Make note in your diary of upcoming motoring events
Focus on Trucking Automechanika
Dates: 6 – 9 May
Venue: Johannesburg Expo Centre, Nasrec
Automechanika Johannesburg is the largest automotive aftermarket business-to-business trade show and networking platform on the African continent, serving not only South Africa but also the entire sub-Saharan African Region. It is the one event that no truck operator and fleet owner cannot afford to miss.
Automechanika Johannesburg has a special focus on trucking and attracts large numbers of truck and fleet owners, managers and operators, as visitors who can view the latest developments, innovations, product and service offerings relating to the trucking and fleet sectors.
The Automechanika Academy fringe programme will feature a number of conferences and events that greatly contribute to the value added for visitors to the show.
The show hours are 09:00 to 18:00 on Wednesday to Friday, and 09:00 to 15:00 on Saturday 9 May.
An online visitor registration service is operational via the Automechanika Johannesburg website at www.automechanikasa. co.za. Pre-registration as a visitor to the show will ensure seamless and quick access to the event.
NAMPO Harvest Day
Dates: 12 – 15 May 2015
Venue: Bothaville, Free State
With almost 70 000 visitors, agricultural exhibitors were able to do good business during Grain SA’s NAMPO Harvest Day last year according to positive feedback. May exhibitors and visitors alike confirmed that the Harvest Day is a sought-after place for doing business, conveying information and building networks.
‘The expansion of the grounds and parking area ensure adequate space for ease of movement,’ says Cobus van Coller, NAMPO Harvest Day chairperson.
‘NAMPO’s target in 2014 was to be a new-generation partner for the farmer, and I believe we succeeded. The new technology and farming methods presented by more than 650 exhibitors confirmed why this is regarded as one of the top agricultural shows in the world.’
Networking opportunities that Grain SA has helped to establish during the NAMPO Harvest Day over the past few years will once again provide for wide discussions, debates and interaction with role players in agriculture – local as well as overseas, and particularly from African countries north of the equator.
Food security and the sourcing of investors in the agriculture of their countries remain a central theme. Overseas exhibitors, other countries on the continent and even local prospective buyers of ‘black’ grain for empowerment purposes already realise the value of the Harvest Day.
‘We will work even harder to involve more politicians and academics – particularly those who regard themselves as the drivers of food security,’ says van Coller.
Reaching new frontiers SAAFF Congress 2015
Dates: 14 – 16 October
Venue: Durban International Convention Centre, KwaZulu-Natal
New opportunities, new content, new activities, new networking opportunities – these are just some of the exciting additions that delegates to the annual congress of the South African Association of Freight Forwarders (SAAFF) can look forward to this year.
Explaining the reasoning behind the ‘New Frontiers’ theme, SAAFF CEO Dave Logan says: ‘The freight forwarding industry is facing major changes as it fights to stay viable in a changing global environment. For freight forwarders to survive – and thrive – a major paradigm shift is needed. This is what this year’s congress will focus on’.
Proactive topics that will be covered at this year’s congress include latest international trends, customs practices, industry modernisation, BBBEE, legislation, and supply chain, among others.
Since its inception, the congress has grown in terms of delegate numbers and industry support, entrenching it as the definitive knowledge event in the freight-forwarding sector. This year it is bound to set a new benchmark for this industry.
Johannesburg International Motor Show and Johannesburg Truck and Bus Show
Dates: 14 – 25 October 2015
Venue: Johannesburg Expo Centre, Nasrec
The Johannesburg International Motor Show celebrates its tenth edition of Africa’s leading motoring event, which is one of the top ten automotive exhibitions globally.
‘Preparations for the show are well underway to ensure a spectacularly successful event,’ says Nico Vermeulen, Director of NAAMSA (National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa).
‘We have introduced a number of new initiatives to refresh the show and ensure that the tenth edition remains one of the world’s leading motor shows,’ says Vermeulen. ‘These are intended to enhance the value proposition for exhibitors as well as the experience of visitors to the show.’
