Meetings Africa, the continent’s top trade exhibition for the business tourism industry - incorporating meetings, special events and incentive travel - is the key to growing South Africa’s market share in the international business tourism sector

 Set to take place at the Sandton Convention Centre from 27 to 29 February, Meetings Africa 2008 will see the gathering of more than 3 000 delegates, exhibitors, journalists and tourism product buyers from all over the world.

 Angeline Lue, General Manager: Business Tourism at South African Tourism says Meetings Africa continues to draw the attention of the international business tourism community. “This year, for instance, Meeting Professionals International, who recently formed an alliance with the Southern African Association for the Conference Industry, will be represented at the exhibition. This will give members of this alliance potential access to the MPI’s database of 23 000 meeting professionals in 20 countries around the world.”

 According to FutureWatch 2008, the definitive market trends study for the global meetings and events planning industry, conducted by the MPI, meetings and events professionals expect healthy increases in average meeting attendance this year – by 11 percent for corporate meetings, 18,3 percent for association events and 19 percent across all conferences. 

 “This augurs well for the South African meetings industry, which, I am convinced, will experience similar growth over time,” says Lue.

 “Meetings Africa will make a huge contribution to this. T.he exhibition will be instrumental in reaching the long-term objectives for the business tourism industry, namely for South Africa to become one of the top 10 business tourism destinations in the world. Currently South Africa is ranked number 31 by the International Congress & Convention Association.”

 Research conducted by South African Tourism shows that 5,6 percent of the 8,4 million travelers who visited South Africa in 2006 were business tourists, accounting for R2,4 billion in total foreign direct spend. “Our objectives are to increase this volume, increase tourist spend, increase length of stay, improve geographic spread and improve seasonality patterns,” says Lue.

 Meetings Africa will see some 230 exhibitors across the spectrum of the business tourism industry in the region market their products and services to local and international delegates. The exhibition is a one-stop shop for, among others, meeting planners, event organisers and incentive travel professionals.

 

For more information visit www.meetingsafrica.co.za.