The lineup of exemplary speakers on hand for the 2013 AIPC Annual Conference in Cape Town, South Africa this coming July 1-3 will provide delegates with a comprehensive insight into how the country is emerging as a major factor in both the global economy and the meetings industry.“We have valuable lessons to learn from emerging economies as we all face the need to rethink the ways we do business, and South Africa offers important experiences in this regard” says AIPC President Edgar Hirt. “The lessons from key leaders in this country will provide a context for sessions that will probe specifically into the role of meetings and centres today, and supply new ideas and insights for all our delegates.”
Amongst the key speakers who will be presenting at the conference are:
Wendy Luhabe, who has been described as “a woman whose pioneering contribution to the country’s young democracy is legendary”, is one of South Africa’s most accomplished business icons and social entrepreneurs. After 10 years in corporate marketing and human resources development, she founded Women Investment Portfolio Holdings, an initiative that revolutionized the participation of women in the economic landscape of South Africa and the first women owned company to be listed on the Johannesburg Securities Exchange.
She is the recipient of two Honorary Doctorates in Commerce, has been Chairman of Vendome SA, the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) and the International Marketing Council (IMC) and is on the Board of the Johannesburg Securities Exchange and the International Institute of Management Development in Switzerland. She is also member of the Club of Rome in Europe and a Chancellor of the University of Johannesburg. Wendy recently published her first book “Defining Moments” to advance her view that the world needs diversity to thrive and progress, and will be speaking on the role of economic development in community advancement.
Daniel Silke is an independent political analyst specialising in South African and International politics. He served six years in publicly elected office including four years as a Member of Parliament in the Western Cape Provincial Parliament in Cape Town, South Africa and as a City Councillor in the City of Cape Town. He has held the Chair of the Parliamentary Standing Committee of Economic Affairs, which includes the portfolios of Economic Development, Tourism, Agriculture and Transport and also served on Cape Town’s Economic Development Committee.
Mr Silke currently lectures widely throughout the world on contemporary South African and Global Issues, and contributes widely to publications both in South Africa and overseas, having been the foreign correspondent for the Juluka magazine based in Los Angeles, California for over 10 years. He has co-authored academic chapters in publications on South African politics, and is often published in major newspapers and online, with his press comments regularly quoted in publications as far afield as Dubai, Jamaica and Pakistan. He will speaking to the AIPC Conference on emerging economies in a global context.
Thebe Ikalafeng is widely recognized as Africa’s leading authority, thought leader, advisor, commentator and author on branding and reputation leadership. He is the founder and managing director of the award-winning Brand Leadership Group, vice-chairman of the Brand Council of South Africa and a non-executive director of Mercantile Bank Holdings, Brand South Africa and South African Tourism as well as founder of the seminal Brand Africa and Public Sector Excellence initiatives and a graduate of Marquette University and the Harvard Business School.
Born in Kimberly, South Africa, he writes and speaks globally on commercial, political and national branding and has been featured in global media such as CNN, BBC and CNBC Africa. He has participated directly in convention centre branding and will speak to how product branding, particularly in the case of an emerging product, can and does impact long-term marketing success and competitiveness.
“These are all individuals who have been on the front line of transition and growth in South Africa, and whose insights will enable our members to make the most of the experience they will get at the AIPC Conference”, said Hirt. “This is exactly the kind of benefit our delegates are looking for in a destination, and will add immeasurably to our interactions and discussions.”
