AIPC brings its Academy to Africa

The International Association of Convention Centres (AIPC) has brought its flagship educational ‘Academy’ programme for the first time to the African continent. Touching on all aspects of convention centre management, the five-day bootcamp in Cape Town, South Africa, involved a group of 25 participants. The AIPC Academy is designed to introduce participants to all aspects of convention centre management, from operations to finance. It combines lectures, workshops and teambuilding. The event targeted upcoming talent from all departments within a convention centre. “Africa is clearly the continent of the future. It is expected that African economies will grow substantially due to the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement allowing the participation of member countries to interact with each other, resulting in an increased need for meetings and meeting facilities. That is why it is so important to bring educational activities, such as the AIPC Academy, to Africa using that opportunity to share the history and heritage of Africa,” said Abigail Thulare, CEO of the Robben Island Museum. Hosted by the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC), the first-ever AIPC Africa Academy took place, 19-23 August 2024. The 25 participants had diverse backgrounds – from sales to finance, human capital and operations –  allowing for an exchange of knowledge, covering the full convention centre value chain. Lectures were given by global and local industry leaders, including Julianne Jammers (MD, SwissTech Convention Center), Sandy Kennedy (strategic director, Intelligent Growth Solutions), Projeni Pather (MD, Exposure Marketing) and many more, on topics such as leadership in times of uncertainty, artificial intelligence, finance and sustainability. “Having such an amazing group of speakers willing to share their insights provided a unique opportunity for the participants to engage directly with industry leaders and ask them questions on topics they may struggle with. Throughout the week, I have seen many of the participants undergo professional growth at a speed I’ve not seen before,” said Taubie Motlhabane, CEO of the CTICC and Board Member of AIPC. Apart from the lectures and debates, the participants also engaged in workshops and role-play, and delivered a pitch presentation that dealt with an industry challenge. “Besides the knowledge and best practices I gained from the Academy. I now have a network of colleagues to whom I can reach out. Actually, it feels like I have been given a new group of friends in less than a week,” said Zanda van Rooven, supply chain manager at the CTICC. The AIPC team is already planning a second African Academy, which will take place in August 2025, again to be hosted by CTICC.