It's a winter wonderland of marketing excellence

The Winter School of Marketing Excellence (6 - 8 June 2005) launches alongside marketing show, Markex (7 - 9 June), and includes a brand showcase at the Brand Excellence Awards (7 June). Markex is being held at the Sandton Convention Centre and the MFSA events will be at the Sandton Sun hotel conferencing across the road.

It's kinda what the MFSA wanted to do at Loeries in the past few years, but lost the plot as the vision lost focus and the creative and marketing communities both felt their unique disciplines were marginalised in the clutter of too many awards. Apart from the fact that conferencing at Sun City on a weekend - after awards celebrations - proved, understandably not to be a very attractive proposition!

Marketing and brand excellence

Blackie, who is adept at pulling things together, and not all talk, seems to have pulled off a very attractive suite of events to bring the industry together and celebrate brand and marketing excellence (left out of a rebranded Loerie Awards this year) in a variety of interactive, participatory and affordable ways - while keeping conference fees and entry into the various awards later this year, very low. Even the international speakers and local experts at the conference component have been persuaded to give freely of their time.

Sponsors have ensured that the MFSA breaks even on the planned events, "we don't want to make a profit here, we just want to cover our costs," Blackie asserts.

Later this year, the MFSA Summer School of Marketing Excellence planned for September, will showcase marketing excellence in a series of awards into one show - and including the regional centres of Durban and Cape Town in the conferencing component and awards (probably on a regional basis for regional brands).

"Our aim is to create a festival of marketing excellence activities and events for all marketers to immerse themselves in," says Blackie, who is the executive chair of the MFSA. The Winter School's topics will span insight, vision, strategy and metrics components of the marketing process, with local and international speakers sharing their thoughts and ideas on best practice and leading edge brands.

Markex

This year's Markex & World of Events, incorporating Business of Sport, promises to showcase all the traditional marketing, promotional and sponsorship products and services as well as some more unconventional ones when it opens its doors at the Sandton Convention Centre between 7 - 9 June.

The MFSA will have a large presence there in support of Markex and its own marketing initiatives. Bizcommunity.com will also have a presence - so come say hi!

Markex & World of Events, South Africa's Premier Marketing and Promotions Exhibitions and the Ultimate Showcase of Suppliers to the Special Events Industry, are organised annually, in Johannesburg and Cape Town by Exhibitions for Africa. The 2005 Gauteng event takes place at the Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg between 7 and 9 June. The Cape Town event takes place in August.

Exhibition visitors can pre-register for their free entrance to the shows at www.markex.co.za and www.businessofsport.co.za.

The full MFSA conference programme

The conference will take place at the Sandton Sun conferencing, Sandton. For more information and/or bookings contact Tracy at the mfsa +27 11 832 3500 or Kirkpatrick & Associates on Tel: +27 11 483 2970.

DAY ONE: INSIGHT AND VISION, 6 JUNE 2005 FROM 08H30 TO 17H00