AIPC Africa Summit

Date: 08/12/2022

Category:

On February 27th 2023, the very first AIPC Africa Summit will take place at the Sandton Convention Center, Johannesburg, South-Africa. The goal is to bring together the African Community of convention center leaders and discuss topics such as technology, sustainability and venue design while at the same time obtaining a better understanding of the specific challenges this community faces, allowing AIPC to come up with a tailored service offer in terms of education, networking and research.

The one-day summit, which has received the support from the National Convention Bureau of South-Africa, will be a combination of the Sales & Marketing Summit and the Operations Summit taking place every year in Frankfurt (IMEX) and Barcelona (IBTM) respectively. Similar to these event, the AIPC Africa Summit will take place just before Meetings Africa – the largest regional event gathering – takes place, allowing to leverage the presence of industry leadership.

It is important to note that the event is open to the full community of African convention center, not only AIPC members, as we want to make this event as inclusive as possible. That is also why no participation fee will be charged for this first edition.

The programme looks as follows:

Time Session Description
09:00-09:30 Welcome coffee
09:30-09:45 Official opening of the AIPC Africa Summit Formal opening, overview of the programme and expected outcomes
09:45-10:15 Global outlook Overview of the global trends in the event industry and the impact they have on convention center management.
10:15-10:45 Sustainability What has happened, 15 months after the event industry pledged to become carbon zero by 2050? In this session, an overview will be provided of the steps taken at different level and how convention centers can be actively involved in defining the roadmaps towards this objective.
10:45-11:15 Coffee-break
11:15-11:45 Technology: what’s next? In this session, you will be given an overview of the different technology trends which have, will have or might have an impact on how events and/or convention centers are managed.
11:45-12:15 Cyber Security Digitalization also comes within an increased threat of cyber security. In this session, you will learn about the possible threats and how to prepare for them. You will also receive an update from the AIPC Cyber Security Task Force on the latest events.
12:15-12:45 Resources and training In the final session before lunch break, you will be split into smaller groups to discuss your needs with regards to professional education and training. The purpose is to develop a follow-up plan and define an educational programme tailored for the African Community of Convention Centers.
12:45-14:00 Lunch break
14:00-14:45 Design & experience management The design of a convention centers has a big impact on customer experience. In this session, a senior architect from a global design company will share his view on future trends, based on real-life examples.
14:45-15:15 The importance of business events for economical development Business events are a driver for collaboration, innovation and trade. In this session, which is organized in collaboration with the United Nations, the focus will be on the role authorities can play to make this a reality.
15:15-15:45 Coffee-break
15:45-16:45 Business development strategy assessment In this session, you will be provided with a took allowing you to fully assess your business development strategy. This is an interactive session, allowing to share ideas and best practices with your colleagues.
16:45-17:30 The Big Debate 3 CEOs of African convention center will share their views on key trends such as technology, cost management, economical uncertainty, talent management and sustainability.
17:30-17:45 Closing remarks An overview of lessons learned, highlights and next steps.
17:45-19:00 Networking cocktail
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