INTERNATIONAL trends expert, Daniel Levine, opened up Meetings Africa 2009 with a keynote address on social trends that have the power to propel South African business travel through a struggling global economy. In his presentation, Levine demonstrated how companies from around the world are attracting customers and raising profits by embracing emerging social and cultural trends. He also explored how South African agencies can take advantage of these same trends in simple and low-cost ways. “Although the economic situation in South Africa is not as bad as in other countries, South African companies need to brace themselves for the tough times ahead. They need to create a travel experience that is different from other destinations, something unique and ‘cool’, an experience travellers will want to tell their friends about,” said Levine. According to Levine, these ‘cool’ things are recognised as trends, and trends equal desire and demand. “By identifying trends companies do not need to spend money to create demand because it is already there.” Levine identifies several South African trends that businesses can cash in on, including the countries natural beauty, its rich heritage of traditions, and its political transitions. He suggests capitalising on these trends by creating two types of experiences: those that are ‘braggable’ and meaningful. “A ‘braggable’ experience relies on word of mouth marketing,” says Levine. “For example, it’s creating an interesting business meeting environment, such as the facilities Maropeng has to offer, and not your run-of-the-mill fluorescent-lit boardrooms.” A meaningful experience is defined as an experience that is less about hedonism and more about the heart. Included in this are responsible tourism practices, such as ‘going green’ and voluntourism trends. “People are looking for travel products that offer connections with people and nature, vacations that give back,” said Levine.