As part of its efforts to aid the recovery of the business events industry, the South African National Convention Bureau (SANCB) – in conjunction with the Southern African Association for the Conference Industry, Society for Incentive Travel Excellence, Africa Chapter, and the Association of African Exhibition Organisers – is embarking on a national roadshow that includes strategic visits to all nine provinces.
SANCB kicked off this initiative last month with a visit to the Eastern Cape with a full-day engagement session with the Eastern Cape Parks & Tourism Agency and Nelson Mandela Bay Tourism, as well academic workshops at the University of Fort Hare, Rhodes University and Nelson Mandela University.
The main purpose of the academic workshops was to present the bid support services that are available to academics who want to attract regional and international association conferences to be hosted in South Africa as well as to present on the National Association project.
The project was launched in October last year to spread the economic benefits of hosting conferences and meetings in smaller towns and villages.
According to Amanda Kotze-Nhlapo, Chief Convention Bureau Officer of the SANCB, the National Association Project plays a key role in assisting both the local association sector and the provinces.
“It assists the local association sector by enabling them to start hosting regular national conferences again and, in future, to be able to host international conventions and meetings while at the same time capacitating the provinces to host national association conferences in less-visited places across the country.”
Objectives
The objectives of the provincial visits, amongst others, include:
- Sharing of business events plans and activities, focusing on the priority areas for 2022/2023.
- Presenting SA’s bidding performance for the 2021/22 financial, including YTD performance.
- Discussing opportunities and plans for Meetings Africa 2023
- Providing an update to the business events industry on the destination’s recovery progress for the meetings, incentives and exhibition segments.
- Sharing data, trends and insights into the meetings, incentives and exhibition segments that can assist with accelerating the recovery of the local business events industry.
- Identifying priority areas for each province for each segment (meetings, incentives and exhibitions) that require interventions from the public and private sectors.
- Presenting an update on South Africa’s bidding performance, including bidding insights.