Plumbing Africa November 2016 | Page 15

EVENTS AND EXHIBITIONS 13 << Continued from page 11 in sport and business, and Ralph Triebel of LHA Management Consultants who gave an overview of the trends in the local pipe market. Conference delegates busy networking. Many of the papers presented reflected the problems that South African industries are facing concerning the accreditation of national standards. “Quality in general — particularly long-term product quality — is one of our cornerstones,” said Venter. “Considering that about 40 000km of plastic pipe is manufactured annually in South Africa, we are doing everything in our power to prevent a general deterioration of plastic piping systems in our country. SAPPMA has been on the forefront of preventing this situation and is probably further down the road in facilitating alternative mechanisms.” Venter announced that the Plastic Pipes Conference Association has agreed to sponsor 10 presenters from this year’s Plastic Pipes XVIII conference in Berlin to present their papers at next year’s Pipes XI conference, giving the event even greater international influence. He encouraged delegates to work together to ensure the future of the industry by maintaining excellent quality and adhering to industry standards. www.plumbingafrica.co.za SAPPMA CEO Jan Venter addresses the delegates. “There are many exciting, new markets and opportunities emerging for the plastic pipe industry. We have an everincreasing role to play and we are making a difference where it matters. Let’s make sure that we are part of the solution — and not part of the problem,” he said. PA November 2016 Volume 22 I Number 9