“Imboni yemihlangano yomhlaba wonke isithathe igxathu elikhulu phambili kusukela ngo-2001 lapho sethula umqondo we-IMEX futhi ngahileleka ngokuphelele.
“Ukubona i-Global Meetings Industry Day ekhalendeni lethu kungenze ngacabanga ukuthi ikuphi imboni namuhla, ukuthi isithuthuke kangakanani kusukela ngo-2001 – nokuthi ikusasa likuphi.
“Uma ngibheka emuva kule minyaka eyishumi edlule ngicabanga ukuthi kube nephuzu elikhulu embonini yemihlangano yamazwe ngamazwe. Manje sikolunye uhlangothi lwabo sebejwayelekile, kodwa ngenkathi imboni iphila ngalezo zinguquko, zabangela ukwesaba okukhulu nokungaqiniseki. Ngokubheka emuva kulula ukubona ukuthi lezi zikhathi zokuphazamiseka okukhulu zigcine ziholele kanjani kuguquko oluhle ezingxenyeni eziningi zemboni yemihlangano nemicimbi.
“Okokuqala kwaba yi-globalization. Muva nje izihloko zezindaba bezigcwele izinkulumo ze-BRICS futhi ngaphambi kwalokho indaba enkulu yokukhuluma 'kwakuwukuvuka kwengwe' njengoba amazwe amaningi ase-Asia ikakhulukazi i-China aqala ukuletha amandla awo aphelele okuthenga nomthelela emakethe yomhlaba. Manje njengoba sonke sisebenza emakethe edidiyelwe kakhudlwana, abathengi nabathengisi babhekene nokuqamba okusha nokukhetha okwengeziwe - kodwa nokuncintisana okwengeziwe nobunkimbinkimbi.
“Sinabakhangisi abavela emazweni angaphezu kuka-150 abeza ku-IMEX eFrankfurt ngenyanga ezayo, okuhlanganisa nabaningi abavela e-Afrika, Middle East naseCentral America ababengekho kulo mbukiso eminyakeni yokuqala. Kunoma isiphi isikhathi somjikelezo webhizinisi, umbukiso ofana ne-IMEX unikeza isifinyezo esisheshayo sempilo yemakethe yomhlaba wonke. Ngokufanayo, uhla olukhulu kodwa oluhlala lukhula lwezinkampani zobuchwepheshe bomcimbi kanye nemikhiqizo embukisweni yayingekho ngesikhathi siqala.
“Isici sesibili ukuvela kwamadolobha nezifunda ezahlukene emhlabeni jikelele njengezizinda zolwazi noma zokusungula izinto ezintsha. Lezi izindawo eziye zathuthukisa umnotho wazo wasendaweni ngamabomu ukuze zikhuphule izinga lemikhiqizo yazo, zenze imifelandawonye emisha yozakwethu abaningi kanye nolwazi olusha lwababekhona kule nqubo. Uma amadolobha, abenzi bezinqubomgomo kanye nabaholi bohulumeni basekhaya besebenza ndawonye ukuze baqhubekisele phambili ukubaluleka komnotho ngokukhuphuka kwemisebenzi, ubuhlakani bengqondo kanye nokutshalwa kwezimali kwengqalasizinda, kuwukuwina embonini yemihlangano. Futhi ngokwandayo kube amabhizinisi emboni yemihlangano yasendaweni noma ozakwethu abaqale lowo mzamo womfelandawonye.
“Iphuzu lesithathu okwaba ngcono ngalo kwaba ukukhuphuka kwe-meteoric kobuchwepheshe beselula ne-inthanethi. Esikhathini esifushane kakhulu sisuke ekuzibuzeni ukuthi ukuxhumana ubuso nobuso kuzoncishwa yini umhlaba lapho 'yonke into iku-inthanethi' safinyelela ekuboneni ukuthi abantu abadingi nje kuphela kodwa futhi bafuna ukuhlangana ubuso nobuso. Ngezindlela eziningi ukwanda kwewebhu kanye nobuchwepheshe beselula kuye kwavusa ukwazisa okusha kokuthi yini eyenza sibe abantu. Imihlangano nemicimbi kuwukubonakaliswa okuphelele kwesifiso somuntu sokuhlangenwe nakho okwabiwe; eyodwa egxile ekuziphatheni okukodwa, okuhlukile - ukuhlangana ndawonye endaweni eyodwa ngesikhathi esisodwa.
“Ekugcineni, kwaba khona i-TED factor. Lokhu, nakho, kungene kithi ngokushesha kangangokuthi kunzima ukukhumbula izinsuku zangaphambi kwe-TED. Kunoma ubani osebhizinisini lokuletha njalo ulwazi noma imfundo, kungaba ku-B2B noma izethameli zabathengi, i-TED ishintshe igeyimu nemithetho. Manje, imicimbi efana ne-SXSW e-Austin, i-me Convention e-Frankfurt kanye ne-C2 e-Montreal (nayo futhi embukisweni ku-IMEX ngendlela) ibonisa ukuthi amamodeli ebhizinisi lomcimbi aguqulwa kanjani phambi kwamehlo ethu. Isibonelo, sine-Smart Monday, exhaswe yi-MPI, e-Las Vegas nase-EduMonday ngaphambi kwe-IMEX e-Frankfurt futhi zombili zakhiwe ngokwengxenye futhi zakhuthazwa 'yi-TED factor'.
“Uma ngibheka phambili, kunesikhala esisha lapho imicimbi efana ne-IMEX sekusebenza khona manje. Kuchazwa uhlobo 'lwe-super-convergence' yebhizinisi, ubuchwepheshe, ezokuzijabulisa, izifundiswa nepolitiki. Umphumela? Lesi yisikhathi esijabulisa kakhulu sokuba sembonini yemihlangano nemicimbi!”
I-IMEX eFrankfurt iqala ngo-EduMonday, 14 May, e-Kap Europa Congress Centre. Umbukiso wezamabhizinisi uqala ngomhlaka-15 - 17 Meyi e-Messe Frankfurt - Halls 8 and 9.
