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  • 2024 Faculty

2024 Faculty

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MANAGING DIRECTOR, MICE KNOWLEDGE UK, UK

Dr. Rob Davidson

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BOURNEMOUTH UNIVERSITY BUSINESS SCHOOL, UK

Prof Dimitrios Buhalis

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CEO, SOUTHERN AFRICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE CONFERENCE INDUSTRY (SAACI), SOUTH AFRICA

Glenton De Kock

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DIRECTOR, MAURITIUS TOURISM PROMOTION AUTHORITY

Arvind Bundhun

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CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, FAIRGROUND HOLDINGS PTY LTD, BOTSWANA

Gorata Gabaraane

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CEO OF MILLVEST ADVISORY, SOUTH AFRICA

Miller Matola

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CEO DOGAN EXHIBITIONS AND EVENTS (THE RAND SHOW), SOUTH AFRICA

Adele Hartdegen

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CEO OF EVENT SYNTHESIS INTERNATIONAL

Angelique Smith

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DIRECTOR, BDO SOUTH AFRICA

Lee-Anne Bac

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CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, KENYA ASSOCIATION OF TRAVEL AGENTS ( KATA)

Nicanor Sabula

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ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA, SOUTH AFRICA

Prof. Nellie Swart

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BUSINESS EVENTS PROFESSIONAL & CONSULTANT

Amanda Kotze-Nhlapo

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DIRECTOR – BDO ADVISORY SERVICES, SOUTH AFRICA

Christelle Grohmann

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HEAD OF COMMERCIAL & GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS, AFRICA

Papy Luzala

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CRYSTAL EVENTS AND PRESIDENT, SITE AFRICA, SOUTH AFRICA

Tes Proos

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REGIONAL DIRECTOR: AFRICA, ICCA, RWANDA

Frank Murangwa

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MANAGING PARTNERS, SRC AGENCY, TANZANIA AND RWANDA

Doris Parsons

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CEO, AFRICA TOURISM PARTNERS, SOUTH AFRICA

Kwakye Donkor

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HEAD OF COMMERCIAL, TRAVELSTART, SOUTH AFRICA

Linda Balme

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CEO OF THEA GROUP OF COMPANIES AND THE CREATIVE DIRECTOR OF AFRICAN GLOBAL EVENTS INDUSTRY SUMMIT, GHANA

Kate Hassan

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HEAD GAUTENG CONVENTIONS AND EVENTS BUREAU, SOUTH AFRICA

Nonnie Kubeka

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PRINCIPAL CONSULTANT, STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENT AND ADVISOR, BDO ADVISORY SERVICES, SOUTH AFRICA

Jabulani Debedu

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MARKET ANALYST AT BOTSWANA TOURISM ORGANISATION (BTO), BOTSWANA

Mpho Raboloko

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FOUNDER, PINNACLE SPORTS & EVENTS MANAGEMENT UK LIMITED, UNITED KINGDOM

Edward Abankwa

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DIRECTOR, TOURISM AND GAMING, MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FORESTRY AND TOURISM, NAMIBIA

Sebulon Chicalu

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DIRECTOR OF HILTON WORLDWIDE SALES, AFRICA & INDIAN OCEAN

Sibabalwe Peter

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CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, CPL EVENTS, UNITED KINGDOM & CAPE VERDE

Dr. Linda Pereira

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CEO, CITY & SAFARIS INTERNATIONAL, BOTSWANA

Tshepiso Mganga

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SUSTAINABILITY MANAGER, BDO SOUTH AFRICA

Lehlogonolo Mashego

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MANAGING DIRECTOR, MICE KNOWLEDGE UK, UK

Dr. Rob Davidson

Rob Davidson is the Managing Director of MICE Knowledge, a consultancy specialising in research, education and training services for the meetings and events industry.

 

His main areas of expertise are conferences and incentive travel, and he has written seven books on these themes, including his latest publication, Business Events (https://www.routledge.com/Business-Events/Davidson/p/book/9781138735767).

 

He has carried out research projects for a number of major organisations including the Poland Convention Bureau, the Ireland National Tourism Development Authority, and the Society for Incentive Travel Excellence.

 

He is regularly invited to speak at international conferences on themes linked to business events, in particular to present the results of his ongoing research into conference industry trends. Rob also teaches as a Visiting Professor in four European universities, where he educates and inspires Events Management and Tourism Management students every year.

 

In 2015, he was awarded a Doctorate from the University of Greenwich for his thesis, entitled ‘Technological and Demographic Factors as Agents of Change in the Development of Business Events’.

 

In 2016, he won the Best Conference Speaker award at the Global Event Awards.In 2017, he was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award at the IBTM WORLD exhibition in Barcelona.

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BOURNEMOUTH UNIVERSITY BUSINESS SCHOOL, UK

Professor Dimitrios Buhalis

Professor Dimitrios Buhalis is a Strategic Management and Marketing expert with specialisation in Information Communication Technology applications in the Tourism, Travel, Hospitality and Leisure industries. He is Director of the eTourism Lab and Deputy Director of the International Centre for Tourism and Hospitality Research, at Bournemouth University in England. He is also Editor in Chief of the most established Journal in Tourism: Tourism Review, now and SSCI Journal in its 75th volume.

 

Professor Buhalis’ research is referenced widely, being the 3rd most cited for tourism and 1st most cited for hospitality 18th on strategy and 30th in Marketing on Google Scholar https://scholar.google.co.uk/citations?user=KW2ZrvUAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao with more than 50000 citations and h-index 98. Dimitrios current research focus includes: Real Time and Nowness, Smart Tourism and Smart Hospitality, Social Media Context and Mobile Marketing (SoCoMo), Augmented Reality, Technology enhanced Experience Management and Personalisation, Reputation and Social Media Strategies, Accessibility and Special Diet (Alergens) Tourism.

 

Professor Buhalis is well known international speaker on trends, technology, marketing, tourism and Hospitality. Professor Buhalis is an inspirational forward thinker that undertakes cutting edge research, develops innovations and makes a major impact to global society. For more information, books,articles see www.buhalis.com.

For the period January 2016- September 2019, Buhalis was the Head of Department of Tourism and Hospitality, at Bournemouth University. During this period the Department was ranked #8 (2018) and #10 (2019) in QS World University Rankings by Subject 2019: Hospitality & Leisure Management as well as #9 (2017) and #12 (2018) in the ShanghaiRanking’s Global Ranking of Academic Subjects – Hospitality & Tourism and #3 in the Guardian University guide 2019.

 

Dimitrios is Founding Member and past President (2010-2014) of the International Federation for Information Technologies in Travel and Tourism (IFITT). He served as the First Vice President of the International Academy for the Study of Tourism (2017-2019) and served as Executive Board Member of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) Affiliate Members.

Professor Dimitrios Buhalis is a renown international speaker and conference facilitator. He frequently delivers keynote presentations, speeches, seminars and workshops in both academic and professional conferences globally. He has constantly pushing the boundaries of knowledge, professional practice and academic excellence.

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CEO, SOUTHERN AFRICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE CONFERENCE INDUSTRY (SAACI), SOUTH AFRICA

Glenton De Kock

Promoting positive community and economic growth in our neighbourhood” is an objective that drives Glenton daily.

 

Glenton’s public and private sector strategic management skills came in handy during the pandemic. His active role within the Business Events industry in South Africa and the Africa has aided his role as CEO of the Southern African Association for the Conference Industry (SAACI). With the pivotal role he played for the association and specifically with the formation of the South African Events Council, he was aptly placed in working across the public and private sector the past few years on behalf of SAACI members.

 

Having honed his tourism and hospitality skills during his tenure as Managing Director of Tourism Buffalo City (covering East London, King Williams Town and Bhisho) where he oversaw the development and implementation of the destinations USAID Funded Tourism Master Plan, as Chief Executive Officer of Nelson Mandela Bay (Port Elizabeth, Uitenhage and Despatch) he refocused the organisations operating model, and as Chief Executive Officer of the Eastern Cape Tourism Board, which is now The Eastern Cape Parks and Tourism Agency (ECPTA) he drove the implementation of the provinces international partnerships program.

 

As an Associate Director at KPMG he led the Hospitality, Leisure and Tourism Unit for Africa and South Africa before moving onto Grant Thornton in a similar position. His position as Project Manager at the Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber ensured that Business embraces its civil society role by driving a holistic approach which enables business within the Metro to work towards long-term sustainability, though projects such as the Nooitgedaght Low Level Water Scheme and the re-activation for the much needed Addo Road refurbishment.

 

Glenton’s business management experience cuts across various sectors, such as Tourism Hospitality, Petro-chemical, Mining and all spheres of government to name a few. He provides strategic input into his family footwear manufacturing business which employees 60 people and is run by his sisters.

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DIRECTOR, MAURITIUS TOURISM PROMOTION AUTHORITY.

Arvind Bundhun

Arvind Bundhun, Director of the Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority, sees Africa as the future of Mauritian tourism.

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CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, FAIRGROUND HOLDINGS PTY LTD, BOTSWANA

Gorata Gabaraane

Gorata Gabaraane is the Chief Executive Officer of Fairground Holdings PTY LTD.

 

Mrs. Gabaraane has more than 17 years in the Hospitality sector, 4 of which were in the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions sub sector. The balance of her experience was in the hotel industry as General Manager of various hotels, Coordinator of the Cresta Management Development Programme as well as Special Projects Manager.

 

Apart from being a hospitality industry player of repute, Mrs Gabaraane has also held senior roles in Strategy and Quality Management at LEA and the Botswana Investment and Trade Centre.

 

Gabaraane attributes her success as a leader by growing organisational capacity by continually building a new crop leadership.

 

In addition to her BSc in Hotel Management, she holds a Master’s Degree in Strategic Management from the University of Derby in the United Kingdom. She is also an accredited ISO 9001-2008 Lead Auditor as well as an accredited Balanced Scorecard Master professional.

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CEO OF MILLVEST ADVISORY, SOUTH AFRICA

Miller Matola

Miller Mulamule Matola has more than 25 years of management experience within the global travel, tourism, hospitality, convention industry and investment facilitation environments.

 

His competencies range from executive management, business administration, project management, destination marketing, nation branding to strategic planning and execution. With demonstrated business management skills, at both operational and strategic levels,
Miller has managed several large non-profit and for – profit organisations during his management career; having been CEO of Tourism KwaZulu Natal, Durban ICC and Brand South Africa respectively. Uniquely, he possesses unprecedented knowledge and networks amongst global decision makers in the Tourism, Business Events, Trade, Investment and Development sectors, both in business and government. Miller has proven stakeholder relationship management skills, having worked at executive management level with various Business, Government and Civil society stakeholders globally.

 

At present, Miller is Founder and CEO of Millvest (Pty) Ltd, a South African advisory and project management company focusing on the tourism, hospitality, energy and convention industries. He is a non-executive director of the Africa Tourism Leadership Forum and a member of the Premier’s Economic Growth Advisory Council and Tourism and Agriculture Work Group of the Limpopo Province.

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CEO, JOHANNESBURG EXPO CENTRE & RAND SHOW, SOUTH AFRICA

Adele Hartdegen

Adele is currently serving as the CEO of Dogan Exhibitions as well as the Johannesburg Expo Centre. Her core expertise lies in strategic development, with a strong emphasis on driving sales growth, enhancing brand value, and optimising operational efficiency. She specialises in business turnaround, leveraging her extensive experience in sales, marketing, and operational best practices to deliver measurable results and sustainable success.

She has 17 years C-Level experience in Sales and Marketing across various disciplines with a total of 11 years of dedicated experience in the MICE industry. Originally employed by the GL events group for her Marketing, Bid Management, and Business development expertise in 2014 she has made great strides in establishing her career growth path within the international Group. Adele has a keen interest in the development of the broader MICE sector; she actively pursues opportunities to play a part in developing the industry and enhance its overall economic contribution.

She has served 3 years as the Chairperson of the Young Professionals Forum at EXSA and is currently serving her 3rd term on the board of AAXO. Adele is deeply committed to talent development within the organizations she leads. She prioritizes retaining and nurturing existing talent by aligning individuals with roles that enable them to grow and thrive. Her inclusive leadership style fosters a supportive and “safe” environment where team members feel empowered to contribute ideas, experiment, and apply their skills to drive the company’s success.
CEO, EVENT SYNTHESIS INTERNATIONAL, SOUTH AFRICA

Angelique Smith

Professional training/Qualifications
Diploma in Event Coordinating
Diploma in Wedding Planning
Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety – Event Safety Officer
SACIA accredited Event Safety Officer Designation
SACIA accredited Event Professional Designation
Certificate in Moderating and Facilitation
Certified Covid Compliance Trainer
Diploma in Project Management
Certificate in Risk Assessment – general and specialised
Sporting fraternity Results auditor


Angelique has been actively servicing the events industry in South Africa for
over 20 years and has expanded internationally into Mauritius, Argentina, the
United Kingdom, and Dubai since 2004.
She sits on several committee’s assuming various portfolios in South Africa
within the MICE, Tourism and Hospitality sector. She is a member of the
Southern Association for the conference industry (SAACI), The Southern
African Communications Industries Association (SACIA), The Event Greening
Forum (EGF) and the Association of African Exhibition Organisers (AAXO), Site
Africa, the Exhibition and Events Association of Southern Africa (EXSA) and
the Professional Collective powered by Woman of Stature (WOS).
Angelique is a Women in Mice alumni and won the Top 40 award in 2020 as
well as the certification and qualification category in 2022 for the role she
played in the re-opening of various sectors during the Covid pandemic. She is
also the 2022 Woman of Stature Global winner in the Tourism and Hospitality
category. Event Synthesis, under the leadership of Angelique, is renowned for its comprehensive eventing solutions that span globally. As a full-service agency, it excels in conference facilitation, event and project management, event safety consultation, RSVP management, as well as sports, travel management, and corporate gifting solutions. Proudly holding a Level 2 B-BEEE certification, Event Synthesis operates with a national and international footprint, bringing its expertise to a wide array of clients and projects.

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DIRECTOR, BDO SOUTH AFRICA

Lee-Anne Bac

Lee-Anne Bac is a Director at BDO Advisory Services Johannesburg with more than 20 years experience consulting to clients in the tourism, hospitality, leisure and property sectors in South Africa and the rest of Africa. Lee-Anne’s consulting experience includes strategic planning, market and financial feasibility studies, financial evaluations, business valuations, economic impact studies, socio-economic impact studies, market research and demand assessments and strategic management consulting.

 

Lee-Anne holds a BSc degree in Microbiology and Zoology from the University of the Witwatersrand and an MBA degree from the University of Cape Town. She joined BDO Advisory Services in 1997 as a Senior Consultant and was appointed as a Director of BDO Advisory Services in September 1999.

 

Lee-Anne is regularly quoted in the printed press about issues relating to the tourism, hospitality and property industries and with regard to women in business and she regularly presents at industry functions, workshops and conferences.

 

Lee-Anne is passionate about the transformative role of tourism in economies and societies. As her commitment to enhancing sustainable tourism, Lee-Anne is a Director of Fair Trade Tourism (FTT).

 

Lee-Anne is a member of the national executive of the Woman’s Property Network in South Africa and was a recipient of the Women’s Property Network “Excellence in Property” award in 2013. She is also a member of SAMRA – the South African Market Research Association.

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CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, KENYA ASSOCIATION OF TRAVEL AGENTS ( KATA)

Nicanor Sabula

A skilled, passionate and self-driven Association manager who has spent the last 15 years in senior leadership of national and international membership organisations. Whether designing new projects, managing voluntary Boards, leading lean staff, mobilizing resources, dealing with the media, negotiating with partners and stakeholders or meeting the ever increasing demands of members, i do it with skill, style and stamina.

The end result- transformation.

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA, SOUTH AFRICA

Prof. Nellie Swart

A skilled, passionate and self-driven Association manager who has spent the last 15 years in senior leadership of national and international membership organisations. Whether designing new projects, managing voluntary Boards, leading lean staff, mobilizing resources, dealing with the media, negotiating with partners and stakeholders or meeting the ever increasing demands of members, i do it with skill, style and stamina.

The end result- transformation.

BUSINESS EVENTS PROFESSIONAL & CONSULTANT

Amanda Kotze-Nhlapo

Amanda Kotze-Nhlapo was appointed in November, 2011 to the position of Chief Convention Bureau Officer at the South African National Convention Bureau (SANCB), a business unit of South African Tourism. In total, she has more than 12 years’ experience in senior management to the SANCB having come to South African Tourism from her position as head of the Conventions Bureau and Events at Cape Town Routes Unlimited (CTRU) where she gained stellar experience in developing and managing competitive, creative bids to win business tourism and other big event bids for that city. Kotze-Nhlapo comes from the Free State and holds a BA in Political Science and BA honours degree in International Political Relations, both from the University of the Free State.

DIRECTOR – BDO ADVISORY SERVICES, SOUTH AFRICA

Christelle Grohmann

Christelle has more than 23 years’ consulting experience and carries out and heads project teams for macro research, economic impact assessments, valuations, marketing and organisational strategies, market feasibility studies, financial viability assessments, business case assessments and transaction advisory assignments.

Christelle has also facilitated numerous workshops and large meetings and is proficient in using a range of facilitation approaches and tools.

HEAD OF COMMERCIAL & GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS, AFRICA

Papy Luzala

As the Head of Commercial & Government Affairs for Africa at RX Africa, Papy leads and manages all commercial and high-level stakeholder engagements (public and private) on the African continent with the view to meet the company’s exhibitions’ overall goals and objectives in Africa. In his role, Papy also seeks and identifies opportunities to expand the company business activities into Africa through partnerships and new markets.

 Fully bilingual in both French and English, Papy travels quite extensively to several countries in Africa in order to strengthen RX Africa’s market capabilities as well as client relationships with a specific focus on increasing revenues and provide guidance on the African continent’s business landscape, political climate and governance matters.

PRESIDENT SITE AFRICA, FOUNDER CRYSTAL EVENTS AFRICA, TRAINER, MODERATOR, TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY CONSULTANT

Tes Proos

Tes is president of the Africa chapter of SITE (Society of Incentive Travel Excellence), being the only global association dedicated to the development of incentive travel programmes and founded Crystal Events Africa in 2008 – a Cape Town based African Destination Management Company.

She is also Chair of the South Africa Events Council, which was founded in April 2020, comprising of 14 South African Event Associations, collaborating in the quest to reopen the events and hospitality industry during the COVID-19 pandemic. Her DMC (Destination Management Company), Crystal Events Africa is the proud recipient of the SITE Crystal Award, for Best Motivational Programme (Middle East/Africa) and Tes was also awarded the Kevin Forde Spirit Award for industry engagement during the COVID-19 global lockdowns.

Tes works closely with various African tourism authorities and convention bureaus, running hospitality
workshops and master classes, developing service excellence and creating superb guest experiences.

REGIONAL DIRECTOR: AFRICA, ICCA (INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS AND CONVENTION ASSOCIATION), RWANDA

Frank Murangwa

Frank Murangwa is currently the Director of Destination Marketing at Rwanda Convention Bureua before this position, he served as the Acting CEO of Rwanda Convention Bureau from January 2016 to November 2017.


Frank’s core mandate is to drive the growth of Rwanda’s MICE industry. He has experience in tourism marketing and tourism quality assurance. Rwanda Convention Bureau is a destination Marketing Organization that is charged with marketing and promoting Rwanda as a premier MICE Destination.

Frank was voted AFRICA’s MICE ICON 2017 by Street of Gold Foundation.

 

Frank has a strong tourism educational background and practical experience in the tourism sector, and has also gained significant expertise in developing strategies for tourism destinations.

Graduated in Tourism Management, his marketing skills are reinforced by a strong tourism background.

 

Frank Murangwa holds a Bachelor of Degree in Tourism Management from Makerere University of Uganda and a Master’s degree (Cum Laude) in Tourism Destination Management from Breda University of Applied Science (NHTV) Netherlands. Frank is fluent in English and Kinyarwanda and is passionate about travelling to different destinations to experience new cultures, explore beautiful sceneries and enjoys sports as well.

CEO, AFRICA TOURISM PARTNERS, SOUTH AFRICA

Doris Parsons

An energetic, results-driven, highly dynamic senior executive, with excellent strategic communications skills, and a successful background in implementing continuous improvement in corporate communications initiatives.

Specialties:

– Strategic Corporate Communications
– Public / Corporate Affairs
– Media Relations
– Corporate Social Responsibility
– Reputation Management
– Conference & Event Planning / Management
– Public Speaking
– Fluent in English and Kiswahili – Learning Portuguese

CEO, AFRICA TOURISM PARTNERS, SOUTH AFRICA

Kwakye Donkor

Kwakye Donkor is the CEO of Africa Tourism Partners (ATP), a Pan African tourism advisory firm and a UNWTO award-winning firm. He is a renowned Pan-African strategist and expert in areas of tourism development, strategic and destination marketing, destination brand management and MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibition/Events). He is a recognised and highly respected personality in Africa tourism space, and speaks at global conferences, seminars and think tank fora.

 

Kwakye has demonstrated expertise in destination master planning as well as strategy formulation and execution, business transactional advisory and leadership development worldwide across education, finance, and hotel development. His expertise and experience have earned him the privilege to regularly serve on expert panels and think tank fora facilitated by international organizations including UNWTO, AU, SADC, The World Bank Group, GIZ, BBC, CNBC Africa, Channel Africa, ENCA, SABC and others across Africa.

 

He is the convener of the annual Africa Tourism Leadership Forum & Awards, Africa MICE Masterclass, Africa Youth in Tourism Summit and Africa Women in Tourism Summit series.

HEAD OF COMMERCIAL, TRAVELSTART, SOUTH AFRICA

Linda Balme

Linda Scott Hayward (Balme) is a seasoned commercial leader with over 20 years of experience in the global travel industry, having built her career across major international hubs including London, Sydney, New York, and Cape Town. She has held senior leadership roles across both established and high-growth travel businesses, developing deep expertise in commercial strategy, partnerships, and market expansion.
 
Currently serving as Head of Commercial at Travelstart, Linda leads key strategic partnerships and drives revenue growth initiatives across the business. She is known for her ability to build and nurture high-impact collaborations that deliver long-term value for both customers and partners.
 
A confident communicator and industry advocate, Linda regularly represents Travelstart on panels, masterclasses, and media platforms, sharing insights on travel trends, digital innovation, and commercial strategy.
 
She is a strong believer in the power of travel to transform lives and communities, and is passionate about driving initiatives that create meaningful economic and social impact through tourism.
CEO OF THEA GROUP OF COMPANIES AND THE CREATIVE DIRECTOR OF AFRICAN GLOBAL EVENTS INDUSTRY SUMMIT, GHANA

Kate Hassan

Mrs. Kate Hassan is a highly accomplished and esteemed businesswoman, currently serving as the Chief Executive Officer of the House of Pinkett, Thea Villa Hotel, Thea Villa Event Hub Takoradi, and Thea Eventistics. With a remarkable career spanning over 15 years in the dynamic events industry, Kate brings a wealth of experience and expertise in event logistics and rentals, as well as event styling. Her remarkable achievements have solidified her position as a prominent figure in the industry, recognized both locally and internationally.

 

In addition to her impressive portfolio, Kate holds the esteemed position of President of the Event Vendors Association in Ghana, where she exemplifies her exceptional leadership skills and commitment to uplifting the event industry within her country. Her involvement in this role allows her to advocate for the rights and interests of event vendors, fostering an environment for growth and professionalism.

 

Kate’s passion for the art of events extends beyond Ghana’s borders, as she actively seeks opportunities to collaborate and interact with professionals from around the world. Her globetrotting escapades have seen her participate in numerous event conferences across different continents, enabling her to gain invaluable insights, exchange ideas, and forge meaningful connections with individuals who share the same passion for creating unforgettable experiences.

 

Among her notable achievements, Kate’s visionary mindset led her to host the first-ever Ghana Events Industry Conference within her own country. With over 300 attendees, including both local and international speakers, this ground-breaking event provided a platform for industry professionals to come together, share knowledge, and elevate the standards of event planning in Ghana. This seminal conference also paved the way for the introduction of the first-ever awards ceremony honoring events professionals in the country, marking a crucial milestone in recognizing and celebrating excellence within the industry.

 

Kate’s dedication and unwavering commitment to her craft are evident in the exceptional results she consistently delivers to her clients. She approaches each project with a meticulous attention to detail, ensuring that every event is flawlessly executed, exceeding even the highest expectations. It is her firm belief that her work is not merely a profession but a vocation, as she invests her heart and soul into every endeavor.

 

Recognizing the transformative power of events, Kate strongly advocates for the events industry as a whole. She firmly believes that events have the ability to create lasting memories, bridge connections, and unlock new possibilities for individuals, businesses, and communities. Her advocacy work is driven by a genuine desire to empower event professionals and elevate the industry’s standing, making it a cornerstone of economic growth, cultural expression, and social engagement.

 

Mrs. Kate Hassan is a distinguished leader, visionary, and achiever within the events industry. With a remarkable career spanning over 15 years, her expertise, passion, and dedication have earned her a reputation as a trailblazer in her field. Through her work as CEO, president, advocate, and conference host, Kate has left an indelible mark on the events industry in Ghana, pushing boundaries, inspiring others, and consistently delivering exceptional experiences.

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HEAD GAUTENG CONVENTIONS AND EVENTS BUREAU, SOUTH AFRICA

Nonnie Kubeka

Nonnie Kubeka currently Heading the Gauteng Convention and Events Bureau (GCEB) in South Africa. Nonnie has 25 years of experience Destination Marketing within the Business Events Industry. Highly skilled project management with a Bachelor of commerce, MBA in strategic Marketing degrees. Before heading the GCEB, she held various positions in including being a Commercial Director of the Cape Town International Convention Centre. Her current role is to create and execute business strategies to position Gauteng as a Premier international MICE destination.

 

In her current role, Nonnie has been recognised by Forbes Africa Woman her influential role in Business events industry, nominated in the Africa Business Leadership Awards, named amongst the Top 40 Women in MICE and recently awarded the ICCA Inspirational Woman Award 2018 by the International Conference and Convention association. She served on the several Association boards in Africa, SAA, Airchefs, Cape Town Tourism, Sandton Tourism, SA Travel Centre, Southern African Association of Convention Industry,
and currently serving in UNISA Tourism Advisory Board, Vaal University of Technology advisory board, SAAIA Advisory board and ICCA Educational Committee.

 

Nonnie has also served as a deputy chairperson in the ICCA Africa Chapter, assisted in increasing Africa chapter membership by supporting the launch of the African Society of Association Executives to encourage meetings to be held and rotate around the Africa continent and contributing to co-creating the first ICCA Africa Client supplier workshop.

 

She has been a panel member in several discussions about how the South African business events sector can create jobs and boost the economy.

Under the direction and leadership of Nonnie, the Gauteng Convention and Events Bureau is tasked to market, promote, foster and develop business tourism and events in the province. Within her scope of work, Nonnie developed a business events strategy for the province and initiating and implementing bidding, hosting and marketing activities nationally and internationally that have generated over 44 000 employment opportunities for women, youth a, assisted in growing SMME businesses and contributed over R10bn to the Gauteng Economy.

 

Additionally, she is responsible to develop strategic partnerships with suppliers such venues, airlines, associations, educational institutions, professional conference organizers, tour operators, event and exhibition planners in South Africa and other countries, as well as support establishments and events that help put the province on the map.

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PRINCIPAL CONSULTANT, STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENT AND ADVISOR, BDO ADVISORY SERVICES, SOUTH AFRICA

Jabulani Debedu

Jabulani is a Senior Consultant with public and private sector experience in tourism and hospitality, property, infrastructure advisory, and economic development planning. Jabulani conducts feasibility studies, strategies, economic impact studies, financial assessments, business evaluations and general market research assignments.

 

Project Experience

 

Some of Jabulani’s work involves conducting tourism product feasibility studies, business plans, business cases and transaction advisory in South Africa and a number of African countries. Most recently, Jabulani has been a lead consultant in the NDT’s Development of a Budget Resort Network, the CSIR ICC Accommodation PPP, feasibility study for a hotel development in Kigali, and the Commercialisation of the Suikerbosrand Nature Reserve.

 

Jabulani will present a workshop on “Business Advisory Expert Perspective – Understanding critical steps in financially modelling for SME funding in a post-Covid era”.

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MARKET ANALYST AT BOTSWANA TOURISM ORGANISATION (BTO), BOTSWANA

Mpho Raboloko

Mpho Raboloko is an Economist with over ten (10) years of experience in policy research, analysis, advice, capacity building and project management. He is currently Market Analyst at Botswana Tourism Organisation (BTO) where he is responsible for managing the Research & Statistics Unit. Key among his roles at BTO is market intelligence gathering to produce statistics for strategic decisions. He led the development of the National Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) Strategy for Botswana, and his research interest is now on the economic impact of MICE on destinations.
 
Prior to joining the Botswana Tourism Organisation, he was Programme Coordinator for the Global UN Joint SDG Fund Project in Botswana managing the implementation of a Joint Programme which supported Government to develop an SDG financing strategy through an integrated national financing framework (INFF). His pre-UN experience includes advising and providing demand and supply driven support through evidence-based policy research to the Government of Botswana as Research Fellow at the leading national think tank, Botswana Institute for Development Policy Analysis (BIDPA).
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Founder, Pinnacle Sports & Events Management UK Limited, United Kingdom

Edward Abankwa

Edward Abankwa is a seasoned events producer and director with over 20 years of experience in organizing business and governmental exhibitions, summits, conferences, social events, and networking gatherings. Throughout his career, he has successfully delivered a wide array of business events across diverse sectors, including international education, finance, telecommunications, energy, process improvement, and sports business markets.

 

As the Founder of Pinnacle Sports & Events Management UK Limited, an events management company based in the United Kingdom, Edward has built a reputation for excellence and innovation. He also provides consultancy services to globally renowned events companies in the EMEA region.

 

Edward’s portfolio of events ranges from intimate gatherings of 100 high-level cross-sector industry executives to large-scale trade shows with tens of thousands of attendees, held in various locations worldwide. Edward’s expertise lies in event ideation, project management, communication, strategic planning, and event marketing. His ability to seamlessly integrate these skills has been pivotal in the successful execution of numerous high-profile events. 

 

Edward holds a master’s degree in communication policy & management from City University, London, and is a certified PRINCE2 project manager at the practitioner level. Edward’s vision is to let his work speak for itself, providing services and products that are highly sought after due to the value they offer. He aims to inspire, innovate, and push boundaries in the markets he operates within. By consistently delivering exceptional events, Edward seeks to establish his company as a leader in the events management industry, known for its creativity, strategic approach, and unparalleled execution.

 

With a commitment to excellence and a passion for creating memorable experiences, Edward Abankwa continues to make significant contributions to the field of event management, setting new standards and inspiring others in the industry.

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DIRECTOR, TOURISM AND GAMING, MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FORESTRY AND TOURISM, NAMIBIA

Sebulon Chicalu

Business Strategist, Travel and Tourism Industry Expert, Product innovation and development Expert, Presenter, Negotiator, Speaker, Moderator, GALLUP Certified Strengths & Talent Development Coach, Mentor and Employee Engagement Expert. His talent DNA are Responsibility, Strategic, Futuristic, Focus, Self – Assurance.

 

He is a Director of Tourism and Gaming in the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism. He has over the years developed and launched many hospitality, tourism services & products and events. He has vast executive management and Board experience having worked as a Senior Manager and Board of Director in the travel, tourism, hospitality sector and medical fund industries in both private and public sector over the past 25 years.

 

He is experienced in pragmatic strategic and tactical business management in the hospitality, travel and tourism industry, strategic human capital, operations management, strategic marketing, product innovation and development, tactical corporate leadership, policy design & development, strategy formulation & implementation, employee relations and engagement, strength coaching and talent development, etc. He holds a Masters of Business Administration (MsM), Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Advanced Diploma in Business Administration and Diploma in Marketing Management. He is certified in Corporate Governance and Certified GALLUP Clifton-Strengths Coach.

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DIRECTOR OF HILTON WORLDWIDE SALES, AFRICA & INDIAN OCEAN

Sibabalwe Peter

Sibabalwe is a highly versatile Account Manager in the hospitality industry offering expertise in building partnerships, managing and retaining key accounts, and continuously growing revenue and profits. He is a strong leader with proficiency in expanding professional networks, influencing decision-makers and developing and implementing successful business strategies. His corporate client base includes multiple clients in the banking, legal, telecommunications, pharmaceutical and Information Technology industry across Southern Africa and Indian Ocean Islands.

Throughout my career, I have successfully generated maximum revenue by exceeding target sales and profit margins for global hotel groups.

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Chief Executive Officer, CPL Events, United Kingdom & Cape Verde

Dr. Linda Pereira

Linda Pereira is the senior partner and CEO of the L&I Communications Group. In additionto her long and respected career as one of the most influential voices in the Meeting Industry, she is also Executive Director of CPL Meetings & Events. Respected internationally as a speaker, consultant, strategic communication expert, writer and as an educator, she has been an invited speakerin over 149 countries on all continents.

She is an expert in communication and corporate diplomacy, and has a vast experience in cross-cultural communication strategies, localisation, and public speakingand as a master of ceremonies. She has worked on the major events which marked the last 30 years of modern history, from World EXPOs, to Football and Sports Championships, various EU Presidencies and major political events. She is also an invited lecturer at five different international Universities where she lectures strategic meetings management and corporate diplomacy and protocol.

She is absolutely passionate about associations and sits on a variety of international association boards herself. Linda is also a consultant to a variety of international Governments and associations. She was considered one of Portugal’s five most influential people in the industry and has received various international education awards as well as the medal of honour for responsible entrepreneurship for her commitment to promoting culture and heritage and for Social Responsibility initiatives. She has also been voted business woman of the year for three consecutive years. She sits on various Advisory Boards, and Education Committees and presides over three- She is also the Chair of the Association World Congress for 2022. 


She was president of the Global Council for Women in Leadership for two mandates. She is currently special advisor to the Minister for the Economy of Cape Verde and sits on the Advisory Council for the Leader Magazine and the Venues of Excellence Certification Board. She also sits on the Board of The Portugal-India and Portugal-Holland Chambers of Commerce. She presides the Crossroads platform focused on up-scaling and attracting investment for start-up businesses. She sits on the Portugal Chapter of Women In Tech, a Global Association. She is a business development consultant to the MICE business sector in Saudi Arabia, Croatia, Slovenia, Macau, Georgia, Ghana and Cape Verde.

She is currently a member of the Women’s Africa PCO Alliance. In 2021 she received the Lifetime Achievement Award for the MICE Industry. Linda has recently been elected one of the Global 100 women leaders.
She considers her two daughters as her greatest achievement.

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CEO, City & Safaris International, Botswana

Tshepiso Mganga

Tshepiso Mganga holds position of Chief Executive- City & Safari International, a Destination Management Company, which she co-founded in 2017.

Tshepiso has a cumulative and diverse 15 years experience serving in different portfolios mostly in the areas of tourism marketing, destination management & consultancy.

Tshepiso previously served as Marketing Executive – Local and Africa Markets at Botswana Tourism where she led market development of the Botswana tourism product in the Domestic and African markets. Prior to that, she held position of Marketing Manager at Cresta President Hotel.

Tshepiso is seated on several regional and International Tourism Associations & Committees; Society for Incentives Travel Excellence (SITE) Africa chapter, Africa’s Eden MICE committee to name a few. She also adjudicates in some of the prominent local and international fairs and exhibitions, and has been invited as a speaker, panelist and as a presenter to various academic and business events.

Tshepiso volunteers some of her time to mentoring youth tourism operators as well as aspiring entrepreneurs who wish to establish businesses in the tourism sector. She is founder of the Tourism Business Coaching & Mentorship Programme, to date the Programme successfully mentored over 70 Tourism businesses in Botswana.

Tshepiso holds educational qualification in Business Project Management from the University of Cape Town, and in Marketing from the Cape Peninsula University of Technology.

Her favorite quote “It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.” – Harry S Truman
Sustainability Manager, BDO SOUTH AFRICA

Lehlogonolo Mashego

Lehlogonolo Mashego is a Sustainability Manager at BDO South Africa. She is the Chairperson of the International Association of Impact Assessment – South Africa (Gauteng Branch) which aims to connect professionals in the impact assessment and sustainability space. She holds a Masters in Environmental Science attained from the University of Witwatersrand – 2021. With seven years of professional experience, she has served both the private and public sectors having conducted work in the mining industry, township establishments, energy sector, resettlement, manufacturing, and maintenance/rehabilitation-related work. Her profession has served to equip her with the sensitivities that we face as a population and the urgent need to present practical solutions towards reaching the set sustainability development goals and climate reduction ambitions.
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