Meetings Africa; After the Show………………..!

Meetings Africa 2007 is now over but definitely not kaput! 

The Mole is worn out but looking forward to the next African visit, whenever that may be – we have just been invited to INDABA in May!

The feedback from the organisers of Meetings Africa is that the show has attracted huge local and international interest.

Visitors had the opportunity to learn about more than 200 of the top business tourism products on the continent, including conferences and special events venues, incentive travel destinations and specialist services.

Carol Weaving, Managing Director of Thebe Exhibitions & Events [Pictured] says Meetings Africa, now in its third year, has become a key driver of growth in South Africa’s Business Tourism Sector.

Business Tourists currently make up 5% of South Africa’s total tourism market and contributed 2.3 Billion Rand to overall tourism revenue in 2005.

“I believe Meetings Africa will be instrumental in improving South Africa’s rankings as an international meetings destination over the next few years as it is already becoming a significant event in the global business tourism calendar.  It will go a long way in assisting the industry to reach its goal” says Weaving.

At the Meetings Africa business tourism conference yesterday, Environmental Affairs & Tourism Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk challenged the industry to work towards this goal, which is to make South Africa one of the top international business tourism destinations in the world by 2010.

According to the International Congress & Convention Association (ICCA) Africa is currently ranked as the 32nd most popular international meetings destination. 

International Buyers are visiting South Africa courtesy of the South African Department of Trade & Industry. Markets represented include Europe, The Americas and the East.  No hosted buyers attended from Australia or New Zealand, with The Mole a little amazed at this – as South Africa offers a unique and exotic destination for the MICE market and it has the infrastructure to support any sized meeting, conference or event. A fabulous alternative to the same old same old…..so why not contact Bangu Masisi the Head of South African Tourism ]Pictured] now or Eric Barvilala also at South African Tourism to find out how you can attend Meetings Africa.

The international buyers are keen to return for next year’s show and the only real negative feedback concerned sheer lack of time to walk the floor as they were all so busy.  In the post show refreshments experience, the humble Mole suggested that while the show itself could easily be extended to three days, there might be some merit in having an extra day before the show exclusively for buyers to meet sellers to talk business. But an equal number of other suggestions flew back and forth in the heady analysis so who knows what Meetings Africa 2008 will bring!!

One thing that is common to all is that everyone has a heap of work to do, a mountain of business cards, some few brochures and a lot of new business contacts and many new friends, and at the end of the day, it is hard to beat face-to-face meetings and expanding your own network of industry contacts.

It wasn’t flashy, with half naked people dancing and doing comedy acts, it was all purely business (at least until towards the end of the day, when a load of kids came in happy, smiling while a loud trumpet temporarily deafened anyone in nearby range!) and South African Tourism, in particular their business tourism division, is certainly on to a winner here.

In conclusion…

So there you have it – Meetings Africa is all about marketing South Africa’s unique business tourism propositions, domestically and internationally.  All the components needed to create an event or conference in South Africa can be found at Meetings Africa:

Professional Conference Organisers

Event & Exhibition Management Companies

Incentive Specialists

Venues, Hotels & Spas

Tourism Bodies & Convention Bureaux

Destination Management Companies

Destinations

Wholesalers

Tour Operators

Technology & Support Services

Media, Marketing & Promotion

Industry suppliers

South Africa is being promoted by South African Tourism as an experience, not just a holiday destination, with the latest technologies available, even if you are literally ‘out in the bush’.  Aussie meeting planners and organisers, Where the Big 5 are you?

Report by The Mole