Business Events Africa July 2021

www.businesseventsafrica.com

Voice of the Business Events Industry in Africa

Volume 41 No 7 JULY 2021

KZN is still a top destination

Address: 29 Signal Road, Point, Durban, 4001 Email: khayelihle@zulu.org.za Tel: 031 366 7580 Web: www.zulu.org.za

Business Events Africa: Serving the business events industry for 41 years

CONTENTS

The authority on meetings, exhibitions, special events and incentives management

VOL 41 NO 7 JULY 2021

About the cover The Zulu Kingdom ticks all the boxes for the adventurous conference delegate.

LOCAL PERPECTIVE 18 We need to work together if we want to revive South Africa’s tourism industry.

GLOBAL EXHIBITION RESEARCH 20 Latest global exhibition industry research released.

TRAVEL TRENDS 22 Five destinations where South Africans may travel even cheaper now.

Cover Feature DURBAN KWAZULU-NATAL CONVENTION BUREAU 6 KwaZulu-Natal remains a top business events destination.

On the pages…

EDITOR’S COMMENT 2 Together we are stronger.

NEWS 4 End of an era: Ticketpro Dome to close.

5 Marriott launches Khulanathi to develop diversity and inclusion.

MARKET NEWS 11 Comic Con Africa announces next live show dates and a new home.

PCO PERSPECTIVE 12 Our future depends on our ability to adjust the fundamentals.

VENUE OF THE MONTH 14 Newmark Hotels to manage landmark hotel The Winchester.

CASE STUDY 16 The 20th South African Spine Society Congress and Exhibition.

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PERSONALITY PROFILE 24 Thabani Ndlovu – “I always had my heart set on working in Africa”. .CHEF’S PROFILE 26 Andriano Uys – “Always stay hands on with your food”.

Association news EVENT GREENING FORUM 28 Reflecting on lessons from Covid-19.

SITE 30 Moving beyond the pandemic – What is next for group incentive travel?

SAACI

Published by the proprietor Contact Publications (Pty) Ltd (Reg No. 1981/011920/07)

HEAD OFFICE POSTAL ADDRESS: PO Box 414, Kloof 3640, South Africa TEL: +27 31 764 6977 FAX: 086 762 1867 MANAGING DIRECTOR: Malcolm King malcolm@contactpub.co.za EDITOR: Irene Costa gomesi@iafrica.com SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Vincent Goode vincent@contactpub.co.za DISTRIBUTION MANAGER: Jackie Goosen jackie@contactpub.co.za SALES REPRESENTATIVE: Irene Costa +27 (0)82 558 7387 gomesi@iafrica.com PUBLICATION DETAILS: Volume 41 No 7 Business Events Africa has 12 issues a year and is published monthly. Due to Covid-19, the magazine is currently only available in digital format.

32 A winter of discontent.

AAXO 33 Embracing the change.

publishers of Business Events Africa, is a member of:

SAEC 34 Widespread vaccination holds the key to breaking the cycle of lockdowns.

EXSA 36 Seven reasons to radically alter our current situation.

Learning | Growth | collaboration

Regulars MARKET NEWS 37 Tourism KZN appoints Pinky Radebe as new communications manager.

Official media partner

Official Journal of the Southern Africa Chapter of the Society for Incentive Travel Excellence

Official journal of the Exhibition & Event Association of Southern Africa

37 Index of advertisers.

38 Directory and associations of interest.

THE LAST WORD 40 African business events industry at present.

www.businesseventsafrica.com

EDITOR’S COMMENT

Our world is in turmoil. As I write this, it feels like South Africa has been attacked by an alien invasion from outer space. However, the reality is that South Africa, mainly KwaZulu-Natal, has been unceremoniously ripped apart from within by unscrupulous sectors of the community.

A

s a result, South Africa is hurting.

For the first time in a long time, I am numb.

I am numb with sadness, I am numb in anger, I am numb in what I am seeing happening in our beautiful country. The unnecessary destruction, disruption and disarray.

As I sit here, the only solace I have is watching how communities have come together – firstly to protect their own communities, and secondly, how they have come together to clean up and rebuild. It is going to be a long road to recovery, but we are not done. We shall

once again rise above all this tragedy.

The resilience and the spirit of our South African people is what motivates me each day.

It amazes me that – in a time of need – we remain united and are committed to peace. Always!

We have come such a long way, and South Africa, in all its challenges, remains our home.

Covid-19 has hit our country hard; unemployment is at an all time high and our sector – the business events sector – has once again come to a complete halt due to the third wave and the imposed restrictions.

Still, we persevere and remain law abiding citizens. There is no justification for what has happened over the last few days. None!

All I may, and all we may do, is look to the future. This too will pass! We have done this before.

This month Business Events Africa looks at KwaZulu-Natal as a destination, and yes, it is a wondrous destination for tourists and delegates alike. KwaZuluNatal is the heartbeat of South Africa. KZN hasn’t missed a beat. Even in the most

trying times, the province was able to remain united.

Through all the disarray, the KZN people have been able to stand tall and after much devastation, come through it stronger with an even stronger community spirit.

KwaZulu-Natal remains the most diverse province we have in South Africa. It is a multi-cultural showpiece global destination, with a resounding track record when it comes to hosting top local and international events.

KZN remains a firm leader in the South African business events space. Nowhere else in the world will you find such a unique fusion of raw natural beauty, modern sophistication, cultural diversity and pulsating energy – all in the most breath-taking natural setting.

Together we are stronger! Let’s continue to support each other!

Irene

Email: gomesi@iafrica.com

yolande@mjunxtion.co.za www.mjunxtion.co.za

Credit: Hein Liebetrau

Together we are stronger

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NEWS

End of an era: Ticketpro Dome to close

It is with a heavy heart that RX Venue Management announced that, after 20 years of being the management company of South Africa’s largest multi-purpose indoor arena, The Ticketpro Dome has now been sold by the owners, Sasol Pension Fund, to a third party which does not operate in the event space.

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his is another devasting blow for the exhibitions, events, and entertainment industry due to Covid-19. The ban on public gatherings has meant that during 2020 – and now 2021 – the Ticketpro Dome has been unable to operate.

Carol Weaving, managing director of RX Africa said: “The selling of the Ticketpro Dome, is extremely disappointing and heartbreaking for our industry. The Ticketpro Dome has been home to many international concerts and events in South Africa, and this will undoubtedly leave a huge void. Unfortunately, as we are only the managing company, we were unable to change the outcome of Sasol Pension Fund selling the venue due to force majeure.”

The Ticketpro Dome solidified global recognition with companies and promoters throughout several industries and will be remembered as an iconic venue across the events, exhibitions, and entertainment sectors.

The Dome opened on 8 April 1998 with a concert by Diana Ross, attended by over 15 000 people, with a special guest appearance by the late former President Nelson Mandela. Over the years, the venue has played host to top international music artists such as Pink, Katy Perry, Lionel Richie, Lauren Hill, Pharrell Williams, Celine Dion and Michael Buble. On the local front, artists such as Prime Circle, The Parlotones, Lira, Tonya De Lazy, Black Coffee, and Soweto Gospel Choir have graced the stage. South African rapper, Cassper 4 Business Events Africa July 2021

Nyovest became the first local artist to sell out the Dome. Some 20 000 tickets were sold even before the event, suitably billed ‘Fill Up The Dome’.

On the exhibition front, the Dome has been home to many consumer and trade shows such as Homemakers Fair, Rage, Mama Magic Baby Show, Fire and Feast Food Festival, Mediatech Africa and Africa Automation Technology Fair.

In 2017, the NBA Africa Games were held at the Dome and WWE International and Disney on Ice has also been staged there.

In 2020, the Ticketpro Dome launched the successful Hybrid Studio in response to the global pandemic. “Our sector has been extraordinarily innovative in transforming our offerings to accommodate online participation, but a hybrid event incurs two sets of costs; one for the online component and one for the in-venue aspect.

Attendance capacity restrictions make in-person events unviable, and online does not carry the same appeal,” said Projeni Pather, chairperson of the Association of African Exhibition Organisers.

The economic impact of events According to a recent News 24 article, the cultural and creative services sectors contribute more than R74.4 billion a year to the South African economy. They also have a multiplier impact as they generate tourism and increase retail spending in host city economies. Furthermore, they contribute towards the production of goods and services for consumption at

events and in host cities and create employment for unskilled and semi-skilled workers and low-income households. If you take that into account, the cultural economy accounted for R241.8 billion or an equivalence of 5.6 per cent of GDP. Tourism contributes about R400-billion to the economy every year, and events are a substantial contributor – because people travel to go to concerts, business meetings, sporting events, weddings, exhibitions, conferences and so on, in what has been labelled the ‘experiential economy’.

Tourism also employs about 800 000 people, so the pandemic has affected two million people in the two industries combined – industries that collectively contribute about R500-billion or 10 per cent of GDP (not including the multiplier effect) to the economy each year and employs 15 per cent of the country’s workers.

According to Ismail Mahomed, director of the Centre for Creative Arts at University of KwaZulu-Natal, “Government has failed miserably in serving the arts, cultural and entertainment sector, right through the lockdown period, by not establishing an Advisory Committee of industry specialists that could work together with the Department of Sports, Arts & Culture to develop and implement a relief, rehabilitation and recuperation strategy for the sector.

“The Department of Arts and Culture may no longer continue to operate with its head in the sand and ignore the economic challenges of the sector and the important contribution of the sector to South Africa’s economy and to the country’s wellbeing”.

The South African Events Council (SAEC) has, since its inception in 2020, been lobbying government to let the live events industry operate within Covid-19 safety regulations. If shopping centres may operate, so too should event and exhibition venues. SAEC wants government to allow venues to operate at 50 per cent capacity so that the industry may start rebuilding.

The Ticketpro Dome is the latest causality of not being able to operate and the consequences of its closure will have a ripple effect on the South African economy.

It is too late for the Ticketpro Dome but may its final curtain call be a sober reminder that there needs to be drastic rethinking on how the South African government views our industry.

The official handover of the venue will be on 7 September 2021. www.businesseventsafrica.com

NEWS

Marriott launches Khulanathi to develop diversity and inclusion

Marriott International, in partnership with the University of Stellenbosch Business School Executive Development (Pty) Ltd, has launched its Khulanathi programme, which will annually set a select group of talented South Africans on the fast-track to leadership in the hospitality industry. The new tailor-made 12-month leadership development programme, which is based on a Marriott International talent development model, aims to create extraordinary opportunities for promising associates within its hotels.

S

atya Anand, president of Marriott International’s Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) division said, “Marriott International is committed to developing local talent in the markets where we operate, which in turn promotes development of the industry as a whole. The launch of Khulanathi in South Africa is testimony to our strategic view of the African region as a vital growth area for us, and evidence of our support for the continent’s phenomenal leadership potential.”

Marriott International operations in South Africa include brands such as Protea Hotels by Marriott, Westin Hotels, AC

by Marriott, Marriott Hotels & Resorts, Marriott Executive Apartments and the Autograph Collection. The global company has set its sights on developing nextgeneration leaders to fill its talent pipeline.

Khulanathi, which means ‘grow with

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us’ has been developed as a yearlong intensive programme designed exclusively for internal EE participants to access world-class leadership theory, teachers and on-the-job mentorship.

“When it comes to our leadership pipeline, we adhere to our long-held philosophy of cultivating leaders from within, investing in the development of our people to see them thrive in their careers,” said the chief human resources officer, EMEA Marriott International, Francisca Martinez. “In South Africa, and across all of our worldwide operations we are committed to opening doors of opportunity and helping the talented people working in our properties realise their full leadership potential.”

The inaugural 2021 Khulanathi cohort consists of ten participants who represent the diversity of the local community.

Seven of these potential next-generation

leaders are females who work at Marriott International properties across the country.

Rhodanthe Johannisen, currently employed as food and beverage manager at Protea Hotel Fire & Ice! by Marriott Pretoria Menlyn said, “It’s taken hard work and a lot of dedication to qualify for the Khulanathi programme, and now I am excited and proud to be part of the 2021 cohort. I am looking forward to learning from the best business teachers and developing my capabilities as a future leader in the Marriott International family.”

Volker Heiden, vice president SubSaharan Africa, Marriott International said, “We’re delighted to launch Khulanathi, and commend the first participants who made it through the stringent selection process. As we have seen over the past year, our industry demands leaders with both skills and grit. South Africa is a country of immense talent, and Marriott International is proud to play our role in developing the country’s next-generation leaders.”

The Khulananthi programme launched in June by bringing the 2021 cohort together for the opening workshop. The course includes online learning modules, targeted on-the-job training, and special projects with assigned mentors, which enable the participants to learn and put theory into practice in the workplace.

Marriott International grants participants 40 days of study leave in addition to providing full bursaries for the course, which is certified as a management development programme of The University of Stellenbosch Business School Executive Development (Pty) Ltd. The well-rounded curriculum includes business and economics, financial management, marketing and customer service, people management and leadership competencies.

Mr Heiden concluded: “Khulanathi is a rigorous programme and the successful completion will represent a life-changing experience for our participants. We believe that we have the right young South Africans who are ready to be fast-tracked through a lot of hard work and determination. We look forward to making a significant impact by developing talented local leaders.”

Business Events Africa July 2021 5

COVER STORY: DURBAN KWAZULU-NATAL CONVENTION BUREAU

KwaZulu-Natal remains a top business events destination A multi-cultural showpiece global destination, the Zulu Kingdom, or the province of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) has a resounding track record when it comes to hosting top local and international events. The province is right up there on the “must-see, must-do” lists of discerning travellers around the world.

K

ZN remains a firm leader in the South African business events space. Nowhere else in the world will you find such a unique fusion of raw natural beauty, modern sophistication, cultural diversity and pulsating energy – all in the most breath-taking natural setting.

With a wealth of conference and events facilities set against the backdrop of majestic mountains, sun-kissed beaches or bush retreats, it is no wonder that KZN has made significant gains in the business events market. The Zulu kingdom is aggressively and proactively pursuing the business events market in an effort to bring about tourism growth and socioeconomic development in the province.

The decision to establish the Durban KwaZulu-Natal Convention Bureau as a focused agency, which is part of Tourism KwaZulu-Natal and supported by the eThekwini Municipality has shown important dividends.

6 Business Events Africa July 2021

The support and commitment of the private and public sectors in this province has enabled this entity, in close collaboration with a range of partners, to secure the right to host significant business events since this entity began its initial operations some eleven years ago.

Sonto Mayise, acting chief convention bureau officer, Durban KZN Convention Bureau, said: “KwaZulu-Natal Convention Bureau continues to act as a pioneer in attracting international, regional and domestic events to the province of KwaZulu-Natal, as our mandate is to be a catalyst for economic development and job creation in the province as well as to elevate the profile of Durban and KwaZulu-Natal as a preferred MICE destination. The convention bureau is committed to recovery for our industry and the provincial economy. We know that the business events industry will lead the way towards global economic recovery in the near future.

Sonto Mayise, acting chief convention bureau, Durban KZN Convention Bureau.

“As Durban KwaZulu-Natal Convention Bureau, we understand that it has been a very difficult period for the business events sector as you are aware that it has been one of the sectors that have been severely affected by Covid-19 and continues to be affected. But, now with the vaccination drive gaining momentum, it is the time to get back to business. www.businesseventsafrica.com

COVER STORY: DURBAN KWAZULU-NATAL CONVENTION BUREAU

We have been busy preparing for the safe return and hosting of our visitors/ delegates, and the team at the convention bureau has been working so hard with our partners – from both government and private sector – to prepare our destination for the safe return of our delegates and friends to Durban, KwaZulu-Natal.

“The business events industry is evolving for a number of reasons. Along with adapting to the new demands imposed

by Covid-19, the global workforce is undergoing a transition all of its own.

Durban KwaZulu-Natal Convention Bureau is committed to recovery for our industry and the provincial economy.

We know that the business events industry will lead the way towards global economic recovery in the near future.

“We will recover… while we cannot predict exactly what will happen, we do know that this difficult time will eventually pass. We will celebrate our successes and rebuild our industry again, one step at a time. Covid-19 has taught us that we are more resilient than we initially thought. However, maintaining your mental wellbeing is most essential; if that means seeing a therapist, so be it… there is no shame in that. It is okay to show vulnerability because you cannot do it all by yourself.

“A new pulse of a dream. We warmly welcome you to the Zulu kingdom… we are ready to host you once more. #rebuildingtogether,” she concluded. www.businesseventsafrica.com

Business Events Africa July 2021 7

COVER STORY: DURBAN KWAZULU-NATAL CONVENTION BUREAU

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he word Zulu literally means ‘people of heaven’, and this is the word that is known throughout the world. We use this word to make potential tourists aware of the many heavenly attractions of our province and why Durban and KwaZulu-Natal are an ideal meeting venue for conventions, smaller meetings and incentives offerings. With its rich diversity of cultures and eleven official languages, the province is truly a happy one! This is reflected in some fantastic Zulu dances coupled with amazing musical abilities, showcased throughout the province at any tourist venue. The Zulu language – called isiZulu – is widely spoken in KwaZulu-Natal and is understood by most people, even if it is only the basic “Sawubona!” greeting of “Hello!”.

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COVER STORY: DURBAN KWAZULU-NATAL CONVENTION BUREAU

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he Durban KwaZulu-Natal Convention Bureau is mandated to promote business events services in the province of KwaZulu-Natal and the metropolitan area of Durban. The Zulu Kingdom, through the Durban KZN Convention Bureau, provides a hub for business events to bring about tourism growth and socio-economic development. Across the province, a host of conference and events facilities are set against the backdrop of majestic mountains, sun kissed beaches or bush retreats and it is a home to two world heritage sites.

Kwa-Zulu Natal has many delightful attractions in eight districts that every business traveller would wish to experience: Battlefields, Drakensburg, Durban, Elephant Coast, Pietermaritzburg and Midlands, North Coast, South Coast and Zululand.

These regions have unique experiencedriven offerings for incentive tours.

www.businesseventsafrica.com

Business Events Africa July 2021 9

COVER STORY: DURBAN KWAZULU-NATAL CONVENTION BUREAU

Durban Kwa-Zulu Natal Convention Bureau assists with the following: • Bid documents • Bid presentations • Promotional materials • Educational trips and site inspections • Supplier information and quotations • Social programmes • Pre and post tours and incentive packages • Assistance with congress bids • Convention publicity and delegate boosting • Destination display and promotion • Information kits and welcome packs for delegates • Shuttle services • Identification of professional conference organiser (PCO) services.

For further information 29 Signal Road, Point, Durban, 4001.

Email: khayelihle@zulu.org.za Tel: 031 366 7580 Website: www.zulu.org.za

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www.businesseventsafrica.com

MARKET NEWS

Comic Con Africa announces next live show dates and a new home Comic Con Africa recently announced that the next live event will take place in September 2022.

The decision was made after extensive engagement with fans, exhibitors, and sponsors.

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hile there has been much excitement surrounding the return of Comic Con Africa’s live show since the Covid-19 pandemic put a halt to all live events, the team at CCA HQ have performed their due diligence and determined that waiting until 22 – 25 September 2022 is the safest option, especially with the current third wave.

The Comic Con Africa show director, Carla Massmann, said: “This decision has not been taken lightly, the safety of our fans, exhibitors and partners comes first.

Returning in September 2022 also makes it possible for Comic Con Africa to come back in the expected full force – with bigger numbers, more activations and international talent”.

Comic Con Africa will also have a new home in 2022. Comic Con Africa’s imminent growth and ever growing fandom communities will be welcomed by the Johannesburg Expo Centre, boasting a capacity that is a great size for the anticipated 80 000 plus visitors, while still offering further growth potential, for years to come, with its extensive indoor and outdoor areas.

Fans of Comic Con Africa will also be happy to hear that the extensive space allows for the return of the very popular Food Truck Village and other themed www.businesseventsafrica.com

outdoor areas such as the famous beer garden – The Wakanda Watering Hole – as seen in 2019.

“We have many new editions like StreetCon, TechCon and many more areas that Comic Con Africa are excited to be introducing in 2022, and the Johannesburg Expo Centre allows for us to safely introduce these new and exciting editions. The Expo Centre is easy to access via all highways and is a mere 20 minutes from central points like Fourways, opening the show up to so many more visitors. It also offers ample parking and easy access points, making arrival at the show more efficient and streamlined,” Ms Massmann assured.

“We have been a part of South Africa’s culture for 50 years and, while we are certainly no stranger to fan conventions, we would have loved to celebrate our golden anniversary with Comic Con Africa this year,” said Suhayl Limbaba, marketing director of KFC South Africa, Sponsor of Comic Con Africa. “While we will certainly miss seeing our entertainment, cosplay and comic fans this year, we look forward to welcoming fans to an even bigger gameplay session next year.”

Wanda Mkhize, Telkom executive content & VS gaming, said: “As the official gaming and connectivity partner of Comic

Con Africa, we are thrilled to see the return of the largest entertainment and pop culture event in September 2022. We expect that it will be an epic and most anticipated homecoming by enthusiasts from all corners of the country. In the meantime, Telkom – as a provider of the most affordable data – will ensure that our gamers and the e-sport fraternity continue to enjoy their favourite pastime from the comfort and safety of their homes, through our competitive offers.”

What will the pop culture community do until the show returns next year? Comic Con Africa has launched tons of online content since the start of the year, keeping their fans engaged and entertained such as with interactive quiz nights, where fans test their pop culture and fandom knowledge every second Thursday on YouTube, while “The Anime Manga Otaku” series showcases all things Anime and Manga. New shows, like Con Cast – the official Comic Con Africa Podcast, has brought a whole new element to the current offering. Comic Con Africa Gaming also continues to keep Twitch viewers entertained on a weekly basis.

“We miss the fans,” Ms Massmann added, “and we look forward to welcoming them back in September 2022, to a safe environment.”

Business Events Africa July 2021 11

PAGEPERSPECTIVE PCO STRAP

Our future depends on our ability to adjust the fundamentals Business events are all about people, bringing people together for purposeful engagements and meaningful meetings and about those who design and facilitate these encounters. We have been in a rut for so many years. This placed event management in a linear innovation trajectory that adjusted to developing influences such as technology and environmental impact awareness sentiments, among others, that allowed us to effect change at a comfortable pace and as a result, we got good at it. Concepts of decentralised meetings were seen as experimental and too far into the future. That future was, however, dropped onto our laps with Covid-19.

By Pieter Swart, CMP, CMM, managing director & business events strategist, Conference Consultancy South Africa (Pty) Ltd

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e are dealing with major distractions, continuously shifting between those within and outside of our control.

This affects our emotions and our emotions have an impact on our decisions.

It is a natural or human response to emotion that now calls for exceptional emotional maturity and emotional intelligence to get us to a space and place

12 Business Events Africa July 2021

of clarity and objectivity. Whilst frustration is mounting about irrational decisions that affect our lives and livelihoods it is upon us to figure out how we will surface. The narrative of how we got here, our response to change and what we decide for the future is only one book in the library of resources within this industry we chose to serve.

Our stories are different. No template fits

Pieter Swart.

www.businesseventsafrica.com

PCO PERSPECTIVE PAGE STRAP

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.”

Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities all. But we may read each other’s stories, learn from that and even take a chapter from someone else’s book to map our future. These times have taught us the value of agility. Change is happening fast and all around us. We are discovering what works, what should be retained and where adjustment or entirely new approaches are required. We are mindful of new risks, those that we may anticipate but then the odd curveball is also thrown our way and we get forced back to the drawing board. This is exhausting simply because it is not a planned progression or innovation process but rather a forced situation. Change and uncertainty often lead to procrastination. More time than necessary is spent on scenario planning when everything we are considering is merely assumptions. The brave will pick the most sensible and viable option and run with it. On the other hand, those lacking confidence for whatever reason, will hold back and then, when a decision is taken, it is often too late. The latter seems to be an increasing trend – transpiring into much shorter lead times.

We have a responsibility to guide our teams and clients towards realistic goals, timelines and expectations and point out the consequences of overlooking that.

Confluence is the juncture where two streams meet – the old and the new, the present and the future, expectations and www.businesseventsafrica.com

reality, human and machine, physical and digital. Sensible advice from worldrenowned experts such as Prof Salim Abdool Karim and Dr Francois Venter is that Covid-19 will be with us for the foreseeable future. Just as HIV/AIDS has been our reality for 30 years, we will have to learn to adjust and live with Covid-19.

This is therefore another stream that meets us at our juncture and influences the way we have to plan for our future.

Very few realised the extent of change required to adjust from 'analog' to digital meetings. The immediate need was to find ways for continuity, and online applications were the solution. Learning the operations of these applications became the focus. In so doing, the context was lost or misunderstood; instead of approaching this as a ‘location’ change and reconsidering the impact of that in accordance with the existing fundamentals generally accepted as the tools and techniques of event design, planning and management.

The continued relevance of event management standards was either misunderstood or completely ignored in the wake of digitising events. This mistake was soon realised and today we are seeing it as we should have from the start – that the event management planning and ecosystems that had existed before are as much relevant today as they will

be for the future – we are just required to apply it differently with change.

Digital events or decentralised meetings are inviting exploration and experimentation. We are learning through the discovery of possibilities.

What started as basic streaming or broadcasting to radio and television has evolved into interactive personal engagements with two-way exchanges of insights and experiences with much fewer barriers, across borders and time zones.

Experience is a driver of expectation.

What was potential yesterday, became possible today and the norm for the future. We will return to in-person events but it will be different, blended with digital technologies and engagements.

Our future depends on our ability to adjust the fundamentals or standards of our profession to meet the changing needs of the community we serve within the environment in which we operate.

We have to craft viable solutions that instil confidence to move our business forward in a safe and sustainable manner.

Looking ahead, this could also translate into a much closer interface between humans and robots as machine learning and artificial intelligence in a big data environment emerges as the next frontier.

Let’s honour all those we have recently lost, remember and celebrate them as we journey forward into our new future.

Business Events Africa July 2021 13

VENUE OF NEWS THE MONTH

Newmark Hotels to manage landmark hotel The Winchester The Winchester, previously known as The Winchester Mansions, has appointed Newmark to relaunch and manage this iconic hotel, which is located on the Sea Point promenade in Cape Town, with Table Mountain forming a majestic backdrop.

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he Winchester is a landmark sea frontage hotel that was originally built in 1922 as a residential property and was then later converted to a hotel in 1958. Since its inception, this historic building has witnessed the evolution of the Sea Point beach front from being a strip of sandy ground with a busy railway line servicing the area, to the current day popular

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promenade and rolling lawns which draw people in their droves to enjoy the lifestyle and scenery whilst running, cycling, and strolling alongside the sea.

The Winchester has a rich heritage, and its iconic Cape Dutch architecture tells a story of luxury and sophistication of a romantic bygone era. The hotel has experienced several renovations over its 63year lifespan and is once again undergoing

a comprehensive refurbishment at an approximate cost of R90-million. The project revitalises this grand hotel and prepares for its renewed place as one of South Africa’s most desirable destination addresses, whilst still maintaining its historic charm.

“The current renovation of The Winchester sees the hotel being reinvented with a more contemporary look and feel, while still paying respect www.businesseventsafrica.com

VENUE OFVENUE THE MONTH NEWS

to the proud history of the building,” explained Neil Markovitz, chief executive officer of Newmark Hotels, Reserves, Lodges and Residences.

“The makeover at The Winchester commenced with a functional upgrade of the hotel’s entire plumbing system, with all of the bathrooms throughout the building being completely rebuilt, as well as an exciting renewal of all the common areas and reception rooms, and a revitalisation of the magnificent and iconic courtyard with its beautiful foliage.”

During this refurbishment, the historic details and features of the interior

architecture at The Winchester are being maintained, and in some places even reinstated, whilst bringing in furnishings, colour palettes and styling that add a modern appeal. A crisp, classic, black and white colour scheme features throughout the hotel’s main areas – seen in beautiful, white panelled walls and detailed ceilings, offset by striking geometric floor tiles, all accented by quirky décor elements and antiques that portray the building’s rich history and personality. The black and white theme also features in the new, beautifully appointed, bathrooms.

The front-facing rooms at The Winchester

have been reconfigured to create new sea-facing suites, as well as a signature luxury suite – all of which now take full advantage of the beautiful large windows looking out towards the ocean.

“My team and I are thrilled to be adding The Winchester to our niche portfolio of hotels and eagerly anticipate its grand reopening on 1 October this year,” Mr Markovitz said. “This signature and iconic establishment portrays the rich history of Sea Point and Cape Town as a destination of choice and we look forward to being the custodians of The Winchester’s long and promising future.”

Contact information For more information, a demonstration or just to chat about bespoke needs, contact the sales team on 011 928 1903 or sales@peermont.com www.businesseventsafrica.com

Business Events Africa July 2021 15

CASE STUDY

The 20th South African Spine Society Congress and Exhibition

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usiness Events Africa chatted to Yoshni Singh, director of Europa Organisation Africa, the organiser of the 20th South African Spine Society Congress and Exhibition.

The South African Spine Society is a local association; however, many of its members are part of international association communities.

Did Covid-19 have an impact of the event dates?

The event was first scheduled to take place in 2020 – with planning, therefore, starting as far back as 2019. However, due to the current pandemic, it was moved to 2021. It is the first time that we have, as EOA, managed the event for the association.

Does this association have a rotational schedule?

It has a South African rotational schedule.

This congress rotates between KwaZuluNatal, Gauteng, and Cape Town.

Yoshni Singh, Europa Organisation Africa.

16 Business Events Africa July 2021

Dates: 20-22 May 2021 Host city: Cape Town Hotel venue: Century City Conference Centre Client: The South African Spine Society Conference organiser: Europa Organisation Africa Delegates: 168 delegates that registered, of which 161

arrived. They came from all parts of

South Africa. Including two in person

international faculty from Germany and Belgium.

International speakers: Four international speakers (three from the

United Kingdom and one from Canada).

They were Zoom-linked into the conference.

Trade: 21 representing companies – 50 trade delegates.

As the organiser, what challenges did you encounter?

Hardest part – was the uncertainty of when the event would take place. With hybrid as well as virtual becoming the new buzz word – this made planning and mind shifts a little bit more challenging in general.

Easiest – the organising committee took the decision early on in 2020 that when they were to go ahead in 2021 – it was going to be an in-person event – following and working within all the Covid regulations set out by government.

This was to ensure a safe environment for

“The mission of the SA Spine Society is to foster optimal care for patients with spinal conditions through research and education as well as ethical practice.”

Dr Schalk Burger, neurosurgeon, SA Spine Society president

www.businesseventsafrica.com

CASE STUDY

Zandri Swartz, Century City.

Nadia Lombard, Century City.

both their trade as well as participants.

Most importantly, they trusted the team and I when it came to suggestions and ways forward during the brainstorming sessions.

for us to visit a renowned wine farm which hosted the faculty dinner. Its location ensured that we did not have everyone couped up in one venue for the duration of the event.

Did you consider running a hybrid event?

We decided to do a live in-person meeting only. This included international speakers, who could not fly in. They pre-recorded their presentations, which we showed onscreen during the Q and A sessions – this worked well.

Feedback from the Century City Conference Centre Zandri Swartz, brand influencer and Nadia Lombard, meeting and events coordinator, Century City Conference Centre, said: “The South African Spine Association Congress was our first association conference with an exhibition hosted since April 2020.

“The highlight of the congress was observing guests enjoy the benefit of a face-to-face conference through networking and interacting with the various innovations and exhibits, while complying with Covid-19 protocols.

“From a venue perspective, adapting the flow of food service based on Covid-19 compliance, while still maintaining an enhanced guest experience, initially posed a challenge, but the new layout and design of our food serving areas as well as the various pre-conference meetings held between our team, Yoshni and the team of event organisers, ensured that we executed this seamlessly.”

The positive comments and testimonies received from the medical fraternity planning and attending the conference was affirmation that our industry may indeed host successful and meaningful face-to-face conferences safely, while not impacting on the guest experience.”

What were the benefits of having a live event?

This allowed trade to engage with the doctors, after an exceptionally long time.

Doctors where able to touch and feel the equipment, as well as meet with their colleagues and discuss challenges and also wins.

How did this congress come to Century City Conference Centre, Cape Town?

This was a local meeting. EOA put forward suggested venues for the Western Cape region with CCCC being one of them. It was later decided on due to the easy access and locality.

The CCCC worked well for us as, even though it was large enough to meet all our space requirements – especially following all protocol regulations – as well as small enough for us to have the venue to ourselves. The team were very accommodating with our needs in our quest to host an in-person meeting. The location of CCCC also allowed easy access

Europa Organisation Africa Website: www.eoafrica.co.za

“As a society of spinal surgeons we come from more than one discipline i.e. orthopaedic surgery, neurosurgery, chiro practice, physio therapists. The interaction that is achieved is not one that is easily mimicked in a virtual meet. Yes, you may convey academics, but you cannot mimic that social interaction that is so desperately needed on a professional level.”

Prof Ian Vlok, academic coordinator of SA Spine Society

www.businesseventsafrica.com

Business Events Africa July 2021 17

A LOCAL PERSPECTIVE

We need to work together if we want to revive South Africa’s tourism industry In early 2020, South Africa shut down. Businesses closed their doors, airplanes were grounded, and people became all too familiar with the inside of their homes. The country’s economy took a huge hit because of necessary lockdown measures, but the tourism sector has borne the brunt of the pandemic’s negative impact, losing billions of rands in revenue and over 300 000 jobs since the outbreak began.

By Jerry Mabena, chief executive officer of Motsamayi Tourism Group.

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hile other sectors of the economy have shifted to adapt to our current economic environment by implementing remote work and accelerating digital transformation, the nature of the tourism industry has made it difficult to respond to the challenges brought on by Covid-19 travel restrictions. Simply put, no travellers mean no tourism. According to a 2020 report1 released by Statistics South Africa, foreign arrivals dropped by 71 per cent from just over 15.8 million in 2019 to less than five million in 2020.

Saving the tourism sector and the livelihoods that depend on it will require both the public and private sector to 18 Business Events Africa July 2021

collaborate and inject more resources into the sector to ensure that the worst possible scenario may be avoided.

Collaborative reinvestment will reinvigorate the industry South Africa needs to prioritise robust private-public partnerships to reignite the country’s tourism sector and ensure that the industry may meaningfully contribute to the national economy. The tourism sector requires comprehensive investment to grow to its full potential and this will only be achieved by both the public and private sector working together to achieve the same goals.

The industry needs investment that

will balance both short-term and longterm recovery, help spark innovation, and enhance sustainability. The government has begun to take steps to invest in reviving the local tourism sector, such as the recent launch of the Tourism Equity Fund where Tourism Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane announced that the government would be committing R1.2 billion towards the renewal of the South African tourism sector over the next three years. But, given the country’s slow vaccination programme and the reality that the virus and its impact might be with us for many more years, more needs to be done.

Rebuilding tourism must become a www.businesseventsafrica.com

A LOCAL PERSPECTIVE

priority and ordinary South Africans have a part to play. By travelling within the country and spending money at local travel and hospitality establishments, local South Africans may help to save the industry too.

Domestic tourism will be the key in the ignition restarting the sector, helping to mitigate the impact on jobs and businesses in key destinations in the country and ensuring that the industry becomes more resilient in the future.

Investing in the country’s tourism sector now could redefine the industry for years to come. The world is starting to open up as more and more regions carry out their vaccination rollout. Today, half of all adults in the US2 have already been vaccinated and people are itching to travel.

Not only that, but they’re also looking for more cost-effective places to travel to.

While South Africa remains on the UK’s red list – a key market for the local tourism industry – the good news is that cautious travel between the two countries is planned to resume in the coming weeks, with British Airways announcing that it would resume international travel this month.

Reopening international travel and accelerating South Africa’s vaccine rollout could help the country position itself to welcome the huge spike in international travel which we are likely to see as more people receive their vaccinations, generating greater revenue for the economy.

Tourism is more than just an extra The travel, tourism and hospitality industry might often be seen as a sector that is not as important in South Africa as, let’s say, manufacturing or agriculture, but it is one of the largest employers in the country and one of the biggest contributors to the country’s GDP. In 2018, the direct contribution of the tourism sector to GDP was R130.1 billion, constituting nearly three per cent direct contribution to GDP, and around four and a half per cent of total employment in South Africa, employing more than 740 000 South Africans in that year.

Additionally, the tourism sector’s value chain touches on almost every other sector of the country’s economy. The sector has a mutually beneficial relationship with just about every sphere of economic activity in the country, from agriculture through catering, to logistics through car rentals to arts and craft and entertainment – even sports is part of the value chain. It is www.businesseventsafrica.com

certainly one of the most important industries and therefore requires special attention if the country is to effectively rejuvenate and grow the economy, save jobs and create more opportunities to get our people working.

While South Africa’s economy is seeing upward momentum, it’s not enough to offset the losses sustained over the past year. In its 2021 World Economic Outlook, the International Monetary Fund has forecast South Africa’s annual growth rate at 3.1 per cent for 2021, but the country’s economy had contracted by seven per cent during 2020, and so the country will find itself significantly behind our preCovid growth. The tourism industry has the greatest potential to stimulate growth and reduce the current unemployment rate (at 32.6 per cent, a 13-year high); therefore, breathing life back into South Africa’s tourism industry could boost national economic growth and see the country recover faster from the longlasting impact of the pandemic.

The tourism industry is on the backfoot.

It is standing on the edge of the cliff and, more than merely saving it, we need to revitalise it and use it to save the jobs and livelihoods directly and indirectly linked to it and help facilitate a rebound in a sector that is vital to the country’s economy.

1. www.statssa.gov.za/?p=14281 2. https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/ WEO/Issues/2021/03/23/ world-economic-outlook-april-2021

Who is Jerry Mabena?

Jerry Mabena holds a B Com degree in Industrial Psychology and Economics from Rhodes University. He is the chief executive officer of Thebe Services Division, where he is responsible for the integration and growth of the Thebe Investment Corporation’s investment in the tourism, financial services and energy services industries.

Before joining Thebe in 2011, he served as chief executive officer of Kagiso Property Holding. He has experience in advertising, marketing and business management.

He serves as a director of Motsamayi Tourism Group (previously called Thebe Tourism Group (Pty) Limited). He also holds a diploma in project management from Damelin and a certificate programme in accounting and finance from Wits Business School.

Business Events Africa July 2021 19

PAGE STRAP GLOBAL EXHIBITION RESEARCH

Latest global exhibition industry research released The Brussels-based International Federation of Exhibition & Event Services (IFES) conducted a research study on the state of the global exhibition industry in April this year. The study was a follow-up to the survey conducted in September 2020. Justin Hawes, president of IFES and managing director of Scan Display offered some insights into the latest IFES research, while making some comparisons to the previous research results.

I

t’s interesting that the sample in the latest study was 123 – an increase of 43 per cent from the sample in the study last year. This increase in participation may be attributed to people’s interest in the previous research findings, making them eager to participate in the new study. Or possibly people have more time on their hands, as the exhibition industry heads towards 18 months, with almost no work. There was a noteworthy increase in respondents in the USA – from 11 in the first study to 34 in the latest study.

Government support The main types of government support 20 Business Events Africa July 2021

provided to the industry last year were loans and tax reductions. Initially governments gave loans and tax relief throughout their economies. They were broad-based and provided widespread relief across industries. However, governments were only able to provide this relief in the short term.

The latest research shows that government loans and tax reductions have dropped, and wage subsidies are now the main form of government support. Government support now targets specific industries and companies with wage subsidies. We saw this in South Africa, where the TERS (Temporary Employee Relief Scheme) benefits were www.businesseventsafrica.com

GLOBAL EXHIBITIONPAGE RESEARCH STRAP

extended for industries which have been unable to operate during the pandemic – although six months later, these benefits are yet to be paid.

Current exhibition activity China was the first country in which national and international trade fairs could be held again. This was followed by the United Arab Emirates. Some countries have been able to hold small or test events but have reverted to lockdown as their countries faced new waves of the pandemic.

The respondents provided lists of the shows planned in their countries at the time of the study. These lists were subsequently updated with many shows being postponed or cancelled as infection rates changed in the countries.

Future exhibition activity When respondents were asked about their country’s planned reopening dates for exhibitions, their answers varied widely, even within a specific country. In many counties, the show dates are set by the individual states. For example, in the USA, trade shows were taking place in Nevada again, while other states still banned mass gatherings.

Sixty per cent of the sample believed that exhibitions would reopen in the third or last quarter of 2021 − one must remember that the respondents all work in the exhibition industry and have a vested interest in its reopening, and their responses are likely to err on the optimistic side. A more cautious group (40 per cent) believed that exhibitions would only start again sometime in 2022. www.businesseventsafrica.com

Factors contributing to the reopening of exhibitions The respondents felt that the lifting of international travel bans as well as the lifting of companies’ travel bans on employees would make the greatest contribution to the reopening of the industry. This is unsurprising, as most shows rely on exhibitors and visitors from around the globe.

The next most important contributing factor was the vaccination of seventyfive per cent of a country’s population.

Revenue drop Respondents were asked to quantify their revenue drop from 2019 to 2020. Almost seventy per cent of the respondents said that they had seen their 2020 revenue drop by more than seventy-five per cent.

Thirty per cent had experienced a crippling drop of more than ninety per cent.

They expect that their 2021 revenue levels will be similar to those in 2020.

Future challenges with employees Approximately thirty-five per cent of the respondents said that they have either had to shut down their businesses or lay off up to seventy-five per cent of their employees.

The longer that the pandemic lasts, the greater the challenge that the industry will face in sourcing skilled workers when exhibitions restart.

Respondents believe that skilled workers will migrate to other sectors during the industry crisis, and professionals won’t want to work in the live event industry with everything so uncertain.

Exhibitors’ response The uncertainty associated with planned shows and countries’ ever-changing restrictions on live events, means that exhibitors are reluctant to make decisions or commitments. Eighty per cent of respondents said that their customers (exhibitors) were eager to participate in planned shows, but were not prepared to make any financial commitment. Thirtyfour percent of the respondents said that they had customers who were both willing to participate and pay first instalments.

The respondents said that very few of their customers say that they prefer hybrid and virtual events to in-person events. The feedback from exhibitors is increasingly negative about virtual events, which many exhibitors believe have a low ROI. Therefore, the feedback is that there is a strong drive amongst exhibitors to participate in physical events in future.

Virtual exhibitions The feedback is that virtual seminars or conferences are more popular with customers than virtual exhibitions, but face-to-face events are still preferred over virtual events. Customers believe that investments in virtual exhibitions are high, and they lack the direct comparison with other brands that in-person exhibitions facilitate.

The respondents believe that virtual components will remain as an extension of an exhibitor’s web presence – virtual exhibits are a great website sales tool, but a poor substitution for face-to-face events.

Business Events Africa July 2021 21

PAGE STRAP TRAVEL TRENDS

Five destinations where South Africans may travel even cheaper now Global flight search and travel deals website, Cheapflights.co.za, reveals the destinations that are cheaper for South Africans to travel to now, compared to a pre-pandemic year. By comparing data from 2019 to now, locals may explore their continent for cheaper, and even experience a soughtafter island holiday.

T

he borders remain closed for many destinations around the world, but recent news shows that South Africans may start travelling to a select few places around the world. Not only that, but it should be for a significantly cheaper price than what it was in 2019, pre-pandemic. From the lowveld in South Africa to the vast dunes of Namibia, below are five destinations which locals may explore for a smaller budget.

An island holiday in the Maldives In late April, the Maldives announced that they would be opening their borders to South Africans to visit. Known as ‘vaccine tourism’, South Africans should be able 22 Business Events Africa July 2021

to travel to this well-loved destination to get their jab while on holiday. Locals are able to find flights to the Malé for as little as R11 855, on average, which is 7,4 per cent less than two years ago.

Lower cost has led to an increase in interest in this destination. Cheapflights registers a seven-fold increase in searches for flights to Malé which is surpassing the pre-pandemic levels.

The picturesque island has always been known as an exclusive destination, visited by the wealthy, but has now been made more accessible for those looking to travel there. Some of the exciting things to do include beach visits, snorkelling, and browsing the local markets.

Exploring sea and sand in Namibia Staying closer to home, Namibia is a destination that offers something for everyone. Previously a little more expensive to travel to, South Africans may now secure flights to Namibia from as little as R3 721 on average, which is around 16 per cent cheaper than the price of flights in 2019. It seems that South Africans are sharing the excitement about travelling to the neighbouring country as several searches for travels to its capital, Windhoek, jumped by 27 per cent. Those who are looking for a different winter getaway, the weather is perfect around this time. Travellers may go to Swakopmund – a coastal town famous for www.businesseventsafrica.com

TRAVEL PAGE TRENDS STRAP

its beaches and is great for surfing. The Namib desert creates an opportunity for desert adventure activities like sandboarding, 4x4 or quad bike tours, as well as fishing, boating and coastal tours.

Visiting Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe Arguably the most beautiful waterfall in Africa, Victoria Falls is known around the world. And now is a good time to plan a trip there. If you have always wanted to take a trip, but it didn’t quite fit your budget, now is a good time to plan it.

Flights may be secured for as little as R3 677 on average, making it one third more affordable than in 2019! As Cheapflights data shows, South Africans are taking this opportunity, with flight searches being 39 per cent up.

With two-thirds of the waterfall being in Zimbabwe, it serves as the better option for seeing this sight, listed as one of the seven wonders of the world.

www.businesseventsafrica.com

Getting up close with wildlife in Uganda This landlocked country in East Africa is growing in popularity for its tourist activities and receives almost twice more searches than pre-pandemic. Previously, flying to Uganda would set you back a pretty penny, but since 2019 the flight costs have come down by around 16 per cent. This means that it is possible to travel from South Africa to Uganda for as little as R4 925 on average.

Uganda is known for its lush natural landscape and vast wildlife. This would be the perfect trip for someone interested in being up close and personal with nature. The country’s largest national park, Murchison Falls, is over 1 500 square miles, and located in the northwestern part of Uganda. Here, there are a plethora of animals to sightsee on a safari, both on land and river, as the Nile River runs through this park.

A quick break at a local game reserve Those who do not want to take an international trip yet, may visit a local game reserve. Flights to Nelspruit are cheaper now than in 2019, and you may save up to around 27 per cent with average flights as low as R3 517. As domestic travels are on the rise this year, trips to Nelspruit are also picking up and flights are searched by 131 per cent more often than two years ago.

You are spoiled for choice in this beautiful province, with something suited for every budget. Who wouldn’t want to wake up to the sounds of birds chirping or watch elephants and cheetahs around the watering hole from your balcony, while sipping on coffee? The winter season is the best time to visit game reserves and the ideal time to book your trip to the Lowveld.

Before travelling, check each country’s local government travel rules and requirements related to Covid-19.

Business Events Africa July 2021 23

PERSONALITY PROFILE

Thabani Ndlovu – “I always had my heart set on working in Africa” Passionate Thabani Ndlovu, 39, general manager of Hilton Garden Inn Gaborone in Botswana was born and raised in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe.

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fter school I moved to the United Kingdom to study international hospitality and marketing management. Whilst there, I began working in the industry at Hilton London Metropole and have enjoyed a long career with Hilton over the past 16 years.”

“I spent more than 10 years in the UK, growing in a corporate role within Hilton EMEA until I moved back to Africa. In 2013, I opened the Hilton global sales office for Africa, looking after key accounts from Cape Town to Lagos and travelling every other week to different cities and countries on the continent.”

Ms Ndlovu has worked in Zambia and also in Namibia on the Hilton Garden Inn hotels. She was appointed general manager of Hilton Garden Inn Gaborone in December 2019.

24 Business Events Africa July 2021

Ms Ndlovu said: “I have thoroughly enjoyed my career, the experiences and exposure I have been afforded. It is something I had never imagined growing up in a middle-class Zimbabwean family.”

“I would like for more of Africa’s younger generation to have similar experiences, and to contribute to the development of our continent. As a result, I strive to inspire and assist with the development of colleagues wherever I am. On a more personal note, I would love to have an establishment of my own by the time I retire. If not, then to have enough savings to be on holiday for the rest of my life,” she added.

Ms Ndlovu said that her proudest achievements include: • Successfully leading a team of 80 per cent female management through 2020 and retaining most of the team members in the workforce. www.businesseventsafrica.com

PERSONALITY PROFILE

• Evolving into a female leader in a male dominated environment, more so in a reputable global company.

• Voted as one of the top 100 most influential women in tourism in Africa by ATQ News.

Where did you grow up?

I grew up in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe’s second largest city. I completed my primary and secondary education there as well as studied at the School of Hospitality and Tourism. I then relocated to the United Kingdom, where I studied at London Metropolitan University and completed a joint BA Honours degree in international hospitality management and marketing management.

Where did your career begin?

My career commenced at Hilton London Metropole as a breakfast waitress while I was studying. I have always enjoyed hosting, cooking for, and interacting with people. Hospitality is second nature to me, so when it came time for me to choose my career path, the hospitality industry was a natural choice for me.

How long have you been in the sector?

I have been in the sector my entire career.

Over the past 16 years, I have moved and progressed within Hilton, first as a breakfast waitress, then as a receptionist, groups conference and events sales executive and eventually business development manager in London.

Following this, I worked at the EMEA headquarters in the global sales office overseeing the convention hotels primarily in the UK and supporting other hotels in the region. This gave me the opportunity to travel around Europe and gain a lot of cross-cultural experience.

However, I always had my heart set on working in Africa and had the opportunity when I was afforded the position to open the first global sales office in Sub-Saharan Africa. After being in this role for just over four years, I expressed interest in becoming a general manager and enrolled in SHINE, Hilton’s management training programme. It was at this time that I had moved from sales to an operations role as commercial leader, to open Hilton Garden Inn Lusaka. Within four months of opening the hotel, I applied – and was accepted – for the role of Hotel Manager to preopen Hilton Garden Inn Windhoek.

Within nine months, I was promoted to www.businesseventsafrica.com

my current role in Botswana as general manager for Hilton Garden Inn Gaborone.

What has been the biggest change you’ve seen in this sector?

The digital transformation of the hospitality sector, and the use of digital platforms in what was a traditionally tactile industry has been a big shift. For example, digital keys and concierge, where this role was traditionally fulfilled by a butler. There is also the connectivity of rooms, which essentially means that one may conduct a ‘turndown’ service by controlling the temperature, television and lighting, all while the guest is in the room.

We are now in a world where we have to offer these services and experiences, while still balancing the human element when assisting our guests – and that may never be replaced.

What role does your family play in your life?

I am married to Terence. My family is my support system. I have relocated on four occasions throughout Africa – from South Africa, to Zambia, Namibia, and now Botswana. My husband has been by my side every step of the way, and always encourages me as I progress in my career.

Do you play any sports?

I am learning to play golf. Hilton supports a lot of international sporting events and I have decided to take my involvement a step further.

What is your secret to success?

Patience, perseverance and being open-minded.

What has been your biggest challenge in this sector?

The biggest challenge has been the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, a year which was also my initiation as a general manager in a fully operational hotel. Right before the global outbreak, I moved to Botswana during the Christmas holidays, while still working on building a team which grew to 100 staff. Within three months of assuming my role, I was forced to suspend operations and go into a period of uncertainty from a professional perspective; what would happen to the hotel and my team, and personally; worrying if any of my loved ones or I would contract the virus .

So far, it has been a remarkable experience. I have had the full support of

my colleagues and management, which has helped me retain most of my team and maintain a profitable business in 2020, and to date. I would like to be optimistic and believe that the worst is now over and that we may look to rebuilding the business.

What is your pet hate?

People who are late and do not communicate this.

What is the most memorable place you have ever been to, and why?

Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. Growing up in Zimbabwe, I never thought I would have the opportunities that I had. We would watch TV, and every notable person driven in a limousine and living in a mansion would talk about “checking in at Caesar’s Palace”. So, when I had the opportunity to travel to Las Vegas for a convention, I wore the biggest smile and sense of pride when I “checked in at Caesar’s Palace” and went to see the Belagio Fountains.

What is your favourite city?

I can’t pick out a favourite city, but I did fall in love with Italy. There is so much to see and do, from the canals in Venice, the vibrancy of Milan and the beautiful Tuscan countryside. The food offering wherever you go is luxurious and rich, from Lemoncello in Sorrento, Florentine steaks and, of course, the pasta!

How do you relax?

A spa day or a day with my friends outdoors with good food.

What is your favourite food?

I enjoy a good tiramisu.

Who is your favourite movie star?

Will Smith. It started as a teenage crush during his Fresh Prince of Bel Air days, but over the years I have grown to respect him and his career.

What advice do you have for anyone starting out in this industry?

Hospitality is an industry that requires one to have a passion for serving people, so consider if that is something you want to commit to before you decide. It may be trying at times, but it is rewarding. It is a great sector, with opportunities to travel, and offers variety, as no two days are the same – which is a bonus in my opinion!

Business Events Africa July 2021 25

CHEF’S PROFILE

Andriano Uys – “Always stay hands-on with your food” Andriano Uys, head chef, Protea Hotel by Marriott® Johannesburg Balalaika Sandton, was born and raised in Nelson Mandela Bay.

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ndriano has been actively working in the hospitality industry for the past 21 years. “I began at the age of 15 at STAR caterers, Nosh, Madison – first as a commis chef and working my way up to sous chef. From there I continued working at various caterers and restaurants, holding various positions ranging from back of house to front of house.”

Andriano said: “I knew from an early age that I had a big love for cooking and for entertaining people.”

“Growing up at the coast, fishing became a keen interest in my life and this is how I was introduced to cooking. My father always loved cooking outside on the open fire and we would often cook 26 Business Events Africa July 2021

what we caught. I soon realised that what brought joy to my life is seeing people enjoying good food.”

After completing school, Andriano studied hospitality and catering. He completed his N6 in 2005. “I have always had a passion for the restaurant industry, from fine dining, steak houses, seafood restaurants and caterers. Over the years, I have had the opportunity to work with great chefs and business owners and have learnt the back and front of house.”

“I will never know everything when it comes to our industry. Our knowledge is what sets us apart and every day is an opportunity to learn. There are so many ways to prepare dishes, but the ones made with love and passion will always stand out. www.businesseventsafrica.com

CHEF’S PROFILE

“I enjoy cooking with fresh ingredients and believe that every ingredient you use has its own unique flavour which should be respected. My favourite dishes to make are those prepared outside, on open flames. From whole fish and slow cooking steaks to smoking,” he said.

Before joining Balalaika, he was the executive chef/manager at Lago Puccini Café & Lounge in Boksburg for seven years.

His goal is to see the Bull Run become the number one steak house in less than five years. “Currently we are working on a new Bull Run menu which will be launched in July. We are changing much, from the way we age our meat to the way in which we cut and prepare it. All our meat goes through a 28 day ageing process and is cut onsite by our blockman.

We are hoping to bring with it a fresh new look and feel. Local produce is always better.”

Andriano said that he loves what he does as it gives him the freedom to experiment with ingredients, techniques, and dishes.

In terms of trends, he said: “Clients are becoming more conscious of what they eat. Obviously, the health trend has boomed over the years and even more www.businesseventsafrica.com

now with the Covid-19 pandemic.”

He added: “Covid-19 has seen so many good establishments closing. So many professionals suddenly without work.”

From a global trends perspective, he said: “Keto diet is coming up frequently, wagyu beef is another one, and slowly but surely, vegan meat.”

Andriano is married to Joshna SahadeoUys. “I have been married for four years to my beautiful wife. We have been together for 10 years. He has three children Akeel, 17; Sheyur, two, and Jhiyana, five months old.

For leisure, he enjoys spending time with family. He also enjoys short getaways and preparing special dishes outside, on the fire. “My favourite meal to prepare for my family is whole fish with prawns.”

“Having a teenager and two babies, there is no time for hobbies. However, I am fortunate enough to have my hobby as my career.”

Andriano’s advice for those wanting to become an executive chef, is: “Don’t get lost in the admin work of this position.

Always stay hands-on with your food and the quality that your team produces, as the dish that you create sets you apart from any other hotel, restaurant, or caterer.”

What is your signature dish?

My current signature dish is prawn and salmon cakes infused with garlic, coriander, mint and lemon. I created this dish for my wife, as this is one of her favourites. It’s normally paired with a sauvignon blanc.

What trends are emerging in the conference industry regarding food?

While we are fortunate enough to still

host conferences at the hotel, the one thing that has changed is how we display our food. No more platters to share. We build each snack break into individual plates for each guest to enjoy without having a fear of sharing serving tongs and spoons. Limiting the touching of plates and using gloves to plate food after plates having been sanitised. For PCOs – be bold and simple with the flavours and offering, and know your client.

What has remained constant in this industry?

Consumers love good food and value for money. Coming up with new ideas for the industry. All chefs love to challenge one another and create new techniques and dishes.

What is your favourite beverage?

I enjoy a well-aged glass of red wine, preferably a merlot or, alternatively, my espresso.

What is your favourite food?

A little bit of this and a little bit of that.

Sharing food, tapas, canapés, etc.

What is your pet hate?

Chefs being inconsistent and taking short cuts.

What is your great love?

Besides my wife and kids… food, food, food.

Are you adventurous?

Yes, growing up I had a big love for adventure and sports. Ranging from sand boarding, body boarding and rollerblading. The most adventurous thing I have done must be the Bloukrans bungee jump.

Always stay hands-on with your food and the quality that your team produces, as the dish that you create sets you apart from any other hotel, restaurant, or caterer.

Business Events Africa July 2021 27

EVENT GREENING FORUM

Reflecting on lessons from Covid-19 Amongst the industries hardest hit by Covid-19 has been the MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) sector. Twenty-four months ago, this was an industry on the up; exhibitions every week, South Africa attracting some big events like Meetings Africa 2020 – held in February just before lockdown.

By Gavin Heron, Earth Probiotic.

W

hile taking conferences onto Zoom has helped recently, the companies that manufacture stands, produce food, transport delegates, accommodate attendees, provide security, provide cleaning services, source gifts, print brochures, etc. are, to all intents and purposes, struggling to survive.

Covid-19 was beneficial for couriers, home improvement suppliers, online shopping and services, but for the events industry, there has been no upside from 28 Business Events Africa July 2021

Covid-19, only lost income and jobs.

Even during normal times, the event industry operates on very tight timelines and deadlines. One is either pitching for business; transporting material for an event; building an event or striking the event. Seven days a week. 24/7.

For anyone in the events industry, time is a luxury.

So, what are we to do when time is no longer a luxury but an unwanted surplus?

The Event Greening Forum’s (EGF) objective is to promote sustainable,

environmentally positive events. Now that there is time to reflect, we may take lessons from Covid-19, which may be positively applied when – vaccinations permitting –the industry may get back to some sense of normalcy.

Putting sustainability at the centre of your future strategy is not only about “Yo! Check out how Green I am!” It’s a strategy which may reduce supply chain vulnerability, minimise regulatory risks, save costs, and raise your business to ‘preferred vendor’ status. www.businesseventsafrica.com

EVENT GREENING PAGEFORUM STRAP

Minimising food wastage is not only good for the environment, it has a positive ROI in most cases.

Redesign your products to minimise supply chains The pandemic taught us that supply chain disruptions have a significant negative impact on our businesses. Suddenly, products that depended on key components from afar – such as China (or elsewhere), were either unobtainable from our usual suppliers or worse, not manufactured at all locally.

So, how do you redesign your exhibition solution to make it simpler, quicker to manufacture, quicker to assemble, less wasteful?

Are you able to up-cycle waste materials and save costs? Where may you find these materials? Bodies which are very helpful in connecting waste producers to waste upcyclers are organisations that have Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes1.

Buy Local The EGF is dedicated to supporting the local economy through sustainable business practices. The Forum’s Green Data Base2 is a directory of environmentally friendly and socially responsible suppliers.

Supporting these companies not only reduces local unemployment by creating work opportunities and keeping suppliers in business, but also shortens your supply chain and minimises the impacts associated with transport.

The other benefit of using local suppliers is that – and we all need to be cognisant of this – your business actively minimises supply chain CO2e emissions (a nail from China impacts the environment more than one from Germiston).

Think Green, Think CO2e Minimisation Putting CO2e minimisation at the core of how you approach business leads to a www.businesseventsafrica.com

less wasteful, more efficient operation.

Every single physical thing we manufacture or buy has a CO2e footprint.

So how may you think about producing less stuff?

How do you only hand out marketing material to people who are actively engaged in what you do? How may you provide more information electronically? Is another branded flash drive or redesigned brochure necessary?

Most important though, is how may you design your event space for reuse? Could your event space be reused and/or repurposed and simply be moved from event to event? Think Ikea (but without the husband-and-wife assembly fights).

Food and beverage associated with events has a massive CO2e footprint. The CO2e footprint of food, for example, is 4,000kg/tonne3. And then there are the omnipresent own-branded plastic bottles which also, in spite of recycling efforts, end up being trashed.

Minimising food wastage is not only good for the environment, it has a positive ROI in most cases4. Active food waste management includes: • Buying from local suppliers, as the more distance a tomato, for example, travels, the higher the portion of spoilt produce and a greater carbon footprint.

• Keeping produce in their ‘skins’ extends their shelf-life and encourages kitchens to only use what they need at the time when it’s needed. This is particularly true for prepackages, trimmed vegetables and produce.

• Cook well! Nothing produces more wastage than bad food.

• If over-production is unavoidable or accidental, donate surplus food to food banks. Connect with a food bank service prior to the exhibition (they must also manage their logistics).

• Make stock from unused food for future use! In the ‘old’ days, a stockpot was perhaps the most important part of any commercial kitchen. Today, it’s easier (some say) to simply buy premade stock.

• When you do have waste, don’t just dump it. Companies like Earth Probiotic are able to provide onsite food waste recycling services to food service companies.

• Measure what you waste. Not only does this provide important input into your future catering strategy, it will also measure the impact of recycling vs.

landfilling in terms of CO2e reduction.

• As a final thought, one further impact that the industry had been minimising effectively prior to Covid, was a move away from single-serve items. But this has effectively been reversed largely due to rumour and ignorance (some even say poor management) by event organisers and venues. Single-serve items range from ‘crockery’ and ‘cutlery’ to non-recyclable packaging, coverings and containers – not to mention the ubiquitous PPE and medical waste created by Covid.

Covid-19 has been a disaster for the events industry. Hopefully, with a wellexecuted vaccination rollout programme, the industry will come out on the other side stronger and hopefully, more resilient.

A fresh, green and sustainability-oriented approach may positively contribute to the revitalisation of this key and impactful business.

1. https://prevent-waste.net/wp-content/ uploads/2020/09/South-Africa.pdf 2. https://www.greendatabase.co.za/ 3. Source: DEFRA UK 4. https://www.earthprobiotic.co.za/Earth_ Probiotic_Blog/?post=the-business-case-forreducing-food-waste#poster-top

About the EGF The Event Greening Forum (EGF) is a non-profit organisation that promotes sustainability within the business events sector. It does this by hosting educational sessions for industry and lobbying government in an effort to implement sustainability principles into the daily operations of the events industry.

The EGF was established through dedication and support of eight industry associations who are recognised as founding members. The founding members are key industry associations working together to promote South Africa as a destination for various types of events.

Want to know more?

If you would like to know more about event greening, visit wwweventgreening.co.za where you can browse the free resources, sign up to the monthly newsletter, or contact them directly with any queries.

Contact: Lynn Mcleod T: 082 891 5883 E: lynn@eventgreening.co.za

Business Events Africa July 2021 29

SITE NEWS

Moving beyond the pandemic – What is next for group incentive travel?

The Covid-19 pandemic has rapidly changed the face of our society in terms of the world of work, our attitude to risk and how we view others. There will be a return to travel. The immediate questions are the how, where and when.

By Peter Jackson, Red Blaze Limited.

T

he how aspect is going to be important to corporate buyers, they will want to know that their people will be safe, that any risk of future disruption can be actively managed and that their investment will be protected.

Covid has been a massive disruptor, acting as a catalyst to accelerate changes that were already occurring in both our work and home lives. Attitudes have evolved, we have different expectations from the world of work, we have a different sense of worth, how and what we value as being important has changed.

We need to add ‘what?’ to the list of questions that require answering. What are

30 Business Events Africa July 2021

our expectations for any group incentive trip in terms of: • safety and security of our people and our investment • the impact on our world • how it meets the changed aspirations of attendees?

Planning a trip in the future will require planners to consider and address these key points.

What is the expectation? How does that shape our thinking?

• Putting people first Any solution has to be demonstrably safe. Not just when the trip takes place

but also when an incentive is launched, to be motivational.

• We need to demonstrate understanding of the bigger picture Our solutions need to be fit-for-purpose across a range of reasonably expectable scenarios.

• We need to show changed thinking in execution Solutions need to reflect a new reality, and have a greater focus on the individual needs and wants. Programmes need to feel different. We need to be more aware of the impact of what we do has on our world. We need to take into account different attitudes (if not www.businesseventsafrica.com

SITE NEWS

approaches) to risk and personal aspirations.

• Delivery has to be pinpoint accurate Participants are accurately aware of organisational missteps in their daily lives and are super sensitive to their surroundings.

Group travel in a changed world Changes in group incentive travel are being accelerated by the impact of the pandemic, our landscape has changed, here are some ways in which we can see: • Programme spend will polarise – set piece whole group activity will become grander ‘money can’t buy’ experiences.

Other elements will become more simpler (and cheaper).

• Typical programmes will maximise ‘free time’ with options to participate punctuated with a limited number of anchor occasions.

• Destination/hotel selection will focus on maximising individual choice, personal space, the opportunity to explore in self-selecting groups.

• Personal space will be respected more.

• Key decisions will be later, greater focus on understanding contractual obligations.

• Greater emphasis on risk management and planning, more assertive event planning and management.

• Greater emphasis on understanding the impact of what we do has on our world.

Who is Peter Jackson?

Peter Jackson is a thirty-year veteran of the events industry including founding two UK MICE agencies, rede2 (www.rede2.com) in 1999, and destin-8 (www.destin-8.com) in 2002, which now sit under the umbrella of Red Blaze Limited. You may find Peter at linkedin.com/in/rede2peterjackson

What we’re all about: motivational experiences Why we do it? Business results!

Site is the only global network of travel and event professionals committed to motivational experiences that deliver business results.

Site provides insights and connections that inspire the utilisation of this powerful tool across diverse industries, regions and cultures.

Site serves as a source of knowledge and best practices where members can make personal connections that sustain professional growth.

Only one organisation sits at the critical intersection between those who seek the benefits of motivational tools and those who can provide these extraordinary experiences. That organisation is Site...

Contact

Email: info@sitesouthernafrica.com www.sitesouthernafrica.com www.siteglobal.com

SAACI NEWS

A winter of discontent The adjusted alert level four restrictions imposed on 27 June 2021 immediately resulted in a significant loss of business. Just as we were starting to see some green shoots and building off the good discussions we had during the SAACI National Congress in mid-May 2021, we were back to postponements and cancellations.

W

ithout a road map in place for events to resume in a sustainable and economical manner, this start-stop approach will not only hamper recovery, but will also hamper the retention of skills and will lead to further industry losses. In contrast we have seen destinations within the African continent, such as Kigali, get it right. With a fully vaccinated industry, the support from government, and the will to keep the business events industry open, there is a yielding of results.

Our industry has been repeatedly calling for urgent, short-term financial support, including a sector-specific UIF/TERS support scheme, business rates relief and sector specific bridging grants until restrictions are lifted, along with a government-backed

indemnity insurance scheme to support confidence in the market. Industry leaders want to work with government to devise a roadmap for reopening, with a clear indication of the evidence that will be used to dictate this schedule.

As an industry we have outlined a comprehensive series of safety measures that have been put in place which go beyond mandatory protocols. The safety measures include utilising the latest technology (including touch-free registration on arrival), one-way systems and rapid testing. We have presented and demonstrated our plans to use business events for mass same-day testing trials.

The importance of live events and experiences for the South African economy, their positive impact on the nation’s

By Glenton de Kock, chief executive officer of SAACI. wellbeing and the event industry’s expertise in organised audience logistics cannot be understated. It must not be brushed over and it will be a key economic driver.

While we may be experiencing a winter of discontent, we need to remain vigilant. We need to remain resolute as we touch millions of lives through business events, exhibitions, festivals, weddings, community, and charity events. The industry’s importance in generating employment across South Africa, creating opportunities for young people, and generating billions of rands in trade cannot remain unspoken for.

THE ASSOCIATION FOR CONFERENCE INDUSTRY LEADERS

CONNECT SAACI unites , supports and educates the business

events industry in southern Africa by creating sustainable environment for business growth

THRIVE Join SAACI and enjoy access to an inspiring network of industry professionals, while giving your business the professional status it needs to attract the attention of business leaders.

GROW Become the business events professional you’ve always wanted to be. Access the SAACI Academy and enter a world of inspiration, connections and world-class skills development.

www.businesseventsafrica.com

Visit our online community: www.saaci.org www.saacicongress.org www.saaci-academy.org

+27(0)11 880 5883 info@saaci.org

Business Events AfricaLearning October 2020 32 | Growth | collaboration

AAXO NEWS

Embracing the change Just like many of you, we too have been navigating our way in understanding how to deliver value to our customers through digital platforms.

I

would like to share some key learnings that have come from moving from our live event model to a digital format.

1. Content is (still) king.

Tip: ‘Conversation NOT Presentation’.

Content is the main reason for attending virtual events. Networking and exhibiting elements cannot be well replicated from live events. Ensure that you are delivering higher quality, more independent content with an ‘audience first’ mindset that helps to deliver true value to our attendees. Stylistically, ‘Conversation not presentation’ is a key, especially with there being so much webinar fatigue.

2. 365 engagements are the new normal.

Tip: cater for all personas.

An annual, digital editorial calendar should be designed to support and structure audience and sponsor engagement programmes the whole year round. This approach allows our event brands to better integrate digital solutions into sponsor campaigns which have previously been dominated by – sometimes exclusively – live events. All key personae should be engaged, throughout the whole year, through targeted and niche ‘gatherings’.

By Chanelle Hingston, group director, Clarion Events Africa.

3. Market/Customer focus creates competitive advantage.

Tip: get on the phone and into data.

Constantly talking to our audience (buyers and vendors) creates competitive advantage with better, more relevant products for our markets. ‘Quick and easy’ content, via desk research without understanding the key challenges and opportunities in our markets will not make you stand out.

The rush of the inperson experience might be making a comeback, but don’t drop the ball on digital. Learn how to use it to better enhance your inperson experience or else you may soon be left behind.

SAEC NEWS

Widespread vaccination holds the key to breaking the cycle of lockdowns Two of the greatest passion points in the world are music and sport. There’s nothing that draws a crowd together like a sporting event, concert or festival. And it has become increasingly clear to me that the only path back to those events is through mass vaccination.

By Justin van Wyk, chief executive officer of Big Concerts.

W

e know that vaccines are contentious for some – there is a lot of misinformation out there about their efficacy and safety and there are fears that they haven’t been sufficiently tested. But all of the evidence suggests – and there is sufficient evidence to demonstrate this – that they are not only vital to saving millions of lives, but are the only hope that we have of achieving a postCovid-19 world.

Without vaccines and mass vaccination, we may expect to go through cycle after cycle of our health system being overwhelmed by severely ill people, and thousands of lives lost, which means rolling lockdowns.

Lockdowns have a devastating effect on our mental health, with increased depression and anxiety; on our physical

34 Business Events Africa July 2021

health, with lack of access to routine health services and decline in physical activity, and also on the economy in terms of loss of livelihoods – which leads to increased inequality, extreme poverty, social unrest, increased crime and anti-social behaviour.

The cultural and creative workers of South Africa have been hard hit by the pandemic. The sector employs about 1.2 million people, all of whom went from 100 per cent to no revenue whatsoever overnight.

There was a complete and total ban on gatherings, which meant that no cultural or creative expression occurred, and there was no way for the industry to mitigate this. It wasn’t something we could plan for – it was an immediate shock.

At first, artists responded by livestreaming, but it’s not a revenue

driver. It just allows fans to connect with their favourite artists and remain relevant.

Ask any athlete or artist and they will tell you that the pinnacle of their career is to perform in front of people, to be cheered on. Playing in an empty stadium or performing to a camera is just not the same.

At the time we thought it would be weeks, then it was months, and now we are into year two, and there has been no respite. The most people we have been able to accomodate in a venue is 500, and that barely covers the cost of the infrastructure needed to host a large event.

Being deprived of cultural and sporting events has taken a massive toll on South Africa as a whole – and if you think they don’t matter, think about events like the Cricket World Cup, Rugby World Cup, www.businesseventsafrica.com

SAEC NEWS

FIFA World Cup, British and Irish Lions Tour, Cape Town Cycle Tour, Cape Town Sevens, and Two Oceans Marathon for starters – all of which we have hosted.

They all play a vital role in building social cohesion, encouraging active and healthy lifestyles, and promoting South Africa to the world.

When you think about tradition, culture and values – sport and music are at the heart of that. And how often has sport inspired a nation?

But there’s a huge economic impact too.

Cultural and creative services contribute more than R74.4-billion a year to the South African economy. They also have a multiplier impact, because they generate tourism, increase retail spending in host city economies, contribute towards the production of goods and services for consumption at events and in host cities, and create employment for unskilled and semi-skilled workers, and low-income households. If you take that into account, the cultural economy accounted for R241.8-billion or the equivalent of 5.6 per cent of the GDP. Tourism contributes about R400 billion to the economy every year, and events are a substantial contributor – because people travel to go to concerts, business meetings, sporting events, weddings, exhibitions, conferences, and so on, in what has been labelled the “experiential www.businesseventsafrica.com

economy”.

Tourism employs about 800,000 people, so the pandemic has affected two million people in the two industries combined – industries that collectively contribute about R500-billion or 10 per cent of GDP (not including the multiplier effect) to the economy each year and employ 15 per cent of the country’s workers.

Widespread vaccination means that our healthcare systems and hospitals won’t be overrun and pushed beyond capacity.

People who are vaccinated have a lower risk of transmitting the virus to other people. That means that we may manage our caseloads, and gradually reopen our society.

At the moment, I may not go and watch my son or daughter participate in sport, because no spectators are allowed. Our kids may not see their friends and have normal childhoods. The third wave is here – bringing with it the anxiety of whether the elderly in your family will make it through this next wave. Education has been disrupted for every child in this country, and thousands of excess deaths have been reported.

We simply are not going to reopen society unless we vaccinate – and do so to the right levels. We need to take the emotive discussions and fake news out of the equation, and trust that the global experts who have studied vaccine

technology for years, with funding from multilateral institutions, who have approved vaccines after conducting large scale trials, and who have administered these vaccines to hundreds of millions of people from ethnically diverse backgrounds, have done their jobs in a professional and ethnical manner with the appropriate clinical oversight.

We need every person to play their part – because we cannot reach herd immunity without you. We have to achieve this together: government cannot do it alone.

Every person who signs up takes us all a step closer to a shared goal. Every person and every vaccine counts, and the faster we all get vaccinated, the sooner we will be free to do the things we all love to do – practise our faith, see friends and family, return to studying, travel and enjoy sport and culture.

This is a great example of where we may heed Nelson Mandela’s words that our choices should reflect our hopes, not our fears. There is no other way to get to the other side of this. e: hello@saeventscouncil.org

Business Events Africa July 2021 35

EXSA PAGE NEWS STRAP

Seven reasons to radically alter our current situation The business events sector, currently a decimated industry, is barely holding on and confidence levels are at an all-time low amongst exhibitors and visitors. The potential threat of being shut down by the authorities is impacting the organisers who, along with the pertinent suppliers, do wish to realise business events at 50 per cent of venue capacity.

U

nfortunately, the industry’s workforce has dispersed, many have been retrenched or have immigrated.

Many have been devastated and remain overwhelmed – with the fear of experience and skill sets at risk of never returning to our beloved and once lucrative industry.

As a professional industry body, we are fully aware that the larger tradeshows that encompass and rely on international audiences, will not go ahead for a while.

However, domestic is where we must focus to kickstart our economy.

Here are seven reasons to radically alter our current situation: 1. Business Events (encompassing meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) • This sector is an important and integral part of the tourism sector and a major contributor to the economy.

• Without a doubt, it is a controlled, safe, regulated and tailor-made hospitable setting.

2. Provision of employment through domestic business meetings This is a workforce’s very survival at stake.

36 Business Events Africa July 2021

3. Generating expenditure that supports employment within the region Through the economic multiplier effect, respending within particular industries will generate an increase in economic output, in household incomes and in gross operating surpluses of business to support an increased number of jobs.

4. International organisers moving exhibitions away from South Africa as we are not able to host them • The vaccination roll out is not as rapid as seen in other countries globally – our country’s goal is to vaccinate 40 million people by February 2022.

• The South African government is not showing confidence in the business events sector role-players and community to safely run exhibitions, despite the substantiated portfolio of evidence and case studies.

• No policy is in place for onsite Rapid Antigen testing services for the business events sector.

5. Shopping centres and malls are open and masks and sanitising, mandatory

By Gill Gibbs, chairperson of EXSA

Standing at the end of a passageway in a mall or shopping centre and looking at the stores on each side is ‘Just like being at an exhibition’– the stores are the exhibition stands, the shoppers are the exhibition visitors, there are masks, there is sanitising and social distancing, even a compliance officer per store.

6. No science, nor rationality is applied to the ruling on the business events sector First, it requires a clear understanding and then, a distinction.

This third Covid-19 wave will pass, just as the preceding two waves have done, and those to come will too.

That is why decisions and action must be taken now, so that the business events community may begin to prepare proficiently.

We will not give up and we will not be silenced.

www.businesseventsafrica.com

MARKET NEWS

Tourism KZN appoints Pinky Radebe as new communications manager Tourism KwaZulu-Natal has appointed Pinky Radebe as senior manager for public relations and communications.

M

s Radebe takes office at a critical time when TKZN will be looking to speedily recover the tourism and hospitality industry which supports thousands of jobs and livelihoods in the province, whilst clawing back to number one spot as a tourist destination.

Ms Radebe matriculated at Marburg Secondary School and attained a diploma in journalism from Durban University of Technology. She also attained a bachelor of technology in public relations management with distinctions. She has completed a post graduate diploma in leadership from the University of KwaZulu-Natal.

From 2002 to 2005, Ms Radebe worked as a journalist for a local news publication in Port Shepstone. Thereafter, she joined Ugu District Municipality, Umzube and Umuziwabantu Local Municipalities in various divisions, dealing with committee and council secretariat, public relations and communications.

When she joined the provincial tourism promotion agency in 2005, she was responsible for board and board committee administration, managing the office of the board chairperson, stakeholder interaction

as well as administrating senior management meetings.

From 2006 to 2009, she was the public relations and communications officer within the chief executive officer’s department and was responsible for corporate communications, corporate events, media liaison, image building, and internal and external stakeholder liaison.

From 2009 to 2013, Ms Radebe was the project manager: transformation in the tourism development department within TKZN. She was responsible for the implementation of the tourism transformation/BBB-EE strategies.

Since 2013, she has been the manager: board secretariat, risk and compliance services in the office of the chief executive

July 2021 Vol 41 No 7 ADVERTISER

INDEX OF ADVERTISERS

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Durban KwaZulu-Natal Convention Bureau

officer, where she is responsible for board and board committee secretariat, enterprise risk management, corporate governance compliance, as well as fulfilling special project management with the office of the chief executive officer.

Ms Radebe has fulfilled company secretariat obligations and managed the budget within the chief executive officer’s office. Her competencies include strong organisational knowledge, good communication and analytical skills, report writing and interpersonal skills.

Her key strength is developing and maintaining relationships with key stakeholders in spheres of government, the tourism trade, media and the private sector.

FC, IFC, 6

EMAIL

WEBSITE

aaxo@aaxo.co.za

www.aaxo.co.za

khayelihle@zulu.org.za

www.zulu.org.za

Event Greening Forum

34

info@eventgreening.co.za

www.eventgreening.co.za

EXSA

36

exsa@exsa.co.za

www.exsa.co.za

Hotel & Hospitality Show

3

—

www.thehotelshowafrica.com

MJunxion

2

yolande@mjunxion.co.za

www.mjunxion.co.za

SAACI

32

info@saaci.org

www.saaci.org

SA Events Council

34

hello@saeventscouncil.org

www.saeventscouncil.org

SITE

30

info@sitesouthernafrica.com

www.sitesouthernafrica.com

www.businesseventsafrica.com

Business Events Africa July 2021 37

DIRECTORY

SOUTHERN AFRICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE CONFERENCE INDUSTRY

Learning | Growth | collaboration EXCO AND HEAD OFFICE Chairperson: Kim Roberts e: info@mise-en-placesolutions.com t: +27 (0)82 652 2008 Vice-chairperson: Jaques Fouche e: jaques@formative.co.za c: +27 (0)60 993 7542 Treasurer: Glenn van Eck e: glenn@magnetic.co.za c: +27 (0)82 800 2612 Public officer: Denise Kemp e: denise@easternsun.co.za c: +27 (0)82 654 9755 Chief executive officer: Glenton De Kock e: ceo@saaci.org c: +27 (0)82 575 7565 Membership services consultant: Alshanthé Smith t: +27 (0)71 299 0601 e: members@saaci.org BOARD MEMBERS Chairperson: Kim Roberts e: info@mise-en-placesolutions.com t: +27 (0)82 652 2008 Vice-chairperson: Jaques Fouche e: jaques@formative.co.za c: +27 (0)60 993 7542 Treasurer: Glenn van Eck e: glenn@magnetic.co.za c: +27 (0)82 800 2612 Public officer: Denise Kemp e: denise@easternsun.co.za c: +27 (0)82 654 9755 Eastern Cape Chairperson: Alistair Stead e: alastair@scandisplay.africa c: +27 (0)73 236 6618 KwaZulu-Natal Chairperson: Irene Vallihu c: +27 (0)79 692 4604 e: irenev@icc.co.za Johannesburg Chairperson: John Arvanitakis t: +27 (0)83 415 2774 e: john@chatr.co.za Western Cape Chairperson: Angela Lorimer c: +27 (0)74 550 1000 e: angelajacobson862@yahoo.co.za Tshwane Chairperson: Corné Engelbrecht e: corne@savetcon.co.za c: +27 (0)82 925 9241 Co-opted Youth Ambassador: Minister Kganyango e: mkganyago@csir.co.za c: +27 (0)79 513 8708

Co-opted Learning Ambassador: Lorin Bowen e: lorin@lorinbowen.co.za c: +27 (0)82 433 8687 EASTERN CAPE Chairperson: Alistair Stead e: alastair@scandisplay.africa c: +27 (0)73 236 6618 Vice-chairperson: Melissa Palmer e: melissa@becbc.co.za c: +27 (0)82 437 7600 Treasurer: Andrew Stewart e: andrew@periexpo.co.za c: +27 (0)82 578 5987 COMMITTEE: David Limbert e: david@magnetic.co.za c: +27 (0)82 9064 198 Gill Dickie e: gilld@bidvestcarrental.co.za c: +27 (0)79 527 7619 Wanda Fourie e: registration@easternsun.co.za c: +27 (0)72 608 1641 Claire Kivedo e: claire@overallevents.co.za c: +27 (0)82 464 1504 Nabeelah Sharmar e: nabeela@greenroom.co.za c: +27 (0)83 661 4140 Hayley Pretorius e: ec.za@saaci.org c: +27 (0)62 758 7933 JOHANNESBURG Chairperson: John Arvanitakis Chat'r Xperience t: +27 (0)83 415 2774 e: john@chatr.co.za Vice Chairperson: Emma Kumalo Potters Hand Activations t: +27 (0)84 250 6850 e: emma@pottershand.co.za Treasurer: Chris de Lancey Multi-Media t: +27 (0)82 854 2230 e: chris@multi-media.co.za COMMITTEE: Angelique Smith SAACI Johannesburg c: +27 (0)60 970 7653 e: angie@eventsynthesis.co.za Leigh Anne Luis, Upatone t: +27 (0)82 409 3680 e: leighanne@upatone.co.za Rendani Khorommbi Joburg Tourism t: +27 (0)11 883 3525 c: +27 (0)82 773 2999 e: rendanik@joburgtourism.com KWAZULU-NATAL Chairperson: Irene Vallihu c: +27 (0)79 692 4604 e: irenev@icc.co.za Vice-chairperson: Gill Slaughter c: +27 (0)83 269 0279 e: gills@turnersconferences.co.za Treasurer: Sibusiso Mncwabe c: +27 (0)83 477 5536 e: sibusiso@marketingwell.co.za COMMITTEE: Tarannum Banatwalla c: +27 (0)83 254 9462 e: tarannum@jellyfishcatering.co.za

38 Business Events Africa July 2021

Kim Jackson c: +27 (0)82 378 2264 e: kimj@goldcircle.co.za Mabuyi Mosia c: +27 (0)71 117 7509 e: mabuyi@ikhono.co.za Denver Manickum c: +27 (0)83 482 8525 e: denver@icube.co.za Kavitha Dhawnath c: +27 (0)83 607 200 e: kavitha.dhawnath@gearhouse.co.za Wiseman Mnguni c: +27 (0)78 220 2162 e: mboniseni.events@gmail.com Sandile Dlamini c: +27 (0)79 104 5510 e: sandile@anzomode.co.za TSHWANE Chairperson: Corné Engelbrecht e: corne@savetcon.co.za c: +27 (0)82 925 9241 Treasurer: Refilwe Nchebisang t: +27 (0)76 055 1346 e: rnchebisang@csir.co.za COMMITTEE: Herkie du Preez c: +27 (0)82 839 3489 e: herkie@eventwizards.co.za Melanie Pretorius c: +27 (0)82 410 1202 e: melanie.pretorius@mweb.co.za Riaan Maritz c: +27 (0)82 899 7612 e: riaanm@atkv.org.za Tumi Tsatsi c: +27 (0)78 373 9790 e: tumi@eventwizards.co.za Heather Heskes c: +27 (0)76 321 6111 e: tsh.za@saaci.org Leon Pheiffer e: leon@ephproductions.co.za e: leon@montededios.co.za c: +27 (0)72 616 5390 WESTERN CAPE Chairperson: Angela Lorimer c: +27 (0)74 550 1000 e: angelajacobson862@yahoo.co.za e: salesmanager@ lagoonbeachhotel.co.za Vice-chairperson: Alex Wrottesley c: +27 (0)21 430 2060 e: alex@intoafrica.co.za Treasurer: Thiru Naidoo t: +27 (0)21 487 8600 e: thiru@wesgro.co.za COMMITTEE: Ansu Colditz c: +27 (0)82 457 8071 e: ansuc@millenniumtravel.co.za Esti Venske t: +27 (0)21 460 3518 e: estivenske@gmail.com Zimkitha Bavuma c: +27 (0)72 172 5746 e: zim@live.co.za Esmare Steinhofel c: +27 (0)84 056 5544 e: esmare.s@iccaworld.org Andrew Gibson t: +27 (0)860 111 625 e: Andrew@magnetic.co.za e: andrew.msct@gmail.com

Bianca van Niekerk t: +27 (0)21 410 5000 e: biancav@cticc.co.za Stefan Huggett c: +27 (0)83 740 8897 e: stefanh@spier.co.za Gheeta Payle t: +27 (0)86 123 7890 e: gheeta.payle@inhousevtm.com Lara Van Zyl c: +27 (0)82 223 4684 e: wc.za@saaci.org

EXHIBITIONS AND EVENTS ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHERN AFRICA

EXSA OFFICE www.exsa.co.za Chairperson: Gill Gibbs BluCube t: +27 (0)83 260 8035 e: gill@blu3.co.za Vice chairperson: Sibusiso Mchwabe (KZN) Marketing Well t: +27 (0)83 477 5536 e: sibusiso@marketingwell.co.za Treasurer: Ishmail Antatasi GL - events t: +27 (0)83 212 7338 e: ishmael.atanasi@gl-events.com Past chairperson: Doug Rix DK Designs t: +27 (0)82 579 7071 e: dougrix@wol.co.za Directors: Sandile Dlamini Anzamode t: +27 (0)79 104 5510 e: sandile@anzomode.co.za Kerry-Lee Bester Brilliant Branding t: +27 (0)72 265 6600 e: kerry@brilliant-branding.co.za Jacqui Nel (EC) Exhibition Freighting G.S.M. t: +27 (0)21 552 7248 e: jacquinel@ef-gsm.co.za Liam Beattie Hott 3D : +27 (0)76 577 0989 e: liam@hott.co.za Chad Botha Inspire Furniture Rentals t: +27 (0)76 644 0271 e: info@inspirefurniture.co.za Beert Kuiken Octanorm t: +27 (0)82 387 5324 e: beert.kuiken@octanorm.co.za

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DIRECTORY

SOCIETY FOR INCENTIVE TRAVEL EXCELLENCE

President: Tes Proos c: +27 (0) 84 682 7676 e: tes@crystalevents.co.za Treasurer: Peter-John Mitrovich c: +27 (0)82 318 1889 e: peter-john.mitrovich@grosvenortours. com Sustainability: Daryl Keywood Southern Africa Development: Brad Glen East Africa Development: Chris Munyao Young Leader Programme: Peter Mwanja Africa Convention Bureaus: Rick Taylor North Africa Development: George Fawzi Board member at large: Rick Taylor East Africa (Rwanda): Chris Munyao North Africa: George Fawzi North Africa support: Brad Glen Secretariat & Events: Western Cape: Mariaan Burger c: +27 (0)82 557 8041 e: info@sitesouthernafrica.com

SA EVENTS COUNCIL

e: hello@saeventscouncil.org Chairperson: Ellen Oosthuizen, PCO Alliance Network Vice-chairperson: Glenton de Kock, CEO: SAACI Interim treasurer: Glenn van Eck, Chairperson: CEPA Spokesperson: Projeni Pather, Chairperson: AAXO Members: Kevan Jones, Executive Director SACIA Sharif Baker, Chairperson TPSA Tes Proos, SITE President Justin Hawes, Managing Director: Scan Display & Event Greening Forum Treasurer Gill Gibbs, Chairperson EXSA Justin van Wyk, Chairperson SALPA Mike Lord, Chairperson ESC Raylene Johnson, CEO: TEBCO-SA Arthur Goldstuck, PSASA Exco Member Esmare Steinhofel, Chairperson: ICCA Africa Chapter Advisory Members: Prof Nellie Swart, Associate Professor: Tourism Management Corne Koch, Head: Convention Bureau (WESGRO) Tiisetso Tau, AAXO member Daryl Keywood, SITE Member Sibusiso Mncwabe, EXSA Board member; EXSA KZN Forum Chair; SAACI KZN Committee member and Treasurer

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Bheki Twala, TEBCO-SA Executive Kim Roberts, SAACI Representative Western Cape Robyn D’Alessandro, Social Media – Vivo Visual Voice CC

ASSOCIATION OF AFRICAN EXHIBITION ORGANISERS

46 Waterford Office Park, Waterford Drive, Fourways, Johannesburg t: +27 (0)11 465 8955 e: aaxo@aaxo.co.za Association coordinator: Molebegeng Masote e: mole@aaxo.co.za Chairperson: Projeni Pather, Exposure Marketing e: projeni@exposuremarketing.co.za Vice-chairperson: Devi Paulsen-Abbott, Dmg Events e: devipaulsen@dmgevents.com Venue Committee Chairperson: Charles Wilson, Gallagher Convention Centre e: charlesw@Gallagher.co.za Treasurer: Mark Anderson, Specialised Exhibitions Montgomery e: marka@specialised.com Board of directors: Adele Hartdegen, Dogan Exhibitions & Events e: adele@expocentre.co.za Chanelle Hingston, Clarion Events Africa e: chanelle.hingston@clarionevents.com Tiisetso Tau, Synergy Business Events e: ttau@synergybe.co.za

INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS & CONVENTION ASSOCIATION

ICCA African Chapter Chairperson: Taubie Motlhabane Cape Town International Convention Centre t: +27 (0)21 410 5000 e: Taubiem@cticc.co.za Deputy chairperson: Jacinta Nzioka Kenya National Convention Bureau t: +254 722464221 e: jacinta@kncb.go.ke Secretariat: Esmaré Steinhöfel ICCA Africa Regional director c: +27 (0)84 056 5544 e: esmare.s@iccaworld.org www.iccaworld.com/dbs/africanchapter www.iccaworld.org

EVENT GREENING FORUM

179 Jan Smuts Ave, Parktown North, Private Bag X7000, Parklands 2121 t: +27 (0)11 447 4777 e: info@eventgreening.co.za www.eventgreening.co.za Chairperson: Greg McManus, Heritage Environmental Management Services Vice-chairperson: Morwesi Ramonyai, Borena Energy Treasurer: Justin Hawes, Scan Display Secretariat: Lynn McLeod e: lynn@eventgreening.co.za Marketing: Pippa Naudé e: pippa@eventgreening.co.za

OTHER ASSOCIATIONS OF INTEREST ABTA – African Business Travel Association Box 2594, Pinegowrie, 2123 t: +27 (0)11 888 8178 c: +27 (0)83 679 2110 e: monique@abta.co.za www.abta.co.za Founder: Monique Swart ASATA – Association of Southern African Travel Agents PO Box 650539, Benmore, 2010 t: +27 (0)11 293 0560/61 e: barbara@asata.co.za e: general@asata.co.za Office manager: Barbara Viljoen Council of Event Professionals Africa M16 Ticketpro Dome Cnr. Northumberland & Olievenhout Roads, Northriding Executive Director: Kevan Jones kevan@sacia.org.za t: +27 (0)11 083 6418 c: +27 (0)82 555 5556 Chairperson: Glenn van Eck Magnetic Storm c: +27 (0)82 800 2616 e: glenn@magnetic.co.za FEDHASA National Office – Federated Hospitality Association of Southern Africa PO Box 3853, The Reeds, 0157 c: +27 (0)82 552 9862 e: ceo@fedhasa.co.za www.fedhasa.co.za Chief executive: Tshifhiwa Tshivhengwa PSASA – Professional Speakers Association of Southern Africa t: +27 (0)11 462 9465 c: +27 (0)83 458 6114 e: admin@psasouthernafrica.co.za www.psasouthernafrica.co.za SABOA – Southern African Bus Operators Association Postnet Suite 393, Private Bag X033, Rivonia 2128 t: +27 (0)11 511 7641 e: saboa@saboa.co.za www.saboa.co.za

SACIA – Southern African Communications Industries Association M16 Ticketpro Dome Cnr. Northumberland & Olievenhout Roads, Northriding t: +27 (0)11 083 6418 c: +27 (0)82 555 5556 e: kevan@sacia.org.za Executive director: Kevan Jones SATI – South African Translators’ Institute Executive director: Marion Boers t: +27 (0)11 803 2681 e: office@translators.org.za www.translators.org.za SATSA – Southern Africa Tourism Services Association Box 900, Ferndale 2160 t: +27 (0)11 886 9996 e: pa@satsa.co.za www.satsa.com SKAL International South Africa Secretary: Anne Lamb t: +27 (0)21 434 7023 c: +27 (0)82 708 1836 e: anne@yebo.co.za www.skalsouthafrica.org STA – Sandton Tourism Association t: +27 (0)83 558 5445 e: secretariat@sandtontourism.com www.sandtontourism.com TBCSA – Tourism Business Council of South Africa Box 11655, Centurion 0046 t: +27 (0)12 664 0120 e: comms@tbcsa.travel www.tbcsa.travel www.tomsa.co.za Member relations manager: Boitumelo Moleleki TGCSA – Tourism Grading Council of South Africa Private Bag X10012, Sandton 2146 t: +27 (0)11 895 3000 f: +27 (0)11 895 3001 e: enquiries@tourismgrading.co.za TINSA – Interpreters/Translators Network of Southern Africa e: info@interpreter.org.za t/f: +27 (0)11 485 2511 c: +27 (0)83 249 0010 www.interpreter.org.za TPSA – Technical Production Services Association M16 Ticketpro Dome Cnr. Northumberland & Olievenhout Roads, Northriding t: +27 (0)11 083 6418 c: +27 (0)82 555 5556 e: kevan@sacia.org.za www.tpsa.co.za Executive director: Kevan Jones TTA – Tshwane Tourism Association Box 395, Pretoria 0001 t: +27 (0)12 841 4212 e: secretary@tshwanetourism.com www.tshwanetourism.com Chairperson: Bronwen Cadle de Ponte Secretary: Sithembile Nzimande Membership coordinator: Liz Oosthuysen e: membership@tshwanetourism.com

Business Events Africa July 2021 39

THE LAST WORD

African business events industry at present Like any other region in the world, the Covid-19 pandemic has had a negative impact on the entire value chain of the business events industry in Africa. The impact has been immeasurable. Equally, it has led to the demise of related travel, accommodation, hospitality and all other sub-sectors that feed off business events. Both private and public sector (policymakers, ministries, tourism authorities, convention bureaux) are now challenged to reinvent and rebuild the business events industry, going forward.

By Kwakye Donkor, chief executive officer of Africa Tourism Partners

W

ith the emergence of the Covid-19 third wave, coupled with the slow vaccine rollout on the continent, stakeholders are wondering if the recession in the sector will cease anytime soon. Also, the evolving nature of the pandemic has rendered bidding and hosting strategies and plans crafted in the last three to five years (by both private and public sector) for 2020/2021 unworkable.

Nonetheless, the number of infections

40 Business Events Africa July 2021

and deaths in Africa is relatively low as compared with regions such as Europe and the Americas and gives some level of hope. If not, the effect of the pandemic on African business events and the holistic tourism economy could have been worse, considering that less than ten countries out of the fifty-five currently have fully-fledged convention bureaux with qualified practitioners to meet the demands of the new normal if and when the pandemic recedes.

Even though vaccine rollout has commenced across the continent, this is at a snail’s pace. Hence, it may take a while before market confidence to host and participate at business events returns. Adding to this, there are structural shifts in Africa’s business events industry, including travel, which is central to the meetings and events industry. All of these point in the direction of uncertain prospects for business events in the immediate future. www.businesseventsafrica.com

THE LAST WORD

Covid-19 has become a catalyst for change and, ultimately, compelled the industry to become more futuristic in its approach The road ahead Moving forward, the road ahead is bumpy and rough, yet it is anticipated that innovation and technological integration – such as virtual and hybrid events – will see the sector through. These will indefinitely reshape the sector’s future for a better build-back. Flowing from these, among the key points for business events stakeholders in Africa are the following: • Normalcy of virtual conferences Virtual conferencs are now central to the status quo and will continue rather than halting. This situation will be maintained until full domestic and international travel resumes. Also, the current lack of demand for international travel and hospitality means that recovery will vary from country to country, starting with domestic business events. For instance, countries such as Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, and Tanzania – that have strong domestic social events bases – are already leading the recovery pack of Africa’s business events industry by aggressively advocating to host domestic business events, albeit under strict Covid-19 protocols.

Conversely, international business events may take time to recover due to increased demand for hybrid, virtual meeting events and general lack of demand and poor economic outlook.

• Hybrid events becoming standard Like many new realities ushered in by Covid-19, industry professionals and practitioners across the continent have come to accept hybrid event portfolios as part of the norm. They have all come to understand that the return of complete in-person events will take a while to restart because of the fear of infections (Covid-phobia), despite recent vaccine rollouts across the continent.

• The New Trends Trends such as vaccine passports, Covid-19 certification, accreditations, and quality standards on hygiene will be required to show a destination’s state of readiness to host both local and www.businesseventsafrica.com

international business events. These would therefore have to be embedded in the logistic and budget requirement of future events.

• Designing of incentive travel bubbles There is an opportunity for African countries to fight for African corporates and institutions to keep incentive travel on the continent instead of being hosted elsewhere.

• Co-creation of opportunities Finally, six African countries (Ghana, Rwanda, Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania and Zimbabwe) have agreed to work together as a joint action group to address the post-pandemic challenges that the industry will face when the pandemic recedes. The purpose is to catalyse survival through cooperation and healthy competitiveness, inclusive joint bidding for hosting of events and knowledge sharing.

Takeaways African business events stakeholders are becoming more pro-active and forwardthinking. As a result, the focus will not only look at the recovery and survival of the industry, but also on relevance, flexibility, trust, safety and security as these are paramount in the bidding and hosting of events in this dawning world of new realities.

In summary, Covid-19 has become a catalyst for change and, ultimately, compelled the industry to become more futuristic in its approach. Nonetheless, people being social creatures, it may be argued that virtual or hybrid events will never be able to replace face-to-face gatherings. People generally crave emotional experiences such as hugging, shaking hands, networking and physical interaction. We need these emotional experiences in order to build trust.

Therefore, virtual will never be able to offer these. This makes the rebirth of in-person business events more promising and exciting, even though the timing thereof remains unknown.

Who is Kwakye Donkor?

Kwakye Donkor is the chief executive officer of Africa Tourism Partners and UNWTO Distinction Award winner. He is a renowned tourism development, MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibition/Events) strategist and destination marketing expert. He has also demonstrated expertise in corporate strategy formulation and execution, business transactional advisory and leadership development worldwide across education, finance and hotel development.

Mr Donkor is a recognised and highly respected speaker at global conferences, seminars and think tank fora. He is also the lead architect of Africa Tourism Leadership Forum, Africa MICE Academy, Africa Youth in Tourism Innovation Summit and Africa Women Tourism Summit.

His expertise and experience have earned him the privilege to regularly serve on expert panels facilitated by international organisations including UNWTO, AU, SADC, The World Bank Group, GIZ, BBC, CNBC Africa, Channel Africa, ENCA, SABC and more.

Business Events Africa July 2021 41

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