Cape Town - The festival, events and conferencing industries, still reeling from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, are looking to the use of technology to revive their businesses.
This is one of the talking points at the fifth International Conference of Events (ICE) hosted by the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, and taking place over two days until Thursday.
The conference brought together 140 delegates from 20 different countries. Experts on festivals and event management from around the world are gathering to pool their expertise on re-imagining events post-Covid-19.
Welcoming the delegates, CPUT vice-chancellor Chris Nhlapho said at the top of the pandemic effects was the near collapse of the eventing and hospitality industries. He said this forced industries out of complacency.
Nhlapho said he was hopeful that more academic solutions to recover the industry would be forthcoming after the conference.
Organiser and CPUT Sports Management department professor Brandon Knott said the conference would focus on the implications of the pandemic in the industry, and how it had to adapt, including the use of technology and other aspects of social media and economic sustainability.
Tourism Educators of South Africa chairperson Elmarie Slabbert said there was a need for creative and strategic thinking to inform the way forward for the industry while ensuring that communities benefit.
“There is hope for the events industry for different cities and towns and we are taking this opportunity to see how we can offer events that can attract people that would lead to economic impact.
“Over the past year we haven't had events and now we are in hybrid mode so the world has changed for the industry. We have done numerous studies on the economic impact of events and the huge sums of money that cities and even small towns have lost when events were not held, but we are now seeing that there is recovery, however they might come back in a different format,” said Slabbert.
Department of Cultural Affairs chief director Lyndon Bouah said events in the province were an important part of the strategy for the provincial government. He said the pandemic had devastatingly affected the events industry and to recover, economic stimulation was needed.
“We believe if we bring more events to Cape Town, whether they are sports, cultural, big business conferences, festivals like the Knysna Oyster Festival, they will sustain the province’s economy and will stimulate these towns and cities where they are held.
“By partnering in this conference we are able to hear the industry thoughts and trends, how we can contribute to academic studies and also knowing what the clients want,” he said.