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SouthAfricaNationalConventionBureau

SouthAfricaNationalConventionBureau

@SA_NCB

@SA_NCB

MeetingsAfrica14

MeetingsAfrica14

www.meetingsafrica.com

www.meetingsafrica.com

2014/meetingsafrica

2014/meeti ngsafrica

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

Meetings Africa is back and better than

ever in 2014. Amanda Kotze-Nhlapo,

Executive Manager of the South African

National Convention Bureau, talks

about what attendees can expect this year.

Q: What is in store for Meetings Africa 2014?

A: Meetings Africa 2014 will kick off today with the annual

BOND DAY (Business Opportunity Networking Day).

BOND DAY is designed to provide educational and

networking opportunities for the South African business

events industry. The day will kick off with the Event Greening

Forum’s 2014 Conference at Meetings Africa. This half-day

event will be packed with information on Responsible

Tourism, with a specifi c focus on business events.

Two educational tracks will follow after lunch which

This year’s Meetings Africa has exceeded itself

– 10,169 meetings have already been requested,

which is 2,000 more meetings than in 2013. Part of

the reason for the success of the conference is the

SANCB’s tireless work in promoting and running

the event for both years, coupled with the fact that

Gauteng has a strong corporate meetings industry

that attracts locals and internationals alike.

Executive Manager of the SANCB, Amanda

Kotze-Nhlapo said in a recent interview, “Africa

and South Africa are rising. Our capability and

our track record as business events destination is

now beyond dispute. When we assigned Meetings

Africa 2014 the ‘Advancing Africa Together’ theme,

we were exceptionally conscious of the great

potential that this region offers the world.”

The SANCB has big ambitions for this year’s

event. In 2013 it saw 147 international buyers and

100 local corporate buyers attending the show, but

this year has far exceeded those numbers with a

variety of 1,079 buyers in total.

Meetings Africa 2014 will also see 247

exhibitors at the expo and 32 fi nal year Tourism

and Hospitality students taking part in the IMEX-

MPI-MCI Future Leaders Forum Africa.

is open to all exhibitors. Global business events experts,

Rob Cameron from the International Association

of Convention Centres, Linda Pereira, CEO of L&I

Communications Group and Niki Clarke, global hosted

buyer qualifi er, will be presenting topics on how to

maximize on business opportunities.

Association day will take place from 09h00 and will be

attended by association representatives from across the

African continent. The objective of the event is to build

the national and Pan-African association communities, to

promote their engagement with international associations

and to create major macro-economic benefi ts and lead

development for the country. Association day will be

followed by the International Congress and Convention

Association’s (ICCA) African Chapter – Client /Supplier

workshop where members will have an opportunity to

meet and interact with the association representatives.

The IMEX-MPI-MCI Future Leaders Forum will be

hosted for the second year at Meetings Africa. The top

tourism and hospitality students from universities across

South Africa will be competing in the International

University Challenge. The winner of this challenge will be

representing South Africa at the global challenge at IMEX

in Frankfurt, Germany.

BOND DAY will conclude with the Meetings Africa

gala dinner, a must attend event!

For the fi rst time ever, Meetings Africa and the

Unique Speakers Bureau will be staging the biggest

single congregation of all the major operations in events

facilities and venues, professional speakers and MCs all

under one roof. The event will be attended by over 800

local and regional corporate buyers (ABSA, Liberty Life,

Discovery, etc.), 40 of USB’s top speakers - of which 20

are leading global presenters. All the corporate buyers

will be part of the Meetings Africa diary system which

will allow exhibitors to schedule one-on-one meetings

with the buyers. Visit www.meetingsafrica.co.za for more

information on our exciting events programme.

Q: How is Meetings Africa demonstrating its

commitment to the theme “Advancing Africa Together”?

A: Africa and South Africa are rising. Our capability

and our track record as business event destinations

are now beyond dispute. When we assigned Meetings

Africa 2013 the Advancing Africa Together theme, we

were exceptionally conscious of the great potential that

this region offers the world. We were united, too, in our

ambition to position Meetings Africa as a platform to

grow our share of the regional and global market.

To date 247 exhibitors have signed up for Meetings

Africa 2014 and we have 47 confi rmed African

associations’ representatives for Association Day.

Meetings Africa offers the world a single platform to

do business with the cream of this continent’s service

provider... all under one roof.

Q: How many international hosted buyers attended in

2013? How many are you expecting in 2014?

A: In 2013, 147 international buyers and 100 local

corporate buyers attended the show – and this year, all

indications are that this number will be exceeded. We

set ourselves a target of attracting 160 international

buyers to Meetings Africa 2014. By mid-February, there

were already 192 international buyers confi rmed to

attend, and another 800 regional and local corporate

buyers. This will be the biggest contingent of qualifi ed

buyers ever hosted at Meetings Africa. Each of

the international hosted buyers has been vetted

and accredited against the global business events

trade show standards. These buyers are vetted by

ICR (International Conference and Incentive Travel

Research, Inc) to ensure that only quality buyers, with

excellent and serious intentions to do business, are

hosted at Meetings Africa. This gives exhibitors access

to the world’s (and the region’s) premier buyers, and

an excellent opportunity over the two days of the show

to close lucrative business deals.

OVER 10,000 MEETINGS REQUESTED IN 2014

Amanda Kotze-Nhlapo

South African Tourism

South African Tourism

SA TravelTrade

SA TravelTrade

02 / MEETINGS AFRICA 2014 ISSUE 1 www.meetingsafrica.co.za

THE EVENT PLANNER’S GUIDE TO AFRICA IS THE WIDELY ACCLAIMED PREMIER MARKETING TOOL FOR AFRICA’S BUSINESS EVENTS INDUSTRY.

VISIT US AT STAND A6

CONTACT SHAUN ROSS Tel: 021 674 0646 | email: shaun@filmeventmedia.co.za

www.meetingsafrica.co.za ISSUE 1 MEETINGS AFRICA 2014 / 03

TODAY’S TOP TIPSMatchmaking is here to helpThe Matchmaking team is on site and ready to ensure continuous support to all Meetings Africa attendees.

Take the TrainSandton Gautrain Station is a mere five minute walk from the SCC, and provides easy and safe travelling from Pretoria, Midrand, OR Tambo International Airport and Rosebank.

Go GreenMeetings Africa is a green event. The Event Greening Forum is on site ensuring that nothing goes to waste. Feel free to chat to them about the innovative greening techniques that are being used at Meetings Africa 2014.

Scan here for Full Schedule

EVENTS Not to Miss!

By Invitation Only09:00 – 13:00Association Day

09:00 - 17:00IMEX-MPI-MCI FutureLeaders Forum Africa

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

Open To All08:30 - 12:30Event Greening Forum

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

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

18:00 – 19:00Gala Dinner NetworkingEvent (tickets available to purchase)

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

© A

friPics

02 / MEETINGS AFRICA 2014 ISSUE 1 www.meetingsafrica.co.za

THE EVENT PLANNER’S GUIDE TO AFRICA IS THE WIDELY ACCLAIMED PREMIER MARKETING TOOL FOR AFRICA’S BUSINESS EVENTS INDUSTRY.

VISIT US AT STAND A6

CONTACT SHAUN ROSS Tel: 021 674 0646 | email: shaun@filmeventmedia.co.za

www.meetingsafrica.co.za ISSUE 1 MEETINGS AFRICA 2014 / 03

TODAY’S TOP TIPSMatchmaking is here to helpThe Matchmaking team is on site and ready to ensure continuous support to all Meetings Africa attendees.

Take the TrainSandton Gautrain Station is a mere five minute walk from the SCC, and provides easy and safe travelling from Pretoria, Midrand, OR Tambo International Airport and Rosebank.

Go GreenMeetings Africa is a green event. The Event Greening Forum is on site ensuring that nothing goes to waste. Feel free to chat to them about the innovative greening techniques that are being used at Meetings Africa 2014.

Scan here for Full Schedule

EVENTS Not to Miss!

By Invitation Only09:00 – 13:00Association Day

09:00 - 17:00IMEX-MPI-MCI FutureLeaders Forum Africa

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

Open To All08:30 - 12:30Event Greening Forum

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

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

18:00 – 19:00Gala Dinner NetworkingEvent (tickets available to purchase)

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

© A

friPics

GREENING INITIATIVESat Meetings Africa 2014 - By the Event Greening Forum

As an eco company, Earth Probiotic is

committed to reducing the amount of

food waste going to landfill by providing a

food waste recycling solution that is planet

friendly and easy to use.

Why worry about food waste?Of all our production streams the biggest emitter

of CO2e is food. Generating 4,000kg/tonne food

waste produces more negative emissions than tyre

manufacturing and metal.

When food waste is dumped an additional 335kg/

tonne of CO2e is emitted with the total emissions from

plant that is prized for its water-wise and pollution-fighting

characteristics. These plants will be donated to charities

after the event. The meeting spaces include water bars,

where filtered water is served in recyclable cups.

For the first time, Green Stand Awards will be

the only awards presented to exhibitors. Exhibitors

submitted a brief motivation about their stand’s

green design principles. Stands will be judged in

Small, Medium and Large categories by an external

panel. The winners in each category will receive a

certificate and a Bokashi kit (which uses a Japanese-

inspired fermentation process to convert food waste

into compost). To encourage exhibitors to green their

stands, a Green Stand Design Workshop was hosted in

Johannesburg towards the end of 2013. The workshop

targeted both stand builders and Meetings Africa 2013

exhibitors. The Exhibitor Briefings hosted around the

country earlier this year included greening tips. These

tips were also emailed to all exhibitors

Initiatives that have been done beforeAs we have done before, we will donate re-usable

elements to charities after the show: the carpeting used

in the exhibition hall and the indigenous plants used

in the hall and on exhibitors’ stands will go to worthy

causes. The show organisers bought Renewable Energy

Certificates to power the show.

The organisers used an online Services Manual

to minimise printing of order forms, and paper use.

Executive Stand Fabric Package options were available

again this year – this encourages the re-use of exhibitors’

fabric graphics.

Service providers have pledged to do their part to be

green with regard to their involvement at Meetings Africa,

and to use green practices in their offices, where possible.

Travel agents committed to book direct flights for

visitors, and use the Gautrain and shuttle services where

• Theprocurementofgoodsandservicesis

acriticalaspect,sosupportproductsand

servicesfromlocalreputablesuppliersthat

usesustainablepractices.

• Reduce,Re-use,Recycle–considerwhereyou

canencouragewastereductionthroughoutthe

wholeprocess.

• Ensurethatyoureventhasasocial

component,suchasgivingleftoverfoodto

localdisadvantagedorganisations.

• Considerincentivesfortheuseofpublic

transport,suchasprovidingfreepublic

transportonthedayoftheeventorencourage

carsharing.

• ConsidervideoconferencingorSkype

meetingsinsteadofmeetinginperson.

• Considertheenvironmentalpolicyofthe

venueoraccommodationwhenmakingyour

bookings–thiswillneedtobespecifically

requested.

• Considerthedistancebetweenconference

venueandaccommodationtoreducetheneed

foradditionaltravel.

• Encouragetheactiveparticipationof

thedelegatesorvisitorsinthegreening

processthroughprovidinginformationon

whattheycando.

• Encouragea‘greencorner’atyourevent

thatshowcasesthegreeningpracticesand

interventionsimplemented.

• Monitor,Measure,Report–ensurethata

monitoringandevaluationprocessisinplace

toencouragebenchmarkingandidentify

lessonslearnt.

food waste thus rising to 4,335kg/tonne.

Whilst reducing food waste should be prioritised,

recycling food waste helps reduce our personal carbon

footprint by 435kg of CO2E per ton of food waste, and

ensures a safer and cleaner home/kitchen environment.

Technology:This all natural solution combines Effective Micro

organism Technology or “friendly

bacteria” coined “bokashi” and airtight digester bins

to recycle food waste. Our system

produces no methane gases and also eliminates

harmful bacteria such as E. coli. Unlike

other forms of composting, with bokashi (bran

infused micro-organisms) you can recycle

ALL food waste including cooked and uncooked

meat, dairy and small bones.

Process:The process works by layering up food waste with bokashi

in the digester bins. Once full the bin is left to stand for

two weeks. Thereafter it can be added to garden waste,

trenched (or fed to wormeries). After 6-8 weeks the

recycled food waste will have broken down completely,

and turned into a highly nutritious soil food/compost.!

1. Add bokashi to bottom of bin

2. Add one rubbish bag of food waste per layer (of

food waste)

3. Add two litres of bokashi per layer of food waste

4. Continue to layer food waste with bokashi until

bin is full

5. When full seal ring. Keep closed for two weeks

Composting:Once waste is stabilized it needs to be composted

through a compost heap/bag, worm farm or

trench gardening.

Benefits:1. Kitchens will be more hygienic with less flies and

odours.

2. Accurate wet waste figures can be calculated.

3. Up to 32% more dry recyclables can be collected

and recycled.

4. Better odour management in the waste area.

5. Continuous chemical free compost supply, if

composted on site.

6. Opportunity to build vegetable gardens and

supply own kitchens.

possible. Hosted buyers were encouraged by travel agents

to offset their own flight-related carbon footprint by

planting trees.

Hotels were required to submit an accommodation

questionnaire that covered their green practices.

The caterers will serve traditional South African

foods, made from locally-produced, seasonal and, as

far as possible, organic ingredients. There are several

vegetarian options. Seafood was approved by the

Southern African Sustainable Seafood Initiative (SASSI),

coffee by Fair Trade, and wines come from members of

the Biodiversity & Wine Initiative (BWI). To discourage

visitors from drinking bottled water, the caterers are

selling bottled water at a premium, and the extra money

will be donated to Food & Trees for Africa. All take-

away food sold in the exhibition hall is being served in

biodegradable containers.

Exhibitors are able to buy a tree from Food & Trees for

Africa to offset their carbon footprint from attending the

show. Bokashi had a stand at the show where exhibitors

are able to buy a kit. An eco-audit is being done at the

show, with all the greening initiatives monitored and

measured by an independent consultant. The results will

be used to improve the greening of future events.

• Forthefirsttime,allplantsusedatthe

showandbyexhibitorsontheirstands

arelocally-sourcedandindigenous:Yellow

Wood;NatalMahogany;Mother-in-Law’s

Tongue.Theseplantsgrowwelloutdoors

andwillbedonatedtocommunityprojects

aftertheshow.

• Inadditiontorenewableenergybeingused

topowerthehalls,thisyearexhibitorsare

abletobuyrenewableenergytopowertheir

individualstands.Thisisthefirsttimethis

hasbeendoneinSouthAfrica.

• MeetingsAfricaisusingthebrandingfrom

lastyear’sshow.Thismeansthatlastyear’s

corporateclothingisbeingre-usedbyshow

personnel.

• Caterersontheshowflooruseorganic

wasterecycling.Kitchenstaffweretrained

tousetheBokashibinscompostingsystem

whichisbeingusedtorecycleallorganic

wasteinthekitchens.

DID YOU KNOW?

TOP TIPSFor Greening

BOKASHIthe brainchild of Earth Probiotic Recycling Solutions

South African National Convention Bureau

(SANCB) has been an early adopter of the

trend towards hosting greener events. During

recent years, it has shown its commitment

to sustainability by incorporating a number of green

practices at Africa’s largest business events show,

Meetings Africa.

The following green practices are being implemented

at Meetings Africa 2014:

New initiatives – there are a number of initiatives implemented for the first time Three green meeting spaces are included in the design

of the show. These areas are made exclusively from up-

cycled and salvaged materials: the walls and floors are

made from wooden pallets; old painted tyres are being

used as ottomans and planters; lanyards from previous

Meetings Africa shows were used for seat webbing; and

chandeliers are made from old bubble wrap. The meeting

spaces have living walls of Spekboom, an indigenous

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

“

“

04 / MEETINGS AFRICA 2014 ISSUE 1 www.meetingsafrica.co.za

SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCEwith the World

offi cial page on Facebook. Alternatively, simply visit www.

meetingsafrica.co.za to fi nd the latest news. Also, keep an

eye on SANCB’s YouTube channel: TravelTrade SA. The

SANCB understands the importance of staying in touch

and up to date with your fellow delegates and as such,

has provided a way in which to share all your exciting

experiences. We will retweet your enthusiasm, your top

tips and your business secrets as you post them and all

you need to do is include the hashtag #MeetingsAfrica14.

Don’t wait for the conference to begin to start sharing

your excitement and news. We already started the build-

up weeks ago, sharing interesting info from some of

the speakers lined up, as well as agenda updates and

fabulous competitions. So hurry, follow us, like our page

or simply bookmark our website on your smartphone in

order to capitalise on the free networking options that are

available. And don’t forget to add #MeetingsAfrica14!

1. Find the offi cial hashtag and use it. Your

tweets will be searchable and will make it

into the ‘offi cial’ event feed.

2. If you’re going to a ‘sub event’ or session,

use an appropriate ‘sub hashtag’ so others

can fi nd you.

3. Find out if speakers or companies

have Twitter handles – then start the

conversation!

4. Engage with your followers. Twitter is a

constantly evolving global conversation,

and you want to be part of it! Respond to

questions from your followers, and don’t

be shy to ask questions yourself. Meetings

Africa has a dedicated social media team

that can’t wait to engage with you!

5. Retweet, link to interesting articles and

post jaw-dropping photos! Don’t be afraid

to share your unique experience with us.

6. Check your feed and messages after-hours

to see if anyone has responded or is

engaged. How many followers did you pick

up at #MeetingsAfrica14?

BECOME A SOCIAL MEDIA GURU

As a delegate reading this, you’re at Meetings

Africa to network, to learn, to grow your

business and to invest in that of others. But

Meetings Africa 2014 is so much more than

that. It’s about communicating your fi ndings, sharing

your wealth of information and letting likeminded global

citizens know just how important this conference and

exhibition is to you. This is often quite hard with the tight

conference schedule and with 259 exhibitors, 1,709 Buyers

in total and over 10,169 meetings requests. This year, we

offer you the chance to share your experience with the

world and the opportunity to fi nd friends and potential

business partners though a few simple social mediums –

namely Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Google+ and Flickr.

To see whether you’re missing an event or to fi nd out

more about what’s going on, follow @SA_NCB on Twitter

or like the South Africa National Convention Bureau’s

follow us#Meeti ngsAfrica@Meeti ngsAfrica

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN THE TWITTERSPHEREThe Event Greening Forum (@EventGreening):

“It is very encouraging to see all the

#eventgreening principles implemented at

#MeetingsAfrica14 by @SA_NCB”

Shaun Ross (@shaunzim): “That time again -

#MeetingsAfrica14. Can’t wait!”

Visit Gauteng (@visitgauteng): “Are you ready

for the #MeetingsAfrica14 in Sandton 24-26 Feb?

Register online here – it’s an event not to be

missed. www.ow.ly/tMmCA”

Trend Media (@TrendMedia10): “We’re excited

to be attending @SA_NCB #MeetingsAfrica14

next week! 24-26 Feb at the Sandton Convention

Centre”

Rustle Rat (@RustleRat): “#MeetingsAfrica14 is

just around the corner Joburg are you ready?”

Daniel Wood (@danwood9): “@SA_NCB leaving

London tomorrow and looking forward to the

event next week #allyouneedisaball”

www.meetingsafrica.co.za ISSUE 1 MEETINGS AFRICA 2014 / 05

GREENING INITIATIVESat Meetings Africa 2014 - By the Event Greening Forum

As an eco company, Earth Probiotic is

committed to reducing the amount of

food waste going to landfill by providing a

food waste recycling solution that is planet

friendly and easy to use.

Why worry about food waste?Of all our production streams the biggest emitter

of CO2e is food. Generating 4,000kg/tonne food

waste produces more negative emissions than tyre

manufacturing and metal.

When food waste is dumped an additional 335kg/

tonne of CO2e is emitted with the total emissions from

plant that is prized for its water-wise and pollution-fighting

characteristics. These plants will be donated to charities

after the event. The meeting spaces include water bars,

where filtered water is served in recyclable cups.

For the first time, Green Stand Awards will be

the only awards presented to exhibitors. Exhibitors

submitted a brief motivation about their stand’s

green design principles. Stands will be judged in

Small, Medium and Large categories by an external

panel. The winners in each category will receive a

certificate and a Bokashi kit (which uses a Japanese-

inspired fermentation process to convert food waste

into compost). To encourage exhibitors to green their

stands, a Green Stand Design Workshop was hosted in

Johannesburg towards the end of 2013. The workshop

targeted both stand builders and Meetings Africa 2013

exhibitors. The Exhibitor Briefings hosted around the

country earlier this year included greening tips. These

tips were also emailed to all exhibitors

Initiatives that have been done beforeAs we have done before, we will donate re-usable

elements to charities after the show: the carpeting used

in the exhibition hall and the indigenous plants used

in the hall and on exhibitors’ stands will go to worthy

causes. The show organisers bought Renewable Energy

Certificates to power the show.

The organisers used an online Services Manual

to minimise printing of order forms, and paper use.

Executive Stand Fabric Package options were available

again this year – this encourages the re-use of exhibitors’

fabric graphics.

Service providers have pledged to do their part to be

green with regard to their involvement at Meetings Africa,

and to use green practices in their offices, where possible.

Travel agents committed to book direct flights for

visitors, and use the Gautrain and shuttle services where

• Theprocurementofgoodsandservicesis

acriticalaspect,sosupportproductsand

servicesfromlocalreputablesuppliersthat

usesustainablepractices.

• Reduce,Re-use,Recycle–considerwhereyou

canencouragewastereductionthroughoutthe

wholeprocess.

• Ensurethatyoureventhasasocial

component,suchasgivingleftoverfoodto

localdisadvantagedorganisations.

• Considerincentivesfortheuseofpublic

transport,suchasprovidingfreepublic

transportonthedayoftheeventorencourage

carsharing.

• ConsidervideoconferencingorSkype

meetingsinsteadofmeetinginperson.

• Considertheenvironmentalpolicyofthe

venueoraccommodationwhenmakingyour

bookings–thiswillneedtobespecifically

requested.

• Considerthedistancebetweenconference

venueandaccommodationtoreducetheneed

foradditionaltravel.

• Encouragetheactiveparticipationof

thedelegatesorvisitorsinthegreening

processthroughprovidinginformationon

whattheycando.

• Encouragea‘greencorner’atyourevent

thatshowcasesthegreeningpracticesand

interventionsimplemented.

• Monitor,Measure,Report–ensurethata

monitoringandevaluationprocessisinplace

toencouragebenchmarkingandidentify

lessonslearnt.

food waste thus rising to 4,335kg/tonne.

Whilst reducing food waste should be prioritised,

recycling food waste helps reduce our personal carbon

footprint by 435kg of CO2E per ton of food waste, and

ensures a safer and cleaner home/kitchen environment.

Technology:This all natural solution combines Effective Micro

organism Technology or “friendly

bacteria” coined “bokashi” and airtight digester bins

to recycle food waste. Our system

produces no methane gases and also eliminates

harmful bacteria such as E. coli. Unlike

other forms of composting, with bokashi (bran

infused micro-organisms) you can recycle

ALL food waste including cooked and uncooked

meat, dairy and small bones.

Process:The process works by layering up food waste with bokashi

in the digester bins. Once full the bin is left to stand for

two weeks. Thereafter it can be added to garden waste,

trenched (or fed to wormeries). After 6-8 weeks the

recycled food waste will have broken down completely,

and turned into a highly nutritious soil food/compost.!

1. Add bokashi to bottom of bin

2. Add one rubbish bag of food waste per layer (of

food waste)

3. Add two litres of bokashi per layer of food waste

4. Continue to layer food waste with bokashi until

bin is full

5. When full seal ring. Keep closed for two weeks

Composting:Once waste is stabilized it needs to be composted

through a compost heap/bag, worm farm or

trench gardening.

Benefits:1. Kitchens will be more hygienic with less flies and

odours.

2. Accurate wet waste figures can be calculated.

3. Up to 32% more dry recyclables can be collected

and recycled.

4. Better odour management in the waste area.

5. Continuous chemical free compost supply, if

composted on site.

6. Opportunity to build vegetable gardens and

supply own kitchens.

possible. Hosted buyers were encouraged by travel agents

to offset their own flight-related carbon footprint by

planting trees.

Hotels were required to submit an accommodation

questionnaire that covered their green practices.

The caterers will serve traditional South African

foods, made from locally-produced, seasonal and, as

far as possible, organic ingredients. There are several

vegetarian options. Seafood was approved by the

Southern African Sustainable Seafood Initiative (SASSI),

coffee by Fair Trade, and wines come from members of

the Biodiversity & Wine Initiative (BWI). To discourage

visitors from drinking bottled water, the caterers are

selling bottled water at a premium, and the extra money

will be donated to Food & Trees for Africa. All take-

away food sold in the exhibition hall is being served in

biodegradable containers.

Exhibitors are able to buy a tree from Food & Trees for

Africa to offset their carbon footprint from attending the

show. Bokashi had a stand at the show where exhibitors

are able to buy a kit. An eco-audit is being done at the

show, with all the greening initiatives monitored and

measured by an independent consultant. The results will

be used to improve the greening of future events.

• Forthefirsttime,allplantsusedatthe

showandbyexhibitorsontheirstands

arelocally-sourcedandindigenous:Yellow

Wood;NatalMahogany;Mother-in-Law’s

Tongue.Theseplantsgrowwelloutdoors

andwillbedonatedtocommunityprojects

aftertheshow.

• Inadditiontorenewableenergybeingused

topowerthehalls,thisyearexhibitorsare

abletobuyrenewableenergytopowertheir

individualstands.Thisisthefirsttimethis

hasbeendoneinSouthAfrica.

• MeetingsAfricaisusingthebrandingfrom

lastyear’sshow.Thismeansthatlastyear’s

corporateclothingisbeingre-usedbyshow

personnel.

• Caterersontheshowflooruseorganic

wasterecycling.Kitchenstaffweretrained

tousetheBokashibinscompostingsystem

whichisbeingusedtorecycleallorganic

wasteinthekitchens.

DID YOU KNOW?

TOP TIPSFor Greening

BOKASHIthe brainchild of Earth Probiotic Recycling Solutions

South African National Convention Bureau

(SANCB) has been an early adopter of the

trend towards hosting greener events. During

recent years, it has shown its commitment

to sustainability by incorporating a number of green

practices at Africa’s largest business events show,

Meetings Africa.

The following green practices are being implemented

at Meetings Africa 2014:

New initiatives – there are a number of initiatives implemented for the first time Three green meeting spaces are included in the design

of the show. These areas are made exclusively from up-

cycled and salvaged materials: the walls and floors are

made from wooden pallets; old painted tyres are being

used as ottomans and planters; lanyards from previous

Meetings Africa shows were used for seat webbing; and

chandeliers are made from old bubble wrap. The meeting

spaces have living walls of Spekboom, an indigenous

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

“

“

04 / MEETINGS AFRICA 2014 ISSUE 1 www.meetingsafrica.co.za

SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCEwith the World

offi cial page on Facebook. Alternatively, simply visit www.

meetingsafrica.co.za to fi nd the latest news. Also, keep an

eye on SANCB’s YouTube channel: TravelTrade SA. The

SANCB understands the importance of staying in touch

and up to date with your fellow delegates and as such,

has provided a way in which to share all your exciting

experiences. We will retweet your enthusiasm, your top

tips and your business secrets as you post them and all

you need to do is include the hashtag #MeetingsAfrica14.

Don’t wait for the conference to begin to start sharing

your excitement and news. We already started the build-

up weeks ago, sharing interesting info from some of

the speakers lined up, as well as agenda updates and

fabulous competitions. So hurry, follow us, like our page

or simply bookmark our website on your smartphone in

order to capitalise on the free networking options that are

available. And don’t forget to add #MeetingsAfrica14!

1. Find the offi cial hashtag and use it. Your

tweets will be searchable and will make it

into the ‘offi cial’ event feed.

2. If you’re going to a ‘sub event’ or session,

use an appropriate ‘sub hashtag’ so others

can fi nd you.

3. Find out if speakers or companies

have Twitter handles – then start the

conversation!

4. Engage with your followers. Twitter is a

constantly evolving global conversation,

and you want to be part of it! Respond to

questions from your followers, and don’t

be shy to ask questions yourself. Meetings

Africa has a dedicated social media team

that can’t wait to engage with you!

5. Retweet, link to interesting articles and

post jaw-dropping photos! Don’t be afraid

to share your unique experience with us.

6. Check your feed and messages after-hours

to see if anyone has responded or is

engaged. How many followers did you pick

up at #MeetingsAfrica14?

BECOME A SOCIAL MEDIA GURU

As a delegate reading this, you’re at Meetings

Africa to network, to learn, to grow your

business and to invest in that of others. But

Meetings Africa 2014 is so much more than

that. It’s about communicating your fi ndings, sharing

your wealth of information and letting likeminded global

citizens know just how important this conference and

exhibition is to you. This is often quite hard with the tight

conference schedule and with 259 exhibitors, 1,709 Buyers

in total and over 10,169 meetings requests. This year, we

offer you the chance to share your experience with the

world and the opportunity to fi nd friends and potential

business partners though a few simple social mediums –

namely Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Google+ and Flickr.

To see whether you’re missing an event or to fi nd out

more about what’s going on, follow @SA_NCB on Twitter

or like the South Africa National Convention Bureau’s

follow us#Meeti ngsAfrica@Meeti ngsAfrica

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN THE TWITTERSPHEREThe Event Greening Forum (@EventGreening):

“It is very encouraging to see all the

#eventgreening principles implemented at

#MeetingsAfrica14 by @SA_NCB”

Shaun Ross (@shaunzim): “That time again -

#MeetingsAfrica14. Can’t wait!”

Visit Gauteng (@visitgauteng): “Are you ready

for the #MeetingsAfrica14 in Sandton 24-26 Feb?

Register online here – it’s an event not to be

missed. www.ow.ly/tMmCA”

Trend Media (@TrendMedia10): “We’re excited

to be attending @SA_NCB #MeetingsAfrica14

next week! 24-26 Feb at the Sandton Convention

Centre”

Rustle Rat (@RustleRat): “#MeetingsAfrica14 is

just around the corner Joburg are you ready?”

Daniel Wood (@danwood9): “@SA_NCB leaving

London tomorrow and looking forward to the

event next week #allyouneedisaball”

www.meetingsafrica.co.za ISSUE 1 MEETINGS AFRICA 2014 / 05

EXPLORE, EXPERIENCE & ENJOY JOBURG IT’S AMAZING

In its bid to leverage as much leisure tourism from

both business visitors and locals alike, Joburg Tourism

launched its “Explore, Experience & Enjoy Joburg”

destination marketing campaign, in partnership with

KayaFM, with industry partners and stakeholders in

October.

The aim of the campaign is to raise awareness and drive

business for sites, attractions and tourism product owners

across the board - not just large operators and companies,

but for small and emerging establishments as well. The

promotion features bi-monthly outside broadcasts, weekly

interviews on business and lifestyle shows on KayaFM, as

well as a real-time, interactive online Jozi Guide at www.

joburgtourism.com and www.kayafm.co.za.

Research conducted by Joburg Tourism into the industry

earlier identified a call for more assistance from the industry

to effectively promote tourism products and services, in an

effort to maintain and grow further the market share for all

players involved.

“As the City, we have heeded that call and the launch of

the Explore, Experience & Enjoy Joburg campaign is one of

the ways in which we’re responding to the need for more

marketing – getting into people’s homes, hearts and minds

– in order to increase the footprint of the tourism sector,”

says Ruby Mathang, MMC for the City’s Department of

Economic Development.

“We’re working very closely with our private sector

partners in an effort to build awareness of our diverse

range of tourism products in Joburg, while also increasing

demand for them. The campaign features an online

platform and outdoor element. The online element is the

Jozi Guide, which will for the first time present the City with

an opportunity to market the tourism partners from a single

point,” explains Mathang.

The Jozi Guide is an interactive, dynamic map which

reflects real time events, establishments, transport and

transport timetables and many other features. This will

be updated on a daily basis and tourism partners are

encouraged to submit their events and initiatives for

uploading onto the guide to joziguide@joburgtourism.

com and joziguide@kayafm.co.za. The advantage of being

included in the Guide is that individual establishments

will be promoted extensively on Kaya FM, which has over

one million listeners daily. The Jozi Guide provides real

time updates regarding shows and exhibitions, as well as

directions, traffic and transport tips.

“Johannesburg boasts layer upon layer of fascinating

history, development and human interest stories – of

course not forgetting the leisure and lifestyle aspects of

entertainment, sports, music, arts and culture. This is a

city with a colourful past and a future filled with excitement,

potential and promise,” says Clr Mathang.

“Guided by economic development objectives of the

GDS Joburg 2040 - it’s mission of the City’s leadership to

continue positioning Johannesburg as one of the world’s

leading cities: an all year round destination, a leading

business and business events destination, and a vibrant,

cosmopolitan centre for lifestyle, leisure, heritage, the

arts, culture, entertainment, sports and mega-events. We

continue our efforts to create an enabling environment

for the tourism sector, which includes a focus on SMMEs,

assisting them with training, service enhancement to

gain accreditation and creating business linkages where

possible,” he concludes.

06 / MEETINGS AFRICA 2014 ISSUE 1 www.meetingsafrica.co.za

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

“

“

www.meetingsafrica.co.za ISSUE 1 MEETINGS AFRICA 2014 / 07

THE SMALLEST PROVINCEwith the Biggest Ambitions

economy, research shows that business tourists spend

much more than leisure tourists. The Bureau hopes to

harness this huge business muscle and sharpen their

offerings in the business tourism space.

“Our drive is to position Gauteng as Africa’s business

events powerhouse. We have the most sophisticated

and accessible locations and venues in South Africa,

which also boasts the largest and most organized body

of eventing industry professionals on the continent.”

Gauteng Tourism said in a recent statement.

The Bureau has, since its establishment in 2012,

coordinated and hosted major international conferences,

trade and business exhibitions and global events

like Discop Africa, One Young World, Airport Cities

Conference & Exhibition, International Council of

Management Consulting Institute, Meetings Africa, South

African Youth Tourism Conference, SAITEX, C40 Mayors

Forum and the Joburg International Motor show.

The city of Johannesburg is the preferred home to

many international science and research conferences

and its renowned universities also play a leading

role in cementing its standing as a leading business

destination of note. The Sandton Convention Centre, with

surrounding hotels and infrastructure offers one of South

Africa’s most attractive facility packages with excellent

restaurants, nightlife, international access through OR

Tambo International Airport and the Gautrain network.

The city also offers easy access to various tourists’

attractions like the Mandela Square, Lilieslief Farm, the

Apartheid Museum, Lion Park and Soweto Township.

The Gauteng Convention and Events Bureau expects

to increase the province’s high-yield, business tourism

market by providing information and assistance to

meetings and incentive planners, media, corporate and

association buyers who show interest in the offerings

of its five major cities. It will work alongside business

events leaders, associations and various organisations

to provide bid, incentive and meetings support,

accommodation sourcing and will also help by lobbying

and liaising with various spheres of government as it is

the first point of contact.

According to Gauteng Tourism, the post-recession

recovery is “is likely to result in high growth levels, driven

by the rise in corporate budgets and the number of

meetings”. The global exhibition industry is also expected

to witness growth, with a shift in exhibition duration and

specialised themes primarily driven by relevance to the

host country. This shift is welcomed by both Gauteng

and the broader continent. Joburg has already shot

high in the ICCA rankings and the Bureau is supporting

municipalities and regional venues in order to bid for

larger conferences.

“In recent years, the global meetings industry has

begun to recognise Africa as a sought after destination.

Meetings Africa 2014 is showcasing Africa’s diverse

offering of services and products, where African

Association and African meetings industry professionals

can partner to help transform our continent,” Gauteng

Tourism said, “Meetings Africa provides the perfect

business platform to present Gauteng as a premier

business events destination to senior decision makers,

buyers and influencers. This Pan African Exhibition offers

us the opportunity to position the Gauteng brand to

local and international professionals from the meetings,

events and business events industry with brand

exposure to over 250 exhibiting companies and over

2,500 visitors over two days.”

Gauteng may be the smallest province in South

Africa, but it is also the most populous, the

most urbanised and contributes to over a

third of the nation’s GDP. Although this is

impressive, that’s not all. Gauteng is the economic and

business hub of the country and as such, hosts some of

the best international and local events. It has a vibrant

social culture with direct links between business activities

and business tourism. Its large concentration of meetings

and events venues coupled with world-class infrastructure

and a cosmopolitan setting put it in a pole position to

leverage over the 250,000 business travellers South Africa

sees each year.

The Gauteng Convention and Events Bureau focuses

on attracting big conference and events into the city

region and even President Zuma in his State of the

Nation Address, has acknowledge the importance of

growing this industry. While business tourism accounts

for about 5% of total foreign tourist arrivals to South

Africa and directly contributes almost R15 billion to the

EXPLORE, EXPERIENCE & ENJOY JOBURG IT’S AMAZING

In its bid to leverage as much leisure tourism from

both business visitors and locals alike, Joburg Tourism

launched its “Explore, Experience & Enjoy Joburg”

destination marketing campaign, in partnership with

KayaFM, with industry partners and stakeholders in

October.

The aim of the campaign is to raise awareness and drive

business for sites, attractions and tourism product owners

across the board - not just large operators and companies,

but for small and emerging establishments as well. The

promotion features bi-monthly outside broadcasts, weekly

interviews on business and lifestyle shows on KayaFM, as

well as a real-time, interactive online Jozi Guide at www.

joburgtourism.com and www.kayafm.co.za.

Research conducted by Joburg Tourism into the industry

earlier identified a call for more assistance from the industry

to effectively promote tourism products and services, in an

effort to maintain and grow further the market share for all

players involved.

“As the City, we have heeded that call and the launch of

the Explore, Experience & Enjoy Joburg campaign is one of

the ways in which we’re responding to the need for more

marketing – getting into people’s homes, hearts and minds

– in order to increase the footprint of the tourism sector,”

says Ruby Mathang, MMC for the City’s Department of

Economic Development.

“We’re working very closely with our private sector

partners in an effort to build awareness of our diverse

range of tourism products in Joburg, while also increasing

demand for them. The campaign features an online

platform and outdoor element. The online element is the

Jozi Guide, which will for the first time present the City with

an opportunity to market the tourism partners from a single

point,” explains Mathang.

The Jozi Guide is an interactive, dynamic map which

reflects real time events, establishments, transport and

transport timetables and many other features. This will

be updated on a daily basis and tourism partners are

encouraged to submit their events and initiatives for

uploading onto the guide to joziguide@joburgtourism.

com and joziguide@kayafm.co.za. The advantage of being

included in the Guide is that individual establishments

will be promoted extensively on Kaya FM, which has over

one million listeners daily. The Jozi Guide provides real

time updates regarding shows and exhibitions, as well as

directions, traffic and transport tips.

“Johannesburg boasts layer upon layer of fascinating

history, development and human interest stories – of

course not forgetting the leisure and lifestyle aspects of

entertainment, sports, music, arts and culture. This is a

city with a colourful past and a future filled with excitement,

potential and promise,” says Clr Mathang.

“Guided by economic development objectives of the

GDS Joburg 2040 - it’s mission of the City’s leadership to

continue positioning Johannesburg as one of the world’s

leading cities: an all year round destination, a leading

business and business events destination, and a vibrant,

cosmopolitan centre for lifestyle, leisure, heritage, the

arts, culture, entertainment, sports and mega-events. We

continue our efforts to create an enabling environment

for the tourism sector, which includes a focus on SMMEs,

assisting them with training, service enhancement to

gain accreditation and creating business linkages where

possible,” he concludes.

06 / MEETINGS AFRICA 2014 ISSUE 1 www.meetingsafrica.co.za

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

“

“

www.meetingsafrica.co.za ISSUE 1 MEETINGS AFRICA 2014 / 07

THE SMALLEST PROVINCEwith the Biggest Ambitions

economy, research shows that business tourists spend

much more than leisure tourists. The Bureau hopes to

harness this huge business muscle and sharpen their

offerings in the business tourism space.

“Our drive is to position Gauteng as Africa’s business

events powerhouse. We have the most sophisticated

and accessible locations and venues in South Africa,

which also boasts the largest and most organized body

of eventing industry professionals on the continent.”

Gauteng Tourism said in a recent statement.

The Bureau has, since its establishment in 2012,

coordinated and hosted major international conferences,

trade and business exhibitions and global events

like Discop Africa, One Young World, Airport Cities

Conference & Exhibition, International Council of

Management Consulting Institute, Meetings Africa, South

African Youth Tourism Conference, SAITEX, C40 Mayors

Forum and the Joburg International Motor show.

The city of Johannesburg is the preferred home to

many international science and research conferences

and its renowned universities also play a leading

role in cementing its standing as a leading business

destination of note. The Sandton Convention Centre, with

surrounding hotels and infrastructure offers one of South

Africa’s most attractive facility packages with excellent

restaurants, nightlife, international access through OR

Tambo International Airport and the Gautrain network.

The city also offers easy access to various tourists’

attractions like the Mandela Square, Lilieslief Farm, the

Apartheid Museum, Lion Park and Soweto Township.

The Gauteng Convention and Events Bureau expects

to increase the province’s high-yield, business tourism

market by providing information and assistance to

meetings and incentive planners, media, corporate and

association buyers who show interest in the offerings

of its five major cities. It will work alongside business

events leaders, associations and various organisations

to provide bid, incentive and meetings support,

accommodation sourcing and will also help by lobbying

and liaising with various spheres of government as it is

the first point of contact.

According to Gauteng Tourism, the post-recession

recovery is “is likely to result in high growth levels, driven

by the rise in corporate budgets and the number of

meetings”. The global exhibition industry is also expected

to witness growth, with a shift in exhibition duration and

specialised themes primarily driven by relevance to the

host country. This shift is welcomed by both Gauteng

and the broader continent. Joburg has already shot

high in the ICCA rankings and the Bureau is supporting

municipalities and regional venues in order to bid for

larger conferences.

“In recent years, the global meetings industry has

begun to recognise Africa as a sought after destination.

Meetings Africa 2014 is showcasing Africa’s diverse

offering of services and products, where African

Association and African meetings industry professionals

can partner to help transform our continent,” Gauteng

Tourism said, “Meetings Africa provides the perfect

business platform to present Gauteng as a premier

business events destination to senior decision makers,

buyers and influencers. This Pan African Exhibition offers

us the opportunity to position the Gauteng brand to

local and international professionals from the meetings,

events and business events industry with brand

exposure to over 250 exhibiting companies and over

2,500 visitors over two days.”

Gauteng may be the smallest province in South

Africa, but it is also the most populous, the

most urbanised and contributes to over a

third of the nation’s GDP. Although this is

impressive, that’s not all. Gauteng is the economic and

business hub of the country and as such, hosts some of

the best international and local events. It has a vibrant

social culture with direct links between business activities

and business tourism. Its large concentration of meetings

and events venues coupled with world-class infrastructure

and a cosmopolitan setting put it in a pole position to

leverage over the 250,000 business travellers South Africa

sees each year.

The Gauteng Convention and Events Bureau focuses

on attracting big conference and events into the city

region and even President Zuma in his State of the

Nation Address, has acknowledge the importance of

growing this industry. While business tourism accounts

for about 5% of total foreign tourist arrivals to South

Africa and directly contributes almost R15 billion to the