The Event Issue 12

Issue 12 | 2017

+ AIRPORT HOTELS

The Ultimate Convenience for Business Travellers

+ TOURING THE TOWNSHIPS OF SA Truly Empowering? Or Blatant Profiteering?

+ BUSINESS EVENTS IN 2018 A Guide to SA’s Leading Trade Shows

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We love that your enthusiasm and ambition just keep soaring. That’s why our team is prepping now to kick our eighth show—and your success—up yet another notch. Keep on revolutionizing. Before you know it, we’ll be back next year to see each other again!

THE

pulse

OF THE MEETINGS INDUSTRY.

IMEXAMERICA.COM #IMEX18

CONTENTS

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02.

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Growing the Economy through Exhibitions

06.

Pioneers, innovators, stalwarts and SMEs Celebrated at the 5th

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE UFI CONGRESS

Lilizela Tourism Awards

As the official media partners of the UFI Congress, the Event was on site to capture all the insights.

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Empowering Communities Through Tours

10.

UFI Global Congress a Milestone for South Africa

LESSONS LEARNED IN 2017 Business-event leaders share their successes and challenges, and analyse the state of play in 2018.

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Lessons Learned in 2017

16.

See and be Seen at the Trade Shows of 2018

20.

Airport Hotels: Catering to the Needs of Business Travellers

AIRPORT HOTELS For meeting attendees or business travellers on the go, nothing is more

26.

IT&CM Asia Highlights

28.

Soweto: Energetic Business-

convenient than accommodation close to the airport.

Events Experience

30.

Kenya: Ever-Growing MICE Economy

SOWETO Plan a business event in this vibrant and forward-thinking region, which is imbued with a rich history.

32.

Events to Diarise

34.

Associations News

36.

Directory of Advertisers

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NEWS

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GROWING THE ECONOMY

THROUGH EXHIBITIONS The Event caught up with Siphiwe Sipho Ngwenya, CEO of Gauteng Tourism, at the recent UFI Congress, held in Sandton in early November.

We sell our country by promoting our products, our culture and our infrastructure.

The Congress is very important, as South Africa has seen serious growth challenges.

Tourism is one of the best ways to bring foreign currency into our country.

Mr Siphiwe Sipho Ngwenya

What are the focuses of Gauteng Tourism?

Gauteng Tourism has three focuses: visitor information, the convention bureau, and destination marketing. We sell our country by promoting our products, our culture and our infrastructure. The UFI Congress is very important, as South Africa has seen serious growth challenges.

Tourism is one of the best ways to bring foreign currency into our country.

How do business events fit into the growth plan?

Business events are a serious component of growth, and the visitors from the 56 countries that attended the UFI Congress will increase our pipeline and create jobs, and integrate the offerings of our SMMEs, from transport to catering and everything in between.

Business events give people in the arts and clothing sector a chance to showcase

their wares, which feeds into our strategy of township revitalisation – taking township creators to the mainstream economy.

The craft exhibitors could take now take their work outside of South Africa, thanks to their exposure at the UFI Congress.

Gauteng Tourism’s vision is to ensure that we integrate growing companies into the mainstream and give them exposure on international platforms. We want as many business events as possible to come to our country so that the world can learn about South Africa, and we can market our offering. With exhibitions, you have one-on-one interaction with buyers who can see our products up close. Exhibitions are a one-stop shop where a buyer can interact with many products in one place.

Do exhibitions still have a place in the digital age?

The primary objective of any industry is to ensure that the products they produce

are accessible to consumers, and growing the market share of the product is a vital element. In today’s information economy, people do their research before they buy a product.

They know a product well. Through exhibitions, people are able to bring their product to the market and to the world, by explaining and showcasing the benefits of using their products.

Exhibitions also assist in growing the economy, in that industries are able to come closer to willing buyers, and also work to partner with countries to create a business or marketing hybrid.

Exhibitions are the catalyst for a multiplier economic effect. They are a tool than can grow the economy because industries are placed on a platform that they wouldn’t normally have. Exhibitions are the best way to cut across countries and gain maximum exposure for our products.

NEWS

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RAY BLOOM HONOURED WITH ICCA AWARD

Ray Bloom, Chairman of IMEX Group and meetings industry legend, received ICCA’s highest honour during the Farewell Dinner at the 56th ICCA Congress in Prague, Czech Republic.

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nnouncing the award, ICCA President Nina Freysen-Pretorius said, “Tonight we honour a recipient who is a true global citizen, personally known and deeply respected by ICCA members from every region of the world, and from every sector of our business. Modest and self-effacing, yet hugely ambitious and successful, he has turned a family enterprise into a powerhouse global brand, whilst retaining the warm, friendly culture that made it special to begin with. He has been a close partner and dear friend of ICCA for three decades, and ICCA members everywhere know that

their business success is at least partly due to the work he has done to elevate our industry by creating amazing tradeshows where we can project our brands and build relationships with our clients and partners.”

The ICCA Moises Shuster Award is ICCA’s most prestigious honour. The Award is given to an individual nominated by the ICCA Board most, but not every year, in recognition not only of their inspiring business success and leadership in the international meetings business, but also for their important contribution towards ICCA’s development and success. It is named after one of ICCA’s “founding fathers”, a

true visionary and pioneer in the early years of the international meetings industry, and one of ICCA’s earliest Presidents.

Past honorees of the Award that carries comprise a roll-call of industry champions and ICCA ambassadors from around the world, including IMEX icon, Paul Flackett, who passed away recently after a long illness.

Ray Bloom said, “I am privileged and humbled to receive the Moises Shuster Award from ICCA and to be included in the list of esteemed industry leaders who have received this award before me. Thank you to the entire ICCA Board for this honour.”

Singing Waiters | Bands | Speakers & MCs | DJs | Hosts and Hostesses | Singers | Custom Created Shows | Musicians | African Entertainment | Comedy | Flash Mobs Magic | Dancers | Cirque Acts | Technical & AV | Industrial Theatre

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FEATURE

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Esther Mahlangu, South Africa’s world-renowned Ndebele artist and industrial design trailblazer, was inducted into the Lilizela Hall of Fame.

THE 2017 LILIZELA

TOURISM AWARDS South African tourism service excellence was the biggest winner when the fifth annual Lilizela Tourism Awards lit up the Sandton Convention Centre with an unforgettable night of the stars.

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cross-section of outstanding South African tourism accommodation establishments, visitor experiences, tour operators, tour guides, emerging entrepreneurs and small businesses were toasted alongside several industry luminaries during a splendid awards ceremony that saw performances by the likes of Yvonne Chaka and Mafikizolo.

The who’s who of the hospitality and travel industry came out to salute service excellence in South Africa’s burgeoning tourism sector, which has been identified by the government as one of the six pillars of the country’s future economic growth.

Media personalities Masechaba Ndlovu and Thapelo Mokoena were programme directors for the evening. The national Lilizela Tourism Awards were the culmination of the nine provincial ceremonies held across the country, which rewarded outstanding establishments in each of those areas. These provincial winners then vied for top honours in the national finals, held on Sunday.

Tourism Minister, Tokozile Xasa, paid special tribute to South Africa’s outstanding small tourism businesses.

Some of the SMMEs that were finalists or scooped awards on the night had been beneficiaries of the National Department of Tourism’s market access and enterprise development programmes.

She said: “You add diversity and new flavours to our tourism offering and you contribute to social cohesion and empower communities. You are entrepreneurs who are contributing to our economy, by creating jobs that feed families and nourish communities.

You are the living embodiment of the inclusive, transformed economic growth that our country aspires to.”

In addition to the awards handed out in a number of categories, Minister Xasa also announced an unprecedented multiple recipients of this year’s Minister’s Award to mark the five-year anniversary of the Lilizela Tourism Awards.

This prestigious award recognises proudly South African organisations

or individuals who, through sheer dedication and passion, have excelled in positioning the country as a tourism destination of choice, contributing to the vibrancy and growth of the sector.

This year’s recipients of the Pioneers of Township Tourism Awards: • Ms Sheila Sekhitla, owner of The View Guest House.

• Ms Lily Mokoena, owner of the Gaabo Motho Cultural Village.

• Ms Lolo Monica Mabitsela, owner of Mama Lolo’s Breakfast.

The Minister’s Award are: • Ms Siza Mzimela an aviation expert with over twenty years of industry experience.

• Ms Francina Zana owner of Exclusive Hospitality Concepts • Ms Vijayluxmi (VIJI) Pillay a professional Tourist Guide and Tour Operator • And the Late Ms Sindiswa Nhlumayo who was honoured post humously for her immense contribution to the tourism industry.

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Recipients of the Minister’s Award

Minister Xasa also unveiled a new public participation category for the Lilizela Tourism Award 2018, the “We Do Tourism Award” where, in the spirit of asking South Africans to rally around tourism as a catalyst for inclusive economic growth, South Africans from all walks of life will have the opportunity to nominate dynamic individuals who they believe deserve to be recognised for contributing to making South Africa more welcoming.

A very special moment came at the end of the evening, when Minister Xasa inducted Esther Mahlangu, South Africa’s world-renowned Ndebele artist and industrial design trailblazer, into the Lilizela Hall of Fame. Mam’ Esther, who received the Minister’s Award last year, became the inaugural Hall of Fame inductee for being an exemplary global ambassador for South Africa’s indigenous arts and cultural heritage.

South African Tourism’s Chief Executive Officer, Sisa Ntshona, noted that it had not been an easy year for tourism, with

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Opulent dining decor at the Annual Lilizela Tourism Awards.

natural disasters, a sluggish economy and other factors making the operating environment a difficult one to navigate.

“But, despite these setbacks, our tourism industry has forged ahead with remarkable resilience and has insisted that it will be business as usual. You are true examples of what it means to ‘do tourism’ – our movement that encourages South Africans to place tourism and the broader tourism economy at the heart of all they do.

You are helping us to stand tall and proud as a tourism destination,” Ntshona said.

With one of South Africa’ largest tourist entry port, OR International Airport named after the late OR Tambo, a leader, unifier and advocate for social justice who would have turned 100 on Friday, Minister Xasa acknowledge his contribution to South Africa and appealed to the tourism sector to band together. She called on larger players to mentor and motivate start-ups, and for more young people to be brought into the sector while empowering women leaders.

“We are all in this together. If South Africa

can present a unified yet diverse and vibrant tourism offering to the world, then the sky is the limit for our industry.”

The Lilizela Tourism Awards are an initiative of the National Department of Tourism and are spearheaded

by South African Tourism. The awards were established in 2013 to recognise and reward exemplary service among businesses in the local tourism sector, ranging from accommodation establishments and tour operators to scenic attractions and cultural heritage sites. The awards are adjudicated through public votes and by a panel of industry judges, and are audited by Grant Thornton.

Entry to the Lilizela National Tourism Awards is free and tourism businesses of all sizes are encouraged to enter in a bid to help develop, grow and transform the industry while celebrating its achievements. For a full list of the 2017 Lilizela Tourism Award winners, visit www.lilizela.co.za.

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SPOTLIGHT

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EMPOWERING COMMUNITIES

THROUGH TOURS

Thanks to the country’s rich and oft tumultuous history, township experiences have risen in popularity as visitors want a taste of the ‘real’ South Africa. Kim Crowie finds out more.

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laces of hardship, poverty, and a cruel regime of the past, South Africa’s townships hold a world of history within. These days, however, transformation is taking place – slower than some would like, but change is coming nonetheless, and in a most unexpected way: through tourism. This phenomenon is seen country-wide to various degrees as international visitors and domestic tourists alike are keen on experiencing the real South Africa. As a result, places like Soweto now have a booming tour industry with a host of local experiences and attractions to choose from.

Vuvu’s Small Shack Day Tours of Langa Township © The Travel Sista

iKhaya le Langa is attempting to start some form of enterprise in each of the 350 houses within The Langa Quarter, a designated social enterprise precinct within the township © Jo

We make sure that our guests are part of the communities and people we visit on the tour, like doing a family or school visit with them so that they get true insight into Soweto.

Others, like Langa in Cape Town, offer unique cooking, cycling or walking tours, but are yet to develop the community and its involvement to the same extent as Soweto has successfully done.

That said, there is a fine line between touring a township and exploring its history, and using the plight of those less fortunate to make a quick buck. This must be done properly with a view to not only uphold the dignity of said community, but also to empower it, and often those who truly get it right are the tour operators who have had experience and have partnered with people in the township in order to create unique tours in these areas.

According to Lilizela-award-winning tour guide Siphiwe Khumalo, Owner and Tourist Guide at Township Travel, township tours are growing in popularity because of the way in which they are done. “We make sure that our guests are part of the communities and people we visit on the tour, like doing a family or school visit with them so that they get true insight into Soweto,” he explains. Each month his company books an average of 20

SPOTLIGHT

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Vuvu’s Small Shack Day Tours of Langa Township © The Travel Sista

Vilakazi St, Soweto ©SA Tourism

Township Travel tours provides insight into Soweto.

Image courtesy of Township Travel

to 25 tours. “The demand from my clients is the real experience, and true authentic stories that they get to hear from the different people we meet in the streets, shebeen or church about Soweto – and the future the township, its economic situation, political, educational, sport or entertainment of course.

On our tour we visit Funda Community College, a fine art school in Diepkloof Zone 6, and show them the different classes of the township. The part they enjoy most is visiting Motsoaledi Informal Settlement, which has no electricity, and is where I live and where I run my company from.”

Because Khumalo is so close to the community, he says that it’s easy to avoid infringing on township dwellers’ privacy. “We visit people who want to open their houses, businesses and schools,” he says, “By opening and sharing as proudly Sowetans, we uplift communities through tourism and mentoring young people in the township.”

Soweto An abbreviation for South Western Townships, Soweto is a vibrant, sprawling

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cluster of suburbs in Johannesburg. It has a population of over one million, and has a rich history as the centre of political campaigns, student uprisings and in more recent years, urban and streetwise communities developing their own sub cultures.

In the first Soweto settlement, Kliptown, the Freedom Charter was signed in 1955.

It is commemorated with a small, open-air museum on Walter Sisulu Square. Orlando, home to the famous towers of the same name, is the oldest suburb and offers a plethora of delectable foods to explore among other things. Here, visitors will also find the famous Vilakazi Street where Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu once lived, as well as the Hector Pieterson Museum.

Popular tours include bicycle, culinary, and red bus or taxi tours – although there are many more to choose from as township tours of Soweto are constantly in demand.

Langa Established in 1927, Langa is the oldest township in Cape Town and one that survived much turmoil thanks to the Urban Areas

Act of 1923. These days, it’s a thriving township tour destination in the Cape, with over 25% of tourists opting to explore Langa. The suburb also has a rich history, with over 50 000 people burning their pass books in 1960 in defiance of the pass laws – as well as when students protested against Afrikaans as a compulsory first language in schools. Langa is also the birth and resting place of South Africa’s queen of pop, Brenda Fassie.

These days, the area offers vibrant, lively experiences with a number of African food options at Lelapa, Mzansi’s or Eziko Restaurant. Guga S’thebe Arts and Culture Centre is a must see, and is a part of the wider Langa Cultural Precinct.

Walking, cycling, soccer, arts and culinary experiences are most sought after.

Umlazi A township south-west of Durban, Umlazi is the fourth-largest in SA and offers a wealth of attractions to keep visitors entertained.

Its name originates from King Shaka, who said the waters tasted bitter, referring to the Zulu word ‘umlaza’, meaning sour milk.

This township is anything but sour, however, and was turned into a township in 1967, despite originally being formed in 1845.

Some of the places worth exploring in Umlazi include Victoria Market with its distinct Asian atmosphere, while the Muthi Market is imbued with mystery. In close proximity is the Kenneth Stainbank Nature Reserve with Coedmore Castle tucked beneath its mighty yellowwood trees. Also nearby is the Clairwood Shree Siva Soobramoniar Temple, a hindu temple dedicated to Muruga. And of course, a tour of Umlazi just wouldn’t be the same with an authentic shisa nyama experience.

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SPOTLIGHT

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UFI GLOBAL CONGRESS

A MILESTONE FOR SOUTH AFRICA The 84th UFI Global Congress brought over 400 event professionals from 50 countries together in Johannesburg from 1-4 November 2017. We bring you some of the highlights.

Alex Granger and Johan Reyneke. All images © Gugulethu Dali

UFI Membership Increased by 6% UFI’s membership has grown to 752 members in 2017, an increase of 6% since 2016, significantly increasing its footprint globally and boosting its strength as the association of the exhibition industry.

In his opening address at the UFI General Assembly, outgoing Chairman Andreas Gruchow highlighted this figure as one of a number of successes over the past year, saying the organisation had broadened its base in the Middle EastAfrica and America chapters in particular.

The 43 new members, mostly exhibition venues and exhibition organisers, represented a wide scope of exhibition spaces and agencies all over the world, attracting a host of new talent in the exhibition sector.

“Asia has developed as a focus region for many UFI initiatives, and we have introduced a new management school,” said Gruchow.

UFI approved events have also grown significantly. In his address, UFI CEO Kai Hattendorf said there were 984 UFI certified events in 2017, up from 950

Craig Newman welcomes delegates to the UFI Congress.

in 2016. Hattendorf announced that the 86th UFI Congress would be held in Bangkok from 5-9 November 2019.

Arcadier: The Best Digital Platform for the MICE industry Arcadier, the digital platform for multivendor marketplaces, officially announced its new product, Exzbit, a technology that focuses on the needs of the MICE industry, at the UFI Xchange Forum.

In his address, Dinuke Ranasinghe, CEO of Arcadier based in Singapore, said the impact of digitisation is one of the biggest concerns for the MICE industry. “Over the past eight years, the prevalence of online or hybrid trade shows has jumped from 1% to 26%. 65% of exhibition companies have already added digital services or products to existing exhibitions.”

Exzbit is an affordable solution to a demanding problem, creating an online marketplace where exhibitors and attendees engage and transact online and offline.

“The advantage of Exzbit is that it’s simple to create, highly customisable, and

no coding is needed. It is white labelled and affordable, with the ability to create multiple marketplaces simultaneously.

We are also able to plug into any type of software,” said Ranasinghe.

Africa, South East Asia, and South America: Where the Opportunities Lie During the ‘Pressures, Profits and Opportunities in Emerging Markets’ panel discussion, a pertinent question was asked from a congress delegate: “What is the one emerging market to look out for?” Damion Angus, Managing Director, Montgomery said South East Asia; Martin Glynn, CEO, MAD Event Management, said South America; and Martin März, Founder and CEO, Fairtrade Messe und Ausstellungs GmbH & Co, said Africa.

The follow-up question asked what red flags to look out for when entering a new territory, which saw März citing the size of the market as the key deciding factor. “At least 100 exhibitors must be confirmed before the decision is made to enter the

SPOTLIGHT

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region.” Angus cited China’s tier-one cities as fully emerged, but see’s tremendous opportunities in its second- and third-tier cities. Angus felt that Africa is unique: “Africa is not a country. It is made up of 54 countries which each have their own set of challenges. Doing business in Africa is not for the fearful or the faint-hearted.” On the subject of South East Asia, “there are many acquisitions happening in the region, and we are competing with the most experienced exhibition organisers in the world.”

Glynn believes that anticipating problems is crucial to a show’s success, as well as identifying where true business value lies. “What do we want to accomplish?

Can we find common ground for the benefit of the collective? How we move through the world informs the kind of opportunities we can derive.”

Winners of UFI Best Practices Awards Tell Their Stories Industry success stories that exemplify best practices were shared at the Special Interest Group Session (Best Practices), with a focus on education, marketing, operations and service, sustainable development and technology. The 2017 UFI Award winners in each of these categories shared their stories.

Education category winner is Artexis Easyfairs, a European leader in eventing.

“It is difficult to find and retain the right talent, so we need to keep and develop it.

We developed an HR framework (called eHR) for talent development in which all job descriptions are standardised, and the same metrics are used to measure performance,” said Stephan Forseilles, CTO of Artexis.

The Marketing Award went to UBM, a global business-to-business events organiser, for its innovative design

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Winners of the UFI Best Practices Awards for 2017 shared their success stories thinking of The Sleep, Europe’s hotel design, development and architecture event. This year the event was themed the ‘Science of Tribes’, which elevated it to an outstanding experiential show. “Visitors loved the Tribes theme,” said UBM Brand Director Joel Butler.

Winner of Operations and Services is Birmingham’s National Exhibition Centre (NEC), for its ‘customer journeys’, experiential elements of a show that move the dial from purely functional to innovative, creative and emotive.

Fira de Barcelona, Barcelona’s trade fair institution, won the Sustainable Development Award, for its increased energy efficiency using solar panels, reducing water usage, waste recycling, increased sustainability of its suppliers, and eco-design guide – a good practices manual.

Winner of the Technology and Innovation Award is Grip, the leading App empowering professionals to achieve their networking potential. “Matchmaking is key to making high quality connections. Grip has built an App integrating all other networking platforms that has enabled a higher conversion to show attendance,” said Tim Groot, Co-Founder and CEO of Grip.

EXHIBITION

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Low Advocacy A Challenge for the Industry Low advocacy is one of the biggest challenges facing the MICE industry globally. When asked, ‘how likely are you to recommend an event?’ trade show exhibitors produced an average global Net Promoter Score (NPS) of -17, meaning most wouldn’t recommend it.

This is the key finding of post-show research into 1 040 trade shows from over 40 countries, conducted by Explori, an audience listening platform, and presented at the Exhibitor Expectations closing session.

Presented by Mark Brewster, CEO of Explori, the findings show that 25% of shows have an NPS of less than -36, the same percentage of shows that have a positive NPS score.

Unsurprisingly, exhibitors are more likely to recommend the larger events, but there is no correlation between visitor numbers and exhibitor satisfaction, which means larger events enjoy higher loyalty but low satisfaction, Mark said.

When exhibitor NPS was compared with growth metrics, shows with a higher NPS were performing better across all metrics.

Thus 71% of shows with positive NPS are experiencing growth in exhibitor numbers.

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SPOTLIGHT

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securing and retaining quality talent is a big challenge. For information on events industry research and best practices, visit The Iceberg, www.the-iceberg.org.

Join the NGL Grant 2018

A panel discussion on the business-events opportunities in emerging markets.

Mark said the fact that less than 50% of exhibitors say they achieved their objectives at a show is a factor in the low NPS score. “It tells us as an industry that we overestimate the average exhibitor’s success in achieving their objectives,” he said.

Many exhibitors also faced significant challenges in engaging visitors. This could lead to low exhibitor satisfaction, even at shows with very high visitor numbers.

‘Newness’ was also a booster of NPS scores.

More information can be found in the UFI & Explori Global Exhibitor Insights Report.

Making the MICE industry SMART Innovation and sustainable growth is as applicable to the MICE industry as any other, and the question of how to achieve this was presented by the recipients of five UFI Next Generation Leader (NGL) Grants.

The grants were awarded to future leaders who have shown exceptional initiative in driving change and innovation in their area of the exhibition industry.

They are: Selin Cakici, Vice-Chair of the Board of HKF Trade Fairs, Turkey; Katharina Keupp, Project Consultant at Messe Munich, Germany; Neo Mohlatlole, Business Development Director of Seven Colors Communications, South Africa; Thomas Revell, Sustainability Manager of GES (Global Experience Specialists), UK; and Diana Salman, HR Strategic Change Manager of IFP Expo, Lebanon.

Together, they investigated the future of exhibitions, working closely with the team at UFI headquarters in Paris, and in presenting their findings, unpacked the meaning of SMART exhibitions

– meaning ‘Sustainability, Managing Innovation, Audience Focus, Responsive Technology and Transfer Knowledge’.

Sustainability required a strong focus on renewable energy, said Revell, not only as an environmental imperative, but also because people were increasingly more willing to pay for products and services that were green and openly sustainable.

“In 2035, 75% of the workforce will be made up of Millennials, and they will take this ethos into their business,” he said, adding that the percentage of people who would pay more for green products had risen to almost 70% in 2016.

Addressing the issue of innovation, Selin Cakici pointed out that 90% of executives believe the long-term success of their companies depends on new ideas.

Audience focus, said Katharina Keupp, is about looking at what the customer thinks and needs. In the exhibitions industry, research had shown that participants want to be more involved in events, and the challenge was to use analytics technology to anticipate their needs.

Responsive technology, meanwhile, was about live information. “Live feedback empowers the event visitor with information they want, and generates more valuable response,” said Diana Salman.

Looking at transferring knowledge, Salman and Neo Mohlatlole made the observation that an ageing workforce in the MICE industry actually posed a threat, as the transfer of their knowledge and skills to younger generations was difficult given current workplace dynamics.

Career expectations are changing so

The UFI NGL grant promotes next generation leadership in the exhibition industry, rewarding professionals who show clear initiatives in driving change and innovation in their area of activity.

The programme is spread over a period of 12 months, allowing you to continue to fulfil your daily work obligations. This grant will be awarded to up to five industry professionals in 2018. For more info on applying, visit www.ufi.org/awards.

UFI’s Outlook for the Year Ahead At present, nine UFI events are confirmed for 2018 including the 85th UFI Global Congress in St. Petersburg, Russia (31 October – 3 November). To serve the fast-growing number of members in Latin America, the first Latin America Regional Conference is prepared for September in Mexico City.

The first class of a new Venue Management School took place this November in Shanghai, China – in collaboration with the Australian Venue Management Association (VMA).

New UFI-EMD courses are also under preparation, as well as focus meetings on HR Management, Sustainable Development, Operations and Services, and Digitisation.

Preparations for the third edition of Global Exhibitions Day (GED) are already underway. Together with the GED partners, UFI is guiding two working groups to expand the toolkit and prepare in-depth material for industry advocacy and talent attraction. GED will take place on Wednesday, 6 June 2018.

Corrado Peraboni, Chair of the Board of Directors of CIPA Fiera Milano Publicações e Eventos Ltda (Brazil) took the reins as UFI President for 2017-18 at the conclusion of the Congress. He was joined in UFI’s new presidential leadership trio by: Craig Newman, CEO, Johannesburg Expo Centre (South Africa) as Incoming President, and Dr Andreas Gruchow as Outgoing President.

After regular elections of UFI’s Board of Directors and Executive Committee in September, the respective groups embarked on their three-year mandate in Johannesburg. A full list of the respective members can be found at www.ufi.org.

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LESSONS LEARNED IN 2017 Kim Crowie speaks to leaders in the business-events field to find out what lessons they learned this year that they will carry into the next twelve months.

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rom politics, security and safety to the dipping of congress statistics and how learning and education at the forefront of growth in

2018, South African thought leaders, association heads and professionals share their thoughts and predictions on where the local business-events industry

is headed, how to deal with imminent change across economies, and the many new frontiers and challenges facing SA and the wider continent in the new year.

Rudi Van Der Vyver, CEO of SAACI Some of the big lessons we have learned is that as an association we should never lose sight of our members’ needs. We have seen this with other associations nationally and internationally, and this is a devastating mistake. We know that learning and education is currently a massive need and driver in our industry. In order to remain relevant, you have to constantly educate yourself and your teams to be at the forefront of the business-events industry. We see ongoing learning and education becoming much more prevalent in the industry as we head into 2018.

As an association, we have also seen the negative impact that politics and egos can have on the growth of the industry. We are determined to break down the boundaries and stigmas in the industry and find ways to collaborate with other associations and partners to create a stronger and more resilient industry platform. It is also important to look further than just South Africa and look at international best practices. This does not always mean they have to be enforced, but they can be tweaked and implemented in a way that suits our South African industry environment. We see the adoption of more international trends within the industry as we see more international events coming to Africa.

Professionalisation of the industry has been a concept that has been thrown around for some time. Developments over the last year have indicated that our industry is now at a point where this can no longer just be an idea or concept, but must be implemented, guided and enforced. We will see the industry getting pushed harder in terms of adhering to standards, ethical business behaviour and potentially even regulations. This may cause a very tough environment for some (those not adhering to professional practices) but will create a stronger business environment in the long run for those willing to adopt the spirit and intent of a truly professional industry.

Professionalisation of the industry has been a concept that has been thrown around for some time. Developments over the last year have indicated that our industry is now at a point where this can no longer just be an idea or concept, but must be implemented, guided and enforced. We will see the industry getting pushed harder in terms of adhering to standards, ethical business behaviour and potentially even regulations.

This may cause a very tough environment for some (those not adhering to professional practices) but will create a stronger business environment in the long run for those willing to adopt the spirit and intent of a truly professional industry.

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Craig Newman, CEO of Johannesburg Expo Centre, UFI Middle East Africa Vice Chair While South Africa’s economic and political landscape has seen its fair share of turbulence and volatility over the course of the past year, the one positive takeout that the local business-events industry has seen, is the industry’s ability to have a lasting and positive impact on our country’s economic growth.

On 1-4 November 2017, South Africa welcomed the global exhibitions and events industry for the 84th UFI Global Congress, held at Sandton Convention Centre, with no less than 440 delegates from over 50 countries. This was an exceptionally proud occasion for our local industry and I think it proved that this industry is doing its part to change global perceptions, and position Africa a destination of choice with a multitude of advantages for international stakeholders.

Africa’s exhibitions, conferences, and event industry has an important role to play in accelerating the growth of South Africa’s economy. While the world may view us as a developing nation, we have a proud history of developing pragmatic solutions and using our creativity and innovation to overcome challenges.

Everything is ripe for South Africa to be the leading African country within the business-tourism sector and for the business-events industry to become one of the biggest contributors towards the growth of our local economy. I believe that this is the positive mind-set that we need to take with us into the New Year.

Africa’s exhibitions, conferences, and event industry has an important role to play in accelerating the growth of South Africa’s economy. While the world may view us as a developing nation, we have a proud history of developing pragmatic solutions and using our creativity and innovation to overcome challenges.

Carol Weaving, MD of Reed Exhibitions, AAXO Chairperson The African exhibition industry has seen significant growth over the last 10 years with many international organisers setting their sights on the South African and African exhibition industry as a new frontier of growth. While the exhibition industry is booming, the volatility of African economies remains a hurdle for the growth of the sector. Luckily, the industry is attracting an increasing number of international travellers from across the world. As the research results from a study we commissioned via Grant Thornton indicates, in 2015 more than five million of the total number of visitors to exhibitions in South Africa alone were tourists.

While the industry is increasingly taking off, there is an unmet demand for additional venues to be established across the continent. Over the last year, AAXO has been urging the African convention bureaus and governments to work with us to find a solution to the venue capacity crisis. We are continuously cementing our cross-border relationships and formalising partnerships with the convention bureaus as well as the Department of Tourism to build an exhibition community which will have a phenomenal economic impact on the respective African countries.

While the industry is increasingly taking off, there is an unmet demand for additional venues to be established across the continent. Over the last year, AAXO has been urging the African convention bureaus and governments to work with us to find a solution to the venue capacity crisis. We are continuously cementing our cross-border relationships and formalising partnerships with the convention bureaus as well as the Department of Tourism to build an exhibition community which will have a phenomenal economic impact on the respective African countries.

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Nina Freysen-Pretorius, CEO of The Conference Company, ICCA President Environmental, political and security challenges experienced this year are extremely concerned, unpredictable and will continue to disrupt our society, cities and the global economy. These occurrences and attacks are far reaching and long-term ramifications that effect how people feel and plan for the future. Addressing these challenges requires a multi-thronged approach from various sectors, making the response even more challenging to find an effective solution.

These environmental, political and security challenges directly impact the approach and direction of the fourth industrial revolution. The manner in which we work, live, travel, spend our money and host meetings is changing at such a rapid pace that none of us has really been able to accurately predict how our future will look. Embracing the change and finding solutions collaboratively is going to be imperative.

These environmental, political and security challenges directly impact the approach and direction of the fourth industrial revolution. The manner in which we work, live, travel, spend our money and host meetings is changing at such a rapid pace that none of us has really been able to accurately predict how our future will look. Embracing the change and finding solutions collaboratively is going to be imperative.

Dirk Elzinga, Managing Director at Convention Industry Consultants Next to the availability of state-of-the-art congress infrastructure, good international accessibility, an internationally well-recognized scientific sector and a value for money product offering, one of the main conditions to becoming a successful congress destination is safety and security and a predictable, stable government. A not so difficult question to answer is if South Africa ticks all the boxes? And if not, why has 2017 again been so successful for our industry?

Without any doubt we have lots to wish for with regard to a stable and predictable government. And also in terms of safety, one can raise a question or two. One only has to check any newspaper’s front page on any random day of the past year, or try to remember any of the TV news shows in 2017 to conclude that our government is absolutely unpredictable, cabinet reshuffles are the order of the day, state capturing is the leading headline in the papers at least every other day, uncontrolled demonstrations bring university life to a full stop, our country tumbled down from the 3rd to the 31st position on the world’s (WEF) competitive “corporate efficiency” index, and crime statistics show that one can have serious questions about safety.

The booking of international congresses and trade events is a long-term business. Clients must have a reasonable impression about how they are being welcomed in a destination two, three or more years after signing their contract.

Are they in South Africa? Probably not as much as they deserve to be and have been in the past two decades. That is worrying, to say the least. And probably the main reason why we don’t notice this negativity in the air (yet) in our congress statistics is that we have been operating in the shadow of equally or even more serious events elsewhere in the world.

Natural disasters in the Caribbean and South East USA, political tensions in Turkey and in the Middle East, nuclear threats in the Far East, terrorist attacks virtually everywhere and a new American government that also makes meeting planners think twice.

That, however, will not carry on forever. And who knows how our congress statistics have been influenced?

At first sight they still look good, but don’t we all admit that it has become harder work to fill the agendas? We must not forget that organisers have a choice, and they don’t always share their thoughts with us!

Obviously it is beyond our power to change our government or to influence the reporting in the media about our country.

But what we can do is understand the sentiments of our clients. Be, even more than in the past, client friendly, easy and always accessible, as flexible as possible, and stay also price-wise competitive. It is definitely not a given that we will for ever continue to be the flavour of the month!

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SEE AND BE SEEN AT THE

TRADE SHOWS IN 2018 Travel and tourism trade shows provide a wealth of opportunity to market your business, check out the competition, network with industry and stay abreast of trends.

I

t’s time to select and budget for some of the many and varied travel trade shows, workshops and markets taking place in South Africa and around the world next year. Identify

your target market, mark your calendar, prepare your itinerary and set goals to ensure time and money are well spent.

An overview of what to expect in 2018 at three major shows being held in South Africa:

Meetings Africa © Reg Caldecott

Meetings Africa © Reg Caldecott

Meetings Africa From 26 to 28 February, Sandton Convention Centre (SCC) in Johannesburg will be a buzz of business activity during SA Tourism’s annual Meetings Africa. The pan-African business-events trade show will be hosted by Gauteng Tourism Authority and the Johannesburg Convention Bureau, which have won the bid to host the show at SCC up to 2022. SA Tourism’s CEO Sisa Ntshona describes the show as the premier business and professional events trade show on the continent and part of organisation’s efforts to achieve its strategic “5-in-5” goal of attracting five million more tourists in the next five years as well as grow number of business events hosted in Africa.

Exhibitors have access to several hundred specially selected local and international hosted buyers and media. As with Africa’s Travel Indaba, the show includes major suppliers as well as smaller businesses, showcasing the vast range of products and services aimed at boosting MICE market business. Visitors include meeting and event planners, association buyers, corporate travel managers, travel agencies, in-house event coordinators, PCOs, incentive specialists and sales, marketing and PR agencies. The online matchmaking diary system ensures a focused event, with most meetings set up beforehand as well as on the spot meet-and-greet opportunities.

Meetings Africa © Reg Caldecott

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Follow your market

Meetings Africa © Reg Caldecott

Look at where your market is, what you’re aiming at, research the show, look at where hosted buyers are coming from and ensure that it is your market.

You need to be focussed, targeted and time conscious in your approach otherwise you’re wasting your money.

Meetings Africa © Reg Caldecott

Tes Proos, owner of Crystal Events & Incentives and president of Site SA says the three events she gains most benefit from as an exhibitor are IMEX Frankfurt, IMEX America and Meetings Africa in Johannesburg.

She says the majority of their leads come from these events and there is a good mix of buyers. She travels wearing two hats – one association, one business owner – and says the IMEX shows in particular are massive networking events and offer educational opportunities too. She facilitates the Certified Incentive Specialist (CIS) training sessions at both Imex shows. IBTM World (previously known as EIBTM) that takes place in November is another event on Tes’s radar. Africa’s Travel Indaba is a show she attends as a visitor and says it provides the ideal opportunity to visit all of their suppliers under one roof.

She acknowledges that travelling to attend international shows has become an expensive exercise.

Tes says there is no formula when it comes to which and how many local and international shows and expos to attend. “Look at where your market is, what you’re aiming at, research the show, look at where hosted buyers are coming from and ensure that it is your market. You need to be focussed, targeted and time conscious in your approach otherwise you’re wasting your money,” she says.

When it comes to exhibitions, Tes recommends at least two people on a stand, depending on the amount of business one expects to conduct.

She shops around for the best prices in airfare and accommodation, starting with the packages the organisers have put together with partner airlines and also researching for better deals elsewhere.

Preparing to attend a major event, as an exhibitor or visitor, is key. Tes says most appointments are set up in advance and you need to work the show to get the results and afterwards respond to proposals quickly to seal the deal.

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Africa’s Travel Indaba © South African Tourism, JP Crouch Photography

Africa’s Travel Indaba SA Tourism’s flagship show, Indaba is a must for the events industry and promises to be more action-packed than ever. With international hosted buyers from South Africa’s key markets across Africa and overseas as well as local industry specialists attending, business deals and relationship-building takes place on the stands, in the aisles, at seminars and presentations and the various hosted breakfasts, lunches, dinners, socials and pre- and post-show activities. It is a one-stop shop to learn more about the latest global trends and developments; meet new and existing clients; network with other operators; and do business.

Indaba will take place at Inkosi Albert Luthuli Convention Centre (Durban International Convention Centre) and adjoining Durban Exhibition Centre from 7 to 10 May. The 7th is for exhibitors only, with the show officially opening on the 8 th. This venue has also won the bid to host the event for the next five years to 2022. SA Tourism’s Sisa announced at the 2017 show that in addition to the new features this year, “several more enhancements and a refreshed brand [are] planned for 2018”, designed to ensure exhibitors, delegates, media and buyers have a successful event.

The show supports the National Department of Tourism’s campaign to have 30% of executive management and board directorship in tourism comprised of women in the next five years, known as “Women in Tourism 30in5”. Tourvest chief operating officer Judi Nwokedi is chairing the campaign in partnership with the private sector.

Jacob Zuma at Africa’s Travel Indaba © South African Tourism, JP Crouch Photography

Colourful traditional garb at the Grand Beach Party © WTM Africa

It is a one-stop shop to learn more about the latest global trends and developments; meet new and existing clients; network with other operators; and do business.

Minister of Tourism Xokozile Xasa © South African Tourism, JP Crouch Photography

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Africa Travel Week Africa Travel Week comprises WTM (World Travel Market) Africa, IBTM (International Business Travel Market) Africa and ILTM (International Luxury Travel Market) Africa and takes place from 18 to 20 April at the Cape Town International Convention Centre. These co-located shows encompass the inbound and outbound markets for the general leisure, luxury and business or MICE travel sectors. It is a platform for regional and international industry members across the travel spectrum to generate sales leads; enter new markets; launch new products; increase brand awareness; conduct market research; see what the competition is doing; develop and maintain relationships; and draw the attention of media.

A new feature in the WTM Africa 2018 line-up is the Women in Travel Meetup, a social enterprise launched in 2017. The aim is to leverage the international travel and tourism industry to provide women in Africa, the Middle East, Latin America and the UK with the opportunity to develop their economic and individual potential through education, entrepreneurship and engagement. It consists of a half-day programme of group mentoring sessions, panel discussions and networking opportunities.

Africa Travel Week has also announced that in 2018 it will collaborate with the Sports & Events Tourism Exchange (SETE) to showcase businesses from the sports, events and tourism industries. This is the seventh edition of SETE, which includes a conference, and will draw hosted buyers who have successfully brought sports tourism events to South Africa. SETE 2018 seeks to educate and discuss how to bid and host major international sports events; promote and grow local sports events; and promote southern Africa to international sports teams as a training destination during summer.

Speed Networking at WTM Africa 2017 © WTM Africa

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Rapid round-up 2018 Keep an eye on the Events to Diarise and Association News sections of the Event magazine for a full line-up of upcoming local and international exhibitions, conferences and summits.

Some of those at which South Africa has had a recent presence include: • Meetings Africa: 26-28 February; Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg; www.meetingsafrica.co.za; • ITB Berlin: 7-11 March; Messe Berlin, Germany; www.itb-berlin.de/en/; • British Tourism & Travel Show: 21-22 March; NEC Birmingham, UK; www.tourismshow.co.uk; • WTM Latin America: 3-4 April; Sao Paolo, Brazil; www.latinamerica.wtm.com; • WTM Africa: 18-20 April; Cape Town International Convention Centre; www.africa.wtm.com; • IBTM Africa: 19-20 April; Cape Town International Convention Centre; www.ibtmafrica.com; • Arabian Travel Market: 22-25 April; Dubai, UAE; www.arabiantravelmarket.wtm.com; • Africa’s Travel Indaba: 8-10 May; Durban International Convention Centre and Durban Exhibition Centre; www.indaba-southafrica.co.za; • IMEX Frankfurt: 15-17 May; Messe Frankfurt, Germany; www.imex-frankfurt.com; • ITB China: 16-18 May; Shanghai, China; www.itb-china.com; • The Meetings Show: 27-28 June; Olympia London; www.themeetingsshow.com; • Site Solutions Summit: 11-14 October; Waldorf Astoria in Boca Rotan, Florida, US; www.sitesolutionssummit.com; • IMEX America: 16-18 October; Las Vegas, USA; www.imexamerica.com; • ITB Asia: 17-19 October; Marina Bay Sands, Singapore; www.itb-asia.com; • ICCA Congress: 11-14 November; Dubai, UAE; www.iccaworld.org/evps/; • IBTM World (formerly EIBTM): November (date and place TBC)

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AIRPORT HOTELS

FOR CONVENIENCE AND FUNCTIONALITY Time-saving, convenient and tailormade to meet travellers’ needs, accommodation and conferencing close to airports is thriving. Susan Reynard reports.

A InterContinental Johannesburg OR Tambo Airport

View from Camelot spa at InterContinental Johannesburg OR Tambo Airport

City Lodge Hotel at OR Tambo International Airport

irports as major transport hubs have to deliver on many variables. Hotels at or near the country’s major airports provide a welcome oasis for those in transit.

InterContinental Johannesburg OR Tambo Airport in Johannesburg is a five-star hotel managed by Tsogo Sun 68.7m from the international arrivals hall. Robyn Klemp, sales manager, says it is marketed first and foremost on its location as a welcoming sight for visitors to Johannesburg. With many of their guests stepping off long haul flights and too tired even for shuttles and rented cars, relaxation is a few minutes away. The hotel is part of the global IHG group and the luxury brand is recognised around the world for service excellence. The property at OR Tambo has subtle Africa-inspired décor, giving a sense of place and authenticity as it stakes its claim as the gateway to the continent.

“We have a variety of stay, rest and refresh options available depending on how much time a guest has to stay at the OR Tambo International Airport (ORTIA) precinct. If it’s overnight the majority of guests spend one night. They have access to Quills restaurant and the hidden gem on the 8 th floor consisting of the Camelot spa with four treatment rooms, heated pool and gym with views across the airport. People are usually at the airport out of necessity but we have a lot to offer.

ORTIA has done great work with the aesthetics of the building and gardens and we’ve capitalised on that with an outside terrace area. Wonderful weather most of the time means that guests don’t have to feel obliged to stay indoors. It’s also a popular hub for meetings,” Robyn says. Staff are sensitive to the needs

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of tired and transit guests, either at the start or end of their holiday, and their hospitality as well as the overall offering of the hotel leave a positive impression.

Robyn says they offer clientele various ways of using the hotel depending on the amount of time they have. Guests can book rooms for day-use at a reduced rate and access all of the amenities available to overnight guests, such as the pool and gym.

For visitors who do not need a bedroom, there is the restaurant and Camelot spa, with showers and grooming facilities.

The hotel caters for small to medium conferencing requirements (it has a number of sister properties that cater for larger numbers) and enjoys a lot of day conference business, including from corporates in the area with international connections wanting meetings nearby.

Robyn explains: “We have a variety of conferencing packages to choose from and most include the cost of parking your vehicle at the airport, which is expensive.

Our hotel doesn’t have its own designated parking area so this is an important consideration for fly in-fly out delegates.”

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Airports are always in need of a good accommodation option for travellers catching early/late flights or delayed flights as they are most times far outside of the cities.

The City Lodge Group has secured coveted spots for its hotel brands at four airports around the country - ORTIA, Cape Town, Bloemfontein and Port Elizabeth - as part of a package deal with ACSA. All of them were opened in 2010. Road Lodge CT International was developed some years earlier as part of a different deal. City Lodge Hotel at OR Tambo is currently being expanded by 62 rooms to 365 rooms, with the new rooms expected to be available early in 2018. It has a combination of mini-conferencing and meetings rooms which are well used throughout the year.

The property is supplemented by other group hotels in Isando. Road Lodge properties were chosen for the other airports as these airports are smaller with

PROTEA HOTEL OR TAMBO Protea Hotel by Marriott OR Tambo Airport’s aviation themed conference centre boasts 3 conference venues and seven boardrooms. Each of the chic venues has been equipped with ceiling-mounted data projectors and electronically controlled drop-down screens. The floor-to-ceiling wide windows, allow natural light, and the variable light settings set the tone for each

less traffic. Several other hotels are being developed in Africa currently, including a Town Lodge in Windhoek which opened last month and City Lodge hotels due to open in Nairobi later this year, in Dar es Salaam early next year and in Maputo by the middle of next year. All of these are within easy distance of each city’s airport but are not “airport hotels” as such.

Chief executive Clifford Ross says, “Airports are always in need of a good accommodation option for travellers catching early/late flights or delayed flights as they are most times far outside of the cities.” He lists the most important aspects of an airport hotel as “good quality, clean and comfortable rooms and good shower facilities”.

event. The largest venue can seat up to 300 delegates and the large entrance bay makes it an ideal for exhibitions and car shows. Free high-speed uncapped Wi-Fi in all the conference venues and contemporary designed hotel rooms, make it easy to stay connected and productive. Conference delegates enjoy spending time in the flight simulator, after having enjoyed a meal in our Warehouse Restaurant, where meals are served all day.

Cnr York and Gladiator Streets, Rhodesfield, Kempton Park, 1916 T. 011 977 2600 | E. jnbor.reservations@proteahotels.com | W. www.marriott.com/jnbor

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Premier Hotel OR Tambo © Phonix Capture

Hotel Verde is situated 400m from the Cape Town International Airport (CTIA) and deputy GM Wahieb Allie says that it has changed people’s mindsets on what to expect from a full-service airport hotel.

Guests can also make use of Hotel Verde’s freshening up facilities, restaurant, indoor and outdoor gym, eco-pool and unique wetlands to explore. The hotel offers complimentary return airport shuttles every 30 minutes from 4am to midnight and the team assists guests to plan their journeys.

“We play a special role in the traveller’s journey. They are surprised and amazed at what Hotel Verde has to offer and the team strives to ensure our guest’s trip is special to the last minute. Breakfast starts at 4:30am, convenient for the early morning traveller departing for a flight or a meeting,” says Wahieb.

Hotel Verde also assists with storing luggage and securing belongings where guests want to maximise the last few hours of their trip,” Wahieb adds.

Hotel Verde is famous worldwide for its “green”, environmentally-friendly and carbon-neutral philosophy. Staff educate guests on how they can conserve resources, especially during the current water crisis affecting Cape Town. Creating awareness of how conservation has been incorporated into its operations without taking away from the lux factor is something the hotel is proud of. Wahieb says Hotel Verde has maximised two search engine optimisation phrases as guests most often search for “airport hotels” and

Belgrace Boutique Hotel: Baby Grande Deluxe Suite “green hotels” and this property ticks both.

The hotel’s conference facilities are often used for day conferences and meetings, suitable for guests flying in and out on the same day. The conferencing team at the hotel tailormakes packages that fit the client’s budget and needs, while still providing delegates with a memorable experience.

Grant Sandham, group sales and marketing manager of Premier Hotels & Resorts, based at Premier Hotel OR Tambo, says this hotel’s location is indicated in its name which helps with marketing and correct positioning within the node. A kiosk at the airport serves as an extended welcome to the hotel, with branded shuttles and friendly staff on hand outside the arrivals halls to guide guests tired and bewildered after long-haul flights. He says there is no one-size-fitsall and staff are attentive to the needs of every guest, including transit travellers, to deliver on the best experience.

Airport hotels have a range of benefits, Grant notes, including savings from not having to hire a car or bus for groups; they are away from traffic congestion of big cities; and easier for travellers unfamiliar with the region. International travellers are familiar with and at ease with public transport and the Gautrain is minutes away from Premier Hotel OR Tambo, connecting the hotel to major business and shopping hubs such as Sandton, Rosebank and Pretoria.

“You may perceive an airport hotel

as clinical and without the charm of the suburbs; our hotel has soul, we do management by walkabout and it’s functional at the same time. Because of our central location we host transit, corporate and leisure guests. You need to get as much out of any given day as you possibly can and airport hotels lend themselves to that. We don’t want our guests to feel short-changed because they’re having their conference at the airport; we make sure to offer spectacular functions and meals,” he adds.

An airport hotel lends itself to short meetings or even job interviews where the MD may be in transit to another city and has a few hours to spare to fit in that important meeting that would not have happened otherwise.

The biggest saving is time, Grant maintains. “You achieve more productivity if you speed things up, especially for day functions. Our conference organisers aim to really understand what it is you want out of your event, what you’re trying to achieve and why,” he explains.

Shaun Loudon, owner of Belgrace Boutique Hotel, 5km from Kruger Mpumalanga International (KMI) Airport says they have a lot of tourists staying at the hotel flying in on the daily Airlink flights to and from Cape Town, Johannesburg and Livingstone in Zambia (visiting the Victoria Falls) as well as those catching the daily flight to Vilanculos in Mozambique.

“We deal a lot with the five-star market; they’re paying a lot of money to stay at

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Hotel Verde

the famous lodges around here and with the flight from Livingstone only landing at 15.25pm they’ll only get to the lodge in the evening and probably miss out on the evening game drive. The same applies the other way, when they need to leave the lodge early to catch flights and

miss the important morning activities.

We encourage tourists to stay overnight with us so they can travel to their lodges in the morning and make the most of all of the activities,� Shaun explains.

The luxurious Belgrace set on a macadamia farm offers a country

accommodation experience close to the airport, which is as appealing to guests travelling for business to Nelspruit as it is to those making a stopover on a leisure safari.

Shaun says they also cater for destination weddings and their location gives them the best of convenience and country.

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Birchwood Hotel

Peermont D’oreale Grande hotel at Emperors Palace

Peermont Emperors Palace Conference Centre

“Being only 7km from OR Tambo is naturally an incredible asset in the Birchwood Hotel & OR Tambo Conference Centre armoury of available features,” says Greg Hoffmann, marketing manager. They offer complimentary shuttle service from the airport as well as an airport lounge which allows guests to utilise free Wi-Fi and enjoy a complimentary cup of coffee or bottle of water. “With Birchwood not being at OR Tambo, we have positioned ourselves within walking distance to two adjacent shopping centres as well as operate an hourly shuttle to the newly upgraded East Rand Mall which has more than enough selection,” he adds.

Over the years, Birchwood has recognised the varying the needs and wants of clients – whether that is the individual traveller, small corporate group or large event gathering. “We have segmented our catalogue of 665 accommodation

rooms and over 60 venues on the property, into three sets of brands – all with a particular traveller in mind,” Greg explains.

These include Birchwood, Silverbirch @ Birchwood and ValuStay @ Birchwood. All accommodation offerings have access to any conference venue, ranging from two to 3 000 people and everything in between.

Peermont Emperors Palace hotel, casino, convention and entertainment resort is a landmark property next to ORTIA. It features four hotels ranging from five- to three-stars, a massive convention centre, myriad entertainment and dining options and plenty of free parking. Jean Hanekom, hotel operations manager and Elzaan van Ryn, groups and conventions manager, say many foreign and local groups prefer to have their events at Emperors Palace as all of their needs are met on site. Every part of the resort is pressed into service, with some

groups enjoying breakfast in the convention centre until their rooms are ready and others keen to explore the entertainment offerings before heading home. The number one request of hotel guests is early check-in and late check-out, which they do their best to accommodate or alternatively cater for guests’ immediate needs within the property.

Jean says there are a number of guest relations officers and banqueting managers on hand to look after guests’ needs. “We capitalise on our existing inventory and have a number of markets that make use of us, so when one is down you can make up business on the other,” he adds.

Elzaan notes the trend regionally is towards day conferences that combine several activities, such as a conference, team-building and long-service awards.

As organisers they are creative in helping clients achieve all of their goals in as

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Peermont Emperors Palace Convention Centre Foyer short a time as possible and still have a memorable event. Savings on day events include accommodation, data costs (free Wi-Fi) and car and bus hire (free shuttles to and from airport). She adds, “The current budget-conscious clientele has given us opportunities to look at how flexibly we can run our business. There’s no such thing as a menu of services; a lot of what we do is custom-made and built around value for money and what the client wants.

Time is money too so you may need to keep an event short but still impactful.

Technology also plays a huge role in our conference rooms as people run large events with specially created apps that contain the agenda and notes, minimising the need for paper. Environmental scores help them become more responsible in how they use resources, and these are also kept within a target range.”

At a glance

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This list of hotels aims to provide a general idea of the kinds of accommodation and services available at or near major airports in South Africa and is not designed to be inclusive.

•

OR TAMBO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, JOHANNESBURG: • Birchwood Hotel & Conference Centre: • Birchwood – 335 rooms in close proximity to event and function rooms • SilverBirch @ Birchwood – 235 rooms upgraded rooms in a securely entered environment; Grill @ OneTwenty Steakhouse; Petit Centre breakfast room; rooms available for dayuse by arrangement • ValuStay @ Birchwood – launched in 2017 with 94 upgraded rooms; BC Café; Mangwanani Boutique Spa; pool; fitness centre • Conference facilities: 60+ conference venues (3-3000 pax) • City Lodge: 303 rooms; 2 boardrooms (8-12 pax); 2 conference facilities (22-46 pax); #Café restaurant; gym; pool • Holiday Inn (previously Airport Grand): 151 rooms; restaurant; gym; groups and meetings space (200 pax) • Peermont Emperors Palace: • D’oreale Grande: 182 rooms; Club Floor and Lounge; Aurelia’s restaurant; Octavia’s Sensorium day spa; Neptune’s pool bar; business centre; gym • Mondior: 150 rooms; Oriana restaurant; Silver Moon bar; business centre • Metcourt: 348 rooms; F.L.A.G. Café; 21 Degrees cocktail bar; boardroom (12 pax); business centre; Olympus Sky Bar event venue; gym; pool • Metcourt Suites: 77 suites; Primavera restaurant • Convention and Exhibition Centre: 29 multi-purpose venues and small executive breakaway rooms (8 to 3000 pax) • Premier Hotel: 275 rooms; Kubatana restaurant; 9 venues (720 pax)

•

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Protea Hotel OR Tambo Airport: 213 rooms; 7 boardrooms (1040 pax); 3 conference rooms (120-300 pax); business centre; restaurant; heated pool; gym Tsogo Sun: • InterContinental ORT Johannesburg: 138 rooms; Camelot spa; Quills restaurant; conference centre with 7 boardrooms and 2 conference rooms (50 pax) • Southern Sun: 366 rooms; Caroline’s day spa; Bernoulli’s restaurant • Garden Court: 253 rooms; Rosie O’Grady’s pub; 9 conference venues (80 pax); self-service workstations • Sun1: 78 rooms The Aviator Hotel: 120 rooms; 4 conference venues (400 pax); The Buzz restaurant

CAPE TOWN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT: • Hotel Verde: 100% carbon neutral hotel and conference experience; 145 rooms; 8 conference venues (120 pax); Nuovo restaurant and bar • Road Lodge: 90 rooms KRUGER MPUMALANGA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT: • Belgrace Boutique Hotel: 8 rooms (20 pax); boardroom (14 pax); wedding (50 pax); in-room wellness and spa treatments; Rock Fig Restaurant PORT ELIZABETH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT: • Road Lodge: 90 rooms BRAM FISCHER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, BLOEMFONTEIN: • Road Lodge Bloemfontein Airport: 66 rooms OTHER BUSY AIRPORTS WITH A WIDE VARIETY OF HOTELS NEARBY: • King Shaka International Airport Durban • East London International Airport • Upington International Airport • George Airport • Kimberley Airport

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IT&CMA 2017 HIGHLIGHTS In-depth knowledge-building was the core of an amplified education programme across the 22 forum sessions at IT&CMA and CTW Asia-Pacific 2017.

S

ome 50 renowned speakers from government bodies, academia, industry specialists, and associations imparted their wisdom over the various education segments encompassing a future-ready theme centred on industry development.

The Keynote Address from Joint Meeting Industry Council’s ‘Iceberg’ producer, James Latham, focused delegate attention on the contribution that the industry delivers toward economic development across key clusters of innovation, healthcare, and knowledgebased sectors of science and technologies.

Said Latham, “The industry pendulum is swinging upstream as it becomes recognised by government for the outcomes and legacies that can be achieved from a vibrant business events sector. Here in Thailand, for example, you see that TCEB is highly focused on bringing events to the country that will support the economic and transformational strategy of Thailand 4.0 and there are many other vertical priorities ahead of tourism when you look at these clusters.”

Joining the panel were notable dignitaries Chiruit Isarangkun Na Ayuthaya, President of Thailand Convention and

Exhibition Bureau (TCEB); Jason Yeh, President of ICCA Asia-Pacific and Taiwan Convention and Exhibition Association (TCEA); and Koichi Gono, Chief Executive of Fukuoka Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Other components like the ASEAN MICE Forum, dedicated Association Days forum, campfire knowledge sessions, the CTW Asia-Pacific corporate travel conference forums, and partner event Future Leaders Forum, followed the same emphasis, joining forces with IAPCO, SITE, GainingEdge, and FCM Travel Solutions, to deliver their expertise at some of the topics.

Speaker Mike Williams, Senior Consultant of GainingEdge, who helmed a number of education sessions and collaborated with IT&CMA and CTW Asia-Pacific 2017 on the Campfire Knowledge Sessions gave his view on the marketplace, “It is important to combine tradeshows with education especially when you’ve got a good audience of exhibitors and buyers who are looking to gain knowledge. This then becomes advantageous for the show to incorporate such components and create a win-win for organisers and speakers. Interacting with delegates who have attended the

IT&CM Asia

© YaiPhoto

sessions, I think Asia is showing potential to be a global leader in the MICE industry and is in many ways leading the world.”

Sticky Award Winners This year’s winners also included a tie between The Philippines and Taiwan (Stickiest Marketing & Promotion) for their very engaging booth activities, Malaysia (Stickiest National Pavilion, Silver), The Philippines (Stickiest National Pavilion, Bronze), Thai Airways (Stickiest Corporate Booth, Gold), Pan Pacific (Stickiest Corporate Booth, Silver), Resorts World Sentosa (Stickiest Corporate Booth, Bronze), 2nd time uncontested winner Penang Convention & Exhibition Bureau (Stickiest Social Sharing), Mike Williams of GainingEdge (Stickiest Guru), Iain Bitran of International Society for Professional Innovation Management (Stickiest Buyer), and Peter Koh of Corning Inc. (Stickiest Corporate Travel Manager).

The three days of the leading MICE and corporate travel management event centred around the AsiaPacific concluded with over 10 000 appointments made on the show floor.

22 March 20 -20 22-March 20182018 Shanghai Shanghai 20 - 22 March 2018• China • China

Convention & Exhibition ShanghaiShanghai Convention & Exhibition Center ofCenter of Shanghai • China International International Shanghai Convention & Exhibition Center ofSourcingSourcing International Sourcing

WORLD IS BUYING MICE IN CHINA THETHE WORLD IS BUYING MICE IN CHINA THE WORLD IS BUYING MICE YOU?IN CHINA AREARE YOU? ARE China’s wide of range of destinations and solutions SourceSource IT&CM IT&CM China’s wideYOU? range destinations and solutions on us! on us! it’s forrange inbound, outbound and business, it’s all here. it’s for inbound, outbound and domestic business, SourceWhether IT&CMWhether China’s wide of destinations anddomestic solutions onit’s us!all here.

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Estimated USD212 procurement generated Estimated USD212 millionmillion procurement value value generated Estimated USD212 million value generated the show floor! on procurement theon show floor! on the show floor!

SOURCING EFFICIENCY FOCUS SOURCING EFFICIENCY FOCUS ON THEON THE Our optimal business Our optimal business CHINA MARKET CHINA MARKET SOURCING EFFICIENCY FOCUS ON THE matching system ensures matching system ensures The onetrade annual trade event The one annual event Our optimal business CHINA MARKET up of to your 100% of your to 100% dedicated to showcasing dedicated to event showcasing matchingup system ensures The one annual trade business appointments business appointments ready MICE destinations, ready MICE destinations, up to 100% of your dedicated to showcasing can be scheduled can be scheduled ahead of ahead of products and from services fromappointments products and services business ready MICE destinations, the event to maximise your the event to maximise your across China and can around China and around be scheduled ahead of productsacross and services from discussions discussions on-site. on-site.

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PRIORTY HOSTING CONSIDERATION FOREVENT THE EVENT READERS! PRIORTY HOSTING CONSIDERATION FOR THE READERS! PRIORTY HOSTINGFor CONSIDERATION FOR THE EVENT READERS! For MICE and Association Buyers MICE and Association Buyers Only! Only!

Successful applicants enjoy flights andBuyers accommodation in Shanghai, fullprivileges. buyer privileges.

Successful applicants enjoy flights and accommodation in Shanghai, and fulland buyer For MICEhosted andhosted Association Only!

APPLY AT www.itcmchina.com/hostme/theevent APPLY AT www.itcmchina.com/hostme/theevent APPLY AT www.itcmchina.com/hostme/theevent

Successful applicants enjoy hosted flights and accommodation in Shanghai, and full buyer privileges.

NETWORKING NETWORKING KNOWLEDGE KNOWLEDGE GOALS GOALS OPPORTUNITIES Curated educational sessions Curated educational sessions NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES KNOWLEDGE GOALS by renowned experts on From hosted by renowned experts on Fromluncheons, hosted luncheons, OPPORTUNITIES Curated educational sessions

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Benefit from night functions, night functions, to key topics impacting the dinners, cocktails and late pre- & to pre- & our keynote address, a post-event our keynote address, a and buyertours, buyerindustry. Benefit from night functions, to post-event pre& andtours, dedicated Association dedicated Association only lounges.

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ID: ITCMCH ID: ITCMCH

International Delegates China Delegates China Delegates buyers.itcmchina@ttgasia.com | (65) 6395 7575 ID: ITCMCH www.itcmchina.com www.itcmchina.com itcmchinabuyers@citsmice.com.cn | (86)7997 10 8522 7997 itcmchinabuyers@citsmice.com.cn | (86) 10 8522 China Delegates www.itcmchina.com itcmchinabuyers@citsmice.com.cn | (86) 10 8522 7997 Organised By 主办单位: Organised By 主办单位:

Supported By 支持单位: Supported By 支持单位:

Organised By 主办单位:

Supported By 支持单位: Official Media 官方媒体: Official Media 官方媒体:

Official Media 官方媒体:

28

BUSINESS EVENTS MADE EASY

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SOWETO A district steeped in South African history, Soweto offers an energetic township experience like no other.

Soweto Hotel and Conference Centre (left and right)

SoWeToo Hop On and Hop Off Tours - part of City Sightseeing © Justin Lee

O

riginally known as the South West Township, Soweto has historically played a large role in the resistance to apartheid.

The sprawling district has, since 1994, become a beacon of hope, and in the last few years has grown to become a popular tourist destination for those passing through Johannesburg. In 2006, the Soweto Tourism and Information Centre was opened to provide a comprehensive service to the hundreds of thousands who visit this world-famous township each year.

An exploration of Soweto is an ideal addition to pre- or post-event tours in Johannesburg or Pretoria, and is often

The Mandela House Museum at No 8115, Vilakazi Street, Soweto © SA Tourism

part of local DMC’s itinerary when visiting the Gauteng region. It has a rich cultural heritage, and is home to the Apartheid Museum, the Hector Pietersen Museum, and the Nelson Mandela House on vibrant Vilakazi Street. The suburb has so many gems to explore and is perfect for small business meetings, teambuilding or as part of an incentive trip.

Key Venues Eyethu Lifestyle Centre A relatively new venue established in 2013, Eyethu Lifestyle Centre is an entertainment and arts venue that’s already been used for corporate functions, live shows, workshops,

art exhibitions, wine tastings and more.

Originally opened as the first black-owned cinema in 1969, Eyethu now drives the contemporary arts sector within Soweto, and can host up to 1 200 in its venue space. www.eyethulifestylecentre.com Lolo’s Guest House A warm welcome awaits in Diepkloof at Lolo’s Guest House. This traditional township accommodation offers six rooms, as well as dining options and also arranges township tours for guests with local operators. In addition, the venue has a lapa functioning as a meeting space for up to 30 delegates. www.lolosguesthouse.co.za

BUSINESS EVENTS MADE EASY

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Soweto Hotel and Conference Centre The Soweto Hotel and Conference Centre is a beautiful venue and the first four-star luxury boutique hotel in the heart of Soweto.

It has 46 deluxe rooms and two presidential suites, each with a historical footprint in the décor. The hotel offers conferencing facilities and two executive boardrooms, all with a spectacular view of the precinct. It can also host up to 60 guests in its restaurant, The Jazz Maniacs. www.sowetohotel.co.za

It has a rich cultural heritage, and is home to the Apartheid Museum, the Hector Pietersen Museum, and the Nelson Mandela House on vibrant Vilakazi Street. The suburb has so many gems to explore and is perfect for small business meetings, teambuilding or as part of an incentive trip.

Access

Incentive Travel Products In addition to visits to the all-important Apartheid and Hector Pietersen Museums in Soweto, a number of tours have been created to cater to any visitor’s tastes. These include the City Sightseeing bus tours, or cycle tours suiting those with fitness in mind. Visits to the Credo Mutwa Cultural Village is a must for those who want an understanding of deep African cultures and beliefs combined with modern ideas, while bungeeing off the Orlando Towers is a must for adrenalin seekers. Vilakazi Street is not only known as the home of two Nobel Prize winners, but is also a culinary delight, complete with traditional, local and modern foodie options.

Soweto Hotel and Conference Centre Meeting Space

Plenary

Kliptown Conference Centre

60 cinema-style, 50 classroom-style

Soweto Tourism Centre

60-80

Helen Josephs Boardroom

10

Winnie Madikizela Mandela Boardroom

14

29

Climate

OR Tambo International Airport services the southern African region, with a range of carriers flying into Johannesburg regularly, including: • • •

• • • • • • • • • •

British Airways Virgin Atlantic South African Airways Emirates Cathay Pacific Air Mauritius Lufthansa Etihad Airways Qantas KLM Singapore Airlines Saudia Qatar

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Airways Iberia EgyptAir Air France Delta Air China Turkish Airlines Kenya Airways EL AL Israel Airlines United LATAM Brasil RwandAir SWISS Ethiopian Airlines TAAG Angola Airlines

As part of Gauteng, Soweto has a temperate climate with warm summer days and crisp, clear winters.

Currency South African Rand (ZAR)

US Dollar (USD)

Euro (EUR) Chinese Yuan (CNY)

50.00

3.53

3.05

23.40

Contacts South Africa National Convention Bureau Head Office: Bojanala House, 90 Protea Road, Chislehurston, Johannesburg Tel: + 27 (0)11 895 3000 Email: travel@southafrica.net Website: www.businessevents. southafrica.net Gauteng Convention and Events Bureau Head Office: 124 Main Street, Johannesburg Tel: +27 (0) 11 085 2500 Email: info@gauteng.net / nonnie@gauteng.net Website: www.gauteng.net Soweto Tourism Information Centre Head Office: Walter Sisulu Square of Dedication, Kliptown, Soweto Tel: +27 (0)11 342 4316 Email: info@joburgtourism.com Website: www.joburgtourism.com

Orlando Towers, Soweto, Gauteng, South Africa © SA Tourism

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BUSINESS EVENTS MADE EASY

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© Hilton Hotel Nairobi (left and right)

KENYA A country well known for its magical tourism products and incredible natural beauty, Kenya continues to grow its MICE offering and invest in its knowledge economy.

A

land of azure seas, savannah sunsets and wildlife on parade, Kenya is the ultimate dream destination in Africa if ever there was one. In addition to immense herds of giraffe, elephant and wildebeest, the nation is vibrant, with a host of traditional peoples who bring excitement and colour to the country.

Despite some security and political concerns in recent years, Kenya still ranks among international travellers’ top ten destinations in Africa. A recent report also showed the country has seen a 10% increase in tourism in 2017 over last year’s visitor numbers.

And, with over 13 hotels currently in development, the hospitality industry

will see Kenya’s room capacity increase by 2 400 in the next three years.

Kenya’s meetings, incentives, conferencing and exhibition sectors have continued to see steady growth as the country has ploughed investment into this economy since the construction of the Kenyatta International Convention Centre in the late 1960s. Over the past three years, it has hosted a number of high-profile international business events that have attracted over 100 000 delegates in total. Some of these include the Global Entrepreneurship Summit in July 2015, the 10th World Trade Organisation Ministerial Conference in December of the same year, the 14th UN Conference on Trade and Development and the Tokyo International

Conference on African Development in July and August 2016 respectively.

Key Venues Kenyatta International Convention Centre A magnificent spherical structure that dominates Nairobi’s skyline, the Kenyatta International Convention Centre is a go-to destination for any conference or exhibition in the region. Not only does it have impressive facilities including Simultaneous Interpretation Equipment for up to seven languages, expansive grounds and secure parking, but it is also the only venue in the region with a helipad and accessibility ramps throughout the centre. Its Tsavo ballroom holds up to 5 000 guests. www.kicc.co.ke

Kenyatta International Convention Centre Meeting Space

Area (m2)

Cinema

Classroom

Banquet

Cocktail

Tsavo Ballroom

2 666

5 000

3 200

2 500

4 000

Amphitheatre

2 666

-

880 (tiered)

-

-

Lenana + Abadare Halls

-

600 (300ea)

400 (200ea)

200 (100ea)

-

Shimba Hills Room

205.41

150 (fixed)

120

-

-

Taifa Hall

285

150

100

-

-

Impala/Lake Turkana Room

140.5

70

40

-

-

BUSINESS EVENTS MADE EASY

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31

Safari Park Hotel and Casino Meeting Space

Area (m2)

Cinema

Classroom

Banquet

Cocktail

Jambo Conference Centre

630

1 000

500

550

1 000

Tsavo/Amboseli/Samburu

207

300

150

150

300

Mt Elgon Room D

184.3

150

150

100

150

Kumbayah Room

156.75

150

60

60

100

Paradise Gardens

-

10 000

5 000

5 000

10 000

Kumbayah Gardens

-

500

400

300

500

Safari Park Hotel and Casino The Safari Park Hotel offers a variety of indoor and outdoor venues and can host up 2 000 guests in their purposebuilt theatre. The hotel specialises in themed events and has over 20 conference and meeting spaces to choose from. Their Paradise Gardens and Theme Park is ideal for outdoor events and teambuilds, with the garden holding up to 10 000 guests at any one time. www.safaripark-hotel.com

Hilton Nairobi Hilton Nairobi is a cosmopolitan venue with a total of 640m2 in their largest meeting room. The hotel has a well-equipped business centre and 11 conference spaces with lots of natural light. It easily holds between 12 and 700 delegates, with an elegant ballroom for receptions and exhibitions alike. The Hilton also offers guests an executive boardroom, a spacious foyer area, and an open air pool solarium for

Hilton Nairobi Meeting Space

Area (m2)

Cinema

Classroom

Banquet

Cocktail

Amboseli Room

1 134.16

300

200

150

250

Ballroom

1 536.19

700

300

350

600

Ivory Room

505.36

140

70

80

90

Residents Lounge

584.61

140

70

50

90

Tsavo Room

1 174.70

500

220

250

500

Taifa Room

370.33

80

50

50

70

Access

small cocktails. www3.hilton.com/en/ hotels/kenya/hilton-nairobi-NBOHITW

Incentive Travel Products Kenya is renowned for its game experiences, and is a popular destination for DMCs to recommend. From Lake Nakuru, visitors can observe up to a million flamingos in the greatest bird spectacle on earth, while Amboseli National Park offers unparalleled Mount Kilimanjaro experiences where one can experience free-ranging elephants from up close. The country also offers a range of watersports such as scuba diving, snorkelling and surfing.

Climate Kenya has a hot climate with a rainy and a dry season. The country’s coastal climate is tropical, and the dry season from June to October is best for wildlife viewing.

Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi is the main gateway to East Africa. Carriers flying into Nairobi include: • • Kenyatta International Conference Centre (KICC) Nairobi, Kenya © Jorge Láscar

• • • • • • • •

© Safari Park Hotel and Casino

Air France Air Mauritius British Airways China Southern EgyptAir Emirates Ethiopian Airlines Etihad Airways Jet Airways Kenya Airways

• • • • • • • • •

• •

KLM Lufthansa Oman Air Qantas Qatar Airways Royal Air Maroc RwandAir Saudia South African Airways SWISS Turkish Airlines

Currency Kenya Shilling (KES)

South African Rand (ZAR)

US Dollar (USD)

Euro (EUR)

Chinese Yuan (CNY)

100

13.73

0.97

0.83

6.40

Contacts Kenya Tourism Board Tel: +254 20 2711 262 Email: info@ktb.go.ke Website: www.magicalkenya.com www.ktb.go.ke

32

EVENTS TO DIARISE

DECEMBER MONEY FAIR SHANGHAI 1–3 SHANGHAI, CHINA GEMIN 1–3 ATHENS, GREECE INDIA INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL MART 1–3 HYDERABAD, INDIA NEW YORK INTERNATIONAL MOTORCYCLE SHOW 1–3 NEW YORK, USA 18TH INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF ENDOCRINOLOGY / 53RD SEMDSA CONGRESS 1–4 CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA FRANSCHHOEK CAP CLASSIQUE AND CHAMPAGNE FESTIVAL 2–3 FRANSCHHOEK, SOUTH AFRICA MIDDLE EAST FIRE, SECURITY AND SAFETY EXHIBITION AND CONFERENCE 3–5 CAIRO, EGYPT CAIRO ICT 3–6 CAIRO, EGYPT WORLD VACCINE SUMMIT AND EXPO 4–6 DUBAI, UAE

www.theevent.co.za

GULF TRAFFIC EXHIBITION AND CONFERENCE 4–6 DUBAI, UAE INTERATIONAL LUXURY TRAVEL MARKET 4–7 CANNES, FRANCE POWER GEN INTERNATIONAL 5–7 LAS VEGAS, USA AGROFOOD WEST AFRICA 5–7 ACCRA, GHANA FOOD AND HOSPITALITY AFRICA 5–7 ACCRA GHANA WORLD SME EXPO 6–8 HONG KONG THE SOUK TRADE FAIR 22 – 1 JAN DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA

JANUARY INTERNATIONAL CES 9 – 12 LAS VEGAS, USA THE LONDON TEXTILE FAIR 10 – 12 LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM MEETINGS MOROCCO 11 – 12 MARRAKECH, MOROCCO CABSAT 14 – 16 DUBAI, UAE TRADEXPO 14 – 18 PARIS, FRANCE PROMOTIONAL PRODUCTS ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL EXPO 14 – 18 LAS VEGAS, USA SOLAR EXPO 15 – 18 ABU DHABI, UAE INTERNATIONAL WATER SUMMIT 15 – 18 ABU DHABI, UAE WORLD FUTURE ENERGY SUMMIT AND EXHIBITION 15 – 18 ABU DHABI, UAE ECOWASTE EXHIBITION 15 – 18 ABU DHABI, UAE INTERNATIONAL AGRO CHEMICAL AND EQUIPMENT EXHIBITION 15 – 17 ABUJA, NIGERIA UGANDA TRADE EXPO 16 – 18 KAMPALA, UGANDA NEPCON JAPAN 17 – 19 TOKYO, JAPAN

EVENTS TO DIARISE

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SHOWCASE, IRELAND’S CREATIVE EXPO 21 – 24 DUBLIN, IRELAND INTERSEC 21 – 23 DUABI, UAE AGFOPEX NIGERIA 21 – 24 KANO, NIGERIA MULTIMODAL WEST AFRICA 23 – 25 LAGOS, NIGERIA WORLD OF CONCRETE 23 – 26 LAS VEGAS, USA PROMOTION TRADE EXHIBITION 24 – 26 MILAN, ITALY INTERNATIONAL JEWELLERY TOKYO 24 – 27 TOKYO, JAPAN THE HOLIDAY WORLD SHOW 26 – 28 DUBLIN, IRELAND ARAB HEALTH 29 – 1 FEBRUARY DUBAI, UAE ECOMMERCE EXPO PRAGUE 30 PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC IHS ENERGY SOUTH AFRICAN COAL EXPORTS CONFERENCE 31 – 2 FEBRUARY CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA

FEBRUARY ACC INTERNATIONAL URBAN CONFERENCE 1–2 CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA MINING LEADERS AFRICA SUMMIT 2 CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA SALON DU MEUBLE DU TUNIS 2 – 11 TUNIS, TUNISIA INVESTING IN AFRICAN MINING INDABA 5–8 CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA KZN CONSTRUCTION TRADE EXPO 7–8 DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS CONFERENCE 8 JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON MECHANICAL AND INTELLIGENT MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGIES 10 – 13 CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA EXPO SUMMIT AFRICA 14 – 16 CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA CAPE TOWN ART FAIR 16 – 18 CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA WOMEN IN ENERGY CONFERENCE 19 JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA AFRICA ENERGY INDABA 20 – 21 JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA ITWEB’S GOVERNANCE, RISK AND COMPLIANCE SUMMIT 20 – 21 JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA

SENCON 20 – 23 DAKAR, SENEGAL MY BUSINESS EXPO JOBURG 21 – 22 JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA NSBC SUMMIT 21 – 22 JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA DESIGN INDABA 21 – 23 CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA JOHANNESBURG HOMEMAKERS EXPO 22 – 25 JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA MEETINGS AFRICA 26 – 28 SANDTON, SOUTH AFRICA NIGERIA OIL AND GAS 26 – 1 MARCH ABUJA, NIGERIA

Piotr Chrobot © Unsplash

FITUR 17 – 21 MADRID, SPAIN

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ASSOCIATIONS NEWS

CONSIDERING VR IN THE EXPO SPACE A perfect union of technology and the face to face experience of an expo.

At EXSA, we understand that innovation is key to sustainable and relevant events and exhibitions and that increasingly it is technology that takes this innovation to the next level. Locally there’s now even more opportunity than ever to embrace and utilise a hot global trend: that of virtual reality.

Virtual reality offers exhibitors an exciting and dynamic platform for interaction with visitors and it doesn’t necessarily cost a fortune.

Imagine your client is a hotel chain, now imagine having a simple stand where visitors can step into the lobby of any hotel across the world and feel what it’s like to be there. The likelihood of a holiday booking taking place right there is pretty high!

Consumers are overwhelmed with information, products and branding which is why virtual reality can be so innovative: it offers an immersive experience.

What’s more is that this type of experience is all-encompassing, stimulating the senses. Using sound, graphics, imagery and even unique touch or taste to ensure that the consumer is completely engaged. There are no distractions – a rarity in this age.

Virtual reality is also an opportunity for creativity and fun. It’s a chance to think out of the box and really immerse yourself in your product or brand.

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

www.theevent.co.za

Rudi Van Der Vyver Chief Executive Officer at SAACI

INVESTING IN THE FUTURE As part of SAACI’s drive into the future we have identified three new key strategic focus areas.

One of these being Learning. We firmly believe that in order to create inclusive growth in the business events industry we need to upskill the new and potential future entrants into the industry and guide them through career paths. We also have an obligation toward our members to provide them with platforms for further learning and growth, whether this be through assistance with enterprise development or individual skills development programs. SAACI currently runs the SAACI Academy, an online training platform where members have free access to the courses on the online platform. We have seen steady growth during this year not only in the number of registered students but also the number of active courses being completed. We are currently exploring further opportunities to create more learning engagements for our members and to further benefit the industry and will be launching additional elements to training in 2018.

Two of these elements to be launched in 2018 are a formal internship program as well as a formal mentorship programme.

The internship program is aimed at students completing any relevant qualification in event management, hospitality management or even business management with the desire to take up a career within the business events industry. SAACI members will be at the core of this program with them providing a home for these interns to gain experience, learn from within and potentially be able to secure a permanent position after their internship. The second programme to be launched is a mentorship program. This will be aimed at people already active in the industry and providing them with a formal platform to learn from the best in the business. These are just some of the projects we are rolling out to truly make a difference to our members and the business-events industry.

ASSOCIATIONS NEWS

www.theevent.co.za

As the total amount of exhibition space available around the world continues to grow, exhibition organisers have a more and more diverse choice of venues available in their target markets. According to data released by UFI, the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, on 7 November 2017, the number of venues offering over 100 000m2 of gross indoor exhibition space is the fastest-growing segment.

The number of venues offering at least 5 000m2 of gross exhibition space also continues to grow.

Currently there are 1 221 exhibition venues with a minimum of 5 000m2 space around the world, with the total available venue space growing globally to almost 35 million square metres – a 7.2% increase over the last six years. During this same period, the number of large venues offering more than 100 000m2 of space has grown to 61, a staggering 27% increase in just six years. Asia now offers more venue space than North America, while Europe is home to the most exhibition space. To view the full world map, visit www.ufi.org/research.

Carol Weaving Chairperson of AAXO

2018 WILL NOT DISAPPOINT For The Association of African Exhibition Organisers (AAXO), 2017 was a particularly eventful year. AAXO has gone from strength to strength – consistently developing the value that it offers its members. With the myriad of industry events and training days that were hosted in 2017, as well as the exciting ROAR Awards, Organiser and Exhibitor training and the Exhibition of Exhibitions taking place in early 2018, AAXO continues to serve as the leading custodian of the country’s exhibition standards.

Following the groundbreaking AAXO ROAR Awards which took place early in 2017 – where the Organiser community was represented for the first time ever – we released valuable research results. Detailing the ‘State of the Exhibition Industry in Africa’ this research by Grant Thornton not only demonstrated the substantial impact the industry has on the local economy, but also pointed to opportunities for growth and expansion.

To further our mandate to formalise and standardise the industry while promoting growth across Africa, AAXO also hosted several training events throughout the year with a focus placed on everything from sales to safety, and more. Other significant happenings include the Global Exhibitions Day celebrations that took place at MADEX and the launch of the exciting Associate Membership tier.

While 2017 has been an actionpacked year, AAXO has already set various plans in motion to ensure that 2018 does not disappoint. The year starts with a bang with two days of Organiser and Exhibitor training and the highly popular Exhibition of Exhibitions – all taking place from the 31st of January to the 1st of February 2018. AAXO will also host the second annual ROAR awards on the 1st of February at the Tickepro Dome as well as the internationally accredited safety training from 29th of January to the 2nd of February.

Our overriding mandate is to uphold exceptionally high standards within the exhibition industry and unlock its full potential. In 2017, AAXO laid the foundation for real growth in our industry and the hard work continues as we look forward to an eventful 2018.

Matteo Catanese © Unsplash

CORE DATA FROM UFI WORLD MAP SHOWS GROWTH

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DIRECTORY OF ADVERTISERS

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ADVERTISERS AAXO

IMEX America

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INSIDE FRONT COVER

T.

T.

+27 11 549 8300

+44 1273 227311

E. info@aaxo.co.za

E. jennifer.mcneil@imexexhibitions.com

W. www.aaxo.co.za

W. www.imexamerica.com

Buffalo City

Inspire Furniture

PAGE 04, 05

PAGE 07

T.

T.

+27 43 705 9095

+27 76 644 0271

E. mirandano@buffalocity.gov.za

E. chad@inspirefurniture.co.za

W. www.buffalocitymetro.gov.za

W. www.inspirefurniture.co.za

Elegant Entertainment

IT&CM Asia

PAGE 03

PAGE 26

T.

T.

+27 11 768 3257

+65 6395 7575

E. brooke@elegant-entertainment.com

E. itcma@ttgasia.com

W. www.elegant-entertainment.com

W. www.itcma.com

CONTACTS Cover Image: Premier Hotel OR Tambo at night.

Where business meets leisure, 3kms from OR Tambo International airport.

Publisher: Lance Gibbons lance@fi lmeventmedia.co.za Editor in Chief: Katie Reynolds-Da Silva katie@fi lmeventmedia.co.za Assistant Editor: Kim Crowie kim@fi lmeventmedia.co.za Writer: Susan Reynard susan@fi lmeventmedia.co.za Head of Design: Sheree Steenkamp sheree@fi lmeventmedia.co.za Special Projects Designer / Illustrator: Lauren Smith lauren@fi lmeventmedia.co.za Junior Designer: Caitlin Perrett caitlin@fi lmeventmedia.co.za Business Manager : Coleen Tapson coleen@fi lmeventmedia.co.za Brand Manager: Redoh Kimmie redoh@fi lmeventmedia.co.za

Expo Centre

IT&CM China

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+27 11 494 1920

+65 6395 7575

E. info@expocentre.co.za

E. itcmchina@ttgasia.com

W. www.expocentre.co.za

W. www.itcmchina.com

Expo Guys

Premier Hotel OR Tambo

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+27 11 433 3260

+27 11 393 8000

E. info@expoguys.co.za

E. christa.b@premierhotels.co.za

W. www.expoguys.co.za

W. www.premierhotels.co.za

EXSA

Protea Hotel OR Tambo

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+27 11 805 7272

+27 11 977 2600

E. info@exsa.co.za

E. anton.meiring@proteahotels.com

W. www.exsa.co.za

W. www.marriott.com

Faircity Hotels

SAACI

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+27 11 429 2600

+27 11 880 5883

E. info@faircity.co.za

E. info@saaci.org

W. www.faircity.co.za

W. www.saaci.org

Brand Manager: Jerome Dyson jerome@fi lmeventmedia.co.za Production Manager: Aayesha Parker aayesha@filmeventmedia.co.za Production Assistant: Tamlyn Peters tamlyn@filmeventmedia.co.za Data Capturer : Ricky Ortell info@fi lmeventmedia.co.za Regent Square, Block A, Ground Floor Doncaster Road, Kenilworth, 7745 Tel: +27 21 674 0646

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Faircity Hotels offers a selection of conference facilities in Gauteng. With attention to detail and experienced empathetic staff to assist companies in organising a conferencing event, delegates will be motivated and pampered from the moment they arrive. All Faircity Hotels’ conference venues are air conditioned and equipped to host both half day and full day functions.

Conferences that run over two or more days, allow delegates to enjoy our selection of three and four star accommodation.

Conference venue packages are available and include a variety of meals, depending on the length of the conference.

FAIRCITY Quatermain Hotel Morningside, Sandton - 011 290 0900

FAIRCITY Mapungubwe Hotel Johannesburg, Marshalltown - 011 429 2600

Faircity Hotels and Apartments is a young, innovative and vibrant hotel group with hotels, conference venues and serviced apartments which form Faircity’s primary service offering.

FAIRCITY Falstaff Hotel Morningside, Sandton - 011 784 8580

FAIRCITY Roodevallei Hotel Pretoria - 012 845 5000

www.faircity.co.za

BRING YOUR BRAND TO

LIFE OVER 50 000M2 INDOOR SPACE

24-HOUR SECURITY

CONTEMPORARY CONFERENCE FACILITIES REGISTERED HELICOPTER LANDING SITE

30 MIN TO ALL INTERNATIONAL AIRPORTS EASE OF ACCESS Contact Details:

Expo Centre, Cnr Rand Show and Nasrec roads, Nasrec, 2000, Johannesburg

AT SOUTHERN AFRICA’S LARGEST FULLY-CONTAINED EXHIBITION, OVER 100 000M2 CONFERENCE OUTDOOR SPACE AND EVENTS VENUE

20 000 SECURE PARKING BAYS

5-STAR CATERING

CLOSE PROXIMITY TO HOTELS