Meetings Africa 2011

DID YOU KNOW?

South Africa is ranked 34th by the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) and ranked first in Africa.

Highlight: The industry golf day will be held on 24 February 2011 , bringing the tourism industry and corporate companies together for a mutually beneficial day on the greens and fairways.

Feel Good Factor: Meetings Africa is going green. It will be audited for exhibition greening, to formulate strategies for a more environmentally friendly event in years to come.

About:

Meetings Africa 2011, southern Africa's flagship business tourism marketing platform for the local and international Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) industry is being held at Johannesburg’s Sandton Convention Centre from 21 to 23 February 2011. It promises to be bigger and better than in previous years, with a range of  very useful new initiatives on the cards.

Meetings Africa 2011 will reinforce South Africa’s infrastructural and organisational capacity to host the world’s biggest events, conferences and exhibitions, and showcase the variety of services and products our industry has to offer.

Nomasonto Ndlovu, South African Tourism's Global Manager: Business Tourism says of Meetings Africa: 'South Africa has become a premier meetings destination and Meetings Africa is the most important platform to learn about and discuss new ideas, trends, products and innovations in the major meetings, conferences and exhibitions industry. For those planning a major meeting or conference, South Africa is undoubtedly amongst the best destinations in the world and attending Meetings Africa is essential.'

Meetings Africa 2010 broke its own records and delivered a 14% increase in international hosted buyers, a 28% increase in visitors, a 25% increase in exhibitors and a 20% increase in media, and looks set to improve on these indicators in years to come.

It is focused on increasing local corporate visitor numbers, building strong networks, providing an educational platform, and enriching the international buyer programme.

This year’s Association Day promises a quality learning and sharing platform for national associations, followed by the official networking function. It will give association executives across the African continent an opportunity to exchange knowledge and ideas. 

The are also a host of informative educational seminars and presentations on the Meetings Africa 2011 Programme of Events. Among these are:

• The Consumer Protection Act - How it will affect us as busness tourism? - panel discussion
• Green - the only colour for business tourism - panel discussion
• Event Greening Forum - presentation

Business tourism brought 500 000 visitors to South Africa in 2009, representing 4,7% of total arrivals to the country and contributing more than R2,4 billion to tourism’s foreign direct spend.

Ndlovu says South African Tourism is aiming to grow this market even more and establish South Africa as an attractive, viable and first-rate business tourism destination. Meetings Africa 2011 is critical to this objective.

What's new: Revised show days running from Monday to Wednesday, allowing 3 full days for interaction. Meetings Africa will be using Poken, a digital ‘social business card’. It’s a 2-way interactive communication device. When 2 Pokens touch, they exchange a digital ID which will assist attendees to effectively network with one another. A Meetings Africa Golf Day and a Corporate Brunch, for additional networking. Exhibitor categorisation to help visitors navigate the show better and maximise limited time. Exhibition greening in line with international standards A new Matchmaking Programme delivering guaranteed pre-scheduled appointments run via an online diary system fully integrated into MS Outlook.

History: South African Tourism purchased Meetings Africa in 2007 as part of its strategic focus to grow business tourim.

Upcoming events: Meetings Africa 2012