Meetings Africa 2014 Daily News by Film & Event Media

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OVER 10,000 MEETINGS REQUESTED IN 2014 This year’s Meetings Africa has exceeded itself – 10,169 meetings have already been requested, which is 2,000 more meetings than in 2013. Part of the reason for the success of the conference is the SANCB’s tireless work in promoting and running the event for both years, coupled with the fact that Gauteng has a strong corporate meetings industry that attracts locals and internationals alike. Executive Manager of the SANCB, Amanda Kotze-Nhlapo said in a recent interview, “Africa and South Africa are rising. Our capability and our track record as business events destination is now beyond dispute. When we assigned Meetings Africa 2014 the ‘Advancing Africa Together’ theme, we were exceptionally conscious of the great potential that this region offers the world.” The SANCB has big ambitions for this year’s event. In 2013 it saw 147 international buyers and 100 local corporate buyers attending the show, but this year has far exceeded those numbers with a variety of 1,079 buyers in total. Meetings Africa 2014 will also see 247 exhibitors at the expo and 32 final year Tourism and Hospitality students taking part in the IMEXMPI-MCI Future Leaders Forum Africa.

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INSIDE MEETINGS AFRICA 2014 Meetings Africa is back and better than ever in 2014

Amanda Kotze-Nhlapo

eetings Africa is back and better than ever in 2014. Amanda Kotze-Nhlapo, Executive Manager of the South African National Convention Bureau, talks about what attendees can expect this year. Q: What is in store for Meetings Africa 2014? A: Meetings Africa 2014 will kick off today with the annual BOND DAY (Business Opportunity Networking Day). BOND DAY is designed to provide educational and networking opportunities for the South African business events industry. The day will kick off with the Event Greening Forum’s 2014 Conference at Meetings Africa. This half-day event will be packed with information on Responsible Tourism, with a specific focus on business events. Two educational tracks will follow after lunch which

is open to all exhibitors. Global business events experts, Rob Cameron from the International Association of Convention Centres, Linda Pereira, CEO of L&I Communications Group and Niki Clarke, global hosted buyer qualifier, will be presenting topics on how to maximize on business opportunities. Association day will take place from 09h00 and will be attended by association representatives from across the African continent. The objective of the event is to build the national and Pan-African association communities, to promote their engagement with international associations and to create major macro-economic benefits and lead development for the country. Association day will be followed by the International Congress and Convention Association’s (ICCA) African Chapter – Client /Supplier workshop where members will have an opportunity to meet and interact with the association representatives. The IMEX-MPI-MCI Future Leaders Forum will be hosted for the second year at Meetings Africa. The top tourism and hospitality students from universities across South Africa will be competing in the International University Challenge. The winner of this challenge will be representing South Africa at the global challenge at IMEX in Frankfurt, Germany. BOND DAY will conclude with the Meetings Africa gala dinner, a must attend event! For the first time ever, Meetings Africa and the Unique Speakers Bureau will be staging the biggest single congregation of all the major operations in events facilities and venues, professional speakers and MCs all under one roof. The event will be attended by over 800 local and regional corporate buyers (ABSA, Liberty Life, Discovery, etc.), 40 of USB’s top speakers - of which 20 are leading global presenters. All the corporate buyers will be part of the Meetings Africa diary system which will allow exhibitors to schedule one-on-one meetings with the buyers. Visit www.meetingsafrica.co.za for more information on our exciting events programme.

Q: How is Meetings Africa demonstrating its commitment to the theme “Advancing Africa Together”? A: Africa and South Africa are rising. Our capability and our track record as business event destinations are now beyond dispute. When we assigned Meetings Africa 2013 the Advancing Africa Together theme, we were exceptionally conscious of the great potential that this region offers the world. We were united, too, in our ambition to position Meetings Africa as a platform to grow our share of the regional and global market. To date 247 exhibitors have signed up for Meetings Africa 2014 and we have 47 confirmed African associations’ representatives for Association Day. Meetings Africa offers the world a single platform to do business with the cream of this continent’s service provider... all under one roof. Q: How many international hosted buyers attended in 2013? How many are you expecting in 2014? A: In 2013, 147 international buyers and 100 local corporate buyers attended the show – and this year, all indications are that this number will be exceeded. We set ourselves a target of attracting 160 international buyers to Meetings Africa 2014. By mid-February, there were already 192 international buyers confirmed to attend, and another 800 regional and local corporate buyers. This will be the biggest contingent of qualified buyers ever hosted at Meetings Africa. Each of the international hosted buyers has been vetted and accredited against the global business events trade show standards. These buyers are vetted by ICR (International Conference and Incentive Travel Research, Inc) to ensure that only quality buyers, with excellent and serious intentions to do business, are hosted at Meetings Africa. This gives exhibitors access to the world’s (and the region’s) premier buyers, and an excellent opportunity over the two days of the show to close lucrative business deals.

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02 / MEETINGS AFRICA 2014 ISSUE 1

THE EVENT PL ANNER’S GUIDE TO AFRICA IS THE WIDELY ACCL AIMED PREMIER MARKETING TOOL FOR AFRICA’S BUSINESS EVENTS INDUSTRY.

VISIT US AT STAND A6 CONTACT SHAUN ROSS Tel: 021 674 0646 | email: shaun@filmeventmedia.co.za

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ISSUE 1 MEETINGS AFRICA 2014 / 03

TODAY’S TOP TIPS Matchmaking is here to help The Matchmaking team is on site and ready to ensure continuous support to all Meetings Africa attendees. Take the Train Sandton Gautrain Station is a mere five minute walk from the SCC, and provides easy and safe travelling from Pretoria, Midrand, OR Tambo International Airport and Rosebank. Go Green Meetings Africa is a green event. The Event Greening Forum is on site ensuring that nothing goes to waste. Feel free to chat to them about the innovative greening techniques that are being used at Meetings Africa 2014.

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EVENTS

Not to Miss!

Open To All

By Invitation Only

08:30 - 12:30 Event Greening Forum

09:00 – 13:00 Association Day

13:30 – 15:00 Economic impact studies and their use in meetings industry

09:00 - 17:00 IMEX-MPI-MCI Future Leaders Forum Africa

15:00 – 17:00 Maximising on trade show participation

14:00 – 17:00 ICCA Africa Chapter – Client supplier workshop

18:00 – 19:00 Gala Dinner Networking Event (tickets available to purchase) 19:00 –24:00 Gala Dinner (tickets available to purchase)

04 / MEETINGS AFRICA 2014 ISSUE 1

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GREENING INITIATIVES at Meetings Africa 2014 - By the Event Greening Forum

outh African National Convention Bureau (SANCB) has been an early adopter of the trend towards hosting greener events. During recent years, it has shown its commitment to sustainability by incorporating a number of green practices at Africa’s largest business events show, Meetings Africa. The following green practices are being implemented at Meetings Africa 2014:

New initiatives – there are a number of initiatives implemented for the first time Three green meeting spaces are included in the design of the show. These areas are made exclusively from upcycled and salvaged materials: the walls and floors are made from wooden pallets; old painted tyres are being used as ottomans and planters; lanyards from previous Meetings Africa shows were used for seat webbing; and chandeliers are made from old bubble wrap. The meeting spaces have living walls of Spekboom, an indigenous

plant that is prized for its water-wise and pollution-fighting characteristics. These plants will be donated to charities after the event. The meeting spaces include water bars, where filtered water is served in recyclable cups. For the first time, Green Stand Awards will be the only awards presented to exhibitors. Exhibitors submitted a brief motivation about their stand’s green design principles. Stands will be judged in Small, Medium and Large categories by an external panel. The winners in each category will receive a certificate and a Bokashi kit (which uses a Japaneseinspired fermentation process to convert food waste into compost). To encourage exhibitors to green their stands, a Green Stand Design Workshop was hosted in Johannesburg towards the end of 2013. The workshop targeted both stand builders and Meetings Africa 2013 exhibitors. The Exhibitor Briefings hosted around the country earlier this year included greening tips. These tips were also emailed to all exhibitors

Initiatives that have been done before As we have done before, we will donate re-usable elements to charities after the show: the carpeting used in the exhibition hall and the indigenous plants used in the hall and on exhibitors’ stands will go to worthy causes. The show organisers bought Renewable Energy Certificates to power the show. The organisers used an online Services Manual to minimise printing of order forms, and paper use. Executive Stand Fabric Package options were available again this year – this encourages the re-use of exhibitors’ fabric graphics. Service providers have pledged to do their part to be green with regard to their involvement at Meetings Africa, and to use green practices in their offices, where possible. Travel agents committed to book direct flights for visitors, and use the Gautrain and shuttle services where

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Exhibitors are able to buy a tree from Food & Trees for Africa to offset their carbon footprint from attending the show.

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possible. Hosted buyers were encouraged by travel agents to offset their own flight-related carbon footprint by planting trees. Hotels were required to submit an accommodation questionnaire that covered their green practices. The caterers will serve traditional South African foods, made from locally-produced, seasonal and, as far as possible, organic ingredients. There are several vegetarian options. Seafood was approved by the Southern African Sustainable Seafood Initiative (SASSI), coffee by Fair Trade, and wines come from members of the Biodiversity & Wine Initiative (BWI). To discourage visitors from drinking bottled water, the caterers are selling bottled water at a premium, and the extra money will be donated to Food & Trees for Africa. All takeaway food sold in the exhibition hall is being served in biodegradable containers. Exhibitors are able to buy a tree from Food & Trees for Africa to offset their carbon footprint from attending the show. Bokashi had a stand at the show where exhibitors are able to buy a kit. An eco-audit is being done at the show, with all the greening initiatives monitored and measured by an independent consultant. The results will be used to improve the greening of future events.

BOKASHI

DID YOU KNOW? •

For the first time, all plants used at the show and by exhibitors on their stands are locally-sourced and indigenous: Yellow Wood; Natal Mahogany; Mother-in-Law’s Tongue. These plants grow well outdoors and will be donated to community projects after the show.

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In addition to renewable energy being used to power the halls, this year exhibitors are able to buy renewable energy to power their individual stands. This is the first time this has been done in South Africa.

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Meetings Africa is using the branding from last year’s show. This means that last year’s corporate clothing is being re-used by show personnel.

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Caterers on the show floor use organic waste recycling. Kitchen staff were trained to use the Bokashi bins composting system which is being used to recycle all organic waste in the kitchens.

TOP TIPS

the brainchild of Earth Probiotic Recycling Solutions other forms of composting, with bokashi (bran infused micro-organisms) you can recycle ALL food waste including cooked and uncooked meat, dairy and small bones.

For Greening •

Process: The process works by layering up food waste with bokashi in the digester bins. Once full the bin is left to stand for two weeks. Thereafter it can be added to garden waste, trenched (or fed to wormeries). After 6-8 weeks the recycled food waste will have broken down completely, and turned into a highly nutritious soil food/compost.!

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• 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Add bokashi to bottom of bin Add one rubbish bag of food waste per layer (of food waste) Add two litres of bokashi per layer of food waste Continue to layer food waste with bokashi until bin is full When full seal ring. Keep closed for two weeks

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Composting: s an eco company, Earth Probiotic is committed to reducing the amount of food waste going to landfill by providing a food waste recycling solution that is planet friendly and easy to use.

food waste thus rising to 4,335kg/tonne. Whilst reducing food waste should be prioritised, recycling food waste helps reduce our personal carbon footprint by 435kg of CO2E per ton of food waste, and ensures a safer and cleaner home/kitchen environment.

Why worry about food waste?

Technology:

Of all our production streams the biggest emitter of CO2e is food. Generating 4,000kg/tonne food waste produces more negative emissions than tyre manufacturing and metal. When food waste is dumped an additional 335kg/ tonne of CO2e is emitted with the total emissions from

This all natural solution combines Effective Micro organism Technology or “friendly bacteria” coined “bokashi” and airtight digester bins to recycle food waste. Our system produces no methane gases and also eliminates harmful bacteria such as E. coli. Unlike

Once waste is stabilized it needs to be composted through a compost heap/bag, worm farm or trench gardening.

Benefits: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Kitchens will be more hygienic with less flies and odours. Accurate wet waste figures can be calculated. Up to 32% more dry recyclables can be collected and recycled. Better odour management in the waste area. Continuous chemical free compost supply, if composted on site. Opportunity to build vegetable gardens and supply own kitchens.

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The procurement of goods and services is a critical aspect, so support products and services from local reputable suppliers that use sustainable practices. Reduce, Re-use, Recycle – consider where you can encourage waste reduction throughout the whole process. Ensure that your event has a social component, such as giving leftover food to local disadvantaged organisations. Consider incentives for the use of public transport, such as providing free public transport on the day of the event or encourage car sharing. Consider video conferencing or Skype meetings instead of meeting in person. Consider the environmental policy of the venue or accommodation when making your bookings – this will need to be specifically requested. Consider the distance between conference venue and accommodation to reduce the need for additional travel. Encourage the active participation of the delegates or visitors in the greening process through providing information on what they can do. Encourage a ‘green corner’ at your event that showcases the greening practices and interventions implemented. Monitor, Measure, Report – ensure that a monitoring and evaluation process is in place to encourage benchmarking and identify lessons learnt.

www.meetingsafrica.co.za

ISSUE 1 MEETINGS AFRICA 2014 / 05

SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCE with the World

BECOME A SOCIAL MEDIA GURU 1.

s a delegate reading this, you’re at Meetings Africa to network, to learn, to grow your business and to invest in that of others. But Meetings Africa 2014 is so much more than that. It’s about communicating your findings, sharing your wealth of information and letting likeminded global citizens know just how important this conference and exhibition is to you. This is often quite hard with the tight conference schedule and with 259 exhibitors, 1,709 Buyers in total and over 10,169 meetings requests. This year, we offer you the chance to share your experience with the world and the opportunity to find friends and potential business partners though a few simple social mediums – namely Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Google+ and Flickr. To see whether you’re missing an event or to find out more about what’s going on, follow @SA_NCB on Twitter or like the South Africa National Convention Bureau’s

3. official page on Facebook. Alternatively, simply visit www. meetingsafrica.co.za to find the latest news. Also, keep an eye on SANCB’s YouTube channel: TravelTrade SA. The SANCB understands the importance of staying in touch and up to date with your fellow delegates and as such, has provided a way in which to share all your exciting experiences. We will retweet your enthusiasm, your top tips and your business secrets as you post them and all you need to do is include the hashtag #MeetingsAfrica14. Don’t wait for the conference to begin to start sharing your excitement and news. We already started the buildup weeks ago, sharing interesting info from some of the speakers lined up, as well as agenda updates and fabulous competitions. So hurry, follow us, like our page or simply bookmark our website on your smartphone in order to capitalise on the free networking options that are available. And don’t forget to add #MeetingsAfrica14!

Find the oﬃcial hashtag and use it. Your tweets will be searchable and will make it into the ‘oﬃcial’ event feed. If you’re going to a ‘sub event’ or session, use an appropriate ‘sub hashtag’ so others can find you. Find out if speakers or companies have Twitter handles – then start the conversation! Engage with your followers. Twitter is a constantly evolving global conversation, and you want to be part of it! Respond to questions from your followers, and don’t be shy to ask questions yourself. Meetings Africa has a dedicated social media team that can’t wait to engage with you! Retweet, link to interesting articles and post jaw-dropping photos! Don’t be afraid to share your unique experience with us. Check your feed and messages after-hours to see if anyone has responded or is engaged. How many followers did you pick up at #MeetingsAfrica14?

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN THE TWITTERSPHERE The Event Greening Forum (@EventGreening): “It is very encouraging to see all the #eventgreening principles implemented at #MeetingsAfrica14 by @SA_NCB”

Shaun Ross (@shaunzim): “That time again #MeetingsAfrica14. Can’t wait!”

Visit Gauteng (@visitgauteng): “Are you ready for the #MeetingsAfrica14 in Sandton 24-26 Feb? Register online here – it’s an event not to be missed. www.ow.ly/tMmCA”

Trend Media (@TrendMedia10): “We’re excited to be attending @SA_NCB #MeetingsAfrica14 next week! 24-26 Feb at the Sandton Convention Centre”

Rustle Rat (@RustleRat): “#MeetingsAfrica14 is just around the corner Joburg are you ready?”

Daniel Wood (@danwood9): “@SA_NCB leaving London tomorrow and looking forward to the event next week #allyouneedisaball”

06 / MEETINGS AFRICA 2014 ISSUE 1

www.meetingsafrica.co.za

EXPLORE, EXPERIENCE & ENJOY JOBURG IT’S AMAZING

n its bid to leverage as much leisure tourism from both business visitors and locals alike, Joburg Tourism launched its “Explore, Experience & Enjoy Joburg” destination marketing campaign, in partnership with KayaFM, with industry partners and stakeholders in October. The aim of the campaign is to raise awareness and drive business for sites, attractions and tourism product owners across the board - not just large operators and companies, but for small and emerging establishments as well. The promotion features bi-monthly outside broadcasts, weekly interviews on business and lifestyle shows on KayaFM, as well as a real-time, interactive online Jozi Guide at www. joburgtourism.com and www.kayafm.co.za. Research conducted by Joburg Tourism into the industry earlier identified a call for more assistance from the industry to effectively promote tourism products and services, in an effort to maintain and grow further the market share for all players involved. “As the City, we have heeded that call and the launch of the Explore, Experience & Enjoy Joburg campaign is one of the ways in which we’re responding to the need for more marketing – getting into people’s homes, hearts and minds – in order to increase the footprint of the tourism sector,” says Ruby Mathang, MMC for the City’s Department of Economic Development. “We’re working very closely with our private sector partners in an effort to build awareness of our diverse range of tourism products in Joburg, while also increasing demand for them. The campaign features an online platform and outdoor element. The online element is the Jozi Guide, which will for the first time present the City with

an opportunity to market the tourism partners from a single point,” explains Mathang. The Jozi Guide is an interactive, dynamic map which reflects real time events, establishments, transport and transport timetables and many other features. This will be updated on a daily basis and tourism partners are encouraged to submit their events and initiatives for uploading onto the guide to joziguide@joburgtourism. com and joziguide@kayafm.co.za. The advantage of being included in the Guide is that individual establishments will be promoted extensively on Kaya FM, which has over one million listeners daily. The Jozi Guide provides real time updates regarding shows and exhibitions, as well as directions, traffic and transport tips. “Johannesburg boasts layer upon layer of fascinating history, development and human interest stories – of course not forgetting the leisure and lifestyle aspects of entertainment, sports, music, arts and culture. This is a city with a colourful past and a future filled with excitement, potential and promise,” says Clr Mathang. “Guided by economic development objectives of the GDS Joburg 2040 - it’s mission of the City’s leadership to continue positioning Johannesburg as one of the world’s leading cities: an all year round destination, a leading business and business events destination, and a vibrant, cosmopolitan centre for lifestyle, leisure, heritage, the arts, culture, entertainment, sports and mega-events. We continue our efforts to create an enabling environment for the tourism sector, which includes a focus on SMMEs, assisting them with training, service enhancement to gain accreditation and creating business linkages where possible,” he concludes.

www.meetingsafrica.co.za

ISSUE 1 MEETINGS AFRICA 2014 / 07

THE SMALLEST PROVINCE with the Biggest Ambitions

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Meetings Africa provides the perfect business platform to present Gauteng as a premier business events destination to senior decision makers, buyers and influencers.

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auteng may be the smallest province in South Africa, but it is also the most populous, the most urbanised and contributes to over a third of the nation’s GDP. Although this is impressive, that’s not all. Gauteng is the economic and business hub of the country and as such, hosts some of the best international and local events. It has a vibrant social culture with direct links between business activities and business tourism. Its large concentration of meetings and events venues coupled with world-class infrastructure and a cosmopolitan setting put it in a pole position to leverage over the 250,000 business travellers South Africa sees each year. The Gauteng Convention and Events Bureau focuses on attracting big conference and events into the city region and even President Zuma in his State of the Nation Address, has acknowledge the importance of growing this industry. While business tourism accounts for about 5% of total foreign tourist arrivals to South Africa and directly contributes almost R15 billion to the

economy, research shows that business tourists spend much more than leisure tourists. The Bureau hopes to harness this huge business muscle and sharpen their offerings in the business tourism space. “Our drive is to position Gauteng as Africa’s business events powerhouse. We have the most sophisticated and accessible locations and venues in South Africa, which also boasts the largest and most organized body of eventing industry professionals on the continent.” Gauteng Tourism said in a recent statement. The Bureau has, since its establishment in 2012, coordinated and hosted major international conferences, trade and business exhibitions and global events like Discop Africa, One Young World, Airport Cities Conference & Exhibition, International Council of Management Consulting Institute, Meetings Africa, South African Youth Tourism Conference, SAITEX, C40 Mayors Forum and the Joburg International Motor show. The city of Johannesburg is the preferred home to many international science and research conferences

and its renowned universities also play a leading role in cementing its standing as a leading business destination of note. The Sandton Convention Centre, with surrounding hotels and infrastructure offers one of South Africa’s most attractive facility packages with excellent restaurants, nightlife, international access through OR Tambo International Airport and the Gautrain network. The city also offers easy access to various tourists’ attractions like the Mandela Square, Lilieslief Farm, the Apartheid Museum, Lion Park and Soweto Township. The Gauteng Convention and Events Bureau expects to increase the province’s high-yield, business tourism market by providing information and assistance to meetings and incentive planners, media, corporate and association buyers who show interest in the offerings of its five major cities. It will work alongside business events leaders, associations and various organisations to provide bid, incentive and meetings support, accommodation sourcing and will also help by lobbying and liaising with various spheres of government as it is

the first point of contact. According to Gauteng Tourism, the post-recession recovery is “is likely to result in high growth levels, driven by the rise in corporate budgets and the number of meetings”. The global exhibition industry is also expected to witness growth, with a shift in exhibition duration and specialised themes primarily driven by relevance to the host country. This shift is welcomed by both Gauteng and the broader continent. Joburg has already shot high in the ICCA rankings and the Bureau is supporting municipalities and regional venues in order to bid for larger conferences. “In recent years, the global meetings industry has begun to recognise Africa as a sought after destination. Meetings Africa 2014 is showcasing Africa’s diverse offering of services and products, where African Association and African meetings industry professionals can partner to help transform our continent,” Gauteng Tourism said, “Meetings Africa provides the perfect business platform to present Gauteng as a premier business events destination to senior decision makers, buyers and influencers. This Pan African Exhibition offers us the opportunity to position the Gauteng brand to local and international professionals from the meetings, events and business events industry with brand exposure to over 250 exhibiting companies and over 2,500 visitors over two days.”