Our impressions of the shows we participated in The proliferation of Trade Shows has created a ‘trade show season’ in South Africa which starts at the end of February and doesn’t let up until the end of May. The number of trade shows while giving great flexibility to buyers is a challenge for exhibitors – we are selective on those we actively participate in. For us, IMEX Frankfurt marks the end of Trade Show Season, here are some of our impressions of how it has gone so far.Meetings Africa has always been more than a trade show for us. Here we partner with the National Convention Bureau to host buyers and showcase our destination in a more indepth way. This year was particularly important as we wanted to remind everyone what a wonderful destination SA is. We hosted 11 buyers in Cape Town and on safari. The time spent on the road together has helped us to build strong relationships. The Our Africa formula of zero travel and time cost with the convenience of meeting delegates in their time-zones is an absolute plus. We were delighted that the 2022 show enabled us to reconnect with many of the buyers and are even more delighted to begin meeting them in person in Cape Town. We have previously exhibited at WTM Africa, this year we decided to visit both WTM and ILTM to assess our plans for 2023. The Reed Africa Travel week has the advantage of being held in Cape Town at the International Convention Centre. This is hugely convenient for us, and we believe an attraction for the buyers. As visitors we felt that this show was a great benefit to us as it gave us a chance to meet suppliers under one roof and to engage with some of our partners. We look forward to exhibiting again. Indaba is hosted in Durban and despite the city experiencing devastating floods two weeks prior, the show was a huge success – which is a great testimony to the tenacity of the South African travel industry. Once again, we went along to meet with suppliers and we used the opportunity to take some clients on pre and post tours which included experiencing the destination as a local. One client went to a Stormers vs Leinster rugby game at the Cape Town Stadium, unforgettable!. Into Africa is looking forward to exhibiting at IMEX Frankfurt. Do make an appointment or pop by the South Africa stand to see Nick Buckland. You will find him at the South Africa Stand C500. |
Product Update Introducing, Mrs Doubtfire… a vintage fire engine which serves as a unique mobile refreshment truck for groups exploring the Cape Peninsula. This is one of the must do activities in Cape Town and offers a chance for guests to enjoy the spectacular landscape whilst travelling by coach, luxury car, 4X4, Harley, bicycle, side cars…. there is wide choice!! Brookdale Estate Hotel is a exclusive 6-bedroom hotel in the Cape Winelands. We look forward to taking boutique groups to experience this great new offering. The Grand Collection has opened a new restaurant in Franschhoek. True to their flamboyant style, this stunning new venue is described as ’embracing a free-spirited countryside café culture’. The Grand is a trusted partner in the events landscape and we are looking forward to hosting events in the winelands in Grand style. We are delighted with the new dining experience that has been developed at River Lodge in Kapama Private Game Reserve. It has been named Xitsumbeni – meaning: “where meals are prepared and enjoyed”.The venue has been cleverly designed for flexibility, meaning that it has enough capacity to host large group bookings. Their clever use of space ensures a private dining experience for smaller groups within the restaurant. As travel resumes we have found that many clients are in search of authentic and local experiences. We see growing demand for the experiences properties like Madi a Thavha Lodge have to offer, this includes fusion food and the best local CraftArt in their gallery, shop and textile studio in fact the golden thread of Limpopo’s heritage runs through the tours they offer. A wonderful sustainable initiative of the property is their use of these beautiful textiles in their lodge which are produced through Hope For Limpopo. Hope for Limpopo, Inc. is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting impoverished women, children and families in the Limpopo Province of South Africa. They strive to provide women and children with hope and opportunity by supporting education and community initiated programs in a manner that is consistent with the local tradition and culture. Hop-on hop-off Tours have launched their new custom made buses for their Soweto or ‘So We To’ tours, which allows visitors to see the sights of J’burg at their own pace, including a stop at Soweto, known as the New York of Africa. Here you can see the sights of the city where Mandela once lived and Mahatma Gandhi started his legal career. In closing Trade shows are well and truly back and we look forward to connecting with clients face to face…. Or virtually!! We are always happy to update you on new product and all the wonderful options that South Africa offers for events. |