The Event Issue 8

ISSUE 08 | 2014

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+ WORKING IN AFRICA The Risk and the Reward + INDUSTRY BUZZWORDS 2014 Content, Costing, Collaboration and Quality + THE YOUTH IN EVENTS Millennials in the Spotlight

CONTENTS | 01

www.theevent.co.za

2.

4.

6.

7.

8.

The Event Goes Shark Cage Diving Durban ICC to host International Union of Archtects 2014 A Chat with Amanda KotzeNhlapo Bronwen Cadle de Ponte Appointed as GM for CSIR ICC SAACI Gears Up for Annual Congress

10. The Youth in Business Events 12. Tech Talk: Never Lose Your Luggage Again

13. CTICC Expansion Update 14. Working In Africa 20. High-Security Events in South Africa

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22. Euromic now onboard IT&CM India 2014

24. Industry Buzzwords – Why They’re Important for Your Business

Tech Talk with Kim

Working in Africa

Kim Muller unpacks the burgeoning baggage business.

The Event quizzes the pros about the logistics, advantages and challenges of organising an event in Africa.

‘‘ STAR GRADING ED TO ENSURE

28. Site joins IT&CM Events’ Supporting Association Line-Up

30. Free State: Welcome to the Heart of SA

ns are tools

ectio and site insp

S I L I T U E B N A C T A TH

Y T I L USA Q24 S CE32 N A R AS U n. o d e r e v i l e d d ‘‘

Breaking Down the Buzzwords

are met an

Spotlight on Botswana

These four words encapsulate Africa’s business

Find out why this gem of a country could be

events industry in 2014. Find out why.

the host of your next fabulous event.

32. Botswana: Safari Sanctuary 35. Event Greening Forum: Major Meeting to Discuss Landscape Challenges in Africa

36. Events 38. Associations 40. Directory

02 | NEWS

www.theevent.co.za

Q&A with Andrew Fife – Shark and Safari Approximately how many shark tour operators are there in Gansbaai?

There are only eight operators as the permits are limited by the government.

How do you maintain a significant market share?

We provide a one-stop-shop for tour guides and agencies. We deal with all the logistics of the trip and have various boats to work with. This allows us to have a high availability.

BEWARE OF THE SHARP END A

bject terror is not something I have to contend with on a daily basis. My job as a freelance photographer doesn’t see me staring fear in the face, or walking the tightrope of mortality. So when The Event called me with, in the words of Katie the editor, “a very special assignment on the coast”, I jumped at the chance. I pictured a chilled day of snapping peaceful landscapes or perhaps filming a festival.

This was not the case.

I was told to be at Gansbaai harbour at 7am the following morning, and to bring a towel (I subsequently forgot the towel). The town of Gansbaai is world-renowned for one thing: Diving with Great White sharks. The first hint of butterflies now began to awaken in the pit of my stomach.

I arrived at the harbour on the dot of seven, and was treated to a hearty breakfast and a safety briefing by the experienced and very knowledgeable crew from Supreme Sharks (one of the operators working under Shark and Safari Tours).

Myself and the rest of the bait, I mean fellow shark divers, piled onto White Shark Boat and headed for open water. The pitching of the ocean swells relieved some of them of their breakfasts; helpfully chumming the waters and providing amusement for the crew. (Rule number one: No puking in the boat. Regurgitation must happen over the side). Many shark divers broke this rule

By Nelson Da Silva

to the vexation of the captain.

We reached our destination in about 20 minutes, and almost immediately I saw a knifelike fin slice through the water next to me. So that’s what a shark looks like. The butterflies in my stomach had evolved into pterodactyl’s intent on freedom by any means possible. With the finesse of a drunk hippo, I shed my clothes and slid on the wetsuit. Soiling myself had become a very real possibility, and I mentally rehearsed my apology to the crew.

The water hit me like a machete wrapped in ice blocks, and my courage shrank like another appendage. I grabbed the hand-hold and willed myself under the water. The visibility was fantastic, and within seconds a large shape emerged from the depths. To my surprise, my fear dissipated and was replaced by awe.

The shark was about 4,5 metres long, and had three horizontal scars running down its face.

A friend, who had shark-dived the year before, said that she felt unadulterated evil when she looked at the sharks; I can safely say I felt the opposite. I felt overwhelmed by the pure majesty of these magnificent creatures, nature’s perfect hunters. The shark passed so close I could have extended my hand and brushed his side, but sanity prevailed as did the need to keep my arm attached to my body and blood safely inside my veins. Four sharks circled the boat at all times, sometimes leaping and snapping at the tuna heads being dragged through the water.

What sets your tours apart from the rest?

All the shark tours are very much the same.

The operators we work with maintain high standards with regard to customer service and the environment. Our involvement eases the process for agencies and tour guides by providing them with a one-stop-shop that has a high focus on the customer experience.

We work very hard to ensure that clients get a quality trip. We have been known to drop operators that fail our standards.

Do you market yourselves internationally?

We market ourselves internationally via the usual digital channels as well as select inbound agents.

How many tours do you do per week?

We operate every day the sea allows us. On some days, each boat can run up to three trips a day. In winter it is usually two trips; and currently we have three operators to choose from.

A lady emerged from the cage white-faced and shrieking, and quickly took refuge on the boat.

I was hooked. I dived a total of three times in as many hours, and still the awe I felt didn’t lessen. Reality took on a dreamlike quality which stayed with me even after we were safely back on dry land. I chattered like a budgie to anyone who would listen, and only a large brandy and coke brought me back down to earth. If this is adventure tourism, I’d like a second helping please.

Go to theevent.co.za to see footage from Nelson’s experience.

GO ON

YOUR OWN

SHARK ADVENTURE

Tel: +27 72 648 3360 | www.sharkandsafari.co.za

04 | NEWS

www.theevent.co.za

Durban ICC to host

International Union of Architects 2014

T

he Durban ICC has been named Africa’s Leading Conference Centre for the past 10 years by the World Travel Award, and this year it promises to host the best International Union of Architects World Conference to date. Architects, engineers, designers, technologists, planners, thinkers and writers from all over the world will gather with the public, for a week of lively and challenging talks, workshops, events and happenings.

African knowledge, African challenges and African opportunities will enter into a dialogue with the world. One of South Africa’s renowned influencers Archbishop Desmond Tutu is a compatriot to the UIA, “This gathering comes at a particularly

poignant time in South Africa’s development.

We are very conscious of the fact that the neighbourhoods in which we live, and the relative qualities of life we enjoy, remain totally skewed by our divided history. This is not solely a South African challenge; a massive gap in living standards is a global affliction. We need cities, services, housing and human settlements that are more habitable, more integrated, more functional and more beautiful. So that all God’s people - rich and poor, black, green, pink and white feel valued and can live dignified lives,” says Archbishop Tutu.

In addition to the inspiring congress programme, other aspects on offer around the congress include a dynamic fringe

programme of activities, exhibitions, tours and activations, taking place in and around the city; and a Student Congress that will offer young future professionals the opportunity to meet and engage with their peers and professionals from around the world. In addition, the Trade Expo promises the latest product developments, technological innovations, and service offerings in the world of architecture and design. As host city, it is anticipated that the congress will deliver numerous benefits to Durban - economically, approximately R120 million is expected to flow into city coffers through hospitality, transport, food and leisure activities, and through a range of legacy projects. The UIA 2014 takes place from 3-7 August 2014.

06 | ‘PRO’ SPECTIVE

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A chat with

AMANDA KOTZE-NHLAPO CEO of the South African National Convention Bureau talks goals.

Let’s talk about your short-, medium- and longterm goals at SANCB.

W

“

Amanda Kotze-Nhlapo

My long-term goal is to develop an African fraternity of associations and to make sure that we have the necessary rotation, education and the legacy to go with that.

“

e need to resource the convention bureau in an effective way. And I’m not just talking warm bodies; I’m talking about a subvention fund that I would leave as a legacy for the right reasons. We still need to engage our clients and make sure they don’t come and play in our country and then leave. My short-term focus is on the areas that we identified as our potential growth areas, and not trying to be everything for everybody. We also need to know that when we go after leads, they should link to our government objectives to help to fulfil them. We relooked at the strategy because it’s supposed to be until 2020, but we all know that things change! Our industry is so dynamic and things change all the time and so quickly that you have to constantly relook at your strategies. So in the short term I definitely would love to ensure that we are now in a business planning cycle. There are a lot of exhibitions specifically in this region and organisers come when they realise that the market is here. New businesses launch from here into Africa, therefore the trade shows and consumer shows is a market that people definitely look at.

A medium-term goal is to really establish the value of our industry. This is a research project and will really assist our industry to grow and businesses to grow. This kind of information will really help people to make good decisions regarding the markets they should play in. We have good information and good research that we can share with our industry, so we can still be on a good strategic heading in the business events industry.

My long-term goal is to develop an African fraternity of associations and to make sure that we have the necessary rotation, education and the legacy to go with that. So for me, that is the focus for the next

three years. With this fraternity, I believe we can move up in the ICCA rankings. We shouldn’t get too hung up on ICCA rankings, but I think in Africa it’s a good measure and it’s a good way to bench mark yourself, but there is so much more potential!

The corporate meetings, the government meetings, the African Union meetings, all don’t count towards the ranking, which must change.

NEWS | 07

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BRONWEN CADLE DE PONTE appointed as GM for CSIR ICC

How are you feeling about your new promotion and what are you looking forward to?

The CSIR ICC is a great business with an inspiring culture and it is exciting to be given the opportunity to lead such a wonderful team to take the business to the next level.

Has it been a long time coming?

I have been working at the CSIR ICC for 17 years in various roles and I never consciously had my sights set on being General Manager so this has been a pleasant surprise.

What has been the highlight of working for CSIR thus far?

The year we first made a profit and started to be able to provide more jobs for people, I think it was around 14 years ago and we were one of the first Convention Centre’s

worldwide to be profitable - it has been very exciting to be part of an ever growing business since then.

You have seventeen years of industry experience. How has the industry changed since you started?

Advances in technology have initiated the biggest changes over the years, both in terms of the speed with which we conduct business and the types of products and services we deliver. Everything just keeps on getting bigger, better, faster and more progressive exponentially with progresses in technology.

“

Bronwen Cadle de Ponte , New GM at CSIR ICC

What are you hoping to I would like us to achieve as the new GM make a difference to at CSIR? I would like to see the CSIR ICC double our community both in size in terms of revenue, number of by creating more jobs staff employed and facilities offered within the next 10 years. I would like us to make and by bringing more a difference to our community both by creating more jobs and by bringing more academic and science academic and science and technology and technology events events into the country. In terms of the product we provide we are already working into the country. on plans to develop our site into something

“

B

ronwen Cadle de Ponte has taken up the position of General Manager at CSIR International Convention Centre (CSIR ICC) from 1 July 2014.

Bronwen also currently holds the position of chairperson of the Tshwane Tourism Association. The Event spoke to Bronwen about her new position.

very unique in the conference industry in South Africa which will be very exciting.

08 | SAACI

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SAACI GEARS UP

for Annual Congress

The Event quizzed SAACI CEO Adriaan Liebetrau about the biggest event on their calendar.

Mamaila and motivational speaker Mark Berger.

Tourism Minister Derek Hanekom will officially open the congress.

The organising committee has also placed huge emphasis on sustainability. Not only have they arranged a congress in a small town, but they have restored the dilapidated town hall to its former glory. The delegate bags were made from refuse picked up in St Lucia and this project employed more than 10 women for three months.

No stilettos, business suits or ties are needed. In fact, we encourage delegates to drop off their stress at the R618 turn-off to St Lucia before they arrive!

Who will be attending?

The congress will be attended by approximately 250 stakeholders in the business events industry, most of whom are decision makers in their respective companies. There will also be 40 students from various universities.

Will new leaders be elected at the congress?

Adriaan Liebetrau, CEO of SAACI

What is the main focus of the annual congress?

T

he 2014 SAACI annual congress will be held in St Lucia, KwaZulu-Natal from 17 to 19 August. The theme of this year’s congress is ‘To the beat of a different drum.’ It promises to be a memorable event, not only in terms of the programme content, but also with its relaxed, informal approach.

I am sure you will agree with me that our congress location for 2014 is unique – in fact, it is somewhat unusual! Hats off to our local

organising committee for being bold in their decision-making, across all aspects of the event. I believe this kind of boldness is exactly what we need to make the business events industry grow as much as it should. Times continue to be tough, and thinking out of the proverbial box is becoming the new ‘normal’.

Delegates will be addressed by top local and international speakers, including trend analyst Dion Chang, Juan José Garcia, Director of Sales and Marketing at Barceló Congresos, one of the leading Professional Conference Organisers in Europe, social development expert Tshifhiwa

No. The current national board was elected at the 2013 congress in Port Elizabeth and is serving a two-year term.

However, board portfolios and areas of responsibility will be discussed during the congress and at the Annual General Meeting on 19 August.

What are SAACI’s key goals for 2014?

SAACI announced its new five-year strategic plan earlier this year. It is guided by eight strategic pillars: • The SAACI community – to increase membership by 5 percent by the end of the 2014 financial year and by 10 percent a year later.

• SAACI intelligence – to publish a trends

SAACI | 09

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•

•

•

•

•

•

report and an annual report this year.

SAACI Academy – for 40 percent of SAACI members to be involved in a training programme and 50 percent of SAACI Professional Conference Organisers to be certified by 2016.

SAACI into Africa – to expand SAACI nationally into each province of South Africa by financial year-end 2015, starting with a sub-branch in Tshwane.

Branding and communication – to ensure effective and innovative communication, resulting in the growth and recognition of our brand.

Stakeholder engagement – making sure we continue to speak to the right people at the right time.

Sustainability - To ensure sustainability of the new business model in order to increase the bottom line for future SAACI projects.

Future focus – supporting industry members younger than 35, creating an attractive environment where the youth can be active in SAACI and increasing student membership to 10 percent by 2015.

Do you feel that SAACI has made good progress in reaching its goals for 2014?

Most definitely. Each and every office bearer – at national and branch level – is rolling up his or her sleeves to help implement the new plan.

By becoming a real partner in the conference and events business, SAACI will increasingly make a real difference to members’ bottom line - and at the same time entrench its position as an industry leader even further. Full report-back will be given at the Annual General Meeting on 19 August.

What trends have emerged this year in the industry?

Old-style, one-way listening is something of the past. Meetings and conferences are about learning, sharing, questioning and collaborating – and this is what the so-called ‘millennials’ expect.

The challenge today is to meet these expectations in every aspect, considering social media, WiFi, room set-up, meals and programme structure.

What are the main challenges facing the industry?

The immediate challenge is to work with our colleagues on the leisure side to have the proposed new visa regulations reversed.

We simply have to ensure that red tape does not affect travel to South Africa, whether for business or leisure.

Other challenges include securing more funding for the National Convention Bureau, embarking on proper research so that we have accurate statistics about the business tourism sector and closer cooperation with relevant stakeholders including tourism bodies and law enforcement agencies.

We will also consult with delegates at the SAACI congress in St Lucia to hear which additional challenges need our attention.

Will these challenges be tackled at the congress?

Yes, there will be ample opportunity for discussion among delegates and for formulating action plans and solutions.

10 | SPOTLIGHT

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THE YOUTH

in Business Events

This month, The Event is looking at the up-and-coming Millennials that are making waves in the industry.

LINDA

de Gouveia Age: 31 Company: Calabar International Convention Centre Job Title: Sales and Marketing Manger Three words to describe yourself: Encouraging, Energetic and Diligent Which events are you most looking forward to this year?

At the moment each month brings something to look forward to as the new centre is literally “growing” right in front of my eyes! Site inspections in particular are very enjoyable as they have become “mini” events that need to be pre-planned due to safety.

In December I am looking forward to the annual Calabar Festival when we will hopefully be able to open the building for public visits as the monorail, golf course and approximately 95% of the building will be completed. What an amazing site it will be for all visitors; a first class centre with extraordinary views nestled neatly on a hill. Simply put, the CICC is the king of the hill overlooking Calabar and Summit Hills and we will have the pleasure of opening its doors to give guests a sneak peak.

What do you do at CICC? Please describe a typical day?

In a nutshell I am responsible for the preopening sales and marketing for the CICC. The current focus being sales specific to confirm events for the opening year, 2015, and creating as much local and international awareness as possible.

A typical day for me would be research, cold calls, client meetings and site inspections. But; as we are still starting up, most of my day is filled with research to find events and specifically association conferences here in Nigeria and a lot of cold calls and mailers. The conference market here is astonishing; the number of local conferences being nothing short of a basket

overflowing with fruit. Professionals love to meet here but the key is to understand the way they do business and to get to the decision makers.

As our client prospectus and awareness grows, my face-to-face meetings and site inspections increases which is wonderful as I love to meet new clients and particularly love to show them the building site.

Other than that the project team and I weekly work on various projects such as planning to attend trade shows; working on local marketing initiatives; organising roadshows for suppliers and clients, and sales trips to Lagos which is the hub for business in Nigeria.

What do you feel are the major aspects of the business-events industry that need to change or evolve?

I would say the biggest aspect that needs to change or evolve is the perception within and outside our industry of what business events or business tourism is. For many, business events is not perceived as a serious gamechanging sector of business which is a great misconception. Professionals who work in business events are educated, experienced and come from an array of different working back grounds such as engineering, finance, marketing, journalism, IT, travel operators, project management, entertainment and leisure.

Truly a rainbow nation “working sector” of sorts.

What are you doing to inject vitality and fresh ideas to an industry that is mainly dominated by the older generations?

The first for me would be to learn as much as possible from the older generations that have been in the industry for many years and identify mentors that teach by example. They have a vast amount of knowledge and experience to tap into and learning from them has helped me to build a good foundation so that I don’t try and reinvent the wheel when it is already working.

Recently I have taken on this new position in Nigeria to not only give expertise where I can but also to learn how they do things here.

What better way to get new, fresh ideas than to step out of one’s comfort zone and tackle a new adventure. Being a bit braver and getting out there as a young person I think is a great teacher and if more people do it, I believe more people will be brave enough to get out into Africa. I enjoy networking with my peers and reading industry and business publications which can be very inspirational to initiate new ideas.

SPOTLIGHT | 11

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ADRIAAN Liebetrau

Age: 30 Company: Southern African Association for the Conference Industry (SAACI) Job Title: Chief Executive Officer Three words to describe yourself: Passionate, Ambitious, Go-getter Which events are you most looking forward to this year?

Without a doubt – and I am not being biased – the SAACI congress in St Lucia. I am also going to represent SAACI at the ICCA congress in Turkey later this year and can’t wait to see what’s new, hip and happening in the world of business events.

What do you do at SAACI? Please describe a typical day This is probably the hardest question to answer, as I have only been in the role since the beginning of May. As CEO of SAACI I serve on the Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA) CEO’s Forum and the National Tourism Sector Strategy (NTSS) cluster chaired by the National Department of Tourism. Currently SAACI represents just under 600 companies and the number is steadily growing. SAACI provides representative and other collective products and services to the business events industry. Along with our annual congress we provide networking opportunities and platforms, we are a founding member of Certified Events Professionals Africa, a training and educational body, and of the Events Greening Forum aiming to provided sustainability in our sector. We also have an official publication to name but a few. However, our main focuses are often as a representative body putting forward the collective view and position of our members, generally to government departments, agencies and regulators and also to the media and other opinion formers. We are a non-profit organisation and so rely on the support of the industry to best serve them and their needs.

What do you feel are the major aspects of the business-events industry that need to change or evolve?

Currently we are busy with a total overhaul of our own operation at SAACI, and while this process is going to take the better part of the

next year, I am definitely picking up a few things in our industry. We definitely need to start taking ourselves a lot more seriously before we can expect others to take us seriously. Collaboration between companies is going to be key to our success. Sometimes we forget the entire value chain is involved when it comes to a single delegate and creating magical moments at all touch points will be key to our success.

Government has outlined big targets for our industry. Imagine if we achieve all of them! We can’t talk about things anymore, we need to act and act together.

What are you doing to inject vitality and fresh ideas to an industry that is mainly dominated by the older generations?

As much as possible. I am very concerned for my fellow millennials. I was blessed to have amazing people that took an interest in my development as a student, and who took the time to teach me the ropes of the industry even after I completed my studies. If it wasn’t for them, I would not have been CEO of SAACI today. I said it before - “I don’t have all the answers” - but I hope that in the coming months we can set up workable solutions across associations, corporate and government institutions so that we can address a very real problem.

12 | TECH TALK WITH KIM

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NEVER LOSE YOUR LUGGAGE AGAIN

by Kim Muller

I

1. Smart Bag Tags The most futuristic development is the new e-Tag and eTrack system introduced

by Air France-KLM in collaboration with their SkyTeam partner, Delta Airlines. The nifty device allows you to track your bags throughout the journey directly on your smartphone using GSM, GPS and Bluetooth technology. The eTag automatically updates and displays flight details and a barcode when you check in online from home. For more information, visit www.flyingblue.com.

British Airways have also been testing these tags and estimate that travellers will be able to check in in less than a minute.

2. Vacuum Suitcases

5. SCOTTeVEST

Briggs & Riley’s CX technology sees an ordinary looking suitcase expand up to 33% before squishing all the air out of your clothes to compress the cases back to its original size. The bag fits neatly into the overhead compartment, saving both space and check-in time. The company offers a wide range of baggage options from cabin spinners to carry-ons, large duffels, widebodies, garment covers and backpacks. To see the full selection, visit www.briggs-riley.com.

Scott Jordan was always a gadget guy but never had a good way to carry his many tidbits. After piecing together a prototype, the company made history and received a patent for wiring headphones and batteries through clothing. This Technology Enabled Clothing, or TEC, developed to become the SCOTTeVEST. It is Google Glass and iPad compatible and is even guaranteed to be pickpocket-proof, with up to 42 pockets.

Visit www.scottevest.com to order.

3. Hop! The Following Suitcase This highly unnecessary yet extraordinary contraption is a case that follows you around. It contains receivers that triangulate signals from your cellphone to trundle along behind you. Although only in prototype stage, Hop! has received real interest, including a James Dyson Award.

4. Hey USA BioCase Collection Ever thought that your mini padlock just wasn’t enough? Hey USA has the answer. The BioCase Collection features exclusive biometric memory for up to eight fingerprints. The shell is nearly indestructible, made from 100% German polycarbonate, while the fingerprint technology allows access to locked bags with a 90 day memory charge. Sleek and modern, the BioCase can be ordered from www.brookstone.com.

Clockwise from top: Images courtesy of Flying Blue, Air France, KLM, SCOTTeVEST and Hop!

n this fast-paced and increasingly globalised economy, there is nothing worse than realising that your luggage has been lost as you arrive at a business destination. Even worse is finding that your suitcase has been tampered with.

Fortunately, there are solutions to these problems, with airports across the world slowly beginning to embrace new tagging tech to ensure smooth travel. Information and technology company SITA recently announced that while passenger numbers have increased by 65.6% in the last decade, reports of mishandled bags have been cut in half. Although this is a great improvement, airlines have been working to reduce the number of bags lost. Here’s a countdown of some of the latest and greatest tech in this department, as well as some gadgets that are guaranteed to improve your travel experience.

NEWS | 13

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CTICC expansion one step closer to completion

by CCID Correspondent

A

t a sod-turning ceremony on 21 July 2014, a significant milestone was reached in the process to expand the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) and build on its past success. As the stakeholder that has provided the majority of the finance and the land required for the CTICC, this marked an exciting day for the City of Cape Town as it gets ever closer to the reality of an expanded and improved CTICC. Within five years of its opening, the demand for the CTICC’s exhibition hall outstripped supply. A 100% occupancy level has become a frequent occurrence and the City of Cape Town agreed that the CTICC must expand in order to remain competitive as there are many new convention centres opening across the world. The City of Cape Town’s increased investment in the CTICC will further unlock the potential of this municipal entity, which in turn will make a significant contribution to job creation and help drive economic growth. The economic impact of the expansion is significant: • It will lead to the creation of 539 sustainable direct jobs in 2016, and it is expected that this will increase to 1 082 direct jobs for the province by 2020.

• It will lead to an estiwwmated cumulative contribution to taxes of R736 million, while a R4 billion

•

•

contribution to indirect household income is also anticipated.

It will potentially lead to a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) contribution of R705 million by 2016, while the cumulative contribution to the GDP is expected to exceed R7.7 billion by 2020.

The calculated contribution to the Western Cape’s Gross Geographic Product (GGP) as a result of this expansion is expected to be R214 million

in 2016. The cumulative contribution to the GGP is expected to total R2.2bn by 2020.

• It is estimated that net foreign exchange of R181 million will be unlocked by 2020.

The CTICC is also a ratepayer and the development of currently undeveloped land will increase the City rates base, thereby increasing service delivery and maintaining the already high levels of service provision.

14 | FEATURE

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WORKING IN AFRICA

by Kim Muller

F

irst world countries have always been the powerhouses of mega trade fairs, with the UK, Europe and the US producing humongous exhibitions that have to some extent become the main ‘buying’ exercise for supply chains. But this has slowly begun to change, with BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) economies now producing future opportunities in the meetings, incentives and conferencing and exhibition industries.

South Africa is a natural leader in this arena, with emerging markets in Africa placing the nation on the global exhibition landscape. This helps to strengthen SA’s own position and that of the continent, allowing it to meet increasing demand. But

although Africa has become a beacon of hope for the business events industry, there are many who worry that it is not yet ready to take on the many responsibilities that come with creating a world-class meetings economy.

Actually, what is a PCO? To demonstrate the lack of education and expertise in Africa, Convention Industry Consultants’ Dirk Elzinga recently shared a story about a trip to Kenya. “All of us were stunned speechless three years ago at an ICCA Africa workshop in Nairobi,” he said, “when an almost retired Ugandan professor timidly took the microphone and asked, ‘But what do you mean, what is a PCO?’ We,

the experienced players in the international congress business – predominantly from South Africa I must say – had no clue that there were people out here who had no clue about the existence of something like a Professional Conference Organiser! After the professor’s question was answered he said, ‘If I only would have heard about that before, I would have organised so many more congresses in my life!’”

This little anecdote might tickle your funny bone, but the reality is that so few African countries are fully equipped to deal with the logistics of conference planning. No one has taught them the ins and outs of the business and as such, a number of nations fail to meet the bare standards of event

FEATURE | 15

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Image © Yejun Kim

“

New convention centres will soon open for business in Calabar, Nigeria, and Kigali, Rwanda.

Other projects in Namibia, Tanzania, Kenya and Ethiopia will follow. There are no PCO’s in those countries. There are travel agents, sometimes special event organisers, but no PCO’s. So if I had a PCO company in Africa with a bit of experience in organising African events, I would not wait much longer and be on my bicycle.

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planning – let alone global standards.

That said, Elzinga has immense hope for the African industry. “There are many PCO’s in South Africa now. But things were different fifteen or twenty years ago before the first congress centres opened in our country…The South Africa story can be repeated. New convention centres will soon open for business in Calabar, Nigeria, and Kigali, Rwanda. Other projects in Namibia, Tanzania, Kenya and Ethiopia will follow.

There are no PCO’s in those countries. There are travel agents, sometimes special event organisers, but no PCO’s. So if I had a PCO company in Africa with a bit of experience in organising African events, I would not wait much longer and be on my bicycle.”

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Never rely on African time Although the continent has little experience in event planning (compared with the rest of the world), there are areas in which it does exceptionally well. One of these is in mobile marketing. Brad Hook of Thebe Reed, formerly of Specialised Exhibitions Montgomery, says that this is something no one should underestimate.

“During my first experience running an exhibition in Africa, we knew mobile marketing was a powerful channel for visitor promotion but had no real experience in testing it. We acquired a list of mobile numbers for our target audience through various stakeholders and primed a bulk SMS to go out as a ‘reminder’ on the morning the show opened. We then made a crucial mistake: in the copy of the SMS we noted the opening time as one hour earlier than it actually was. This was a deliberate tactic as we had a pre-conceived idea about ‘African’ time and we thought that by communicating the opening time as being one hour earlier than it actually was, by the time we actually opened we should at least have a small queue – which of course is what you want to demonstrate to your exhibitors!

“Needless to say, about 500 visitors arrived promptly as per the suggested time of the SMS and caught us completely off guard! Of course the regular power cuts at our registration desk did little to assist in processing the backlog of mostly unregistered visitors.”

He says the lesson they learnt is that mobile marketing is incredibly effective in Africa. “Never underestimate how ready audiences are to respond to an opportunity to network and interact with an event platform that is well positioned to serve a growing business community in your chosen region,” says Hook.

Making preparations for the 123rd IOC Session in 2011 © Durban ICC

Front view of the Durban International Convention Centre © Durban ICC

Never underestimate how ready audiences are to respond to an opportunity to network and interact with an event platform.

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ABTA talk at WTM Africa 2014

Model of the Calabar International Convention Centre

18 | FEATURE

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© Blue Train

Long-haul destination vs value for money A challenge that South Africa and many other African nations face is the fact that internationally, the continent is seen as a long-haul destination. It’s not quick, easy or efficient travelling to or running events in Africa – or at least, that’s what most internationals tend to think. To a certain extent they are right. It certainly is easier to arrange conferences and exhibitions in your home town than it is abroad. The cost of flights alone can cause budgets to soar.

But the whole African continent is not a

long-haul destination. Although this may be true for delegates travelling from Europe to South Africa (12-14 hour flights), hosting events in North, West or East Africa mean that attendees need only travel between one and seven hours to reach their destination.

Mala Dorasamy, the Marketing, Sales and Events Director at Durban ICC says this can impact negatively on the number of delegates that attend an international event.

“On the other hand,” she says, “South Africa – and Durban in particular – is still an affordable, value-for-money destination that offers delegates a world-class venue

It’s not quick, easy or efficient travelling to or running events in Africa – or at least, that’s what most internationals tend to think. To a certain extent they are right. But the whole African continent is not a long-haul destination. Although this may be true for delegates travelling from Europe to South Africa, hosting events in North, West or East Africa mean that attendees need only travel between one and seven hours to reach their destination.

“

and a truly warm African experience. The exchange rate works in our favour and our international clientele can benefit greatly from the economics of hosting their events here. In addition to this, our clients appreciate the amazing weather on offer all year round, which provides greater flexibility when scheduling their events.”

Dorasamy goes on to say that one of the key factors for Durban ICC’s success despite the odds is its passion. “We are lucky to have a very passionate team, many of whom have been at the Centre for many years and who have an unrivalled

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© Calabar International Convention Centre

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level of expertise. Whilst everyone does their job professionally, underpinning this passion is an excellent system of procedures and a healthy level of fun at work!” She believes that this love for the events industry goes hand in hand with commitment to quality. “Durban ICC is also committed to upholding the highest international standards of service delivery.

In addition to its five-star grading from the Tourism Grading Council of South Africa, the Centre has also been awarded a Gold Certification from the AIPC Quality Standards programme, which is the highest level of certification in this international accreditation in the conventions industry.”

It also holds international certificates in Quality Management, Environmental Responsibility and Food Safety, making it the only convention centre in the country with these accreditations.

Although Durban ICC seems to have

gotten it right, the rest of the continent still has a way to go. Not only is it rather difficult to obtain visas to certain countries for non- Americans, but travel can be a bit messier than a simple Gautrain or taxi to and from the airport. Then there’s the aspect of relationship building.

Sub-Saharan African business is built on relationships and cultivating those interactions takes time. Although the general infrastructure is there – hotel accommodation, convention centres and transportation, the lack of education and expertise in the conferencing arena is what holds the continent back the most.

Many nations have begun to try and raise the standard, however, with countries like Tanzania, Zambia and Senegal attracting more and more regional and international attention. We can only hope that other Africans taps into this business opportunity before it’s too late.

World Travel Market Africa 2014

Event taking place in the main hall of the Durban Inernational Convention Centre © Durban ICC

South Africa is still an affordable, value-formoney destination that offers delegates world-class venues and a truly warm African experience.

Our clients appreciate the amazing weather all year round, providing greater flexibility for scheduling events.

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President Zuma and IEC representatives ©Tok Grobler, Bushbaby Communication

Events in South Africa Who you gonna call?

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ot all events held in our country can be harmonious occasions.

Certain spheres, such as politics, can be fraught with potential for upsets. That’s why is crucial to host your ‘high-security’ event at a venue that is well-versed in safety procedures, and has an experienced team on call to assuage any danger. The most prominent venue that sprang to mind when brainstorming high-security events was the Tshwane Events Centre, so The Event sat down with Ricky Da Costa (marketing manager of Tshwane Events Centre) to chat about the ins and outs of putting on such an event.

Tshwane Events Centre has hosted some high-profile and high-security events in recent years. Please give an overview of the major ones.

The venue has hosted a myriad of security sensitive events, including some of the big ones such as the IEC regional operations centre for the last five national and provincial elections. We hosted President Zuma, former president Mbeki, several

political parties and the NYDA Youth festival (commonly known as the kissing festival).

We have hosted dignitaries such as former US president Bill Clinton and his daughter Chelsea as well.

How do you go about arranging the logistics with regard to security?

The centre offers a comprehensive turnkey solution service. Our staff is well trained in VIP protection, naturally they work very closely with presidential VIP protection units and SAPS where necessary. Ordinarily the current health and safety acts put huge emphasis on security and safety that the venue has to comply with, some of the challenges that we face with Government protection is that they don’t always coordinate with us in time and spring surprise changes which can be challenging.

Do you have a full time security contingent, or do you bring on extra security personnel for some events?

Tshwane Events Centre has recently begun our own security firm, all members are

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HIGH-SECURITY “

We hosted President Zuma, former president Mbeki, several political parties and the NYDA Youth festival.

Psira approved and have all necessary qualifications to insure our security offerings are of world-class standard, we have a pool of additional qualified personal to call in should the need arise.

What are the main security concerns when hosting a big event?

Ensuring the health and safety protocols as dictated by the bill are adhered too, as well as discouraging alcohol abuse.

Tshwane Events Centre has a reputation for high security standards. To what do you attribute this success?

The in-house security team are efficient and proud of what they do for the venue; they apply very high standards when it comes to offering security services to our clients.

Professionalism and advance conflict resolution tactics ensure that a situation is always dealt in a calm and professional manner.

22 | IT&CM INDIA

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Euromic Now On Board

IT&CM INDIA 2014 E

uromic, one of the world’s most expansive group of destination management companies, is now on board IT&CM India 2014.

Executive Director, Christophe Verstraete said, “India is the third-fastest growing global economy, and well positioned for an un-paralleled development within the travel and tourism sector. As Indian companies look for business opportunities around the world, outbound business travel and MICE are estimated to be expanding at a greater pace than leisure.”

“Our members see a growing interest for long haul destinations as most corporates, over the last few years, have visited Asia countries for their MICE travels. Special interest products are also gaining popularity in the Indian market, making DMC’s power of local knowledge, special tailormade itineraries and services even more essential,” he continued.

Expressing his excitement on having their local Euromic member, Creative Travel, on board IT&CM India, Verstraete said, “India has always been an enchanting destination for tourists from all around the world. In recent times, it has emerged as a hub for MICE tourism as well. Overall, as a destination, India offers excellent accessibility, amazing accommodations, unique incentive options and cost effectiveness, making it an ideal MICE destination. This is where our local member, Creative Travel’s expertise lies in. As one of the finest DMCs in the Indian region, Creative Travel’s two and a half decades experience handling clients from all over the world has allowed them to create the most memorable programmes.”

Echoing Verstraete’s comments, local Euromic member Ashish Sehgal, Senior General Manager – Sales of Creative Travel,

said “IT&CM is the region’s leading trade show brand for the meetings and events industry. As a strong stakeholder in India, it is beneficial for Creative Travel to participate in the show as IT&CM India ensures the attendance of top level decision makers – the people we want to meet with. We are confident we are able to achieve our business objectives like greater market penetration, international publicity and increasing new customer base through IT&CM India.”

Euromic had recently concluded their first IT&CM Event at Shanghai earlier this year. Citing their successful experience at IT&CM China, Verstraete remarked, “IT&CM China was professionally organised and gave us the opportunity not only to be present in this important emerging MICE market and to meet with Chinese MICE agencies, but also allowed our local member, Destination China, to showcase its destination and services to the Euromic group of European hosted buyers during its exclusive post-show tour in Shanghai and Hangzhou. We look forward to a successful IT&CM India 2014.”

IT&CM India will take place from 19 to 21 August 2014. For more information on IT&CM India, visit www.itcmindia.com

About IT&CM India 2014 The Leading International MICE Event In India IT&CM India is an international MICE business, education and networking event that advances opportunities of “Promoting India to the World and the World to India”. The event delivers both

international and Indian delegates across exhibitors, buyers and media categories, thus promoting business opportunities on all fronts – inbound, outbound and domestic. Launched in 2012, the 3-day event embodies the proven IT&CM programme formula comprising of structured business appointments, exhibition showcase, seminar sessions, official networking functions and tours. The show has been incorporating Luxury Travel since its inauguration. IT&CM India is part of the IT&CM Events series organized by TTG Events, a business group of TTG Asia Media.

Media Contact Olivia Ng (Ms.): Events Executive Email: olivia.ng@ttgasia.com Eileen Teo (Ms.): Marketing Executive Email: eileen.teo@ttgasia.com Cheryl Tan (Ms.): Corporate Marketing Manager Email: cheryl.tan@ttgasia.com TTG Events – A Business Group of TTG Asia Media: TTG Asia Media, 1 Science Park Road, #04-07, The Capricorn, Singapore Science Park II, Singapore 117528 Tel: (65) 6395 7575 Fax: (65) 6536 0896 Corporate Website: www.ttgasiamedia.com Event URL: www.itcmindia.com

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INDUSTRY BUZZWORDS: Why They're Important for Your Business

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ontent. Costing. Collaboration.

Quality. It’s almost three quarters through 2014 and the industry is buzzing with these keywords. But what do they really mean for event organisers, for venues and for

exhibitors? And how can we harness them to create an even greater business events industry? The Event spoke to Laurette Sibiya, Marketing Executive at SSQ Exhibitions, Amanda Kotze-Nhlapo, Executive Manager of the South African

National Convention Bureau (SANCB) and Olivia Bruce, Marketing and Sustainability Manager at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) to find out how these buzzwords affect South Africa.

Content is a loaded word. Not only does it apply to digital, website and social media content, but to any published work – whether that be flyers, meeting planners’ guides or tourist magazines.

Content is a significant facet of marketing your brand, with various types of content and platforms often making or breaking marketing campaigns.

“In a nutshell, content is communication,” says Laurette Sibiya

of SSQ Exhibitions. “It is a premeditated and structured message with a purpose.

Composed with a dedicated audience in consideration, content should be easy to understand, relevant, engaging and informative. It should answer a question, provide a solution, and it should educate.”

The SANCB’s Amanda Kotze-Nhlapo says that quality content and knowing your target audience are vital. “Our role is to provide a ‘one stop’ solution for clients

who are interested in hosting business events in SA,” she says. “At the core of this service is providing independent content and options to the client based on their event requirements. Content can be shared via different mediums and it needs to be customised based on your audience’s preference and needs. Many hosted buyer still prefer printed material in a digitally dominated environment and if you eliminate this medium from your content sharing strategy you might risk not capturing the interest of a potential client.”

“From a digital perspective, content means far more than just information or words on a page,” says Olivia Bruce. “At the CTICC, we recognise that content is actually an opportunity to engage meaningfully with our audiences and various stakeholders.

We take a highly integrated approach to our marketing, branding and sales efforts and the development of engaging and meaningful content is central to that approach. We’re also acutely aware that we are competing for audience attention against the barrage of media they face on a daily basis. To succeed in this ‘attention economy’, our content needs to stand out by engaging quickly and efficiently with our market and deliver what they want, when, where and how they want it.”

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Of course, content output is largely dependent on costing. “Budget is one of the most important factors for SSQ,” says Sibiya, “It dictates everything that is or is not feasible for any project we take on.

Clients often select their preferred exhibition stand designer or builder and project manager according to the most suitable quote, and this means that costing needs to be strategically calculated at all times.”

Event planners, venues and exhibitors are lost without a proper budget, but what most don’t understand is that costing affects every other buzzword. Without it, content creation would be simple, minimal and largely on free platforms like Facebook, Twitter and the like. There would be no incentive to collaborate, and even the quality of the event would suffer.

“Costing is a critical factor to hosting any business event,” says Kotze-Nhlapo.

“Associations utilise their events and conferences to generate revenue for their organisations and it is an important element in their business module. Hosting their events in long haul destinations increases the risk factors associated with attracting the maximum number of delegates, impacting on the profitability of their events.” According to the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA), short haul destinations still attract more delegates than long haul ones. This means that South Africa often has to counter this challenge by demonstrating value for money without compromising on quality. Kotze-Nhlapo goes on to say that incentives might not be profit driven, but help demonstrate value for money “without compromising on the wow elements”.

“The ability of a destination to cater for incentives with different budget categories will impact its success rate,” she says.

Bruce says that the CTICC has similar values. “The CTICC has never positioned itself as a ‘budget’ events destination, but rather as an affordable facilitator of exceptional experiences.” she says. “That said, we understand that our clients

have a budget within which they must operate, and we are committed to enabling them to do so without compromising on quality of experience. In this endeavour, the CTICC’s Commercial and Business Development department plays a vital role and is one of the cornerstones of our sustainable success.” According to Bruce,

Cape Town’s premiere events venue has a holistic approach to costing. “When people come to the CTICC, they typically come to experience everything else that Cape Town has to offer. For this reason, partnerships with other tourism industry players are a core part of managing the total experience costs for visitors,” said Bruce.

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Which brings us to the next big buzzword – collaboration. “Effective collaboration is a non-negotiable component in the success of any participant in the events industry,” says Bruce. The CTICC relies on its close working relationships with partners and fellow stakeholders, as well as collaboration with its clients. “Only they fully understand what they want for their delegates, so rather than just providing them with a venue, we partner with them to deliver their perfect experience. Of course, as with any relationship, this collaborative approach comes with various challenges. When you bring together a convention centre, airlines, hotels, tour operators and more, you are

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bound to experience conflicting ideas and approaches.”

Sibiya believes that although collaboration comes with a mountain of challenges, working together can also overcome them. “One way of overcoming unexpected challenges in this industry is through collaboration,” she says. “Today’s fast paced marketplace requires mutually beneficial partnerships to leverage creativity, experience and resources, with right-andleft-brain thinkers and collaboration can help in arriving at a solution in less time.”

Collaborative efforts include forging good relationships with suppliers and competitors, as well as maintaining a level

of understanding and trust. Kotze-Nhlapo agrees, saying, “Only through collaboration is it possible to bid and stage a successful business event. Eliminating the risk factors is important to successful collaboration ensuring each element of the value chain performs optimally.”

The level of collaboration often hinges on the type of event being staged. An average-sized conference may require the collaboration of a local association, a venue, a professional conference organiser, a convention bureau and other service providers. “Collaboration between these organisations is critical to the success of any business event,” she says.

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The quality of any event is the pride of its organisers. Quality affects future business,

and as such, is a major point that many South African event planners and industry

focus on. But, says Kotze-Nhlapo, quality is also subjective and can be influenced by personal feelings, tastes or opinion.

“Establishing your client’s view on quality is important before trying to sell him or her something. Delivering on this promise is the ultimate test to meeting a client’s expectations. Star grading and site inspections are tools that can be utilised to ensure quality assurances are met and delivered on in our industry.”

Bruce concurs. “While quality has never been merely a compliance issue for us, we benchmark ourselves against international measures and standards, particularly through our various ISO accreditations,” she says.

Sibiya echoes their sentiments. “Quality is non-negotiable for SSQ Exhibitions. As suppliers to the exhibitions and events industry, it is crucial that we always remember that our work, be it an exhibition stand or mall display, is representative of the client brand and product at all times. If we were to overlook the relevance of quality, it will reflect badly on our client and on us, potentially compromising a healthy business relationship and reputation.”

“We believe that we are strong in most of these areas in South Africa and can compete with international standards,” says Sibiya, “however budget restraints and timelines often mean that we have to be able to diversify and offer alternative solutions without compromising any of the above, and this is something we take immense pride in.” She goes on to say that one of the areas the nation can work on is costing.

“Many key players do not always strive for the same level of quality as others do, and are therefore able to cut corners and meet

tighter budgets, to the detriment of the standard and quality the industry is trying to meet. This also makes it difficult for other suppliers to meet those same budgets when they are still trying to uphold a defined quality of work.” She says that the solution to this is simply education. “Quality should be a benchmark for all client products, and clients should understand that, unfortunately, quality does not come cheap.”

Bruce says that on the whole, “Africa is one of the global leaders” in quality of experience and these strengths should be

preserved and nurtured. She does believe that while Africans generally come across as largely unified through their patriotism, heritage and culture, “we still have a lot of work to do when it comes to unlocking the full benefits of collaboration. For the most part, we tend to compete rather than collaborate, and in the events industry, this can be extremely counter-productive. If we can reach a point where we recognise the value in ‘sharing the spoils’, the success and economic growth of our continent will take place at a faster rate.”

28 | IT&CM ASIA AND CTW ASIA-PACIFIC

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SITE JOINS IT&CM Events' Supporting Association Line-Up Association to next deliver customised content and speakers at IT&CMA and CTW Asia-Pacific

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T&CM Events has teamed up with Site, the global network for travel and event professionals, encompassing Site’s support on several fronts – educational programme, publicity, editorial and delegate support - for the upcoming IT&CMA and CTW Asia-Pacific show happening on 30 September to 2 October 2014.

Besides developing and delivering customised content for the IT&CM Events educational forums, the supporting association will also be bringing on board MICE buyers comprising of Site members from various disciplines such as incentive companies, corporate planners, destination management companies, convention/tourism authorities, hospitality, and travel suppliers.

Earlier in April this year, Site speakers were featured at IT&CM China’s tailored Corporate Performance forum in Shanghai, as part of its inaugural involvement as supporting association. The association helmed the topic “A Global update on Incentives – China Focus” that discussed current best practices and new emerging techniques needed to be successful in building and delivering incentive travel programmes. Their panel of speakers spotlighted international and China representatives of Site including First Incentive Travel, Inc’s Chairman & CEO, Joost de Meyer, IME Consulting Co., Ltd’s General Manager, Alicia Yao and China Star Ltd’s CEO Liu Ping.

Delegates to IT&CMA and CTW AsiaPacific can expect Site to once again provide customised educational content as well as a pool of industry experts to share their insider perspectives at the upcoming event in Bangkok.

Kevin Hinton, Chief Staff Officer of Site expressed, “Partnering with IT&CMA and CTW Asia-Pacific is a great way for Site to meet the needs of its global Chapter members, as well as its potential members. We are thrilled to have the opportunity to align the Site brand with IT&CMA and CTW Asia-Pacific as the leading association in the region, combining what we do best with what they do best in bringing together buyers and sellers. We see this as another step in our relationship with IT&CM Events, whom we

have partnered with in the past, and are excited about this new expansion of our relationship.”

He continued, “Site’s Annual Global Conference took place in China 18 months ago, at which time we hosted 300 incentive travel professionals, and partnering with IT&CMA and CTW Asia-Pacific gives us the opportunity to reengage with Site members and other incentive travel professionals in the region.”

Ooi Peng Ee, General Manager of TTG Events said, “We are thrilled to have Site on board and we are confident this collaboration will add on new dimensions to our tailored educational forums. Our commitment to elevate the sophistication of the Asia-Pacific region’s corporate professionals will serve to broaden our industry’s horizons.”

In addition, over 100 top-tier buyers, travel managers, leading hoteliers, media and

partners congregated at the preview reception of Holiday Inn Bangkok Sukhumvit on 10 July, in anticipation of the latest happenings for the upcoming IT&CMA and CTW Asia-Pacific 2014.

Highlights revealed at the preview reception included the new partnerships with established organisations Site, MPI and ACTE to develop and deliver educational sessions, big-name corporate travel brands on board as new sponsors for CTW Asia-Pacific, and an expanded Association Day and Corporate Performance Forums returning for the second year on the 1 and 2 October respectively.

For more information on the IT&CM events, please visit the following respective websites: IT&CM China: www.itcmchina.com IT&CMA and CTW Asia-Pacific: www.itcma.com | www.corporatetravelworld.com IT&CM India: www.itcmindia.com

30 | REGIONAL SPOTLIGHT

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Known for its scenic beauty and rural tranquility the province offers a wide choice of modern conference and exhibition facilities.

FREE STATE: Welcome to the Heart of South Africa

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he Free State is in the heart of South Africa as it borders six of the country’s nine provinces, as well as the kingdom of Lesotho.

South Africa’s largest river, the Orange, rises in Lesotho’s Maluti Mountains in the Free State and forms the southern boundary of the Free State before winding its way to the Atlantic Ocean. This enormous inland sea and the attractive resort on its banks provide a relaxing interlude for travellers, especially for those who enjoy swimming, water-skiing, fishing and yachting. Known for its scenic beauty and rural tranquility the province offers a wide choice of modern conference and exhibition facilities, including custom built centres designed to top international specifications, facilities at

by Siyanda Bani hotels, educational institutions and theatres.

Conference Venues in Bloemfontein and Free State range from country lodges to large Free State Conference and exhibition centres in the cities.

Venues De Oude Kraal For small and intimate conferencing De Oude Kraal has a Conference Venue that seats twenty delegates. The facility is ideal for conferences, product launches, group incentive rewards and seminars. A garden facing patio accessible through large glass doors enables conference delegates to enjoy break time refreshments outdoors. The venue provides an area suitable for displays and branding opportunities.

Lord Fraser’s Conference executive boardroom seats 40 people in a climate controlled environment with a TV, video machine, data projector screen and flipcharts. Only 120km from Wepener, Lord Fraser Guest House provides a tranquil and relaxed atmosphere where you can conduct your conference, meeting, training or strategy and teambuilding workshops and recharge your batteries at the same time

What’s happening now?

Macufe, the 10-day Mangaung African Cultural Festival, showcases the cream of African and international talent. This is an annual music and poetry festival which started in 1997 with thirty thousand people

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©Pavel Tcholakov

in attendance and it now it attracts over 140 000 from Africa and the world over.

This year Macufe festival will be taking place from the 3rd of October - 12 October 2014.

Climate

©Pavel Tcholakov

Free State has weather typical of an interior plateau with summer rains, chilly winters and plenty of sunshine. To the north, the Vaal irrigation area nourishes the small assortment of farming towns below it, and the hue of the Free State countryside is often green. Bloemfontein is the capital city of the Free State. Its average summer temperature is +/- 23 degrees and its average winter temperature is +/- 8 degrees. January is the hottest month, with a temperature range of 15 – 32 degrees, while June is the coldest, its range a cold 1 degree to a mild 17 degrees.

Free State by Air South African Airways is the airline flying into Bloemfontein Airport which is situated 14 km from the city. There are daily flights between Bloemfontein, Johannesburg, Cape Town, George, Kimberley and Upington.

There is no bus service between the city and the airport. Most of the larger car hire firms have branches at the airport. Taxis are also available.

Population: 2.75 million (Census 2012) ©Andy Carter

Did you know?

Mining is the province’s major employer. A gold reef more than 400 kilometres long, known as the goldfields region, stretches across Gauteng and the Free State. The province has 12 gold mines, producing 30% of South Africa’s output. Gold mines in the Free State also supply a substantial portion of the total silver produced in the country, while considerable concentrations of uranium occurring in the gold-bearing conglomerates of the goldfields are extracted as a by-product.

Need to know If you prefer some networking over a game of golf then in the Free State you might be in for a treat; a 360-degree view of the golden sandstone mountains that frame the course includes the legendary Mount Setlofe (also known as Mount Horeb).

Clarens Golf Estate will be worth your while; local legends combine with mountains, rivers and a par-71 course to offer visitors a stimulating 18 holes. This course offers intriguing landscapes along with the challenge of the game.

32 | COUNTRY SPOTLIGHT

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BOTSWANA:

Safari Sanctuary

by Siyanda Bani

B

otswana is without a doubt one of Africa’s top safari destinations, teeming with game and bird-life, thanks in large part to a strong commitment to wildlife protection, environmental conservation, and preservation of cultural heritage. The unimaginable vastness and other-worldliness makes for outstanding tourism spots as well as conference venues. Botswana offers a wealth of conference and exhibition facilities, including custom-built centres designed to top international specifications, facilities at hotels, educational institutions and theatres.

Conference venues range from intimate country lodges to large conference and exhibition centres in the cities.

focuses on, as the name suggests, power and energy technology and systems. This conference is organized by the International Association of Science and Technology for Development (IASTED). IASTED is an organization that is dedicated to maintaining overall economic and cultural development.

This conference provides the participants a significant platform for interacting and communicating with representatives from around thirty different countries and this can provide a wide scope for participants to gain knowledge on a broad variety of topics.

This factor adds to the significant relevance of this conference. This conference will be taking place from the 1-3 of September 2014 in the country’s capital city Gaborone.

What’s Happening Now?

Venues

IASTED African Conference on Power and Energy Systems is a conference that

The Gaborone International Convention Centre

The Gaborone International Convention Centre (GICC) is one of the premier conference destinations in Africa. It offers world-class conference and banqueting facilities up to 1,800 delegates, high speed Internet service and a business centre for essential business services and facilities.

The GICC, situated adjacent to the Peermont Walmont Hotel within The Grand Palm Hotel Casino Convention Resort, is a stateof-the-art, multifaceted convention facility suited to the needs of both international and local meetings.

Maun Okavango Delta For smaller gatherings; Okavango Delta caters for everything you will need to host a successful conference or workshop.

The conference rooms are equipped with projectors (overhead and multimedia), flipcharts, TV, white board and have full air-

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Did you Know?

Apart from the well-known public holidays such Easter, Christmas and New Year’s, Botswana only has two public holidays - Independence Day and President’s Day.

©CanStockPhoto

©Shutterstock

Getting to Botswana

by Air Air Botswana Corporation is the stateowned national airline of Botswana.

It operates scheduled domestic and regional flights from its main base at Sir Seretse Khama International Airport in Gaborone, where it has its head office.

Sir Seretse Khama International Airport, located 15 kilometres (9 miles) north of Gaborone, is the main international airport of the capital city of Botswana. The airport is named for Sir Seretse Khama, the first president of Botswana.

©CanStockPhoto

conditioning system. The main conference room in Maun is the biggest one offering seats for up to 350 delegates. A second and smaller conference room can seat 120 delegates. Secretarial and internet services are also available.

Population 2.04 million (2014, United Nations)

Climate Botswana’s climatic pattern is typical of southern Africa, although its rainfall is less than countries further east. The rains in Botswana come mostly between December and March, when average minimum temperatures are in the low 20 degrees.

Most of the country has a subtropical climate, with cooler temperatures prevailing in the higher altitudes. Winter days are

warm and nights are cool, with heavy frost common in the desert. Temperatures range from maximums of 26– 32 degrees from October to February to minimums of 2 to 4.4 degrees from June to August. In August begin the seasonal winds that blow from the west and carry sand and dust across the country. The summer rainy seasons runs from November to March and rain is rare between the months of May to August.

Rainfall averages 18 inches but ranges from 27 inches in the north to less than 9 inches in the Kalahari.

34 | CROSSROADS HOTEL

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Elegant & luxurious,

The Crossroads Hotel offers guests a distinguished & memorable stay.

Linked to the Crossroads Shopping Complex, this hotel combines business services, contemporary dining and state of the art conference facilities, appealing to both leisure and business travellers.

Located in the heart of Lilongwe’s CBD, this hotel is 25 minutes from Kamuzu International Airport , offering convenience and easy access to the city’s finest amenities and 124KMs north – east of Lake Malawi The Crossroads Hotel reputation is enhanced by great staff, personalised service , including a luxurious spa, and beautifully appointed dining venues. The accommodation offers comfortable, elegant and spacious rooms emphasised by the warmth of fine living.

Professional, fully-serviced meeting rooms are available for the convenience of those travelling for business, while the banqueting and conferencing facilities meet all event needs from exhibitions and weddings to conferences and banquets.

Rooms In the lap of luxury, Crossroads Hotel rooms offer splendid views over its beautiful pool and garden area.

The design and décor of each room combine rich woods with modern finishes.

Rooms are spacious and comfortable with private en-suite bathrooms, air conditioning, a workspace with wireless internet connectivity and other amenities to ensure business and leisure travellers rest in the peace and privacy of their room.

Smoking and wheelchair accessible rooms are available on request.

In Room Facilities • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Air conditioning Internet access Mini bar 24 hour room service Electronic Safe Direct dial facilities Tea/coffee station Hair dryer Express laundry service Wake-up facilities Porter service Mini bar Bath/ Shower combination DSTv

21 Superior Twin: Two single beds with en suite bathroom, work station, wireless internet access, tea / coffee station, toiletries, small fridge, television and telephone, in-room safe.

21 Superior Double: One queen bed with en suite bathroom, air-conditioning, work station, 4 Executive Suite: One queen bed with en suite bathroom, air-conditioning, work station, wireless internet access, tea / coffee station, toiletries, small fridge, television and telephone, in-room safe.

4 Family Room: Two rooms inter leading to each other with one queen and two single beds, two en suite bathroom, air-conditioning, wireless internet access, tea / coffee station, toiletries, small fridge, telephone and two television, in-room safe.

1 Barrier Free Room: This spacious room has been designed for wheel-chair access and offers all the facilities of a luxurious hotel bedroom.

16 Deluxe Twin: Two single beds, en suite bathroom with separate bath & shower, airconditioning, work station, wireless internet access, tea / coffee station, toiletries, small fridge, television and telephone, in-room safe.

23 Deluxe Queen: One queen bed, en suite bathroom with separate bath & shower, airconditioning, work station, wireless internet access, tea / coffee station, toiletries, small fridge, television and telephone, in-room safe.

Conference and Dining Conference The conference facilities at Crossroads Hotel offer 10 superb on-site meeting rooms and event facilities that can cater for intimate board meetings of 4 delegates to a cocktail function for 1500 guests.

Conference arrangements are managed by an efficient banqueting team that can assist in your function set up, planning tailored menus and managing your event from start to finish without a hitch. Our Event Coordinators pride themselves on creating a uniquely crafted experience, ensuring the success of every function.

Facilities • Projector • Flip chart

• •

Screen Stationery

Dining: The Copper Pot Discover the art of dining at The Copper Pot. Dine with us DAILY to enjoy an impeccable culinary experience exuding style, elegance and luxury.

The menu is crafted for a connoisseur and it boasts of spicy Tandoori, Moghulai and carefully selected Schezwan cuisine; a blend of aged steaks, speciality succulent poultry and exceptional seafood to unleash your taste buds.

There is something extraordinary for every palate…

Mondays to Sundays: 12h00 – Late

7 Deluxe Suites: Enjoy utter luxury in this spacious suite featuring a king size bed, a separate lounge and work space, a kitchenette with tea / coffee station & small fridge, two televisions and telephones 4 Deluxe Family: Two rooms with inter leading door with one queen and two single beds with two en suite bathrooms with separate bath & shower, small fridge and two televisions

Contact: +265 1 750 333/444 | Fax: +265 1 750 336 Cell: +265 888 513 096 | www.crossroadshotel.net reservations@crossroadshotel.net | Crossroads Hotel, P.O. Box x1, Post Dot Net, Lilongwe, Malawi Gps Coordinates: 13°38’54”S 33°45’25”E

EVENT GREENING FORUM | 35

www.theevent.co.za

EGF visit to

ROBINSON DEEP LANDFILL SITE O

n 24th June 2014, the Event Greening Forum hosted a visit to the Robinson Deep Landfill in Turffontein. The day started with an introduction by the chairman of the Event Greening Forum, Justin Hawes, followed by a very informative speech by Simphiwe Mbuli, Assistant Director of Integrated Waste Management for the City of Johannesburg.

Reducing methane gases Simphiwe introduced us to the gas-to-energy project which is running at the landfill. The objective of the project is to extract gas from the waste, through cylinders which have been installed in the landfill. Gases such as nitrogen, oxygen and methane are extracted and methane is converted into carbon dioxide.

The reason for the conversion is that methane is a far more environmentally detrimental greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide.

Currently, the carbon dioxide is released into the air, minimising the greenhouse effect of the methane. However, the end goal of this project is to generate electricity from the gases’ heat. This electricity will then be put back into the grid, simultaneously relieving pressure on Johannesburg’s energy grid and reducing the negative effect of the waste gases.

Landfill crisis looming Simphiwe made us aware of the current landfill situation in Johannesburg - within the next five to 15 years there will be no more space for waste in our current landfills.

He explained that the ultimate solution is alternative waste management technology which is not yet in South Africa but is something to consider in the future.

It is difficult to comprehend the frightening implications of this information but it does encourage one to consider the need for sustainable solutions in everyday life, such as recycling and reusing, and turning off appliances which are not in use.

The details of the impending landfill crisis reminded us how important it is that we continue our efforts to implement greening practices in our potentially wasteful event industry. It reinforced the important role the Event Greening Forum has to play in continuing to drive sustainability in this sector.

Gas extraction process On the way to view the gas extraction machinery, we saw large volumes of trucks coming into the landfill area carrying vast quantities of waste. This was quite shocking and emphasised the urgent need for an

effective solution for waste management in Johannesburg.

We were shown briefly how the machines work, with a sensor indicating the amounts of the different gases being extracted. The presence of too much oxygen would cause the system to shutdown to prevent the combustion of that oxygen.

The demonstrations generated discussion amongst different groups of individuals.

Topics debated included how much power the machines use and whether this is off-set by the energy created from the gas, and the part that the City plays in informing the public and carrying out waste management strategies.

Conclusion The event was a great opportunity for environmentally-conscious individuals to network. The information and demonstrations encouraged participants to think about what can be done in our everyday lives, as well as in the events industry, to minimise the impact we make on the environment.

Article courtesy of Tim Nel: Event Greening Forum member and Scan Display account executive.

36 | EVENTS

www.theevent.co.za

SEPTEMBER CAPE HOMEMAKERS EXPO 4-7 Cape Town

DECOREX JOHANNESBURG 6 - 10 Johannesburg AFRICAN FARMERS WORKSHOP 12 - 14 Johannesburg MAMA MAGIC: THE BABY EXPO 29 - 31 Durban PROFESSIONAL BEAUTY/HAIR 30 - 1 Johannesburg

SPAR BACK TO SCHOOL TRADE SHOW 11 - 12 Durban ELECTRA MINING AFRICA 15 - 19 Johannesburg THE SUNDAY TRIBUNE GARDEN & LEISURE SHOW 19 - 21 Pietermaritzburg THE OFFICE MANAGER SHOW AFRICA 30 - 02 Johannesburg

Flower Fields in the Eastern Freestate, Courtesy of South African Tourism

AUGUST

THE WEDDING EXPO 6-7 Johannesburg

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

EVENTS | 37 41

38 | ASSOCIATIONS

www.theevent.co.za

ABTA to Host Conference and Half Day Forum The African Business Travel Association (ABTA) and the Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE) have joined forces to host a half day Travel Management Forum in Cape Town.

The event will take place at the Legacy Commodore Hotel on 7 August.

ABTA also recently announced that it will be hosting an annual event – the African Business Travel Conference – with the inaugural conference taking place from 2-4 November 2014 at the Sheraton Pretoria Hotel.

The conference will see business travel industry professionals from across the African continent converge in a hive of educational activity, focusing on giving practical guidance on a host of business travel trends, challenges and opportunities. It will also give delegates plenty of opportunities for interaction with their peers, allowing all present to build a strong network of business travel contacts in emerging African markets and, according to their release, is also a “mustattend” for any travel professionals across the globe who have an interest in learning more about business travel in Africa.

ASSOCIATIONS | 39

www.theevent.co.za

TBCSA: SA Tourism Business Performance Has Dipped According to the Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA), the country’s tourism business performance dipped in the second quarter of 2014. The news was released as part of the FNB Tourism Business Index (TBI), which reported a score of 94.7 across April, May and June, indicating performance just below normal and almost 18 points below January to March’s 112.4 index reading.

The industry had already shown an expectation of a dip with a projected 103 performance, but actual performance was somewhat worse than expected at 94.7.

Expectations for the third quarter are at about the same level at 98.

A score of 100 is regarded as the normal trading climate. The lower reading emanated mainly from the ‘Other Tourism’ business segment (excluding accommodation), which includes travel agents, transport operators and conference centres. ‘Other Tourism’ businesses achieved a score of 86.2 points only.

Meanwhile the accommodation sector still performed better than normal achieving an index of 105,8; although it is down from the 116.1 score which was registered in the first quarter, but slightly ahead of the forecast performance index of 103.

The numbers come off the back of the TBCSA’s Annual General Meeting last week, where the newly appointed Minister of Tourism, Derek Hanekom met with the travel and tourism trade. In this meeting he lauded the private sector’s contribution to the growth of the industry over the years but stressed the need to ensure that the growth was inclusive and contributed towards addressing the challenges of inequality and poverty in the country.

The Tourism Business Council (TBCSA) says whilst it welcomed the Minister’s views, it remained concerned about various factors which continue to bar sustainable growth. “The biggest challenge facing many tourism businesses remains the rising cost of doing business which can also be attributed to government legislation, regulations and input costs as 44% of TBI respondents cited. Insufficient domestic and international leisure demand, especially from South Africa’s key source markets also featured heavily as constraints on performance” says TBCSA CEO Mmatšatši Ramawela.

Sergey Alexeev Selected as UFI President for 2015/2016 Term The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry (UFI) recently announced that the next UFI President’s Triumvirate will be composed of Andrés Lopez-Valderrama (Corferias, Colombia), President 20142015 Sergey Alexeev (ExpoForumInternational Ltd., Russian Federation), Incoming President Renaud Hamaide (Comexposium/ViParis).

This decision becomes effective at the conclusion of the 81st UFI Annual Congress to be held in Bogota from October 29 to November 1, 2014 for the 2014/2015 term of office. With this announcement UFI has thus ensured that Sergey Alexeev can move seamlessly into the position of UFI President for this period.

UFI has found that this Presidential trio provides for greater management continuity. It also enables the association to represent the exhibition sector in a greater number of international industry events and activities. Renaud Hamaide, current UFI President, welcomed the arrival of Alexeev, saying “Sergey brings 30 years of exhibition related experience to our UFI president’s trio! As the first Russian UFI President, he will certainly provide valuable insights for the development of UFI programmes in this country.” Russia has the third largest number of UFI members after China and Germany.

Sergey Alexeev acknowledged the importance of this new role, adding, “Joining the UFI Presidential Trio is a reflection of the prospects and professionalism of the Russian exhibition industry. Over the past twenty years Russia has taken its place among the world’s exhibition leaders. Today we play a key role in supporting the development of the Russian economy as a major partner in the global economy.” UFI’s 38 Russian members organize 106 UFI-approved events. Russia places 10th in the world in terms of exhibition infrastructure capacity.

KwaZulu-Natal, Courtesy of South African Tourism

The conference, entitled ‘ABTC 2014 – Education, Strategy, Power’, expects to attract 250 to 300 delegates from across all industry sectors including travel managers and buyers, procurement and finance professionals, TMC’s, Airlines, Hotels and a host of other business travel suppliers.

“We are so excited to be making this announcement and are thrilled to be able to host an education-rich two and a half day conference, supported by top Travel Buyers, TMC’s and Suppliers across Africa,” says Monique Swart, Founder of ABTA. “This conference has been a long time coming and with our ABTA members regularly indicating a real eagerness to be able to meet with their peers from other African countries, we feel that the time is now right to embark on this new and exciting project.”

40 | DIRECTORY LISTINGS

www.theevent.co.za

ADVERTISERS COMPANY

TELEPHONE

EMAIL

WEBSITE

3D Design

+27 11 608 1588

conrad@3ddesign.co.za

www.3ddesign.co.za

Champagne Sports Resort

+27 36 468 8000

reservations@champagnesportsresort.com

www.champagnesportsresort.com

Crossroads Hotel

+265 1 750 333

reservations@crossroadshotel.net

www.crossroadshotel.net

Event Greening Forum

+27 74 369 6369

lynn@eventgreening.co.za

www.eventgreening.co.za

Expo Centre

+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 & CTW Asia-Pacific

+65 6395 7575

exhibitors@itcma.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

Protea Hotel Parktonian

+27 11 403 5740

accom@parktonian.co.za

www.parktonian.co.za

SAACI

+27 41 374 5654

saaci@easternsun.co.za

www.saaci2014.co.za

Sandton Convention Centre

+27 11 779 0000

scc.info@tsogosun.com

www.saconvention.co.za

Showgroup

+27 11 888 5000

info@showgroup.co.za

www.showgroupworld.com

Tourism Expo Botswana

+26 77 622 6221

tourismexpobots@gmail.com

www.tshwane-events.co.za

CONTACT US

Cover Image: Courtesy of 3D Design 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 Digital Co-ordinator: Siyasanga Denga siyasanga@filmeventmedia.co.za Production Co-ordinator: Tammi Klein tammi@filmeventmedia.co.za Manager, Special Projects: Taryn Fowler taryn@filmeventmedia.co.za Group sales Manager: Carl Mellors Carl@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.

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