REFRESHED AND READY TO HELP YOUR BUSINESS GROW MEETINGS AFRICA 2023

A request for more networking opportunities came out of the 2022 exhibitor feedback session. This has since inspired the show’s new BOMA sessions. “The concept is based on the uniquely African practice of communities coming together around a fire in a boma (an enclosure) to exchange ideas and solve problems. It’s a strategic interaction that will afford delegates intimate and meaningful connections,” Zinhle says.

The BOMA sessions will take place on BONDay (the Business Opportunities Networking Day, held the day before show starts) and during the two show days.

For the first time, hosted buyers will also attend BONDay – again enabling more networking. One of Meetings Africa’s biggest strengths is the high quality of its hosted buyers. This is a result of the show’s unique vetting process, which ensures that all buyers are decision-makers and have an existing piece of business to place.

Greater collaboration will be evident at Meetings Africa 2023. The SANCB has strategically collaborated with various business event associations who will host business initiatives at Meetings Africa, in order to foster the show’s offering for delegates.

Meetings Africa has always been a mustattend event for Africa’s business tourism stakeholders, but this year’s iteration carries even greater importance as a catalyst for the sector’s full recovery. Taking place at the Sandton Convention Centre from 27 February to 1 March 2023, it promises strategic content, more networking and quality connections to help your business grow.

The driving force behind Meetings Africa is Zinhle Nzama, acting chief convention bureau officer and GM: Strategic Events at the South Africa National Convention Bureau (SANCB). She is committed to delivering the show to pre-Covid glory and more.

She recalls, “It was a bold step to host Meetings Africa 2022, but our research indicated that we could safely open our doors and so we decided to go for it.” This decision paid off, as it put Meetings Africa ahead on the exhibition calendar and attracted new buyers. She has capitalised off this strong base by taking the 2022 show feedback to make improvements – big and small – to the 2023 format.

One such association is the International Association of Convention Centres (AIPC), which will be launching its African Chapter at Meetings Africa and will host its first AIPC Africa Summit at BONDay. The objective is to share best practice that will elevate Africa’s conferencing facilities to globally acclaimed standards.

Zinhle says, “The pandemic taught us the value of collaboration. We achieve more when we work together. In this vein, when key associations form chapters in Africa, it grows the presence of the region on the global stage and can greatly accelerate business tourism opportunities for the whole continent.”

Another strategic objective of the show is to promote African trailblazers, such as Professor Mashudu Tshifularo, a South African ear, nose and throat specialist who designed the first 3D ossicle replacement implants to restore hearing in his patients. He also performed the first-ever middleear transplant, developed a surgical technique to remove tonsils without any blood splatter (an innovation that helped HIV+ patients receive much-needed treatment), and devised a method to shrink swollen lymph glands with medicine and thus avoid surgery.

Stories like Prof Tshifularo’s will be shared under the banner of ‘Exceptional Africa’, as a stream at BONDay. Zinhle is excited about what this programme can achieve, and says, “People go to events looking for solutions. The Exceptional Africa showcase will demonstrate that Africa is an ideal place to discover cutting-edge innovations and examples of brilliance, and to therefore find the solutions for your business needs. Here, you can arrive intrigued and leave inspired.”

Zinhle Nzama hails from KwaZulu-Natal, where she was raised by her mother in a strict Christian home. This upbringing likely played a big part in the discipline and dedication she has demonstrated in her career trajectory, and which saw her take on two new appointments – acting chief convention bureau officer for the South Africa National Convention Bureau (SANCB) and general manager for Strategic Events at South African Tourism (SA Tourism) – last year.

Among other responsibilities, her portfolio includes managing SA Tourism’s trade shows: Meetings Africa and Africa’s Travel Indaba, and promoting destination Brand SA through the facilitation of South Africa’s participation at the global tourism tradeshows.

While these appointments are new, Zinhle is not new to the industry or the responsibilities that she now shoulders. Having acquired 20 years’ experience working at SA Tourism, including five years in the SANCB, Zinhle is a seasoned professional who intimately understands the industry.

She explains, “By working on various portfolios at SA Tourism, I’ve been able to develop an understanding of the organisation and the industry in its totality. I have both a broad and deep understanding of the tourism sector.”

This experience is complemented by an impressive academic foundation, which includes receiving an MBA, majoring in events management, as well as completing studies in project management and tourism development for regional sustainability, among other qualifications.

However, what is probably one of her greatest strengths is the passion she has for business tourism. It comes through in the how she talks about the industry, and the respect she has for its professional nature. “I call it ‘a space of professionals’, as the level of professionalism is extremely high. Everyone has targets and there is an in-depth understanding of what needs to happen, which I thrive on,” Zinhle shares.

Delegates can expect a new look at Meetings Africa 2023, in line with the show’s revitalised format, and that sustainability will continue to be at the centre of their event planning. “We support responsible tourism and adhere to its practices. All the material we use at Meetings Africa is friendly to the environment, and there will be talks on responsible tourism. The Sustainability Village will also return, putting several sustainable and talented South African artisans on the global map,” says Zinhle. She also promises bigger numbers. As at January 2023, 315 buyers from 53 countries had been confirmed for the 2023 show, as well as 323 exhibitors representing 21 African countries including South Africa.

connections. We say, come and connect at Meetings Africa and we can assure you that quality will be the essence of what we do,” concludes Zinhle.

WILL you would like to attend Meetings Africa, please visit www.meetingsafrica.co.za, call +27

(0)11 895 3000 or email convention@southafrica.net.