Meetings magazine and SA Conference celebrates the women who have made their mark on the MICE industry. Everyday this week we will be highlighting eight of the phenomenal women who made the list.
- Join the conversation on Twitter#40WIM
- TOP 40 WOMEN IN MICE: PART 1
- TOP 40 WOMEN IN MICE: PART 2
LORRAINE JENKS
Founder of Hotelstuff and Greenstuff
Service provider: Speaker
Thought leader, change agent and fearless activist โ avid follower and advocate of all things green for some 40 years, motivational speaker Lorraine Jenksโs passion for preserving the environment and sustainable living started in the 1970s. Today, that passion has evolved into a remarkable dedication to educating, illustrating, motivating and putting right some of the environmental disasters that business, its brands and consumers have made and continue to make on a daily basis. Lorraine has enjoyed wide industry acclaim for her fearless work in the field of sustainability with many an award on her proverbial mantelpiece.
FAST FACT After working with environmentalists in California in the early 1970s, Lorraine returned to South Africa and became the contracts manager for Africaโs biggest hotel group.
CAROLYN JONES
General manager of African Pride Crystal Towers Hotel & Spa
Service provider: Venue
Carolyn has been with Protea Hotels for more than 20 years, initially starting as a trainee. She was on the opening team of Protea Hotel President, and has worked in various management positions at different Protea properties such as Protea Hotel Midrand, Protea Hotel Victoria and African Pride Private Game Lodge. Carolyn is currently the general manager of African Pride Crystal Towers Hotel & Spa โ Cape Townโs premier conferencing hotel. Carolyn is a firm believer in getting the basics right and this is evident in the success of each hotel she has overseen.
FAST FACT In 2012, Carolyn was the joint winner of general manager of the year at the Protea Hospitality Group awards. This award is judged on various criteria, which include ambassadorial skills, expertise in finance, sales and marketing, and asset management.
JANA KING
General manager of Songhai Tourism and Events (STE)
Event practitioner
Jana brings extensive events and incentive management as well as corporate travel experience to her position at STE. She also has experience in managing and leading a team, having motivated, trained and mentored teams in the past. Jana was the conference and banqueting manager at Brenton-on-Sea Hotel in Knysna where she gained invaluable insight and events management experience in creating client memories that will last a lifetime. Janaโs passion for travel started as a child; her family extensively travelled Southern Africa, and exploring exciting destinations remains a focus to this day.
FAST FACT When she is not busy at work, Jana is an avid mountain-bike enthusiast and theatre lover. She also enjoys reading biographies and spending lots of quality time with her husband and their two children.
MARTINA KOMANE
Services manager and account executive at Scan Display Solutions
Service provider: Exhibitions services
Martina had recently matriculated when she joined Scan in 2004 as part of Siyacima Solutions, the companyโs internship programme for unemployed matriculants. She started working as a database capturer and quickly moved up the ranks. Martina is the kind of woman who takes the necessary steps to get the job done. She has played an important role in mentoring staff members and helping them improve their skills. Over the years, Martina has implemented new ideas and systems, which have assisted in making life easier for staff and clients.
FAST FACT Martina is the chairperson of the Scan Display BEE Trust, which empowers previously disadvantaged staff members who are involved in the day-to-day running of the business.
AMANDA KOTZE- NHLAPO
Executive manager of the South African National Convention Bureau (SANCB)
Event practitioner
Bringing more than 17 yearsโ experience in senior management to the SANCB, Amanda has been instrumental in creating awareness and understanding of the power of meetings and events to build international relations and help stimulate economic growth in South Africa. Amanda brings intimate knowledge of policy, procedure and protocol of both national and provincial government to her role at the SANCB and her commitment and passion towards growing the global meetings and events industry in South Africa is absolute. Her advice to female managers is to always plan, prioritise and find a balance between work and family life.
FAST FACT Amanda holds a BA in Political Science and BA honours degree in International Political Relations, both from the University of the Free State.
VANGILE MAKWAKWA
Founder of Wealthy Money
Service provider: Speaker
An exemplary leader in the field of innovative entrepreneurship, Vangile takes complex theory around the relationship between emotions and financial behaviour and makes it accessible through her work as author and speaker. She has a strong web presence (website, blog and social media) and is using these platforms to reach out to everyone who comes across issues around money and emotional intelligence. She has published a book on emotional finance and is the Sanlam financial literacy speaker for the youth segment. Vangile is passionate, innovative, creative, a mentor and student, living in the body of a black woman, who refuses to fit into any box.
FAST FACT Vangile has a heart for African development and finds time to mentor young people in Gugulethu, helping them to build their self-esteem, know their selfworth and to have a vision for their lives.
AMANDA MARGISON
Managing partner: On Show Solutions
Service provider/buyer
Over 18 years of dedicated exhibition experience has put Amanda at the forefront of operational logistics. She exemplifies passion and creativity for the business events industry, which she has clearly demonstrated throughout her career. Amanda believes in building on existing relationships while finding and encouraging new ones, as without these connections and affiliations we cannot be successful. Clients, staff and suppliers alike can rest assured when dealing with her, as they are working with an individual who is reliable, honourable and completely trustworthy and she demands the same from those around her.
FAST FACT Apart from being a leader and mother figure to her team, she is also a wife and mother of two teenagers and fur children โ life certainly looks glamorous on the road but Amanda is always sure to make time for close friendships and those special to her when she is home.
SARAH MCLEOD
Founder of Chocolate Orange Events
Event practitioner
Sarah loves people and it is this passion for engagement that naturally lead her into this industry. Throughout her many successful years of designing, planning and implementation of events she has had the privilege of working with people from all over the world and hosted events that have achieved acclaim and acknowledgement from clients, guests, media and colleagues. She off ers a sophisticated, professional and world-class events solution to her clients. This has been the foundation of the success of Chocolate Orange Events and has allowed the company to grow and to offer an annual internship programme. Offering those who are enthusiastic to join our vibrant industry the opportunity to gain exposure and learning from the team at Chocolate Orange Events.
FAST FACT Sarah has qualifications in conference and events management as well as carbon auditing.
