Consumers have come to expect a selection of fun things to do at an exhibition – great food, live performances, a memorable adventure. Witness the Sunday Times Food Show with its celebrity cooking demos and the family entertainment laid on at the Rand Show.
So with boundaries blurring between exhibitions and events, the Exhibition Association of South Africa (EXSA) has taken the logical step of including events in its package of offerings.
International Trends
EXSA CEO Sharon Peetz says she is very excited about the expansion of the association to include events. The move is in line with international trends where many associations have benefited from formalising the traditional overlap between exhibitions and events under one umbrella.
EXSA has launched its new structure with a new logo and is now named the Exhibition and Events Association of Southern Africa. Peetz adds that EXSA’s new strategy is focused on enhancing their strong existing product, which is aligned with international best practice in providing world-class levels of service and professionalism.
Building new Opportunities
The launch of the new EXSA kicked off with a gala event at the Park Hyatt in Rosebank at the end of July 2007. And the administration roll-out of the new strategy is well under way.
Already the objective of creating new alliances and opening more doors to exhibition venues in South Africa’s major cities is bearing fruit. Cape Town Routes Unlimited has endorsed EXSA’s new drive by becoming the title sponsor of the EXSA Golf Day, which was held on 28 September 2007 at the Killarney Country Club. A number of leaders in the exhibition and marketing industries attended this successful event.
Peetz urges suppliers and sub-contractors in the industry to become EXSA members to take advantage of the huge growth in opportunities that EXSA is set to bring to the exhibitions and events industry.
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