Africa Event Connect

Most event organisers know a convention bureau exists. Very few know how to use one properly. In this episode, Projeni Pather sits down with Nonnie Kubeka, Executive Director of the Gauteng Convention and Events Bureau, for a practical, no-fluff guide to what bureau support actually looks like. From the types of events that qualify to the step-by-step process, the timelines involved, and the point in your planning journey when you should be making contact — this episode closes the gap between what is available and what the industry is actually accessing. If you organise events in Gauteng, this is essential listening. YouTube · Spotify · Apple Podcasts

What does it actually mean to think like a futurist? Charlotte Kemp - futurist keynote speaker, executive coach, and Past President of the Global Speakers Federation joins Africa Event Connect to explore how organisers, venues and industry leaders can move from reacting to trends to deliberately co-creating the future they want. YouTube · Spotify · Apple Podcasts

The first time Professor Nellie Swart was on Africa Event Connect, she spoke about women in MICE, mentorship, and career mobility. This time she brings the research instead. With a BCom in Leadership Performance and Change and more than 75 peer-reviewed publications behind her, she looks at what actually separates leaders who create real change from those who just perform it. She pushes back on the industry congratulating itself on gender progress, points out where leadership development keeps getting it wrong, and shares some of the patterns her data keeps turning up that most organisations would rather not hear. Practical and evidence-based, not another feel-good career chat. YouTube · Spotify · Apple Podcasts

International mentalist Larry Soffer joins Africa Event Connect to argue that entertainment isn't a cost line, it's a strategic lever, with measurable impact on audience energy and event outcomes. YouTube · Spotify · Apple Podcasts

SAACI CEO Glenton De Kock joins host Projeni Pather for a direct debrief on the National Annual Conference's "Here & Now" theme - Prof Mohale's blunt opening read, why KZN was chosen, the R14 trillion inefficiency figure, and what it takes to lead an industry through its hardest chapter. YouTube · Spotify · Apple Podcasts

In this episode, we sit down with Neil Nagooroo - a strategist and digital transformation leader with over two decades in South Africa's exhibitions, events, and MICE sectors - to talk about what AI is actually worth to an events business. Neil unpacks why so much revenue is still left uncaptured, what data-driven sponsorship and pricing really look like, and how organisers can rethink the value they offer exhibitors and attendees. He also tackles Africa's specific infrastructure challenges, the most common commercial mistakes he sees, and the one concrete move any organiser can make in the next 90 days. This is a sharp, practical conversation for anyone serious about the commercial future of events. YouTube · Spotify · Apple Podcasts

Zandi Sibisi aka Zandi Soul, Founder & Director of ZA Conferences, joins Africa Event Connect to unpack the realities of hotel and group event management - from operational excellence and the gap between promise and delivery, to her dual life as a DJ, and the future of women’s leadership in hospitality across Africa. YouTube · Spotify · Apple Podcasts

What if your event was already failing before the venue was booked? In this episode, Projeni Pather speaks with Mulemwa Moongwa, Meeting Architect and former Central Bank of Zambia planner about designing events for outcomes, not attendance, and why the brief is where most African events are won or lost. YouTube · Spotify · Apple Podcasts

What separates an event people attend from one they never forget? In this episode, Projeni Pather speaks with Tamlynne Wilton-Gurney, CEO of IDNA Africa about the psychology of event design, emotional storytelling, and why Africa is uniquely positioned to lead the future of experiential events. YouTube · Spotify · Apple Podcasts

Exhibitions are evolving as AI and technology reshape how value is created and experienced. In this conversation, Projeni Pather and Errol Bryce explore innovation, leadership, and the practical application of technology in the events industry, focusing on what is truly driving progress and what requires more intentional adoption moving forward. YouTube · Spotify · Apple Podcasts