Africa adapts for awakening
CMW LOOKS AT A CONTINENT WITH AN EVENT EYE VERY MUCH ON THE FUTURE
A frica ’ s almost 1.3 billion people have , of course , been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic like the rest of the world . The fact that the continent ’ s people are remarkably young – 40 % of them are under 15 – has saved them from some of the worst ravages , but vaccination rates remain low in many countries . So , re-opening , including for events , has been slow in places .
Group CEO of GL Events ’ South African business , Craig Newman tells CMW that , although the market on the continent is yet to reopen for major events , “ people are feeling more optimistic ”.
“ The biggest issue is uncertainty ,” he says . Organisers are nervous about committing to and paying for events until they are really convinced that they are going to take place .
For many in the African events market , however , any return to business will come too late . “ In South Africa ”, Newman laments , “ 90 %, or possibly even more , of service providers are either out of business or in business rescue ”. Those who have managed to survive , he says , have only done so by being able to diversify . “ We were fortunate to be able to remain standing ”, he says , referring to GL ’ s Live business division in the country .
On the continent several international event organisers there have either significantly reduced their presence or closed their offices .
Nigeria , with its population of over 200 million , is a hugely important market in the region . It “ opened and stayed open ,” says organiser Montgomery ’ s Alexander Angus . Montgomery ran its Propack West
Africa exhibition and conference there in September and Angus reports : “ Our exhibitors said that they had one of the best shows they ’ ve ever had in Nigeria ”. That said , the event was a good deal smaller than in the past , he acknowledges .
Cape Town congress chemistry for 2027 If the present is problematic , then Wesgro , the official tourism , trade and investment promotion agency for South Africa ’ s Cape Town and the Western Cape , is looking confidently to the future , having won its bid to host , in 2027 , the International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology ( IUBMB ) Triennial International Congress , estimated to be worth R48m in economic impact .
That bid was won through a partnership between the South African Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in partnership with the Cape Town & Western Cape Convention Bureau , the South African National Convention Bureau and the CTICC . The 2027 event , is booked in for 19-23 September at CTICC and will be the first time that the IUBMB Congress will be hosted on the African continent . Organisers are expecting to attract 1,500 delegates from across the world .
“ South Africa ’ s relative state of development has resulted in many of our programmes and institutions being considered as gateways to Africa at large – especially from a training perspective ,” says head of the department of integrative Biomedical Sciences at the University of Cape Town , professor Edward Sturrock . “ Hosting IUBMB 2027 in
Above : GL events South Africa group CEO , Craig Newman
Cape Town will undoubtedly leave a legacy deep into Africa and the future ,” he added .
CTICC Pre-pandemic , Cape Town International Convention Centre ( CTICC ) was said to have hosted up to half all the international conventions that came to the continent of Africa .
Over the past 21 months , however , restrictions on international travel and regulations limiting the number of people allowed at gatherings for indoor events and meetings severely curtailed the venue ’ s large-scale business events from traditional source markets of the United States and Europe . The focus shifted to maintaining the Centre and its infrastructure . The team also focused on maintaining a close working relationship with organisers so that when regulations allowed for reopening , they were in a position to
32 / CONFERENCE & MEETINGS WORLD / ISSUE 116