If the first half of the year is about action, then the second half of the year is about reflection. A host of quality events grace our industry in the next few months, bringing trends analysis, market research and business intelligence to the market - with impressive speaker line ups and new focus. This week Wednesday, 15 August 2007, sees the second in the series of International Marketing Council (IMC) 2010 events to prepare marketers for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, supported by Bizcommunity.com as online media partner. The focus is on how to brand the total continent of Africa to the benefit of all, including key learnings from the 2006 event. Book at www.imc.org.za. A unique focus is fashionista turned trends forecaster, Dion Chang, who is unleashing his Flux Trend Review in association with Bizcommunity, 7 - 8 September 2007. To quote Chang: "The conference will allow delegates to hit the pause button and to take stock of where we are." Flux, www.fluxtrends.co.za, aims to help delegates make informed decisions and adjust strategies with confidence. Knowledge Resources are making inroads into this industry as well with targeted events - this Friday it's Marketing to Kids (www.kr.co.za). The next real biggie of course is the annual marketing and retail conference happening 30 - 31 October from the Consumer Goods Council of SA - really not to be missed: www.ecr-sa.co.za. And for the first time this year, the new look Magazine Publishers Association (MPASA) launches a magazine publishing conference alongside its annual PICA awards for magazine publishing and journalism excellence on 6 - 7 November, www.mpasa.org.za. An aside: with all the travelling we do these days for our jobs, equipment in tow - isn't it time laptops came with handles to assist us through those pesky security check ins?!
Book now! Louise Marsland, editor@bizcommunity.co. Marketing news: marketingnews@bizcommunity.co. Responses to this column welcomed on our blog.