During the Satsa Conference 2018, which concluded on Wednesday (July 25) at The Boardwalk Hotel in the Eastern Cape, a panel discussion was held on the ‘Future of Roadshows – Maximising Your Marketing Spend’.

The discussion was moderated by Karen Terell, Sales & Marketing Director at Sun International. Panellists included Abby Swartz, Marketing & Promotions Manager, Nordics for South African Tourism; Derek Houston, MD of Houston Travel Marketing Services; Hanneli Slabber, GM for the Middle East, Asia, and Australasia at SA Tourism; and Jacqui Reynolds, Managing Partner at On Show Solutions.

Talking about the benefits of roadshows, Houston said the significant factor about them, was that they are smaller in size, as well as personal, in an age of digital marketing and emails. “You have to have personalisation when travelling,” he said. “Roadshows are very important for emerging markets.”

Furthermore, Houston said during roadshows a lot of networking and interaction took place, which he believed to be a vital component. “You can pop in and out and have the option to select what is right for you, or even to reintroduce yourself again if you have not been in that market for a few years.”

The perks of a roadshow, according to Houston, are that it gives an entry into a particular market, allows one to meet all the major players in industry, evaluate the market, as well as get a good feel for what it is. However, it is crucial to go continuously to develop these relationships.

Reynolds went on to say that an ideal mix for a roadshow was having the right match-up between exhibitors and buyers, ensuring global interactions took place. Looking at the right balance between the two, Reynolds said that buyers were handpicked, as one wanted to see a mix of experiences from different countries in Africa.

Swartz explained that SA Tourism had a strategic way of looking at markets and a wealth of research that helped them decide which markets SA Tourism played in.

Dealing with budgets, Swartz said: “Choose where you can play, look at opportunities and make selective decisions, advising smaller companies to make informed choices.”

As for the future of roadshows, 20 years ago the industry was concerned that virtual trade shows were going to take over, said Reynolds. “When we travel, we see human interactions and that is what is driving us; that one on one. We are relationship driven.”

Roadshows have taken a specialised form of marketing, as companies used to conduct sales trips but, according to Reynolds, roadshows are a more effective way of doing business. “The future of roadshows is a positive one,” concluded Reynolds.

Tourism Update will publish follow-up articles based on this particular panel discussion.