Meetings Africa Underway

The pre-tours are over, the 2007 Business Tourism Conference is under way, the functions have mostly all been held, the awards have been presented and today it was the main event – the Meetings Africa Exhibition.

The day started for the hosted buyers at the Indaba Hotel with a breakfast hosted by Cape Town Routes Unlimited before transferring to Sandton Convention Centre.  The virtues of Western Cape Province were described during a slick presentation and everyone was given a goody-bag to take home.

The area was described as being number 5 on that immortal list ‘100 things to do before you cark it’ and major highlights were all mentioned, including Table Mountain, the wine regions, whale watching, swimming with penguins at Boulders Beach, Robben Island Prison (which Nelson Mandela called home for 27yrs), Cape Point and of course Cape Town.

The business conferencing and meeting facilities, and the ability to handle large events and exhibitions were all detailed as people tucked in to their yoghurt, scrambled eggs, spicy sausages and more… Then it was off to Sandton for the exhibition!

At the Sandton Convention Centre, immediately prior to the exhibition opening, the South African Tourism Authority briefed the South African travel trade on doing business in Australia in order to maximise their returns.

The various routes into the Aussie MICE market were discussed, recognising that there is little value in using a ‘one size fits all’ approach.  Eric Baravilala, the Business Tourism Manager for South African Tourism, who is based in Australia, [Pictured with some key delegates and mates!] stressed the need to understand that building relationships is the key to success in Australia, literally creating mates personally and in business, for the longer term.

Equally important was the need to understand Australian perceptions regarding South Africa, indeed the ‘personality of South Africa’.  This included the fact that South Africa is viewed as an aspirational destination and that lifestyle is mostly seen as similar [and the sporting connections are very strong!]

The focus for Business Tourism should logically be those industries that contribute significantly to the Australian GDP such as pharmaceuticals, education and associations, and though Aussies are easy-going, they do expect a certain level of service and a 24-48hr turnaround when doing business.

South African Tourism’s global strategy is about developing new business in the associations and meetings arenas (which is seen almost literally as an arena!) whilst steadily developing the existing strong corporate and incentives sectors.

Baravilala sees pre and post tours as a key differentiator in the increasingly competitive Business Tourism markets around the globe, particularly in the Asia Pacific region.  Properly itinerised and developed with regard to long-haul arrivals (ie people coming from further away like to stay longer!) these tours, combined with the unique offerings of South African destinations, can combine to deliver a powerful message to conference planners, meeting organisers and corporate buyers worldwide.

The day itself was a busy one for The Mole, visiting numerous exhibitors and wearing his little paws out.  Some absolutely great places have been found for conferences and meetings, however, these will be covered separately as the week progresses.

Some interesting pick-ups: 

Post 9/11, venues and hotels have discovered how important the domestic markets are when international markets are significantly impacted.  Interestingly, the domestic market within South Africa is very strong, so South Africa was impacted to a much lesser degree than other destinations.

Willie Williams, the Public Relations Manager (Eastern and Southern Africa) for Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide has told the mole that Starwood is now concentrating fairly equally on both the international and domestic markets worldwide.  In South Africa, this most likely means that Starwood will be looking to expand considerably, particularly as the domestic market is so strong.

The provinces in South Africa (of which there are nine) are actively seeking to expand, and are focusing on pre and post 2010 Soccer World Cup business tourism to help them achieve their goals, which go well beyond the World Cup.

New facilities and infrastructure are a priority in the lesser frequented areas, and the established centres are also focused on developing and maintaining their market share, so building and expansion plans are everywhere!

Zukiswa Ntwasa from Eastern Cape Tourism has revealed that planning is underway for a Convention Centre in Nelson Mandela Bay (formerly Port Elizabeth) to equal that of the other major South African Bureaux, aiming for a 2010 completion. The focus however is way beyond 2010 and it is business tourism, rather than leisure tourism.

Though their core markets are Europe & US, the interest in Australia is high on the agenda of many, with many just not sure how to address the Aussie market

The Aussie market is growing strongly in South Africa with Aussies perceived as being very similar to South Africans in outlook and lifestyle (and the landscape also similar in many ways) and all are eager to tap into the Aussie MICE market.

And just to finish on something different – did you know that there are lots of eucalyptus trees on the high veldt?  They were brought over for mining use, as they grew straight and fast. So you can experience some really do-do, do-do situations on the road where you think you are literally driving through the bush!

Meetings Africa Report by The Mole