Version 2.0 of the Women in MICE 2020 Awards was launched at an exclusive breakfast event at the Sandton Convention Centre on Wednesday 26 February 2020, in partnership with the South Africa National Convention Bureau and sponsored by Unlimited Events and AV Active.
Jacques Breytenbach, 3S Media’s General Manager, said, “The version 2.0 theme was chosen because we are ready to take these Awards to the next level, refresh the categories, the process and re-evaluate what we want to achieve through them.”
“The version 2.0 theme was chosen because we are ready to take these Awards to the next level, refresh the categories, the process and re-evaluate what we want to achieve through them.”
The Awards, which are hosted by 3S Media and its B2B event industry publication Meetings magazine, were created to celebrate the extraordinary women whose passion, professionalism and achievements in the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) industry are driving it forward. While this is still the primary aim, Breytenbach also envisions the Awards as an opportunity to bolster the professional development of these women, through greater mentorship opportunities and by building up a community around the awards, of women who can support, encourage and advise each other.
Shanna Jacobsen, the Editor of Meetings magazine, said, “The South African MICE industry is filled with talented women, which is evident by the incredibly high calibre of winners we have acknowledged over the past seven years. Through their leadership, creativity and passion, they give so much to the industry, their colleagues and their communities. We want to make sure that the Awards also gives back to them – by providing them with a platform where they can share with each other, learn from each other, and keep each other motivated to continue doing the amazing work they do.”
New developments to the Women in MICE 2020 Awards that were announced at the launch event include:
- A partnership with Queen Ramotsehoa from the Tsheto Leadership & Coaching Academy, an academy that uses an empowered and empowering approach to achieve high performance results. Queen’s expertise will ensure that the Awards mentorship programme is effective and delivers real benefits to the young women who are starting out in the industry.
- A brand ambassador was announced for the Awards: Thami Nkadimeng is a dynamic speaker, MC, facilitator, communications strategist and MICE expert – and the embodiment of what the awards stand for.
- The award categories have been revised. There are now 15 categories, each of which will have a single winner. The new categories are: Small business owner of the year; Enterprise team of the year; Service provider representative of the Year; Venue representative of the year; PCO of the year; CMP of the year; CEM of the year; Incentive Planner of the year; Mentor of the year; Young achiever of the year; Rising star of the year; Male supporter of the year; Inspiration award; Industry crusader; and Lifetime achievement.
The judges, who have the unenviable job of deciding who the next Women in MICE winners will be, are: Nonnie Kubeka, Executive Director of the Gauteng Convention & Event Bureau; Sonto Mayise, Acting Chief Convention Bureau Officer of KZN Convention Bureau; Nomasonto Ndlovu, CEO of the Limpopo Tourism Agency; Corne Koch, Head of Cape Town & Western Cape Convention Bureau (Wesgro); and Vanessa Perumal, Managing Director of JT Communication Solutions.
Nominations for the Women in MICE 2020 Awards are now open. Remember, nominations must be made by someone in the industry and not be self-nominated, and past winners can be nominated again. CLICK HERE to submit your nominations now. You can also follow the Women in MICE 2020 Awards on social media with the hashtag #TopWIM2020.
Photos supplied by On Air Entertainment.
