Tidbits

The 17th edition of Meetings Africa – the leading business tourism show for the continent, owned by South African Tourism – will take place from 28 February to 1 March 2023 at the Sandton Convention Centre.

Zinhle Nzama, acting chief convention bureau officer of the SANCB, shares that improvements to the show have been made across six key areas: 1. Improved timing and frequency of communication. 2. A vetting agency will qualify all hosted buyers, while exhibitors are being invited to nominate or recommend potential buyers. 3. A mobile app will be introduced and

integrated with the diary booking system and website. 4. Inclusive public-private engagement will be carried out when developing the pre- and post-show tours. 5. More networking events will be created to help bring buyers and exhibitors together, including through the Business Opportunity

Networking Day (BONDay) on 27 February. 6. A new Recovery Package is also being offered for exhibitors in 2023, consisting of an entry-level ‘plug-and-play package’ with furniture, which comes in just under

R15 000. Visit www.meetingsafrica.co.za to find out more.

AIPC, the International Association of Convention Centres, recently launched its 2023 AIPC Future Shapers programme – an eight-month accelerated leadership course aimed to propel the industry’s developing leaders forward in their careers. A diverse group of high-achieving candidates from around the world have been selected for it, including two South Africans from the Cape Town International Convention Centre: Arisha Sukaloo, revenue manager, and Sibongiseni W Gcelu, executive sous-chef.

United Airlines now offers a direct nonstop service between the Washington/Dulles hub and Cape Town International Airport three-times weekly, year-round.

The new route joins United’s existing nonstop three-times weekly service from Cape Town to New York/Newark, as well as its daily service from Johannesburg to New York/Newark. Meanwhile, United’s partnership with local carrier Airlink provides customers with additional links to destinations within the southern cone of Africa.

On 29 November, the South African Revenue Service (SARS) launched a pilot project of its new online traveller declaration at King Shaka International Airport in Durban. Travellers can use the system on a voluntary basis. SARS then intends to roll it out at the country’s other international airports in 2023.

For more details, please visit the official web page at www.sars.gov.za/ travellerdeclaration.

The International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) announced that, on Monday 27 February 2023, it will host the 4th ICCA Meetings Africa Association Day as part of the pre-Meetings Africa BONDay (Business Opportunity Network Day).

Currently, ICCA has members in Southern, West and East Africa. And with more countries starting to focus on the business events sector as a key economic driver, it is hoping to see new members joining in other parts of the continent such as Central and North Africa. Esmaré Steinhofel, regional director: Africa, ICCA, says, “We are committed to making ICCA’s presence on the continent a ‘whole Africa’ one.”

In other exciting news, ICCA is looking to grow ICCASkills – a globally recognised educational certification programme, available for both members and non-members. ICCASkills is a way of developing new talent and addressing the ‘brain drain’ slide the industry has experienced in recent years.

Visit www.iccaskills.org for more details.