English: Gallagher Convention Centre, Midrand, Johannesburg, South Africa (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Stats show that Business Tourism is booming in South Africa and this includes seminars, conferences and the exhibition and trade show sector.
Some 1 000 world-class conference and exhibition venues operating to International Standards are available throughout South Africa which includes the small and intimate bush venues to the modern state-of-the-art, hi-tech Convention Centres such as the International Convention Centres in Cape Town, Durban and East London and Sandton Convention Centre, Gallagher Estate and Midrand Conference Centre in Johannesburg, to name a few.
This is not where it starts and ends either. Wherever there is an International event taking place in the country, conference tourism does exceptionally well for pre and post conference tours are most often a start or end to the serious stuff of business. Likewise, accommodation establishments, which includes hotels, guest lodges, self catering apartments, boutique hotels, and B & B’s have excellent occupancies during these busy periods and as long as we as South Africans can uphold our present excellent service standards, there is no reason why this shouldn’t grow even more rewarding in the future. It can certainly result in a Win-Win scenario given that the hospitality industry in the main, offers the best possible service and gets paid well for this and visitors leave with a feeling of satisfaction, good memories of our beautiful country and its people and venue operators with a sense of satisfaction of a job well done at the end of it. (Attention to detail and constant training is imperative to ensure this success of course!)
Some items on the local Conference Calendar from now until the end of September follow for your interest and possible participation. For conferences, congresses and conventions, exhibitions and trade shows, contact each centre’s local Tourism offices who can provide you with a list of up-to-date happenings in their city, who to contact, where to stay etc.
To source a conference venue in South Africa for your forthcoming conference, function or event click here.
Following is a list which covers the major events around the country. These are also updated on a regular basis and are by no means all that is on the cards for the next three months or so .
Conference Calender JULY
The XVIth World Economic History Congress & Exhibition
Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch
9-13 July
Agri-Food Exhibition
Gallagher Convention Centre, Johannesburg
15-17 July
BRICS Africa Export Import Forum
Gallagher Convention Centre, Johannesburg
15-17 July
Drink Tech Africa
Gallagher Convention Centre, Johannesburg
15-17 July
Food Biz Africa
Gallagher Convention Centre, Johannesburg
15-17 July
Food Biz Africa Halaal World
Gallagher Convention Centre, Johannesburg
15-17 July
Food Tech Africa
Gallagher Convention Centre, Johannesburg
15-17 July
Pan Africa Retail Trade Exhibition
Gallagher Convention Centre, Johannesburg
15-17 July
Retail Solutions Africa
Gallagher Convention Centre, Johannesburg
15-17 July
SAITEX: the 19th Southern African International Trade Exhibition
Gallagher Convention Centre, Johannesburg
15-17 July
East Africa Business Summit & Expo 2012
Hilton Sandton Hotel, Johannesburg
20 July
National Antiques and Decorative Arts Faire
Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg
20-22 July
Port Elizabeth Homemakers Expo
Moffet on Main Lifestyle Centre, Port Elizabeth
26-29 July
Green Home Fair 2012
Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg
28-29 July
Conference Calender August
Cape Town Baba Indaba
International Convention Centre, Cape Town
3-5 August
Go Glamour Expo
International Convention Centre, Cape Town
3-5 August
The Luxury Travel Show
Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg
3-5 August
Decorex Joburg
Gallagher Convention Centre, Johannesburg
8-12 August
IP Expo
Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg
15-16 August
Africa Print Expo
Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg
22-24 August
Visual Communications Africa Expo
Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg
22-24 August
Cape Homemakers Expo
International Convention Centre, Cape Town
23-26 August
Good Food & Wine Show Durban
Durban Exhibition Centre, Durban
23-26 August
Nedbank Cape Winemakers Guild Showcase
International Convention Centre, Cape Town
23 August
The Wedding Expo
The Coca-Cola Dome, Johannesburg
25-26 August
Gartner Symposium ITxpo 2012
International Convention Centre, Cape Town
28-30 August
Nedbank Cape Winemakers Guild Showcase
The Atrium, Phase 1, Nedbank, Sandton, Johannesburg
30 August
The Baby Expo MamaMagic
International Convention Centre, Durban
31 August – 2 September
Conference Calender September
BASSA 2012: Business Analysis Summit Southern Africa
Protea Hotel Balalaika, Sandton, Johannesburg
3-5 September
Hydro Power Africa Conference and Exhibition
International Convention Centre, Cape Town
4-5 September
Hobby-X Midrand
Gallagher Convention Centre, Johannesburg
6-9 September
FNB Joburg Art Fair
Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg
7-9 September
The National Boat Show
Coca-Cola Dome, Johannesburg
7-9 September
Cloud Computing Africa Conference & Exhibition
Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg
10-13 September
Content Management World Conference & Exhibition
Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg
10-13 September
Digital Advertising World Conference & Exhibition
Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg
10-13 September
e-Commerce & Payments Africa Conference & Exhibition
Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg
10-13 September
The Mobile Show Africa Conference & Exhibition
Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg
10-13 September
Social Media World Africa Conference & Exhibition
Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg
10-13 September
The Internet Show
Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg
10-13 September
Sports and Events Tourism Exchange (SETE) Conference and Exhibition International Convention Centre, Durban 12-14 September
International Small Business Congress & Expo
Sandton Convention Centre
15-18 September
International Housing Conference, Exhibition and Housing Awards
Southern Sun, Cape Sun, Cape Town
16-19 September
Money Expo 2012
Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg
21-23 September
Good Food & Wine Show Gauteng
Coca-Cola Dome, Johannesburg
21-24 September
HuntEx Cape 2012
Nelson Wine Estate, Paarl
21-24 September
The Green Expo
Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg
28-30 September
Bloemfontein Baba Indaba
Ilanga Estate, Bloemfontein
30 September – 2 October
Article by Rosalie Howard
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