The spotlight is firmly placed on Cape Town as business tourism heavyweights, including professional conference organisers, destination management companies, buyers, product and service suppliers, and media personalities from across the country converge for this year’s Back2Business 2010. In its fourth year, a successful initiative of the Cape Town & Western Cape Convention Bureau, this high profile event is the Mother City’s celebration of business tourism, with a strong soccer theme, set for Friday 22 January 2010.

This is no black tie function. With a theme built around the 2010 FIFA World Cup, guests are invited to kit themselves in support of their favourite soccer teams while they enjoy an exciting lineup that includes a keynote address by Western Cape Coordinator for the World Cup, Dr. Laurine Platzky as well as an official opening of the business tourism year by the Provincial Minister for Finance, Economic Development and Tourism, Alan Winde.

Experienced international stuntwoman, explorer and accomplished author, Rachel Colenso promises to inspire and challenge delegates to ‘aim high’ this year and exceed their business goals against the background of an international tourism economy under pressure.  Also keeping delegates engaged and entertained during the programme is SuperSport Anchor and commentator Thabiso “TT” Tema as the MC.

Back2Business 2010 will be staged at the Southern Sun Cape Sun Hotel, one of Cape Town’s signature conference hotels. The event will also see  guests cap the evening with a street party in St George’s Mall outside the hotel. An impressive display of performing arts will capture the energy and optimism of the festive start to the new convention year.

Commenting on the eve of the event, CEO of Cape Town Routes Unlimited the umbrella organisation for the Cape Town & Western Cape Convention Bureau, Calvyn Gilfellan, had this to say: “Back2Business has built a reputation as the place to be to network, to be inspired and do business at the start of the business tourism year. Our New Year message is that Cape Town is your choice for fusing business with pleasure. As a destination, we have really come of age and are experiencing a renaissance with superb new conferencing infrastructure, great hotels and an extensive international flight network that supports our status as a globally competitive meetings, exhibitions and incentives destination.”

Talking on the theme of this year’s event, Gilfellan continued: “Soccer is going to become increasingly important in the months ahead of the games, and we want to be at the forefront of what is happening. The business tourism legacy of the games is massive in terms of global exposure of the destination and for us it becomes an easy choice to build the theme of our event around our official destination marketing Campaign ‘Beyond the 90 Minutes’, www.beyondthe90minutes.com, that encourages visitors to explore the destination before, between and after the games. We hope that in hosting this event we will show Cape Town and the Western Cape’s continuing commitment to support and stage major sporting events.”

Some of the industry’s strongest players have thrown their weight behind the event, culminating in an exhibition of the latest business tourism products in the industry in the “winners’ podium” in the Cape Sun. The extensive lineup of exhibitors includes Scan Africa, Destination Expo 2010, the Two Oceans Aquarium and ReedTravel Exhibitions.

Commenting on the face of business tourism in 2010 executive manager for International Marketing and the Cape Town & Western Cape Convention Centre, David Frandsen noted: “In Cape Town and the Western Cape we are seeing significant demand from conference organisers for events as far ahead as 2016! The lineup of events for 2010 is also looking pretty healthy. In the third quarter alone (October to December 2009) the Cape Town Convention Bureau submitted association bids with the possibility of attracting 22 900 delegates with a potential economic impact of R228 million to the local economy.

“As a destination, Cape Town and the Western Cape promises international event planners, excellent value and a wide variety of authentic South African experiences. This is not just a brilliant leisure tourism destination, we want the global business tourism industry to recognise Cape Town and the Western Cape’s status as a global player in the meetings, exhibitions and incentives sector.”
 
This year’s programme offers guests a little more than entertainment as it challenges business tourism players to give back to the community. As part of an initiative to raise funds for a local children’s art project in the community, the University of Cape Town’s RAG committee has partnered with the Convention Bureau to engage guests in completing a giant banner from recycled plastic with a theme around the World Cup. The initiative aims to raise money towards a charity art upliftment programme.

Speaking on this special initiative Gilfellan commented : “The Cape Town & Western Cape Convention Bureau supports this activation to show the destination’s commitment towards responsible tourism practice. We hope that in a small way business across the Western Cape will be challenged to play their part in their respective communities.” 

Prior to the event the Cape Town & Western Cape Convention Bureau will host 12 local science and medical associations in a hosted buyers lunch in partnership with Southern Sun Cape Sun. This forms part of an ongoing campaign by the Bureau to secure conferences for the destination in 2010 and beyond.