Meetings Africa attract interest from African countries

Sandton – Africa’s leading business tourism exhibition, Meetings Africa, is attracting huge interest from exhibitors and only limited exhibition space is still available.

Set to take place at the Sandton Convention Centre from 28 February to 1 March 2007, Meetings Africa will see some 200 exhibitors marketing their products and services to local and international delegates.  Arranged by the Thebe Exhibitions and Events Group, it is the region’s only one-stop shop for meeting planners, event organisers and incentive travel professionals.

Group Managing Director Carol Weaving says the best in business tourism will be on display, giving the visitor the full picture of what the industry has to offer.

“The various provincial tourism authorities and major local authorities, such as Johannesburg, Cape Town and Tshwane, will provide the generic base from which the private sector will market its products and services.  These include some of South Africa’s top convention venues, hotels, lodges, tourist attractions and support services of the highest calibre.”

According to Weaving interest in Meetings Africa from elsewhere on the continent has also shown tremendous growth.  “There will be strong contingents of exhibitors from Zambia, Kenya and Mozambique for instance, as well as destination management companies that operate across the region.

“If you are an exhibitor, Meetings Africa is the place to be to meet serious buyers who may become potential or real clients.  If you are a visitor, you will find the best venues for conference and events, the best ideas for team building or incentive travel as well as cutting-edge support services,” she says.

Close on 100 international buyers will attend Meetings Africa, courtesy of the Department of Trade and Industry.  In 2006 the exhibition was attended by more than 2 500 visitors, of which 82 were international hosted buyers and 39 were media representatives.

Meetings Africa 2007 is a public / private partnership between the Thebe Exhibitions and Events Group and South African Tourism.  It will be presented by the Gauteng Tourism Authority and is endorsed by the South African Meetings Industry Federation.

It will be preceded, on 27 February, by a business tourism conference that is open to the entire business tourism industry.   The conference is sponsored by the Johannesburg Convention Bureau and the City of Johannesburg.

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