Drumroll... the new Loeries venue is MARGATE!

As Bizcommunity.com reported on Monday, there are winds of change blowing through the Loeries, we just weren't allowed to say yet, that it was a fresh sea breeze! After our initial surprise at the venue - I mean Margate (!) - traditionally a middle class party town for students and Vaalie holidaymakers, it might actually be a fabulous choice.

Known as the 'Hibiscus Coast', Margate on the KwaZulu Natal South Coast has got one of the best beaches in the country; there's luxury and affordable accommodation options; superb golf courses nearby; within driving distance from Jo'burg; regional flights, including to the local Margate airport; the Durban agencies are thrilled at it being on their doorstep; and it's used to dealing with riotous crowds as Gauteng matrics and students traditionally descend in their thousands in November each year to celebrate year-end. In fact, at New Year last year, the town hosted 60 000 people for various festivities on New Year's eve.

The town boasts: "Margate and surrounds offers you a sub-tropical paradise of golden beaches, coastal forest and endless sunny days..."

Although they haven't seen nothin' yet, with the way this industry can party, I'm sure they'll be prepared!

And, according to The Loeries Committee, the sponsors and agency heads have given the green light for 'take off' to the venue.

The Loerie Awards 2005 will rekindle a passion for local creativity and celebrate it with a new format in a new venue chosen for its atmosphere and accessibility. This is the message from Andrew Human, managing director of the Section 21 company that now owns The Loerie Awards.

The biggest change and the one sure to generate the most debate, is the venue move from the traditional Sun City (regarded as elitist and expensive) to Margate on the KwaZulu-Natal south coast, he says.

Human is adamant these changes augur well for the future of The Loerie Awards, particularly the venue change.

"The critical driver for the move was our desire to create a small-town atmosphere - a la Grahamstown or George with their annual art festivals - and shift away from the somewhat dry, functional event that The Loerie Awards had become over the years," he explained.

"After considering and rejecting numerous options, including Newtown and the Sandton Convention Centre (very accessible but the sheer size of Johannesburg would not enable the committee to replicate the weekend festival experience of small towns); smaller towns around Gauteng such as Dullstroom, Bela-Bela and Mafikeng (lacked adequate accommodation and venue facilities, as well as atmosphere); and the Cape Coast (too far to allow bus and car travel within reasonable time and costs), Margate became our prime choice for several reasons...

"Most importantly, it has the right atmosphere for a few days networking - in many informal and unplanned ways - outside of the actual gala event, such as during brunch on Sunday, the golf, or at the after parties in the early hours of the morning.

"An almost forgotten and small, but not too small, coastal town where everything is within 10 minutes walking distance, it also presented itself as a place that could be branded as the new home to The Loerie Awards.

"I agree, Margate is something unexpected, yet we believe it is full of opportunity, unlike the more obvious and safer choices," Human said.

And while the committee hasn't revealed where exactly the awards will be hosted in the town - the beach is an obvious choice and tenders are out to event companies to come up with a party of note! Dress is expected to be a combination of formal and informal to match the venue setting.

Human added that The Loerie Awards has been reformatted on several levels. Most importantly is the return to the key objective of the inaugural event - that is a passionate celebration of the best local work.

In addition, a new category catering for the evolved communication strategies employed today, called Integrated Campaigns, has been added to the existing five categories.

Industry reaction

Committee member and chairman of the ACA, Maserame Mouyeme endorsed Human's choice, but for practical reasons. "Margate is only a seven-hour car journey from Gauteng, including a rest stop; it has its own airport for small aircraft and is close to Durban airport; it has ample accommodation at very affordable prices; and it has a fantastic climate and excellent beach, as well plenty of attractions in the near vicinity.

"Moving to KwaZulu-Natal also brings The Loerie Awards outside Gauteng to better include the other provinces in the event. Margate is a venue that is ideal to attract not only South African delegates but also international entries as we expand our focus to include emerging markets. The shift in venue will also help our goal of fostering creativity in future generations of creatives, by bringing The Loerie Awards more into the public domain. We will actively seek participation from the local community, especially with regard to local arts projects and schools," Mouyeme reiterated.

In addition, in line with The Loerie Awards' intention of ensuring the festival is accessible to a broader section of the industry, Human said the committee is confident that through a combination of lower accommodation costs, bus and flight packages, as well as economy priced meals, the overall cost per person will be the same if not lower than in previous years.

"In contrast to Sun City, there is no venue mark-up in Margate," he explained. "A delegate can buy refreshments at the corner café, or a burger from the fast-food outlet at the same price as he or she would in the normal course of the day. Additionally, much of the accommodation is self-catering."

Addressing changes to the entry criteria and judging procedure, The Loerie Awards 2005 committee chairman and Creative Circle representative, WingWing Mdlulwa, said this year marks a return to the roots of The Loerie Awards: a passionate celebration of the best work through recognising, rewarding and fostering creative excellence.

"Creativity is obviously not just about pretty pictures - it's about how a solution has been found to a brief in a creative and innovative way, challenging conventional thought and changing previous conventions.

"I am confident the event organisers have listened to what the industry has had to say about past Loerie Awards and look forward to receiving the industry's entries," he said.

The Loerie Awards travelling expo will continue to showcase creative work throughout South African and globally for the rest of the year following on Loeries.

The new branding for The Loerie Awards is also expected to be released soon. It is being conceptualised by King James.

All the relevant dates to diarise

The Loerie Awards 2005 will take place in Margate on Saturday October 15 and Sunday October 16. Other critical dates are: