Meetings Africa 2015 will feature a new business-to-business platform where exhibitors will hold table top one-on-one meetings with corporate travel buyers.
Amanda Kotze-Nhlapo, Chief Convention Bureau Officer at South Africa National Convention Bureau, told Tourism Update the new platform follows a partnership with the Unique Speakers Bureau, which hosted its annual showcase at Meetings Africa this year and will do so again next year. She said hosting the showcase attracts 500 corporates to the show.
“We started off with the partnership and it was really a success,” says Kotze-Nhlapo, adding that the only challenge was to get the corporates to meet the exhibitors and walk the floor. “We decided that as a value add for our exhibitors, we will host a half-day business-to-business event,” she says. For this, the Convention Bureau has selected 50 corporate buyers, while the platform will be open to 50 exhibitors.
According to Kotze-Nhlapo, the session will be open to exhibitors that are members of the Meetings Africa Honorary Exhibitors Guild, a loyalty programme that recognises exhibitors. “It’s really to give back to our exhibitors.”
However, other exhibitors can also apply to take part in the business-to-business. A small fee will apply for exhibitors taking part in this session, but Kotze-Nhlapo said this will be an administration fee. “For us it is a commitment fee to ensure that people are there.”
Meetings Africa 2015 will take place from February 23-25 at the Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg. The business-to-business platform will take place on Tuesday, February 24.
To register, or for more information, visit www.meetingsafrica.co.za.