long-term maintenance costs. The energy savings alone usually exceed any cost premium in the construction within a reasonably quick period.

A report by the World Green Building Council (WorldGBC) examined whether it is possible to attach a financial value to the cost and benefits of green buildings. It concluded that they can be built at a comparable cost to conventional buildings and the investment recouped through lower operating costs. With the right design they can create a more productive workplace, confirming that sustainable buildings provide tangible benefits and clear business sense, said Jane Henley, CEO of WorldGBC. African Agenda organises and hosts na-

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tional and international conferences, and its involvement with the Event Greening Forum makes it an expert in cost-effective sustainability through the choice of venue, transport, accommodation, food and beverages, conference materials, marketing, communications and carbon offsetting.

Managing Director Keith Burton says conference greening trends vary from country to country according to local social and environmental factors. But some basic criteria apply no matter where you are, he says. “The built attributes of a conference centre are important and some things are non-negotiable: recycling and waste minimisation efforts; energy-efficient lighting and water-efficient restrooms, and perhaps solar heating of water and heat pumps for air conditioning.”

A conference organiser can reduce the

carbon footprint of their event by asking the centres these questions: • Do they undertake sustainable procurement by purchasing local goods and services that benefit the community?

• Is filtered water available instead of bottled water? Can water stations offer jugs of water and glasses instead of plastic bottles? Are the menus sustainably designed and seasonal? Is produce locally sourced?

• Can condiments like sugar be served from bowls or jugs instead of individual packages?

• Can linen napkins and metal cutlery be used instead of paper and plastic? Is food waste donated to food banks or soup kitchens?

• Is signage electronic to reduce the need to print directional signs?

• Is the centre located near transport hubs and hotels to reduce individual transfers or buses to and from hotels?

• Is a measuring, monitoring and evaluation system in place so the organiser can properly report back in post-conference reporting?

Going green in Africa has some unique aspects to consider, Burton says. “In Africa one must look at greening in a broader context of sustainability. Already the long haul flights for the delegates have enlarged your carbon footprint. And green building practices may not be well-entrenched outside of South Africa, where they are common, well-established and supported by the construction industry,” he says. “There exists huge potential to make a real, lasting difference with a conference sustainability effort, but it’s not a simple cut-and-paste exercise where tried and tested greening mechanics from developed countries are simply applied here. Care must be taken to show respect to the local setting and its particular needs, and to tailor any greening efforts accordingly.”

For example, in many African countries

FEATURE

“

There exists huge potential to make a real, lasting difference with a conference sustainability effort, but it’s not a simple cut-and-paste exercise where tried and tested greening mechanics from developed countries are simply applied here.

“

FEATURE

it is not possible to serve tap water, so bottles are the only option. Recycling facilities may be limited, so the common greening effort of recycling is not possible. Organisers should instead look for a locally realistic dedication to sustainability, he says. “Does the centre use resources efficiently? Does it try to minimise waste and use renewable resources? Does it employ local skills?�

Leaving a positive legacy is probably the most important way an organiser can act sustainably in Africa, Burton believes.

They can do that by providing opportunities to empower the local community and give them access to new skills that they can apply long after the conference leaves town.

The International Association of Conference Centres (IACC), which represents 300 conference centres around the world, promotes environmental awareness to its member properties and their clients. It does that by researching and identifying practices with a lower environmental impact and encouraging members to adopt those practices. Its Code of Sustainability includes 60 tenets spanning education, waste management, recycling, water conservation, purchasing, energy management, air quality and food and beverages.

IACC members measure their adherence to those tenets annually, and those that achieve 100% compliance qualify for Platinum Tier recognition. Conference centres

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FEATURE

that achieve 85% qualify for Gold Tier and 75% earns Silver Tier.

One IACC Platinum conference centre is Barnett Hill in Surrey in the UK. It’s a four star property close to London with 15 meeting rooms and 56 bedrooms, and a restaurant that uses locally and seasonally sourced produce. Barnet Hill is run by the Sundial Group, which has pledged to make its carbon footprint as small as possible. ”This commitment to providing environmentally-conscious venues is a step in the right direction, and is what many companies are striving for in an age where going green is both encouraged and rewarded,” Sundial says.

Sundial offers green meetings packages with several incentives. One unusual incentive is that delegates who arrive by public transport or car-share are given a £5 voucher to spend at

the bar. The Green Meetings Package is a free upgrade to any normal meetings package, and includes jugs of tap water instead of bottled water, the option of collecting writing materials rather than putting them on every desk, menus using free range, locally-sourced ingredients and tea and coffee from Fairtrade.

Another IACC Platinum winner is The Banff Centre in Canada’s Rocky Mountains, which encourages organisers to hold ‘green meetings’ by working with them to minimise waste, purchase responsibly and educate delegates about the environment. The Banff Centre also holds a 4 Green Key Award from the Hotel Association of Canada, which assesses a property’s environmental management, housekeeping, food and beverage operations, conference facilities and engineering, as well as its sustainable practices.

The award denotes “industry leadership and commitment to protecting the environment through wide ranging policies and practices.’

The Banff Centre is also a Green Leaf Eco-Rated Member for adopting best practices for energy efficiency, resource conservation and pollution prevention. The centre sends a lengthy Green Checklist to potential customers suggesting how to make their events greener. Suggestions include: send notices to participants by email, not post; considering attendance via teleconferencing; ask participants to bring their own stationery; print conference material doublesided on recycled paper; encourage delegates to carpool or to travel by an airport shuttle service rather than renting a car. Leftover food and promotional items are donated to local schools or charities the Banff Centre supports.

FEATURE Closer to home, the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg has won an Imvelo Award for the Best Energy Management Programme and Best Water Conservation Programme. Imvelo Awards recognise businesses that make a real, measurable and sustained contribution to responsible tourism.

Its green initiatives have also earned a Gold classification from the Heritage Environmental Rating Programme every year since 2002, in recognition of its reduced impact on the environment. Sandton Convention Centre is always seeking new ways to reduce its impact and boost energy and resource conservation.

It uses less energy by switching off escalators after the last event, better management of lighting and air conditioning during set-up and breakdown and during the actual events, limiting the number of doors open in the lobby to reduce air conditioning needs, and training the staff to use energy more sparingly.

Cans, paper, cardboard, plastic and glass are recycled, and hazardous waste is delivered to a hazardous waste fill site. To save water it operates sensors in restrooms to switch off taps and control flushing.

In a move that apparently bucks the greening trend, city officials in Ottawa, Canada, have scrapped a requirement that new buildings must comply with LEED criteria set by the Canada Green Building Council. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is a building rating system with 70 points achievable in six categories: Sustainable Sites, Water Efficiency, Energy & Atmosphere, Materials & Resources, Indoor Environment and Innovation and Design. Ottawa Council said although it supports energy-saving and the use of environmentally sensitive materials, the LEED guidelines are too cumbersome and expensive. Ironically, Ottawa’s new convention centre is proudly boasting of achieving LEED Gold Status for its ecologically friendly design.

The centre, completed in 2011, features a ‘cool roof’ made of light-coloured materials to reflect excess solar heat and reduce demand on air conditioning. Rainwater harvesting directs rain to an underground cistern for reuse in toilet flushing and irrigation. That has cut indoor water use by 67% and landscaping use by more than 70%, compared to conventional buildings. During construction more than 94% of the waste was reused or recycled, and steel from a demolished building on the site was reused to build the roof.

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Gr���n� G������ Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) is already lauded for its green initiatives, and those will be enhanced through its R690m extension.

The trio of architects awarded the contract were chosen for their green credentials. Billed as some of South Africa’s leading green architects, they are Piet Bakker of Stauch Voster Architects, Anya van der Merwe of Van der Merwe Miszewski Architects and Mokena Makeka of Makeka Design Lab. Design criteria included integrating environmental, social and economic sustainability within strict budgetary guidelines.

The architects are working with environmental consultancy Arup on the project, with Arup helping to establish the green specifications. Arup SA’s Sustainability Consultant Georgina Smit says different countries have different green building guidelines, partly influenced by local conditions such as the climate. That means the ratings used to recognise green initiatives are not standardised around the world and won’t necessarily be understood in other markets.

Arup says the power to influence the future of the built environment is a weighty responsibility, and shaping a sustainable future – particularly through the urban environment – will be one of the greatest challenges in the 21st century. To do that, it invests in research to create better solutions, often in collaboration with academic institutions. Its designers consider future trends such as climate change, and how a site or its surroundings may be developed in the future.

The CTICC has already implemented green strategies including the presence of recycling bins, energy-saving light sensors in conference rooms and bathrooms, and power-saving motion sensors on elevators and revolving doors. The expansion will include many more sustainable design features in the building process and in the daily running of the centre. “The ultimate aim is to design and build one of the leading green buildings in the world,” says CEO Rashid Toefy.

The CTICC already has an environmental task team to advise on environmental trends and how to minimise its impact, and the expansion will further enhance its reputation as a ‘green’ event destination, Rashid says.

The CTICC also works with event organisers to ensure that delegates understand the need to minimise their impact, and offers customised packages to stage events that support environmental values.

In common with other world-class green convention centres, the CTICC encourages clients to use tap water, provides waste separation bins, runs an on-site waste separation facility, is linked to the public transport system and encourages delegates to stay within walking distance, or use public transport and car-pooling.

More than R2 million has been invested in a building management system to help cut the consumption of non-renewable energy by 5% each year and cut greenhouse gas emissions by 5% a year until 2015, for an overall reduction of 25% in both.

FEATURE

Building and Upgrading Hotels Africa Moves to Meet Growing Demand © Martin Pettitt

O

ver the last decade Africa’s infrastructure has been expanding steadily and the building and upgrading of hotels has kept pace.

This year the hospitality industry in Africa has received a boost from various multinational hotel chains that have made commitments to expand their footprint on the continent. The

Four Seasons, Radisson Blu, Marriott, and Protea Hotels have all invested in African developments. Others, like Premier Hotels and Sun International, have upgraded properties. The South African hotel group, City Lodge, recently decided to venture into the rest of the continent for the first time with its entry into Botswana and Kenya. Starwood Hotels has announced

that it will double its hotel brands on the African continent by 2020.

Growing business ventures and Africa’s economic expansion have had a significant impact on the business events travel and tourism industries. Tourism destinations require leisure hotels to meet the needs of this booming industry. Africa offers the opportunity for multinational hotel brands to branch out and capture a share of this growing market.

David Sand, Global President of the Society of Incentive and Travel Executives (SITE) and CEO OF UWin IWin says that new infrastructure is an essential driver of growth for the business events industry. Eddy Khoza, Chairman of the Federated Hospitality Association of South Africa (FEDHASA) says specifically in South Africa, “upgrades in hotel properties make a huge contribution to boosting the image of South Africa as a destination of choice to the international community.” He notes that in South Africa this

FEATURE industry. According to both David and Eddy this can be explained by the difference in economic growth rates between African states. However, certain elements are critical for success. “Economic growth is fuelled by many things, but essential for the events and the business tourism sector is good government, safety and health programs, professional destination marketing strategies and great tourism infrastructure,” says David.

“

Development of the hospitality industry is a direct way to illustrate to global spectators and investors that Africa is a land of opportunity.

“

will simply be building on a positive trend that resulted from the hosting of the 2010 World Cup. Former FEDHASA Cape Association Chairperson Dirk Elzinga says 45% of meetings and conferences in Africa take place in hotels.

As this percentage is increasing, new hotels and upgrades are vital. “In order to keep up and grow with the meetings and events industry this growth has to continue,” says Dirk. David agrees, “for sure some African destinations because of their short supply of room nights are some of the most expensive destinations in the world. Only way to solve this is to build till supply equals demand and rates normalise.”

African hotel chains are mirroring their European counterparts when it comes to features that are being integrated into upgrades and new construction. These trends include free Wifi, eco-friendly and green buildings, easy airport access and proximity, and effective loyalty programs. Technology, and keeping up with the technical support needs of the industry is key.

It is vital for African hotels to be able to provide the same level of technical support and capability to organisers.

There are definitely regions within Africa that are experiencing more growth in the hospitality

An Inside Look at an Upgrade: A Conversation with Graham Wood, Managing Director of Tsogo Sun Hotels

Q: Tsogo Sun is joining the Elangeni and Maharani hotels in Durban. Why?

A: For many years Tsogo Sun has had a

FEATURE prominent presence on Durban’s Golden Mile, with the Southern Sun Elangeni, Southern Sun North Beach, Garden Court Marine Parade, Garden Court South Beach and SunCoast Casino and Entertainment World including the SunSquare and the SunCoast Towers hotels, which offer exceptional variety for leisure and business alike. We believe in the city of Durban and its potential as a world class business and leisure destination and the refurbishment, consolidation and relaunch of the Southern Sun Elangeni and Southern Sun North Beach hotels into one magnificent complex – Southern Sun Elangeni & Maharani – reaffirms our commitment to Durban and is directly in line with Tsogo Sun’s vision to provide the greatest possible variety of quality hospitality, leisure, gaming, and entertainment experiences at everyone of our destinations.

Furthermore, our investment in the Southern Sun Elangeni & Maharani complex is a direct response to the substantial investment into the revival of the Durban beachfront promenade by the eThekwini Municipality, which has seen the destination being upgrad-

ed and we are proud to be a part of it.

Q:

Do you think this will give the combined hotel a competitive advantage in Durban?

A: The investment of R220 million into the

complex has created a property that is aspirational, modern and elegant, while retaining the heritage that is so much a part of these two legendary hotels. This, combined with the variety and choice and the ideal location of the property on the Golden Mile and in close proximity to the International Convention Centre, Moses Mabhida Stadium and Durban’s finest beaches, will make it an obvious choice for both business and leisure travellers.

Q:

How do you think this joining together will benefit clients of your hotel, and business events clients in particular?

A: The key benefit of combining these two

iconic hotels is the increased variety and choice that guests will enjoy. Whether a guest is travelling on business, leisure or as part of a conference, they can enjoy the variety of restaurants, recreation and business

facilities across the entire mega complex.

The hotel seamlessly combines business and pleasure into a single destination. With a seamless check-in, one point of contact and a vast variety of restaurants, conference facilities and leisure choices, guests can make use of all facilities in both towers and receive one bill at the end of their stay. There are a choice of 734 rooms to accommodate even big groups of conference delegates, 15 conference rooms offering multiple configurations that can cater for 12 to 500 delegates and a selection of eleven restaurants for lunches, afternoon snacks, fine and casual dining, and, in Phase 2, a luxurious Camelot Spa. The sheer variety of restaurants and their aesthetic and culinary appeal means that guests are spoilt for choice and have no need to leave the hotel, making planning and payment of conference packages hassle-free.

We’re also very excited that, in the third quarter of this year, the historic Raffles area will be transformed into a multipurpose venue on top of the Maharani Tower, which will be available for conferences, launches, themed evenings and a myriad of other events with breath-taking views.

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EVENTS SUBMARINE NETWORKS WORLD AFRICA

May

27-30 May Johannesburg, South Africa

AFRICAN RENAISSANCE CONFERENCE 4-5 May Johannesburg, South Africa

WINTER SCULPTURE FAIR 4-5 May Johannesburg, South Africa

AFRICA HEALTH EXHIBITION AND CONGRESS 2013 7-9 May Johannesburg, South Africa

ITWEB SECURITY SUMMIT 2013

INDUTEC – THE SA INDUSTRY & TECHNOLOGY FAIR 2013 14-23 May Johannesburg, South Africa

MAMAMAGIC – THE BABY EXPO

28-30 May East London, South Africa

SIGN AFRICA/ AFRICA PRINT

16 -20 May Johannesburg, South Africa

29-30 May Cape Town, South Africa

WEDDING WIZZ 2013

KARIBU 2013

18–19 May Johannesburg, South Africa

31 May-2 Jun Arusha, Tanzania

EAST AFRICA COM

7-10 May Johannesburg, South Africa

21-22 May Nairobi, Kenya

SOUTH AFRICAN FACILITIES MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION

COATINGS FOR AFRICA (CFA) 2013

8-9 May Johannesburg, South Africa

5th GLOBAL FORUM ON INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY ENTREPRENEURSHIP

21-23 May Johannesburg, South Africa

June WATERTEC AFRICA 2013 1 Jun Johannesburg, South Africa

PUMPS, VALVES AND PIPES AFRICA 2013

CIO SUMMIT AFRICA 2013

2nd MAXIMISING AFRICAN PORT CAPACITY SUMMIT

8-10 May Hermanus, South Africa

22-23 May Durban, South Africa

AUTOMECHANIKA

GOOD FOOD & WINE SHOW

COMRADES MARATHON 2013

8-11 May Johannesburg, South Africa

23-26 May Cape Town, South Africa

1 Jun Durban, South Africa

13TH ANNUAL AFRICAN UTILITY WEEK

GRAND DESIGNS LIVE

69th IATA ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING AND WORLD AIR TRANSPORT SUMMIT

13-15 May Cape Town, South Africa

24 -26 May Johannesburg, South Africa

Photograph © South African Tourism

CLEAN POWER AFRICA

LOW -COST HOUSING SOUTH AFRICA

14-15 May Cape Town, South Africa

26-27 May Johannesburg, South Africa

EMPOWERTEC AFRICA 2013

SATCOM AFRICA

14-16 May Johannesburg, South Africa

27-30 May Johannesburg, South Africa

WORLD CREDIT CONGRESS AND EXHIBITION

THE BROADCAST SHOW AFRICA

14-16 May Johannesburg, South Africa

27-30 May Johannesburg, South Africa

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1 Jun Johannesburg, South Africa

2-4 Jun Cape Town, South Africa

17th FOODAGRO 2013 6-8 Jun Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania

17th ITELEXPO 2013 6-8 Jun Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania

SEXPO 2013 9 Jun Durban, South Africa

EVENTS

July EDUCATION WEEK CONVENTION & LEARNING EXPO

INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATION CONFERENCE 10 -11 Jun Cape Town, South Africa

4-6 Jul Johannesburg, South Africa

EAST COAST RADIO HOUSE & GARDEN SHOW 2013

CONNECTING WEST AFRICA

6TH SOUTHERN AFRICAN AIDS CONFERENCE 2013

11-12 Jun Dakar, Senegal

21 Jun Durban, South Africa

FINANCIAL PLANNING INSTITUTE ANNUAL CONVENTION 2013

DIGITAL SERVICES AFRICA

3RD WORLD CONFERENCE ON YOUTH & COMMUNITY SERVICE CONGRESS

25-26 Jun Johannesburg, South Africa

8-13 Jul Johannesburg, South Africa

MARKEX 2013

THE AFRICA TRANSPORT & INFRASTRUCTURE SHOW 2013

KENYA HOSPITALITY TRADE FAIR 2013

11-13 Jun Johannesburg, South Africa

24 - 27 Jun Johannesburg, South Africa

LAB AFRICA

AVIATION OUTLOOK AFRICA

11 -13 Jun Johannesburg, South Africa

24-27 Jun Johannesburg, South Africa

AFRICA MEDIA BUSINESS EXCHANGE

WORLD ASSOCIATION FOR CO-OPERATIVE EDUCATIONS 2013

11-12 Jun Johannesburg, South Africa

18 Jun Nairobi, Kenya

IOSH BUILDING A PROFESSIONAL FUTURE FOR HEALTH AND SAFETY 18-19 Jun Johannesburg, South Africa

IFSEC SOUTH AFRICA 18- 20 Jun Johannesburg, South Africa

4th EASTERN AFRICA OIL, GAS & ENERGY CONFERENCE

7 Jul Durban, South Africa

11-13 Jul Nairobi, Kenya

MEDIATECH AFRICA 2013 17-19 Jul Johannesburg, South Africa

THE WORLD OF DOGS AND CATS & PET EXPO (WODAC) 19-21 Jul Midrand, South Africa

27 Jun Durban, South Africa

HOMEMAKERS EXPO

IFES WORLD SUMMIT 2013

25-28 Jul Port Elizabeth, South Africa

27-29 Jun Cape Town, South Africa

SOUTHERN AFRICAN INTERNATIONAL TRADE EXHIBITION (SAITEX) 30 Jun Midrand, South Africa

AFRICA’S BIG SEVEN 2013 (AB7)

18-21 Jun Nairobi, Kenya

30 Jun-2 Jul Midrand, South Africa

3rd ANNUAL IT INFRASTRUCTURE AFRICA SUMMIT 2013

AIPC ANNUAL CONFERENCE AND 54th GENERAL ASSEMBLY

20-21 Jun Cape Town, South Africa

30 Jun-1 Jul Cape Town, South Africa

19TH IPM WOMEN’S CONVENTION 26 Jul Durban, South Africa

KITE 2013 26 Jul Durban, South Africa

THE BABA INDABA CAPE TOWN 26-28 Jul Cape Town, South Africa

SAACI 2013 ANNUAL CONGRESS & EXHIBITION 28-30 Jul Port Elizabeth, South Africa www.th eeven t.co .za T H E EVEN T

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REGIONAL

SPOTLIGHT

NORTH WEST PROVINCE T�� Pla����� Pr���n��

© SA Tourism

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leng Village, the Lesedi Cultural Village and the Buya Zulu Cultural Kraal.

YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT The Nedbank Golf Challenge This local golfing tournament has become a global event. This year the Nedbank Golf Challenge will take place from 5-8 December at the Gary Player Golf Course. This event is known for hosting some of the world’s greatest golfers, including Jeff Sluman, Sandy Lyle and Tom Watson.

KEY VENUE Sun City

North West has a number of major tourist attractions, including Sun City and the Palace of the Lost City, the Pilanesberg National Park, Madikwe Game Reserve and the Rustenburg.

“

The mainstay of the economy of North West Province is mining. The Rustenburg and Brits districts produce 94% of the country’s platinum, which is more than any other single area in the world.

“

S

outh Africa’s North West province lies on the Botswana border, fringed by the Kalahari Desert in the west, Gauteng to the east, and the Free State to the south. It is known as the “Platinum Province” for the wealth of metal it has underground and also as “The Texas of South Africa” because it is home to some of the largest cattle herds in the world.

The mainstay of the economy of North West Province is mining. The Rustenburg and Brits districts produce 94% of the country’s platinum, which is more than any other single area in the world. North West also produces a quarter of South Africa’s gold, as well as granite, marble, fluorspar and diamonds.

In recent years the North West tourism board has put the diverse cultures and deep history of the province in the spotlight. The board has set up various cultural hubs including the Mphebatho Cultural Museum in Moru-

REGIONAL

© SA Tourism

Flicker © atishp

© Derek Keats

Located deep in the North West bushveld Sun City offers entertainment, golf, gambling in addition to numerous conference and event venues. With four different hotels to choose from, Sun City has world class facilities to suit every traveller. Sun City works in conjunction with the Pilanesberg National Park offering game viewing and business specials for corporate retreats.

© Gary Bembridge

“

In recent years the North West tourism board has put the diverse cultures and deep history of the province in the spotlight. The board has set up various cultural hubs including the Mphebatho Cultural Museum in Moruleng Village, the Lesedi Cultural Village and the Buya Zulu Cultural Kraal.

“

Nature Reserve.

SPOTLIGHT

POPULATION

Just over 3.5 million people live in the North West province, according to statistics South Africa.

CLIMATE

In the summer the North West is characterized by hot, sunny days. The temperature ranges between 22 to 34 degrees. In winter the days are warm during the day but in the evenings the temperatures range between 15 to 22 degrees. © SA Tourism www.th eeven t.co .za T H E EVENT

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COUNTRY

SPOTLIGHT

Flicker © Noramorgan

GHANA

I�l�n� � Pea��

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Key Venues

ACCRA INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION CENTRE The Accra International Convention Center is located in the Christiansborg, an area in the capital of Accra. The centre is central is close to a number of important locations such as the Parliament of Ghana, the Accra Sports Stadium, the Independence Arch and the Black Star Square. It is the foremost conference center in the country and contains a 1600-seated hall called “plenary hall”. This conference center is the most important meeting venue in Ghana, and often plays host to important international gatherings.

You Need to Know about THE BAKUTUE FESTIVAL This world famous festival literally translates to mean “opening up of the Benya Lagoon into the sea” Bakatue symbolizes the beginning of the

“

’Akwaaba’ is an expression you will hear several times daily as you travel through Ghana. It means “welcome!” and you will be.

- Ghana Tourism

“

G

hana is Located on the Gulf of Guinea, only a few degrees north of the Equator, giving it a warm climate. This beautiful country is bordered by Ivory Coast to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, and Togo to the east. The country encompasses flat plains, low hills and a few rivers. The coastline is mostly a low, sandy shore backed by plains and scrub and intersected by several rivers and streams while the northern part of the country features high plains. Known as the “land of sunshine” the country has become popular with visitors for its beautiful beaches in the south and majestic wildlife parks in the north. The country’s economy is dominated by agriculture, which employs about 40 % of the working population. Ghana is one of the leading exporters of cocoa in the world. It is also a significant exporter of commodities such as gold and lumber.

COUNTRY

SPOTLIGHT

fishing season, a central part of the economy.

Fishing plays a central role in the life of the people of Ghana and this festival aims to showcase the produce of the region. Most hotels and resorts in around Ghana travel yearly to this festival to not only source fresh produce but see what organizers will showcase. The festival primarily takes place in Elmina on the first week of July and this year will include a chefs tasting known as a “Dubar of chiefs” as well as a colorful regatta show. The soleman “net casting” ceremony that opens the show is symbolic of Ghana’s history and plays homage to the fisherman and women over the centuries. The casting also symbolizes the beginning of the fishing season with the catch being offered to the area’s deities.

Getting to Ghana by Air

Flicker © John & Clare

Ghana has twelve airports, six with hard surfaced runways. The most important are Kotoka International Airport at Accra and airports at Sekondi-Takoradi, Kumasi and Tamale that serve domestic air traffic. There are also some commercial airlines running domestic flights between the major cities in Ghana.

Population

25,199,609 in July 2013 according to The CIA World Factbook

© Elizabeth Cloke

© Josephine Cross

Climate

© Elizabeth Cloke

Ghana has a tropical climate. The eastern coastal belt is warm and comparatively dry, the southwest corner, hot and humid; and the north, hot and dry. Rainy seasons are from April to June and September to November. The dry season runs from November to March. January to February has the most sun but is not necessarily the best time for filming due to the high fog, which sometimes reduces visibility to as low as fifty metres.

A WAY WITH WASTE at the Flamjangled Tea Party

T

his year the Flamjangled Tea Party in Durbanville, South Africa, was more than a musical and performance experience. It was an event that made going green beautiful.

Ofir Azenkot, Organizer and Co-Owner of Flamgangled Tea Party and Site Manager for Rocking the Daisies, attended the very first Event Greening Forum meeting. That meeting prompted him ask an important question: Were there any materials being thrown away after expos? Could they be collected and used? The answer was yes.

Ofir decided that the Flamjangled Tea Party would use them.

He worked out the logistics with the CTICC for collecting materials from the Paediatric Cardiology Conference and the Design Indaba, and from those materials created useful and artistic installations at the Flamjangled Tea Party.

“We managed to build a small stage and two DJ podiums with the materials,” says Ofir, “and also three archways, and we built a massive elephant in the shape of a teapot. The elephant is actually brilliant, it’s beautiful.”

Nearly all of the decorations for the event (95%) were made of recycled materials.

Ofir says they didn’t get much material from the Design Indaba because very few items were thrown away at the end of the show, “But the whole greening thing is not a selfish thing, it’s looking at the big picture. It shows how much we can divert from landfill and what we can build with it.”

It wasn’t only venues that played a part in this recycling effort. Scan Display, says Ofir,

“gave about 1000 square meters of carpet to us. We carpeted one of our venues and the kid’s tent (it was a green tent so we gave them a green carpet). We also carpeted our stage.”

In addition, for the front of house where the lighting and sound people sit, instead of plywood, the Flamjangled Tea Party made it look like a house and used the carpeting for a roof for that structure.

Ofir says, “I will most definitely do this again, we’ve already been in touch with the CITCC and we will collect ‘waste’ from an event there at the end of April. We plan to use some of these materials to build some flooring and shelving, and recycling bins, for underprivileged nurseries.”

FIRST CONFERENCE A SUCCESS The Event Greening Forum (EGF) hosted its inaugural Conference on 18 February 2013.

It was a well-attended event, attracting people from across the Southern African events industry. Based on its success, the conference will become an annual fixture on the EGF’s calendar.

“We decided to host the event to tie in with Meetings Africa, the continent’s leading business tourism show, in order to attract people from the business tourism sector. South Africa’s tourism sector is leading the way in promoting responsible development. This is what we – the EGF - are trying to do too; promote responsible development in South Africa’s events industry” says Justin Hawes, the Chairperson of the EGF. “It worked well, as we had a good turn-out and positive response to the conference content.”

Speakers at the event were: Climate Real-

ity Leader and founder of Food & Trees for Africa, Jeunesse Park; documentary producer and member of Biomimicry SA, Matthew Rosmarin; and a 17 year old student from Cape Town who has presented at events such as Sustain Our Africa and Ted Youth, Mogamat Dayaan Salie.

The EGF is a non-profit entity that seeks to promote sustainable business practices within the local events industry, with an initial focus on exhibitions, events, conferences and meetings.

For more information about the Event Greening Forum or the Conference, please contact Pippa Walker on pippa@eventgreening.co.za or 011 447 4777, or visit www.eventgreening.co.za.

EVENT GREENING TRAINING DATES ANNOUNCED The dates for 2013 event greening training sessions have been confirmed: 14 May - Gauteng 23 May - Cape Town 11 June - Durban 31 July – Port Elizabeth 15 Aug - Gauteng 10 Sept - Durban 10 Oct - Cape Town These are one day sessions, implemented by sustainability experts Heritage and Steadfast Greening. The cost is R750 per person (EGF members receive a 10% discount), which includes course materials, refreshments and a light lunch. www.eventgreening.co.za/training/

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OPPORTUNITIES

NOMINATIONS for the 2013 IAEE Awards Deadline: 28 June

E

ach year, the International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE) recognizes and awards professionals in the exhibitions and events industry for their contributions. Industry professionals can be nominated for any of the awards as long as they meet the criteria outlined by IAEE. These awards represent IAEE's highest honors and will be presented at Expo! Expo! IAEE's Annual Meeting & Exhibition.

The IAEE Awards Program is designed to recognize those professionals who have made outstanding contributions to the exhibitions and events industry. As a member of the exhibition and event industry community, we value your opinion and invite you to nominate an individual for one of these prestigious honors: • •

Pinnacle (Formerly Known as the William Hunt Eisenman Award) Distinguished Service

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• • • • • • • • • • •

Merit Educator of the Year Committee/Task Force Member of the Year Rookie of the Year Outstanding Achievement in Industry Leadership Outstanding Achievement in Innovation in Business Solutions Reference sample nomination Outstanding Achievement in Marketing & Sales Reference sample nomination (Show Management) Reference sample nomination (Supplier) Young Professional of the Year

has contributed significantly to the profession.

Professionals may be nominated for any of the awards as long as they meet the criteria outlined by IAEE. Once nominations have been received, the IAEE Awards Committee will discuss each candidate’s qualifications in depth, and the final selection will be based on merit.

GENERAL GUIDELINES • •

• This is your chance to recognize an individual who has forged new ground within IAEE and/or the exhibitions and events industry.

Nominate someone who has dedicated his/ her career to the exhibition and event industry, has attained outstanding achievement and/or

•

IAEE staff are not eligible to submit nominations.

IAEE Awards Committee members are not eligible for awards during their active term on the committee.

Members of the IAEE Awards Committee may submit names into nomination but may not nominate an employee or employer for an award.

Current IAEE Board of Directors members are not eligible for awards during their term.

OPPORTUNITIES

How to Enter the Loeries!

2013 IAEE AWARDS

•

•

Those nominees who do not receive an award but do meet all eligibility requirements will be carried forward for two years for all awards except the Outstanding Achievement in Innovation in Business Solutions and the Outstanding Achievement in Marketing & Sales Awards, which will be considered only for the year in which they are nominated.

The IAEE Board of Directors must approve all award recommendations submitted by the IAEE Awards Committee.

• •

HOW TO SUBMIT A NOMINATION NEW CATEGORIES THIS YEAR: • •

IMPORTANT NOTE TO NOMINATORS • The Awards Committee is comprised of a number of exhibitions and events industry professionals who may or may not be familiar with the candidate you are recommending. To assist committee members make the best selection, please consider the following key questions and include as much material as possible about your nominee: • •

Why is this person particularly noteworthy?

What challenges had to be overcome?

(Provide enough detail for the committee to ascertain if there was "above and beyond" behavior exhibited).

If possible, provide metrics that quantify results and help provide perspective.

Provide insights on how the candidate contributed to the improvement of our industry beyond simply doing their own job well.

EXSA has formed a partnership with the Loeries to promote exhibition stand designs.

Entries are now open for the Awards, which aim to recognise, reward, and foster creative excellence in brand communications.

The final deadline for entries is 31 May and agencies or marketers throughout Africa and the Middle East can enter their work.

•

Review all of the awards criteria and eligibility requirements.

Decide for which award you would like to nominate someone, making sure all criteria for that award is met.

Fill out the corresponding nomination form for that award.

Provide all necessary background information citing why you think this candidate deserves the award(s) as specified by the award criteria.

Submit the nomination via email to Mary Tucker or mail all materials to: IAEE Awards Call for Nominations 12700 Park Central Drive, Suite 308 Dallas, Texas USA 75251 or Fax the information to +1 (972) 458-8119.

For more information visit: www.iaee.com/ awards-and-recognition/iaee-awards

1

Effective Creativity Award – This category has been introduced to recognise the link between innovation and business success.

To be eligible to enter this new category, a campaign must have won a Loerie in the past two years. That means winners from 2012 and 2011 are eligible, including Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Grand Prix.

2 New Voice Award Crafts – New categories specifically for non-English radio communication have been introduced for Writing and Performance Crafts. Non-English radio entries that have flighted may be entered in the New Voice Award category or the main Radio category, but not in both (as was allowed in previous years).

3 A new Digital Craft category has been added for Best use of Technology.

For more information visit: www.loeries.com www.th eeven t.co .za T H E EVEN T

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ASSOCIATIONS

EXSA Identifies Young Professionals in the Exhibition Industry

E

XSA is seeking to identify the young professionals in the exhibition industry today, and especially within EXSA’s membership. From there, EXSA will be able to focus on the needs of these young industry players who are right at the beginning of their career paths and then to develop programs and benefits that will be valuable to these young professionals. EXSA would also like to provide a social and professional support network for this group – to help them with any problems they come across and to mentor them where possible.

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The needs of today’s young professionals are much different than those of experienced veterans in the industry. “And in many cases, these young people coming through into the main-stream of the industry, can also teach the veterans a thing or two – especially in the technological and social media fields” comments EXSA Chairman, Nigel Walker. “But there is a huge amount of experience and history that needs to get passed along. In many Associations around the world today, the youth have been identified as the future, and EXSA is highlighting these young and talented people coming through as the ones we need to nurture and look out for,” concludes Nigel, “it is imperative that we look after the Young Professionals, and groom them into their positions.”

For more information visit: www.exsa.co.za

The programme of the 2013 national congress and exhibition of the Southern African Association for the Conference Industry (SAACI) is taking shape. Congress chairman Andrew Stewart says the organising committee has been hard at work to ensure that it reflects the theme of the event which is ‘Create Debate and Innovate’. This seminar will take place at the newly opened Boardwalk Convention Centre in Port Elizabeth from 28 to 30 July; the congress will explore ways for businesses to manage the challenges faced by the business events industry. According to Stewart, delegates can expect in-depth discussions about topics related to, among others, marketing, hybrid events, legal aspects and human resources. Presentations will address the heart of the matter and not just brush over important points, giving delegates real takehome value. Some presentations will include practical case studies and the debate between venue operators and professional conference organisers will be a highlighted.

ASSOCIATIONS

S

ite celebrated “40 Years Forward” – the association’s 40th year as the only global network of travel and event professionals committed to motivational experiences that deliver business results – at the Shimmy Beach Club as part of the global Site education week. The Event Magazine was there as Site showcased the work that the organisation is doing to create a solid platform for growth and industry advocacy around the globe.

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DIRECTORY LISTINGS

Advertisers COMPANY

TELEPHONE

AV Unlimited

+27 11 704 5470

tamsyn@avunlimited.co.za

www.avunlimited.co.za

Barmotion

+27 86 193 7625

info@barmotion.co.za

www.barmotion.co.za

Boardwalk

+27 41 507 7777

crobook@za.suninternational.com

www.suninternational.com

Expo Centre Johannesburg

+27 11 494 1920

info@expocentre.co.za

www.expocentre.co.za

IMEX 2013

+44 12 732 27311

heather.gough@imexexhibitions.com

www.imex-frankfurt.com

Intercape

+27 21 380 4444

charters@intercape.co.za

www.intercape.co.za

Karibu Fair

+27 21 447 4733

kdaniels@alive2green.com

www.karibufair.com

Leading Incentives

+27 11 022 9264

info@li.co.za

www.leadingincentives.co.za

Oak Plaza Hotels- Ghana

+233 30 221 0630-59

sales@oakplazahotel.com

www.oakplazahotel.com

Oasys

+27 11 210 2500

aneliam@oasys.co.za

www.oasys.co.za/

Premier Hotels

+27 86 111 5555

info@premierhotels.co.za

www.premierhotels.co.za

Riverside

+27 31 563 0600

reservations@riversidehotel.co.za

www.riversidehotel.co.za

RwandAir

+233 03 027 86245/6

reservations@rwandair.com

www.rwandair.com

SCC

+27 11 779 0000

scc.info@tsogosun.com

www.saconvention.co.za

Showgroup

+27 11 888 5000

info@showgroup.co.za

www.showgroupworld.com

The Coca-Cola Dome

+27 11 794 5800

info@coca-coladome.co.za

www.coca-coladome.co.za

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EMAIL

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For Advertising Please Contact Jardin Roestorff 021 674 0646 Or jardin@filmeventmedia.co.za