Branding South Africa with one message

The Conference is being hosted by the International Marketing Council of South Africa (IMC) on behalf of the 2010 National Communication Partnership Task Team (which includes representatives from government, business and the 2010 Local Organising Committee). The one-day indaba includes inputs from leading local and international speakers in the morning, outcomes-based workshops in the afternoon and a gala dinner to end proceedings.

The purpose of the conference is to ensure that South Africa communicates with one voice both domestically and internationally leading up to and beyond 2010.

"We are already looking beyond 2010 to where we want to position South Africa in the next decade," says Yvonne Johnston, the CEO of the IMC. "A major event such as the soccer World Cup attracts global attention but it has to be supported by strategies and structures to ensure a lasting legacy."

Desirable global brand

"Our objective is to establish Brand South Africa as one of the most prominent and desirable global brands," says Johnston.

Germany 2006 has shown that making the best of the opportunities offered by such an enormous event entails more than hosting soccer games successfully. The host country must brand itself at the same time, as was done so well by the Germans.

Therefore one of the key-note speakers at the conference will be the man who did just that for Germany, Mike de Vries, CEO of the branding company FC Deutschland GmbH.

Another speaker is internationally renowned Raul Parelba from Spain, who will focus on the branding and marketing opportunities provided by a major event. He is director partner of Trout & Partners, the global positioning specialists.

Other speakers and their topics include:

• Minister in the Presidency, Essop Pahad, who will look at opportunities for the continent brought about by the World Cup.
• The CEO of the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS), Themba Maseko, who will spell out the government's commitment to and expectations for 2010.
• Danny Jordaan, CEO of the Local Organising Committee, who will highlight marketing opportunities for local corporates.
• Thaninga Shope-Linney, NEPAD's general manager for communications and outreach, who will add to Minister Pahad's continental perspective on the 2010 World Cup.

• Wolfgang Grulke, CEO of FutureWorld will look at Africa and South Africa in the 21st century.

Yvonne Johnston, CEO of the IMC, will also be speaking at the Conference - spelling out Brand South Africa's future strategy in her address. She has very high expectations of the Conference, describing it as "a tremendous opportunity for the world view South Africa even more positively and Alive with Possibility than it does now."

The 2010 National Communication Partnership Conference is being hosted in partnership with the Independent Newspaper Company and the SABC.