Western Cape Business Events Support Programme launched

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The Western Cape Business Events Support Programme focuses on local or national business events, comprising of meetings, incentives, conferences or exhibitions, presented in person or hybrid. It is designed to reignite confidence in holding in-person or hybrid business events, by assisting eligible event organisers with funding, which can be used to cover event-related costs, such as accommodation, venue hire, food and beverage, transport and other event-related expenses, and with 50% of this funding being paid prior to the event to support upfront expenses.

Expression of interest is now open, and submissions for business events will be assessed against the following eligibility and mandatory criteria:

• Must be a new national event,
  
• Conference organiser’s compliance must be in Good Standing,
  
• Event must commence prior to 31 March 2022,
  
• Must have a physical attendance of a minimum of 20 delegates for small-sized events and 50 delegates for medium sized events. The delegate numbers exclude virtual delegate participation,
  
• Must consist of a two-day programme, with a one night stay in the Western Cape,
  
• Must include proof of venue hire and/or accommodation enquiry/reservation from the venue/accommodation establishment, and
  
• Must provide a post business event report to verify the delegate numbers prior to the balance of the support being paid out.

Western Cape Minister of Finance and Economic Opportunities, David Maynier, welcomed the launch of the Western Cape Business Events Support Programme: “The value of the business events sector to the provincial economy cannot be underestimated, with the City of Cape Town and the Western Cape having hosted the most international association conferences in Africa over the last 10 years. And so, we hope that this initiative will go a long way to supporting the sector, which has been hard-hit by the Covid-19 pandemic, but has also shown great resilience and adaption during these difficult times. With our innovative hybrid conferencing and meeting facilities, world-class attractions and strict Covid-19 health measures in place, we continue to welcome business travellers to the City of Cape Town and the Western Cape.”

"The South Africa National Convention Bureau (SANCB) welcomes this initiative by the Cape Town and Western Cape Convention Bureau. These types of initiatives will assist our industry to reintroduce face-to-face engagement to our clients as a viable platform to advance the business objectives of their organisations. Business events are crucial to the economic development of our country, and we need to assist our clients to venture away from their screens safely and to again embrace the unique value face-to-face engagements can provide,” said Chief Convention Bureau Officer at South African Tourism, Amanda Kotze-Nhlapo.

Acting Wesgro CEO, Yaw Peprah, concludes: “Business events are catalysts for change, and despite the sector being one of the hardest hit as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, there has been a continued interest in hosting conferences, meetings and incentive travel in Cape Town and the Western Cape. As the premier business events destination in Africa and an inspiring place to meet, there is no better time than now to showcase our commitment to supporting the business events industry and demonstrate that our destination is ready and prepared for business events to resume safely and responsibly. So I urge all business events planners to seize this opportunity and showcase their ability to adapt and innovate.”

Should regulations based on the Disaster Manager Act gazette be amended to prevent events taking place in person, the approved funding of 50% will still be honoured to successful applicants.