Registration now open for The Business of Wine & Food Tourism Conference

jill111 via Pixabay

"The Western Cape has a distinct advantage in Southern Africa. Not only does it feature breathtaking sea- and mountain-scapes, but a vibrant culinary and social scene that celebrates and reflects its very special environment,” says seasoned tourism specialist Margi Biggs, convenor of the conference.

"The wine and food scene here in the Cape, together with its interesting combination of people - tourists and locals from all levels of society - provide such a healthy environment for cultivating tourism, and now is the perfect time to explore the theme of innovation and its various facets and impact points. We encourage all those in the industry to attend the conference. You’ll hear from South African innovation thought-leader, Peter Greenwall, who actively works on advancing ‘innovation IQ’. He is a successful author and entrepreneur - a natural educator with an innate ability to navigate through nonsense and clutter to create lightbulb moments in creativity."

Greenwall explains: "I will be teaching attendees how to create a culture of innovation that permeates all aspects of their tourism-related businesses, and discuss the five stages of what we refer to the ‘innovation cycle’. In addition, I’ll also touch on topics such as how to capitalise on change and turn the fear of the unknown into a positive driving force to cultivate ongoing innovation and inventiveness, and outline steps on how to learn from failure and mistakes, as well as ways to innovate via social media."

"We are also thrilled to have the talented Wandile Mabaso, a young and internationally travelled Soweto-born, French-inspired chef, who is currently disrupting the culinary scene in Johannesburg, confirmed as speaker. He’s also known as South Africa’s French cuisine ambassador, having worked alongside many famous French chefs, like the legendary Alain Ducasse who holds an incredible 21 Michelin stars. Wandile was also mentored by the world-famous chef, Olivier Reginensi," states Biggs.

Western Cape wine tourism taps into big data, grows SA travel industry

17 Apr 2018

Other speakers at this year’s conference include online story-teller Chris Joubert, and Spicer de Villiers, who owns A Single Thread, a boutique communications agency that is active in local wine; Donovan Kirkwood, an ecologist and biodiversity conservation specialist; as well as chef and foraging specialist Kobus van der Merwe, who with his intensely local and seasonal focus has developed a cuisine that completely embodies and evokes the wild and dry West Coast. Also to feature are Serge Raemaekers, a specialist in marine biology who has developed a unique value chain bringing freshly caught fish to Cape Town’s top restaurants; Tim Harris, the chief executive officer of Wesgro, who also sits on the board of Silicon Cape, Cape Town’s technology promotion initiative.

Trainees and professionals working in the Cape’s wine, food and tourism industries are advised to register early to attend the conference. Early Bird registration is now open at a fee of R2,950 (excl. VAT) per delegate and ends on 30 June. A fee of R4, 400 (excl. VAT) per delegate will apply thereafter, while students only pay R1,750 (excl. VAT) per person. A special discount is available for SAACI, SATSA, SITE and Cape Town Tourism members.

View the full programme or register online by 30 June 2018.