Media Moves… TheMediaOnline’s weekly round up. New EXSA chairman announced. Where2GetIt solidifies market placement as Brandify. Makeover for Ackermans Club magazine. New home for 3D Group. Round of applause for AAXO
Who’s moved where
New EXSA chairman announced
Sandton Convention Centre sales and marketing manager, Neil Nagooroo, was appointed the new chairman of the Exhibition Association of Southern Africa (EXSA), at the recent EXSA AGM held on 2 February during the EXSA conference in the Western Cape.
EXSA, now in its 36th year, said its strategy to actively grow and develop the exhibition and events industry within southern Africa through four forums – venues, organisers, suppliers and young professionals.
Nagooroo, an MBA graduate, has been with Sandton Convention Centre (SCC) just over three years, with experience in the industry spanning the past 11 years.
“I am humbled and delighted by the vote of confidence that the EXSA board has placed in me and I’m honoured to lead the association in the year ahead,” Nagooroo says. “I’d like to thank the outgoing members of the EXSA board for their commitment to the industry in their respective portfolios.”
Who’s making moves
Makeover for Ackermans Club magazine
The February edition of the Ackermans Club magazine features a completely new look, feel and content structure. The changes are the result of extensive research into the Ackermans Club customer and directly respond to their feedback on what they want from the popular monthly read. Published by New Media Publishing, the magazine is distributed to close to 250 000 Club Members each month.
The new masthead reflects this value with a shorter, simpler, more direct and modern A. with the slogan underneath EVEN MORE FOR YOU – emphasising the brand’s focus on assortment, choice, quality and value for money. The new layout focuses on making the content structure easy to navigate and incorporates far more colour. It also boasts a design device that is as fresh as it is fun. Playing around with the capital A, then turning it on its side, led to diagonal lines that pop up in a variety of shapes and sizes, tying everything together to create a harmonious entity and unique look.
Editorially, the planned content has been refreshed to more holistically reflect all aspects of the readers’ lives. The segments are Mind – information that not only pinpoints challenges but provides solutions; Body – a better you – Fashion, Health, Food; Soul – Inspiration, Culture, Religion and the My Club and My Family sections – which also include a special children’s play and craft section.
The editorial tone is informal, combines English with vernacular when appropriate and incorporates humour.
Where2GetIt solidifies market placement as Brandify
Where2GetIt, SPARK Media’s local pages and store locator partners, has been absorbed into the core business brand that is now known as Brandify.
The provider of location-based digital marketing solutions made the name change official in mid-September 2015 during the company’s inaugural Brandify Summit in California. Today, SPARK Media would like to remind the industry abroad of the name change and assure clients that the specialised service—which converts location data into valuable customer insights to help marketers hyper-personalisAckerman’s Mgazinee their reach—will continue to remain untouched.
“The relationship with our exclusive partners in the United States is strong as we continue to utilise its technology solutions locally,” said Marc du Plessis, commercial director at SPARK Media, “Under the new name of Brandify, we expect business to remain as usual and look forward to many more years of business partnership together.”
Through Brandify, SPARK Media offers hyper local websites for retailers by branch; geocoding; and driving directions customizable for mobile, tablet and social networks which show consumers the closest store to them.
New home for 3D Group
Turnkey exhibition specialist, 3D Group, has kicked off the new business year out of new premises at 2 Avalon Road, Westlake Extension 14, Modderfontein. Contact details – telephone (011 608-1588) and email addresses – won’t change.
The just-completed 6 000m2 building has been purpose built to meet the various requirements of all 3D’s operating companies whose services span bespoke exhibition stands, exhibition infrastructure, portable displays, shop fitting, audio visual hire, furniture hire, electrical hire, wide format digital printing and events.
According to sales and marketing director, Conrad Kullmann, the decision to move was prompted by the physical need for more space but only confirmed when the architects presented plans that would assist the company raise the bar on service and deliverables.
“At 3D, we pride ourselves on working to consistently high standards and delivering consistently good service. We didn’t want to move without giving ourselves the opportunity to structure our physical home to benefit our work flow processes, and create an environment in which we can lift our game,” he said.
Round of applause for AAXO
The Association of African Exhibition Organisers (AAXO) held an open meeting in Johannesburg earlier this month (February 2016).
Formed by a baker’s dozen that turned its backs on EXSA (Exhibition Association of Southern Africa) last year citing that that organisation was ‘very supplier-led’ and didn’t ‘serve the best interests of the organisers’, AAXO at the meeting lived up to its launch claim that it would be the “powerful and cohesive voice that speaks on behalf of exhibition organisers specifically”.
According to 3D Group sales and marketing director and meeting attendee, Conrad Kullmann, the AAXO get together painted a cohesive picture of what the industry was worth as a whole – some
R76-billion a year. This was broken down by sector and then highlighted how AAXO intended protecting this value and halting the slide it has seen in recent years.
“Of course, only time will tell if AAXO’s success matches its ambitions,” Kullmann said “but, after the stale wind that has been EXSA for the past few years, AAXO is a breath of fresh air, and must be congratulated and applauded for its actions to date.”
