Attending the Loeries weekend in Cape Town? Some pointers...

Now that the entries are all in, it's time to get ready for the Festival Weekend, which will this year be hosted by the City of Cape Town for the first time. Here are the most important points to remember:

1. The Loeries Village will be centred in and around Long Street, with Camps Bay being the daytime venue, the Good Hope Centre the awards venue, and the after-parties in Long Street.
   
2. Registration, which will be at the Grand Daddy Hotel in Long Street, opens from Thursday morning. Tickets must be bought in advance and all ticket holders must register to get access passes to all the activities.
   
3. Virtually the whole of the Camps Bay strip has been pre-reserved for Loeries delegates for Friday and Saturday daytime activities. Whether it's your agency lunch or the “hair of the dog”, book your function in Camps Bay on the Friday and Saturday. Remember, anyone can attend the Camps Bay functions, so use this opportunity to mix it up with all your long-lost friends from Cape Town, as well as faraway lands (like Gauteng). Bookings can be made via the Loeries website.
   
4. This year the festival starts on Thursday 24 September as it's a public holiday (Heritage Day). Very Important Ego ticket holders (VIEs) all get invites to the Mayor's Welcome Party on Thursday - a spectacular party in the heart of the city with food, cocktails and live music - not to mention a chance to meet Dan Plato, the city's new mayor, and rub shoulders with the industry's finest.
   
5. Also on Thursday evening, all VIE, Grand and Gallery ticket holders get access to the Battle of the Bands and the Chairman's Party.
   
6. The Communication Design and Print Media awards will be hosted by Ads24 on Friday and the Electronic Awards (Radio, TV, Digital, Online Advertising) as well as live events, mixed-media and integrated campaigns will be hosted by the SABC on Saturday. Very Important Ego tickets allow access to all VIP areas throughout the weekend as well as the Mayor's Function on Thursday. Grand Tickets are for the industry masses and include access to all after-parties. Lastly, Gallery tickets are for students and juniors - remember these are upstairs, bench-style seating, not for the pampered rears of the industry elite! All tickets are available via the Loeries website (some Gallery seats have been held back for educational institutions, so if you're from a school and still hoping to get your hands on one of these elusive tickets please contact the Loeries office).
   
7. Special Mango flights are available with return fares from R1389 Joburg or Durban to Cape Town, and cars are available from Tempest Car Hire from R149 per day.
   
8. There are numerous taxi and shuttle services available to get you from Cape Town International Airport to the city - please make sure you arrange your own wheels to get you into the Loeries Village.
   
9. A 24-hour shuttle service will be provided in the Loeries Village, linking to all official accommodation. Please remember that this service does not extend outside the Loeries Village and does not include the airport. Shuttles will run continuously between Camps Bay, Long Street and the Good Hope Centre. Special park-and-ride facilities will also be provided for Cape Town residents and shuttles will run to all these parking areas. It is safest to use the shuttle service when moving between the Good Hope Centre and Long Street.
   
10. Official accommodation can be accessed via the Loeries website.
    

For more information go to www.theloerieawards.co.za.