The event will take place on 25 and 26 June 2026 at the BDO Offices in Wanderers Office Park, Illovo, Johannesburg. Organizers stated that the programme has been developed at a time when the global Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) market is projected to exceed $2 trillion by 2036.
The 2026 edition will focus on revenue optimization, sustainable business tourism development, cross-border business linkages and the application of artificial intelligence to improve operational performance and profitability.
Glenton De Kock, Chief Executive Officer of the Southern Africa Association of Conference Industries, will lead discussions on frameworks designed to strengthen collaboration between public and private sector stakeholders and position business events as contributors to national economic growth.
Financial and economic perspectives will be presented by Lee-Anne Bac and Christelle Grohmann, Partners in Strategic Development and Advisory at BDO South Africa. Their sessions will examine macroeconomic trends, financial risk management and the role of short-term rental networks in business tourism revenue generation.
The two-day programme includes sessions focused on destination positioning strategies, approaches to securing international business events and methodologies for evaluating bid opportunities. Participants will also examine the role of exhibitions as sales and business development platforms within the global meetings industry.
Additional sessions will address financial management and operational efficiency. Contributors include Akwasi Obeng-Adjei from Absa Group, Maureen Masuku from eBucks Corporate Travel and Tes Proos, founder of Crystal Events and Incentives.
A dedicated session on digital transformation and artificial intelligence will feature Judith Mongala from Meta Sub-Saharan Africa and Professor Kobby Mensah, Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Tourism Development Company. The session will focus on the practical application of artificial intelligence within hospitality and tourism businesses.
According to the organizers, the masterclass is designed to support workforce development across the African business events sector by providing training and networking opportunities for entrepreneurs, young professionals, women and industry executives.
The programme also aims to facilitate cross-border collaboration and knowledge exchange across the continent’s MICE industry.
Registration for the 9th Africa Business Tourism and MICE Masterclass remains open. Organizers have introduced tiered pricing options for corporate groups, small and medium-sized enterprises, students and other industry participants.
Tags:Glenton De Kock, Southern Africa Association of Conference Industries 9th Africa Business Tourism and MICE
