8 WAYS TO WIN A BID

What are the key elements to include in a winning bid book? The Event investigates.

Many PCOs prefer to avoid bidding and tap into existing networks. In part, this may be due to the hassle attached to putting together a full bid; a bid book should be over 50 pages long! It can be intimidating to think through all of the elements required for such a document. While we have sought to unpack the process, unfortunately, there is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to constructing a bid book. Still, certain aspects should be thought of, well in
advance of the bid book being sent in. Below, we outline some of these key sections.

Design & Layout
While this might seem entirely obvious to event organisers, first impressions matter – especially in the world of bid books. Ensure that your book’s design is clean and consistent. Source high-quality, high-resolution images to sell your services and your chosen destination. Ideally, you could include original imagery, but even high-quality stock photography can allow the organisers to envision your destination.

Furthermore, ensure that your layout makes logical sense. A table of contents should clearly delineate where organisers
can expect to find the various components of your bid book, but you can go beyond that and think of ways to improve the reader experience. For instance, while application documents often demand the inclusion of a budget and/or request detailed programme outlines, these can break up the flow of your narrative-driven bid book if placed directly after the applications. Instead, you can include them as Addenda, allowing the readers to flip towards them when it’s time.

Click here to continue reading in Event Issue 09.

AN EDUCATION IN EVENTS

Natasha Skoryk investigates the kinds of qualifications South African events professionals require in order to succeed in the business-events industry.

“I believe a broad-based BComm qualification with focus on project management or small enterprise development would give you a very good start in the industry,” says JP Van Schalkwyk, a professional congress organiser (PCO) and owner of both Up a Tone Events and Loft at Nine. This is a standard view in the industry – that the broader an  education and training, the better the person will be prepared for the always changing and often challenging industry.

If a full BComm – Van Schalkwyk suggests one focused on tourism – won’t work for you, he suggests looking at colleges that offer shorter courses. But at the end of the day, many skills will only be learned on the job. “Much of this industry can be learned with internships at various MICE enterprises as well as reading relevant blogs and articles,” adds Van Schalkwyk. Having a broad understanding of the industry is vital. “There are many aspects in the Event Management career and not everyone might want to specialise in all of them,” says Chris Prieto, of Chris Prieto, CMP Event Management & Consultancy. “However, the more specialised the better chances one has of succeeding in their career, taking into consideration the amount of people that have now decided to follow this path.”

Click here to continue reading in Event Issue 09.

BUSINESS EVENTS MADE EASY: RWANDA

Having been identified by government as a priority growth area, the MICE sector in Rwanda is booming. Here are some of the reasons to host your next business event in the “Land of a Thousand Hills”.

Our conference tourism strategy is bearing fruit,” said Rwandan President Paul Kagame in his 2017 State of the Nation Address. Growing the business-event sector is a priority for the country, and the Rwanda Convention Bureau has been competently spearheading the development of this industry, and can provide invaluable support to burgeoning international organisers.

Rwanda has hosted the following high-profile events in the last few years, such as the Youth Connect Africa in July 2017, Transform Africa Summit in May 2017, the African Nations Championship in January 2016, World Economic Forum on Africa in May 2016, 27th African Union Summit in July 2016, the Global African Investment Summit in September 2016, and the 84th Interpol General Assembly in November 2015. The infrastructure, clearly, is there and an attitude of service-delivery is as well. Moreover, Rwanda offers a moderate climate, a favourable exchange rate and plenty of incentive travel options.

Click here to continue reading in Event Issue 09.

TOURISM MONTH 2018

The Event rounds up some of the Tourism Month initiatives around the country, which have been planned for September 2018.

Organised by the UN World Tourism Organisation, World Tourism Day offers countries around the world the opportunity to promote the tourism sector. This year’s theme is “Tourism and the Digital Transformation.” It is intended to explore the opportunities provided to tourism by technological advances including big data, artificial intelligence and digital platforms. South African Tourism Month is celebrated annually in September with the aim of encouraging South Africans to explore their own country. It also provides the tourism industry with an opportunity for a sustained, heightened month-long focus on the importance of domestic tourism to the economy.

Tourism Public Lecture – 18 September 2018 – Walter Sisulu University, Umtata, Eastern Cape
The Department of Tourism in partnership with the Eastern Cape Provincial Department of Economic Development, Environmental Affairs and Tourism, Eastern Cape Parks and Tourism Agency, and Walter Sisulu University will host the annual tourism public lecture on the 18th of September 2018 at Walter Sisulu University. Per the UN’s chosen theme, the title of this forthcoming lecture is: “Tourism and the Digital Transformation.”

Click here to continue reading in Event Issue 09.