Africa: Meetings Africa Exposes New Tourism Ventures

The recently concluded Meetings Africa, the continent's largest business tourism exhibition event was a veritable meeting ground for many emerging companies in the business tourism industry that put up a robust participation at Johannesburg, South Africa.

Courtesy of organisers Thebe Exhibitions & Events and the Tourism Enterprise Programme (TEP), nine industry newcomers marketed their products to local and international delegates.
Africa 2007

Meetings Africa, a one-stop shop for organisers of events, meetings, exhibitions and incentive tours, is a public / private partnership between Thebe Exhibitions & Events and South African Tourism. It is presented by the Gauteng Tourism Authority.

TEP Programme Director Tim Anderson says the emerging companies at Meetings Africa have all been in business for at least a year. They have some industry experience and understand the demands and expectations of the market. This exposure to decision makers in the industry will definitely help them to establish new relationships and grow their businesses

Meetings Africa showcased more than 200 of the top business tourism products on the continent, including conference and special events venues, incentive travel destinations and specialist services.

More than 70 international hosted buyers from Europe, the USA and the East are attending the exhibition, courtesy of the Department of Trade and Industry.

Mmanong Ntoane, owner of the Boga Legaba Conference & Events Centre in Mafikeng, North West Province said Meetings Africa is the first business tourism exhibition that she is attending. "I find people in business tourism more robust than those in leisure tourism. This is a huge learning curve for us and definitely a solid starting point for making inroads in business tourism in the future."

Boga Legaba was a finalist in the Emerging Tourism Entrepreneur of the Year Awards (ETEYA) in 2005 and the best tourism SMME in the North West in 2004.

Ntoane said the support from TEP and Thebe Exhibitions has been overwhelming. "It is this support that is making it possible for us to enter this exciting growth industry in South Africa. We are also already working closely with existing tourism products in Mafikeng, such as hotels and guest houses, to accommodate our conference delegates."

Meetings Africa was preceded by a business tourism conference, where Environmental Affairs and Tourism Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk challenged the industry to work together to make South Africa one of the top 10 business tourism destinations in the world by 2010. It is currently ranked in 32nd place.

Business events like conferences, meetings, exhibitions and incentives have become an integral part of tourism development the world over, and the Western Cape is no exception. To keep up with the latest developments and market the destination to approximately 3 000 international and domestic industry role-players, Cape Town Routes Unlimited has sent a team to Johannesburg to attend Meetings Africa, the continent's top business tourism exhibition.