The International Association of Convention Centres (AIPC) has brought its flagship educational programme for the first time to the African continent. Touching on all aspects of convention centre management, it elevated a diverse group of 25 participants.
The AIPC Academy is a five-day bootcamp that introduces participants to all aspects of convention centre management, from operations to finance. It combines lectures, workshops and team building, allowing the participants to connect and learn. The event targeted upcoming talent from all departments within a convention centre. Bringing this programme to the African continent is part of the overall AIPC strategy to increase its engagement with the global community.
“Africa is clearly the continent of the future. It is expected that African economies will grow substantially due to the African Continental Free Trade 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 the 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 from 19 August to 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 (Managing Director, SwissTech Convention Center), Sandy Kennedy (Strategic Director, Intelligent Growth Solutions), Projeni Pather (Managing Director, 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 Rooyen, Supply Chain Manager at the CTICC.
Given the success of this first event, the AIPC team is already planning its second, which will take place in August 2025. We are very pleased to announce that the CTICC – whose team did an amazing job in hosting the event – kindly agreed to welcome us again.
About AIPC
AIPC – the International Association of Convention Centres – is the industry association for professional convention and exhibition centre managers worldwide. AIPC is committed to encouraging and recognizing excellence in convention centre management, while also providing the tools to achieve such high standards through its research, educational and networking programs.
