It’s December, which means 2023 workplace trend reports are being released and, unsurprisingly, hybrid workplaces coupled with an increasingly mobile workforce continue to dominate the global conversation. Thanks to rapid advancements in AI-enhanced tech, cloud computing and collaboration tools, staff can work from anywhere – physically attending meetings through virtual platforms, and able to interact with teams of people around the world.

There’s just one problem. Yes, South African companies can organise hybrid events, online meetings and virtual webinars, but it’s not the technology that fails us – it’s the power supply.

In October, Eskom’s Chief Operating Officer Jan Oberholzer warned that the country will be dealing with persistent load shedding for the next 18 months before new generating capacity can be added to the grid. In Oberholzer’s words, “We are going to go through a tough time over the next year and a half.”

Obviously, mining and manufacturing concerns are all dealing with massive production issues as a result, but staff across the spectrum are struggling. For Bonnie Smith, GM FCM, it means we’re likely to see a return to the office – and to more face-to-face meetings in 2023.

“The reality is that backup power solutions are not only expensive, but in short supply,” says Smith. “Companies have had to invest heavily in generators or inverter systems to keep their offices up and running – and keeping staff online at home comes with additional costs. Factor in UPS solutions for your team’s home Internet and Wi-Fi connection, new laptop batteries and surge protectors and you can appreciate how pricey the exercise becomes.”

Another challenge? Depending on their suburb or location, staff are going to be affected by loadshedding at different times of the day, making it unlikely that you’ll have a full cohort online – and productive – at the same. And if you’re in Johannesburg during Stage 6 loadshedding, power outages can extend for hours at a time.

It’s safe to say the patience of employers is fast running out, both with Eskom and with employees who can’t, through no fault of their own, get online. It makes sense then, that South Africa, unlike the rest of the world, might actually see a more permanent return to the office in 2023.

More significantly, for Smith, is the rapid return to face-to-face meetings and events.

“If you look at the international MICE space, hybrid events are continuing to grow in popularity. There are number of reasons for this, including global accessibility and the current cost of travel – both in terms of airline prices and environmental impact. But for South African events, can you imagine investing in the latest virtual conferencing tools – only to be scuppered by Stage 6 loadshedding?”

Just one example, this year’s WTM London (November 2022) is running as a hybrid event with the virtual event taking place directly after the physical event in London. WTM Africa, which takes place at the CTICC in Cape Town in April 2023, has opted for an in-person event only – bringing industry leaders, buyers, operators and exhibitors from around the world to South Africa’s Mother City.

“Although hybrid and technology remain important, the 2023 Africa Travel Week show will be a live show. We are purposefully moving away from a hybrid offering as the main takeaway from 2022 has been that nothing can replace face-to-face interactions,” says Megan De Jager, RX Africa Portfolio Director: Travel, Tourism & Marketing.

Loadshedding aside, face-to-face meetings are incredibly important – especially for companies who are looking for growth after a tough few years.

According to Carl Winston, founder and director of the L. Robert Payne School of Hospitality & Tourism Management at San Diego State University, writing for Skift, “relationships grow as a result of life experiences that happen face-to-face. You can’t grow a relationship electronically. You can maintain it, but you can’t grow it.” He goes on to say that companies that resume face-to-face meetings and offsite events more quickly can gain a competitive edge over those that don’t.”

Smith agrees, saying that while virtual meetings are extremely convenient – until loadshedding hits – they can never replace face-to-face interactions.

“Often organisations react to a business downturn with an immediate company-wide travel freeze as a way to cut costs, but it can be short-sighted. Business travel should be seen as an important investment, a key part of your business strategy, and instrumental to your long-term growth.”

For Smith, face-to-face meetings are invaluable when it comes to:    

• Building meaningful relationships with clients and suppliers
• Fostering company culture
• Facilitating knowledge sharing, skills development and training
• Increasing engagement and participation in meetings
• Addressing sensitive or confidential issues.
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“Of course, the days of weekly business trips are over,” says Smith.  “Although it’s tempting to pop down to Cape Town as often of possible – especially as the City of Cape Town is able to protect its customers from the worst of the load shedding – in reality, most businesses are prioritising ‘quality over quantity’ in their travel programmes. This means planning travel strategically, ensuring you can ‘batch’ your commitments, catch up with everyone you need to, and get real bang for buck when it comes to business travel.”

The good news is that many disasters can be avoided easily, with some planning. Raylene de Wet, Director of Event Sales at Hyatt Regency Johannesburg, shares her five tips on what not to do if you want your corporate event to be a success.

1. Oops… who could have foreseen the long bottlenecks?

Half an hour wait for your conference badge? A long queue for that cup of tea during a break? Another queue to enter the conference room?

Ignoring the possibility of bottlenecks can negatively impact your event. Let’s face it: nobody likes to wait in line and your attendees are no exception.

Although it’s impossible to eliminate queues and bottlenecks altogether, de Wet explains there are some tips and tricks to minimise this inconvenience. “Consider using technology to speed up the check-in process.” She adds: “Make sure the team at your chosen venue understands foot traffic during food sessions. They will rearrange where the tables or coffee is set up to accommodate busy areas.”

• Make regular, steady progress

If time flies when you’re having fun, it moves at supersonic speed when you’re organising an event.

Procrastination is your worst enemy when planning an event, says de Wet. “It’s important to start the event planning process early. Leaving things too late is the most common mistake event planners make.  As soon as you have agreed upon date, get to work. Choose and book your venue, confirm your speakers, and draw up contracts.”

• Be trendy with your vegetarian options

The rule of thumb to balance the ratio of vegetarian to meat options on your menu is to include one-third vegetarian options in your menu.

Today’s food trends are all about healthy and fresh offerings, says de Wet. By including vegetarian options, you’ll make everyone happy. What’s more, you’ll have the opportunity to experiment with fresh, seasonal produce and really embrace unique flavour combinations.

“Remember that food is not just about keeping your attendees fed,” warns de Wet.  “It’s about creating unforgettable experiences.”

• The latest tech is just for nerds

You don’t need the latest tech gadgets to make your event seamless, but reliable technology can make or break an event. “Tech fails to happen. The key to minimising these mishaps, is to be prepared,” says de Wet. “Make sure you run through the preliminary checks before the start of the event. If something does go wrong, be transparent and inform your attendees that you are having technical difficulties.”

De Wet explains that dismissing technological innovations out of hand could prove to be a mistake. “Hashtags, for example, used to be a bit of a trendy fad five years ago, but today hashtags are a powerful communication tool,” she explains.

• Help! Everything is going wrong!

Did your keynote speakerphone you on the morning of the conference to say he has the sniffles and can’t get out of bed? Or is an unexpected storm putting a damper on your outdoor event?  Last-minute changes and event-day disasters are unfortunately not uncommon when organising an event. Not having a plan B or, for that matter, a plan C, is a rookie mistake.

“Take time to think of anything that could go wrong with every aspect of your event and get it all out on the table. It’s not bad luck to think of what could go wrong, it’ll help you keep your sanity,” says de Wet.  

Every event planner knows that things can and will go wrong when planning a corporate event. The secret is to partner with competent and reliable service providers who recognise the potential for things to go awry and know how to plan accordingly.

Chat to the team at Hyatt Regency Johannesburg to create an event your delegates will remember.

The new-build, 222-room hotel will comprise of standard studios and suites in bold designs. The hotel will feature the famous Radisson RED food and beverage concepts and social scenes, such as the ‘all day dining’ OUIBar + KTCHN. Following the footsteps of its sister hotel in Cape Town, voted the best rooftop bar in the city, Radisson RED Johannesburg Rosebank will also boast a trendy rooftop bar and terrace. This will also include a swimming pool and fitness room, giving guests various options to unwind, all while basking in the stunning Johannesburg skyline views.

Thinus Crafford, Developer and Oxford Parks’s representative, commented: “The hotel will be located in the first phase of Oxford Parks – a unique, holistic urban space designed to uplift and enhance the community and promote a sense of belonging. The Radisson RED will complete phase one of Oxford Parks, consisting of 4 commercial buildings, the Radisson RED hotel and ancillary retail on the ground floor of each of the commercial buildings. Oxford Parks offers you an experience where business, lifestyle and leisure are harmoniously integrated. We are proud to announce that tenants such as BPSA, the Life Healthcare Group, Thebe Investment Corporation, ARUP, Metier, Credo Wealth and Sony have decided to relocate their corporate offices to Oxford Parks. All buildings within Oxford Parks will be designed to meet a minimum 4-Star Green Star rating. In Oxford Parks, sustainable technology becomes a lifestyle and not just a passing trend. We are delighted and honored to welcome to Oxford Parks, both Radisson RED and the investor, RDC Properties Limited, and are confident that soon both will experience and be part of this uniquely compelling urban space”.

Introducing its distinct and quirky meetings and events space to the city, the hotel will offer six event studios, a conference room and a large meeting room – each with high-speed Wi-Fi, the latest audio-visual technology and creative spaces to drive inspiration.

“The international conference segment is one of the centre’s key focus areas and presents tremendous potential for the CTICC and the city as a whole. Having secured 105 international conferences up until 2026, these events will have a significant impact on the Western Cape and South African economy. With South Africa’s economic growth prospects at 1.2% in 2019, securing international events can only positively affect our economy and bolster much-needed job creation,” said Julie-May Ellingson, Chief Executive Officer at the CTICC.

Most recently, the centre has been awarded nine international conferences. Of these, the World Economic Forum and World Dairy Summit had been previously hosted at the CTICC. Here is a list of the most recent events confirmed to take place at the CTICC:

1. World Economic Forum on Africa 2019

2. World Dairy Summit 2020

3. World Engineering Education Forum (WEEF), Global Engineering Deans Council Conference (GEDC) & Global Student Forum (GSF) 2020

4. INSOL International Conference 2020

5. Entrepreneurs Organisation Global Leadership Conference 2020

6. International Symposium on Rehabilitation and Physical Therapy in Veterinary Medicine 2021

7. International Symposium on Pneumococci and Pneumococcal Diseases 2022

8. World Association of Waterborne Infrastructure – PIANC World Congress 2022

9. INF (International Netball Federation) Netball World Cup 2023

The World Dairy Summit 2020 will provide an opportunity for the South African dairy industry to gain exposure to major dairy-producing countries from all over the world.

The summit, which is themed Wholesome and Sustainable, is expected to bring together 1 200 delegates from 65 countries. Topical issues on the agenda include farm management, animal health and welfare, environmental challenges, and research and development.

“The dairy industry, like many other industries, is complex and needs to deal with international common challenges as a collective. These challenges are highly complex, require a scientific approach, needs a structured environment and requires the meeting of likeminded individuals, working in groups with the guidance and participation of world experts and leaders,” said Melt Loubser, chairman and media liaison of the South African Mils Processors Organisation.

“The experience we had in 2012 at the CTICC was professional, very effective, well-executed and the venue was truly world-class. The size of the venue and the fact that the whole conference included all parallel sessions and could be accommodated under one roof was very positive. The infrastructure of Cape Town, safety, the pristine beauty, the cosmopolitan atmosphere, excellent accommodation, spectacular sightseeing and wonderful culinary experiences contributed to this decision,” added Loubser.

The Entrepreneurs Organisation Global Leadership Conference 2020 will take place in Africa for the first time. The leadership conference will bring together188 member chapters from 58 countries.

According to Jason Sze, Chairperson of Entrepreneurs Organisation (EO), the 2,000 participants can expect intense training and information-sharing sessions. “As EO’s flagship event, the Global Leadership Conference creates community among our leadership and allows us to train incoming chapter member leaders in an intense track training programme developed by our committee members and facilitated by EO facilitators.”

Offering outstanding service and modern hospitality, Garden Court Kitwe is situated in Zambia’s copper region and is just an hour’s drive from Ndola International Airport. The hotel offers 130 en-suite rooms, all equipped with in-room tea and coffee making facilities, an electronic safe and air-conditioning.

Guests will be able to enjoy the comforts they have come to expect from Tsogo Sun hotels, including complimentary WiFi, a self-service workstation, well-equipped gym and swimming pool. An 18-hour room service will be available to guests.

Nearby to the hotel, guests will find the Mukuba Mall, while the property adjoins the ECL Business Park. It is an ideal base for conducting both business and corporate functions with a host of professional services.

A total of six conference venues and event spaces are available with the largest seating 240 delegates. A stylish lobby area with charging facilities for phones and laptops add to the convenience for conference delegates. The hotel’s banqueting team is available to assist with planning any event, be it a board meeting, conference, exhibition or cocktails. The conference rooms offer privacy and have a full range of amenities, ensuring that every requirement is met.

The Copper Club Restaurant, Bar & Terrace offers delicious traditional and continental cuisine in a relaxing and inviting environment. Daily breakfast, lunch and dinner will be served and diners can look forward to speciality dishes from the à la carte menu as well as wood-fired pizzas.

General Manager of Garden Court Kitwe, Christopher Nsenje, says of the new development: “We are excited to open this new, modern hotel in Zambia’s Copper Belt. We are looking forward to providing the expert levels of service and welcoming both new and regular travellers to Kitwe and Ndola.”

Tsogo Sun’s portfolio includes over 100 hotels and 13 casino and entertainment destinations throughout South Africa, Africa, the Seychelles and Abu Dhabi. For further information, visit tsogosun.com, follow on Twitter and Instagram @TsogoSun or like on Facebook.com/TsogoSun.

In 2017, this sector generated a total contribution of USD 177 billion* (8.1% of African GDP) and supported 22,771* million jobs which is 6,5% of all employment on the continent and the outlook for 2018 was a growth on all metrics.

As it stands, the impact of the tourism sector on Africa’s economic and social development is already significant and still it has room to grow in relation to world averages.

Trade shows and exhibitions play a key role in this growth, as the Africa’s Travel Indaba has proven, with a very real measurable economic impact as it injects around US$15 million into the economy.

“Africa’s Travel Indaba has layers of economic impact, from the local impact on the eThekwini and Durban, to the provincial, country and continental impact from the meetings, engagements and events held in just three short days,” says Sisa Ntshona, Chief Executive Officer of South African Tourism.

“The most important aim of any trade show is that trade happens. Our measure of this is to track the number of meetings made and then confirmed on the ‘matchmaker platform’ which pairs interested buyers with tourism products at the show,” he explains.

In 2017, Africa’s Travel Indaba saw a 30% increase in meetings.

“Meetings may take time to translate into actual bookings, but we are seeing positive and optimistic signs that African tourism is at the beginning of a new growth curve,” he says.

He adds that despite the show being very well established, interest has not waned; rather the opposite is true. “African tourism offerings are becoming more and more desirable and destination Africa is a hot prospect.”

The future success of tourism as an economic driver in African countries depends on the presence of policies and strategies for trade and investment that meet the needs of the sector and an overall business environment that is conducive to growth he adds. “It depends too on the abilities of all players from across the continent to meet, engage and support initiatives and the three-day Africa’s Travel Indaba is one of the key places to start that conversation,” says Ntshona.

Tourism authorities from 19 African counties have already confirmed their attendance for the 2018 Africa’s Travel Indaba and will showcase their countries tourism offerings. African countries who have not yet expressed their interest have until 13 April 2018 to book their spot.

Africa’s Travel Indaba will take place from 8 – 10 May 2018 at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre, in Durban. The Municipality of eThekwini won the bid in 2017 to host this premier trade show for next five years. The show is prestigious for the city as a flagship annual event, a tourism driver for Durban and the Kwazulu-Natal province.

Venues have realised they can no longer just provide a space for an event or conference, and that they are integral in creating an overall personalised experience for the client – hosting meetings outside has seen growing popularity and companies are focusing harder on team and personal development as well as team building. With budgets continuing to tighten, corporates are relying less on professional conference organisers and more on the venue to help them bring their message and experience to life.

Beyond the traditional requirements or “what’s-on trend”, like green conferencing, healthy eating options, experientially-led events and innovative technology, this out-there thinking has brought about some outrageous requests. BON Hotels spoke to key personnel at its hotels who came up with a few interesting, bizarre and fun tales.

Banqueting manager, Dumisane Zondo at BON Hotel Riviera on Vaal reveals the coolest although wildest request was for a beach to be created on the banks of the river over which the hotel looks! And many a guest has requested a ‘sea-facing’ – duh? room there too. She adds, “The most popular requests are for hangover stations the morning after an event, or regmaker remedies as we like to call them, and I don’t suppose I am allowed to mention the frequent request for inter-leading rooms from male and female colleagues so they can do some ‘work’ after hours.”

From lengths and lengths of extension cords for a conference of just 30 to a buffet lunch and U-shape seating for two people, a conference venue with no chairs or tables – who knows what went on in there? – to attempting to squash 300 delegates into a venue that can only accommodate 160 at the client’s request – there appears to be no limit to extraordinary demands.

Conni Lyners, General Manager at BON Hotel Swakopmund says that they have even had a request for dental kits in the room. “He did have a winning smile,” she adds. Or the honeymooners who requested two single beds in their room? Another incident involved a query as to whether the hotel was pet friendly, which it isn’t, to which the guest replied, “Oh, so then I cannot bring along Biscuit, my pet python?”

Odd food requests are also the order of the day at times says Chef Tarquin at BON Hotel Bloemfontein Central who has had to cater to all cultures, intolerances and allergies but not without weird and wonderful requests like offal, poached ostrich eggs, grilled chicken feet, goats milk and donkey meat.

Perhaps the most bizarre was at an international hotel where the guest speaker at a team-building conference decided he needed something special for his session: a horse. With just two hours’ notice, the hotel’s concierge found a suitable steed and delivered it to the meeting room on time.

Generally, hotels are up to doing anything, anywhere, anytime, as long as it’s not immoral, unethical or illegal. These dedicated professionals, the concierges, banqueting managers and GMs, aka magicians, detectives and jugglers, remain calm in the face of a challenge, discreet where necessary and are always energetic and resourceful whilst backed by a local network who can assist them in finding just about anything, keeping the balls in the air and creating the magic.

When asked if he had had any outrageous requests, Mike Jameson, General Manager at Destiny Hotel & Convention Centre by BON Hotels, said, “If we go the extra mile then no request is too outrageous!”

Western Cape Minister of Economic Development, Alan Winde and Cape Town Executive Mayor, Patricia de Lille officially opened the centre at a ceremony on 25 January 2018.

The new facility is set to strengthen Cape Town’s reputation as a global business events destination and marks significant progress in the CTICC’s strategy of becoming one of the top ten long-haul convention centres in the world.

Construction of CTICC 2 commenced in 2014. The facility is a collaborative project by the centre and its shareholders – the City of Cape Town, Western Cape Government and SunWest International.

CTICC Chief Executive Officer, Julie-May Ellingson, said the CTICC is now a fully integrated event venue complex never before seen in Cape Town which offers clients unparalleled choice and flexibility.

“What are the benefits of this extra space? Essentially, two things: greater capacity and greater flexibility. We can now host very large events, such as the upcoming 15 000-delegate World Ophthalmology Congress, across the entire complex. Cape Town would never have won this bid, if it wasn’t for the CTICC’s expansion. And we can host multiple large events across both venues simultaneously, which we couldn’t do before. Put simply, we can now welcome more events and more people in more ways,” explained Ellingson.

Ever since the CTICC opened in 2003, expansion was on the cards as the centre’s growth exceeded expectations. High occupancy and lack of capacity prompted the company’s board to search for expansion sites.

Executive Mayor Patricia de Lille said that CTICC 2 boosts Cape Town’s reputation as a globally competitive business events destination and will enhance the socio-economic benefits the centre produces.

“The CTICC generated over 16 million visitor days, by local and international delegates attending the nearly 7 000 events the centre has hosted since 2003. This is supported by an equally powerful impact on job creation. Through its operations the centre sustained a total of 107 000 jobs directly in the Western Cape and nationally since opening. The CTICC has made a cumulative economic contribution to national GDP of R36.3 billion and added R32 billion to the Western Cape economy,” De Lille explained.

De Lille said CTICC 2 provides impetus to Cape Town’s development as the ideas capital of Africa. “Cape Town is fast becoming the ideas capital of Africa. Organisations and businesses now choose Cape Town as a place from which to develop their Africa strategies. Many of the CTICC’s flagship events are testimony to Cape Town’s ability to connect people from the tip to the top of Africa.”

The City of Cape Town which holds 71.4% of the shares in the CTICC, invested R550 million in the expansion project which acted as catalyst for the continued regeneration of the inner city. Western Cape Premier Helen Zille said the convention centre is a strategic asset of the local and provincial governments.

The provincial government gave R162 million in funding for the project. Zille confirmed that the expert completion of CTICC 2 is a continuation of the overall support the centre has received from all spheres of government. “The CTICC has far outperformed original expectation becoming a profit centre in its own right. The CTICC’s continued profitability shows that government can facilitate entrepreneurship and that public-private partnerships can flourish in South Africa,” said Zille.

The CTICC contributed R193 million to the expansion project. “CTICC 2’s construction sustained 1 337 job opportunities of which 75.5% benefited black construction workers and specialists and 7.2% of the manpower on site was female. There were also 11 engineering students working on the project and 10 were black women who are building their careers in the industry,” Ellingson reported.

“CTICC 2 adds an additional 31 148 square meters to our complex, including 10 000 square meters of conference and exhibition space, as well as a further 3 000 square meters of formal and informal meeting space. These numbers translate to six exhibition halls, four meeting suites, five meeting pod rooms, an executive boardroom, three open-air terraces including an impressive rooftop venue, a coffee shop, and a multi-level parking garage,” said Ellingson.

The centre located opposite and due east of the original convention centre boasts an environmentally sustainable design, high-tech venue control systems, high-calibre IT infrastructure, free public Wi-Fi, three production kitchens to cater for every type of event, and a service tunnel under Heerengracht avenue connecting CTICC 2 with CTICC 1.

The centre will now be further integrated with CTICC 1 to ensure seamless event operations. “Phase 2 of the CTICC 2 project is well underway. In the next few months, we will be able to start construction of the skybridge linking the two buildings across Heerengracht,” Ellingson confirmed.

Prior to the official opening CTICC 2 had already hosted several “event firsts” to showcase the centre’s capabilities welcoming close to 50 000 delegates.

The new centre opens with exciting upcoming events in the pipeline. The CTICC has a total of 133 bookings for events, with 58 international conferences secured and 75 national events contracted until December 2023. Thirteen of these events will take place concurrently in both buildings and 20 events have already been contracted to take place in CTICC 2.