Tag Archives: expo

Martha Stewart has designs on Cape Town

USA homestyle author and TV presenter, Martha Stewart, will be one of the guest speakers at the 13th Design Indaba, which runs from 24 – 28 February in the Cape Town International Convention Centre.

The Design Indaba is broken up into different elements, and the Conference runs from 24 – 26 February.   Stewart, who is America’s doyenne of style and taste, and editor of the ‘Martha Stewart Living” magazine as well as presenter of a TV programme, will address the conference.   Other speakers include Dutch designer Tord Boontje, trend forecaster Li Edelkoort, and local cartoonist Jonathan Shapiro, better known as Zapiro.

From 26 – 28 February a Design Expo will take place, showcasing 260 exhibits of the best of design in advertising, architecture, craft, decor, film, fashion, graphic design, interior design, new media, publishing and product design.   The Expo is a “100 % local-is-lekker celebration of South Africa’s ingrained creativity”, says the Design Indaba website.

On Saturday 27 February a special breakfast has been organised in conjunction with Woolworths, starting at 9h00, with Martha Stewart as guest speaker.  The breakfast presentation costs R 250, and tickets can be booked at Computicket.

A fashion show, a focus on design for children, a film festival, and the search for South Africa’s most beautiful product also form part of Design Indaba 2010.  More information about the Design Indaba is available on www.designindaba.com.

Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com

Cape Town going into Top Gear

The Top Gear team of Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and The Stig will be performing in Cape Town’s GrandWest Arena from 28 – 31 January, the first visit of this hugely popular BBC motoring programme team to the Mother City.   5FM presenter Sasha Martinengo will also participate in the Top Gear Live show.

Consisting of both an expo and stunts (outside the arena),  and “the best bits of Top Gear and will be attempting them live in the arena.  It’s ambitious, but I am sure it will work out well” Clarkson is quoted in the Cape Argus.  The report says that the world’s fastest cars will be pushed to the limit. “Fans on four continents can expect an edge-of-the-seat experience with flaming rally cars, extreme underground street racers, and cars that change colour.  Other sequences will feature The Stig leading  a troupe of international stunt drivers with a mix of hand gestures, sonic pulses and Morse code, showing audiences the ultimate in precision driving.”   Audience members will be able to interact with the Top Gear personalities.   Sound levels of up to 104db. and 30 000 sq meters of fireballs will be experienced.

The equipment required for the show will be transported in 135 trucks, 3 ships, and a freight plane, and the show entails the use of 94 cars and 150 sets of tyres.

Clarkson and his team have such a vast following that most of the tickets have been sold already.  The wine industry of South Africa has been up in arms about some of Clarkson’s views of South African wines.

Top Gear Live is at the GrandWest Arena, from 28 – 31 January, with shows twice or three times a day. Tickets cost R 250 – R 450, and can be booked at Computicket. www.mphshow.co.za

Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com

South Africa scores at ITB

S A Tourism and Cape Town Tourism worked hard in marketing the country at the ITB travel and tourism expo in Berlin, which was held earlier this month.

According to TravelHub,  S A Tourism launched the new ‘Voices’ advertising campaign, which sees Germans being asked to relate their positive experiences of South Africa.    It is planned to have over a million Germans talking positively about South Africa by June 2010.

FIFA and the Local Organising Committee for the 2010 World Cup used ITB as a platform to encourage and inform the German market about the event, reassuring them about the country’s readiness, infrastructure and sustainability, the report says.

S A Tourism won third prize for its ‘Numbers’ ad in the Golden Gate international film advertising awards competition at ITB.

Cape Town Tourism too was active at ITB, and its CEO Mariette du Toit-Helmbold reported back on the successes her association achieved:    Cape Town Tourism was invited to present its visitor services and marketing innovation to the World Tourism Organisation International Destination Council;   the 2010 World Cup mascot Zakumi was used in a competition, in which ITB attendees could be photographed with Zakumi, post it on the Cape Town Tourism website with a creative comment about Cape Town, to win two tickets for the 2010 World Cup, resulting in 200 images being received;   via a German PR company, Cape Town Tourism’s PR and Communications Manager met 15  journalists individually, presented its marketing toolkit to Dr Michael Kaiser from News Corporation Germany, who will do a presentation on Cape Town to the German Press Club,  Suedafrika magazine will do a free two-page spread on Cape Town, and a free feature on Cape Town will appear in the bi-annual German 1 Golf publication.  

In addition, Cape Town Tourism will be running a winter promotion on Expedia; an educational campaign with FTI, Germany’s third largest tour operator, was concluded;  joint marketing agreements were concluded with Tripadvisor, Google, and BBC News on-line; an agreement was reached with Petit Fute to develop a French guide book for Cape Town;  and assistance will be provided in the production of the official 2010 FIFA World Cup documentary.

However, Cape Town Routes Unlimited Marketing executive David Frandsen, on his return from ITB, has predicted that leisure tourism from Germany will decline by 20 % in the coming season.   He based his forecast on the 30 % drop in bookings received by the top five German tour operators making bookings in South Africa, in January and February this year.    He said however that 200 smaller special tour operators are making up for the decline in bookings received from the big tour operators.   Namibia is attracting bookings from the German market, and has become a trendy destination for Germans.