Opportunity knocks with events in the Bay

A VARIETY of events scheduled to take place in Nelson Mandela Bay over the next couple of months provide valuable marketing opportunity for NMBT and its members.

Among them are the Master Power Technologies PE Airshow, IRB Rugby World Sevens and South African Automotive week.

“Apart from being recreational crowd pullers, business meetings and conferences also provide valuable platforms and content with which to market the city as a preferred destination,” said NMBT marketing manager Titus Chuene.

Chuene said it would belabour the point if he stressed that NMBT was not an event organiser or funder, but said that - as was the case with many tourism marketing agencies - NMBT relied on events, meetings and conferences to ensure a steady flow of visitors into the city.

“The challenge with many of the events is that there is inadequate or no consultation with NMBT on how destination marketing can be maximised through a given event and more importantly what resources are required to ensure this is done effectively.

“This is not the case with every event held in the city. Furthermore, I appreciate that NMBT cannot be drawn into every single event from a planning perspective, but there are lost opportunities where the marketing of the destination is not considered. If involved, NMBT would be able to leverage on the event to market the city as a tourism destination so much better. Nevertheless, as an orgnisation we will continue to work with the stakeholders involved in these events so that the city can exploit marketing destination opportunities to the maximum,” said Chuene.

Other examples of event opportunities in which NMB benefits from marketing exposure for the city is the recent Greenacres Shopping Centre Hot Ticket competition. NMBT will co-brand this event with the shopping centre and maximise media coverage through national singing sensation, Lira’s, involvement.

NMBT also supports - not financially - bids and submissions made to organisation for NMB to host events, conferences and meetings. The Bay recently won the bid to host the annual South African Association for the Conference Industry (SAACI). It will be held next year.

“It’s all about team work and taking an inclusive approach to ensure that there is one winner - NMB. This month we received letters of appreciation from the organisers of the Northern Arts Festival and BayTV Braai Day for our marketing support,” said Chuene.

“We are currently doing what we can to assist the organisers of the Automotive Week in October 10-13.”