New platform planned for Meetings Africa 2015

New platform planned for
Meetings Africa 2015MEETINGS Africa
2015 will feature
a new business-tobusiness
platform where
exhibitors will hold tabletop
one-on-one meetings
with visitors, including
corporate travel buyers,
business travel agencies,
and meeting and event
planners.
Amanda Kotze-Nhlapo,
chief convention bureau
officer of the South African
National Convention
Bureau, told TNW the
new platform followed
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 attracted 500
corporates to the show.
“We started off with the
partnership and it was
really a success,” says
Amanda, 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 would
host a half-day business-tobusiness
event,” she says.
For this, the Convention
Bureau has selected 50
corporate buyers, while the
platform will be open to 50
exhibitors.
According to Amanda,
the session will be open
to exhibitors that are
members of the Meetings
Africa Honorary Exhibitors
Guild, a loyalty programme
that recognises exhibitors.
However, other exhibitors
can also apply to take part
in the business-to-business
session. A small fee will
apply for exhibitors taking
part in this session but
Amanda said it would 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.