First BT Africa Expo, Conference and Awards hosted by Future Group

Business travel represents almost 90% of all African travel expenditure, and as the continent opens up for international trade, companies need to gear up to address this growing demand. Knowing what is important, spending what is essential, and avoiding the unnecessary, are the three key elements of business travel.

Opportunity to present to end-user

The BT Africa Expo Conference and Awards will take the form of a two-day expo, with the one-day conference taking place on 6 September, and the awards event scheduled for the morning of 7 September and the one-day conference taking place on 6 September. Some of South Africa's top business travel industry speakers will discuss pertinent issues in a series of engaging panel discussions at the conference.

It's the first event of its kind and the aim is to bring together travel buyers, travel management companies, corporate travel executives, hospitality groups, aviation companies and general business travel service providers. Here, products and properties can present directly to the trade and end-user in a focused, cost-effective environment; corporate travel agents can familiarise themselves with what's on offer, across the service providers; meetings and annual negotiations between agents and properties can take place, and the business traveller can be exposed to what's on offer.

Lie-flat seat on display

It's the ideal event for executives and decision makers across the business travel industry, including hospitality, airline, automotive, forex, travel management companies, banks, travel finance services, government agencies, insurance, travel tour agencies and corporate business travellers.

The two-day expo will also feature something not seen before in South Africa, with Qatar Airways rolling out their lie-flat Business Class seat for display, and delegates can take the opportunity to sample the comfort offered by the Middle Eastern airline.

The conference on 6 September will be moderated by renowned television news anchor, Jeremy Maggs and Business Traveller Africa editor, Dylan Rogers, and will feature five main discussion topics - Politics in Africa, Giants in Africa, Working in Africa, Travel in Africa and Marketing in Africa.