Ellen Michaels Presents, Inc.
Johannesburg: The South African City that Works
Referred to by locals as “Jozi” or “Jo’burg,” Johannesburg has certainly proven its ability to host almost any type of event. From the World Summit of Sustainable Development in 2002 (the United Nations’ biggest conference yet) to the FIFA World Cup scheduled for summer 2010, this South African city re-shaped its image from shantytown to meeting planning Mecca and became a delight to meeting organizers worldwide.
“Jo’burg has it all: world-class venues, accommodations, transportation, security, service quality and the latest in event production technology,” says Steve Wehrle, Technical Director for Ellen Michaels Presents, Inc., a Silicon Valley meeting planning and production firm. “The city dynamics revolve around tourism and hospitality.” Johannesburg’s infrastructure goes far beyond expectations. It’s as if the whole country has made the meeting business a national priority. According to the Johannesburg News Agency, just in preparation for the World Summit in 2002, Johannesburg went through major improvements in and around the city, including an airport enhancement, 22-million dollars on highways upgrades, major sewer repairs, and 150 surveillance cameras installed around the city which reduced crime rate by 80 percent. In 2003, the city spent over one billion dollars for more than 170 projects to upgrade and rejuvenate the inner city and the previously disadvantaged areas. Johannesburg International Airport will spend another 48 million dollars upgrading security and facilities ahead of the 2010 Football World Cup and another 1.1-billion by 2012 on a new terminal to meet the demand of fast-growing passenger numbers.
Steve Wehrle managed all technical aspects of an incentive awards ceremony for a top 500 high-tech company at the Sandton Convention Centre. Featuring 12-stories and 237,000 square feet of meeting and exhibition space, Sandton is the most technologically advanced convention center in the Southern Hemisphere. Home of the World Summit 2002 Sandton offers the latest in state-of-the-art technology with the finest level of in-house technology partners. “Jo’burgers have an immense sense of pride in their work more so than in the US and Europe,” says Wehrle. Johannesburg is also a top value destination. “The corporate market is really competitive and I was surprised the prices were so aggressive compared to similar items in the US.”
