Into Africa with ICCA in June

Africa News
Into Africa with ICCA in June

Delegates at the ICCA Association Meetings Programme (AMP) 2019, which takes place in Durban, South Africa, 18-20 June, will take ‘Inspiration to go further’ as the theme of their meeting.

Influenced by Durban’s entrepreneurial spirit and guiding all aspects of the core education programme, the theme, ICCA says, has been chosen to communicate the AMP’s aim of providing delegates, through personalised ROI, with the tools and expertise to be more effective in winning association meetings business.

The AMP is designed to bring ICCA Members and Association Executives from all over the world together for small-scale networking and sessions and knowledge transfer about bidding, designing, organising and promoting international association meetings.  

ICCA Interim CEO Dennis Speet said: “The AMP host destination for 2019, Durban, is full of stories of people who, driven by their own knowledge and passion, have used their local heritage and traditions as inspiration to help them reach great heights in their chosen profession.

“We urge all delegates to bring their burning challenges to the ICCA AMP and join our education programme, which will embody what Durban is all about: inspiration to go further!

“Each session will not only arm delegates with new tools, ideas and knowledge, but will be full of stories from our speakers and fellow participants that will inspire all attendees to use their newfound expertise to tackle their own challenges and be more successful in winning association meetings business.”

Topics up for discussion will include:

  • The future of associations
  • Legacy of events
  • The Do’s and Don’ts of international collaboration and partnerships
  • Reinventing digital marketing strategy
  • Experiential meeting design

Popular sessions from previous editions will also be returning. The ‘A challenge shared/A challenge solved’ session will encourage attendees to brainstorm answers using their international expertise.

Delegates will also have access to the association meetings expertise of a global faculty, made up of senior-level figures from both supplier organisations and international associations.

ICCA Board Member Gregg Talley will be Faculty Leader. With 30 years of association management experience, he is a key supporter of the African association meetings industry, and helped to launch the African Society of Association Executives, among other initiatives.

Genevieve Leclerc, Managing Director of the International Society of Limnology, also joins as Faculty Leader. Leclerc runs her own association consultancy and strategic planning firm Caravelle Strategies in addition to her work as an association executive. She ehas over 25 years of experience in congress and association management.

Other faculty members will include:

  • Alexandra Torres, Marketing and Sales Manager, Agora Bogotá
  • Devin McLaughlin, Senior Marketing Research & Media Manager, Calgary TELUS Convention Centre
  • Ivo Franschitz, Managing Director, ENITED Business Events
  • James Rees, ICCA President
  • Nonnie Kubeka, General Manager, Gauteng Tourism Authority
  • Susan Robertson, Executive Vice-President, ASAE

ICCA aims to increase its advocacy and educational activities in the African region throughout 2019. This year’s edition of the AMP marks the first time the event is being held in the African region and the first time ICCA is returning with an international meeting since the 43rd ICCA Congress in Cape Town in 2004.

Sihle Zikalala, MEC for Economic Development, Tourism & Environmental Affairs, KwaZulu-Natal, said: “Hosting the ICCA AMP 2019 and the high-level association executives in our beautiful city of Durban will have an enormous impact on business tourism in South Africa and KwaZulu-Natal. In particular, it will develop the potential for year-round tourism sustainability, tackling seasonality and occupancy, improving the overall national economy and building a recognisably positive image of our province and city.”

The AMP follows the first edition of the ICCA Meetings Africa Association Day, 25 February, the education and networking seminar for ICCA Members and Association Executives hosted by Meetings Africa as part of the BONDAY programme

To learn more about the ICCA AMP 2019 and to register, visit www.amp2019.iccaworld.org

Caption: (L-R) Gregg Talley, CEO, Talley Management Group; Esmaré Steinhofel, Regional Director Africa, ICCA; Nina Freysen-Pretorius, Immediate Past President, ICCA; Senthil Gopinath, Regional Director Middle East, ICCA; Sina Buente, Events Manager, ICCA 

Managing Editor, Conference News & Conference & Meetings World. Write Paul an E-mail

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