As the 2024 business events year has come to an end, Business Events takes stock of the developments, issues, trends and concerns that characterised the year.

The year was characterised by new events as various sectors of the economy used business events to different objectives. New events were noted especially in the property and construction industry as well as well as the environmental, social and governance (ESG) sectors. Concerns were also noted in the area of events stakeholder experiences quality.

• Awards

In the awards arena, the market continued to express concerns over the lack of transparency in the nomination and adjudication of some awards. Those award organisers who are known for approaching would be “awardees” soliciting for payments in exchange for awards continued their vice. Even among those awards that still retain a modicum of integrity it was disturbing to note that some brands were awarded at ceremonies which they were either sponsors or partners. Some companies accepted awards at ceremonies at which sister companies were sponsors, which compromises the awards’ stature.

Those organisers whose awards still command the market’s respect continued to shoot themselves in the foot by not saturating all platforms such as the social media with information on their nomination, judgement and selection criteria and processes to demonstrate their transparency and enhance and consolidate the stature and integrity of their awards.

There was a slight improvement in some of those awards were organisers just announce to the market awards such as 40 Top Under 40 Zimbabweans without disclosing the criteria used in the nomination and judgement criteria used to select the winners. This time around, some such award organisers invited members of the public to nominate potential winners. The selection criteria and judgement processes, as usual, were not disclosed.

In March, when the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) suspended its then Chief Executive Officer, Adelaide Chikunguru, The Standard reported that the national broadcaster, among other issues, accused Chikunguru of spending US$5 939.98 on awards from six different organisations. Chikunguru denied the accusation. None of the organisations publicly disputed the ZBC’s claim. Some observers argued that this was an opportunity for the named organisers to issue statements spelling out their criteria and processes and clear themselves of the impression created that Chikunguru had paid to win the awards in question. Others contended that if the organisations responded they would unnecessarily and unwittingly entangle themselves in a matter in which they were not principal parties. 

Despite an explanation on how exhibition awards are judged and the fact that only exhibitors that choose to compete for awards are considered for the accolades, there was a furore on social media when the national power utility, ZESA was adjudged the best overall winner in the energy sector at the Zimbabwe Agricultural Show in August. This demonstrated that members of the public did not fully understand the awards process and criteria. This points to the need for organisers to educate the market on their processes as well as their selection and judging criteria.

During the year, awards were not only about controversy and negativity. Some companies used them to recognise and reward their top performers. One such company is Stanbic Bank Zimbabwe which awarded its long serving staffers and top performers. Other companies used awards to cement relations with their stakeholders. For example, in November, as part of its 30^th anniversary celebrations, Zimswitch awarded pacesetting member financial institutions in the adoption of its solutions since 1994 under its Milestone Awards. The Herald newspaper introduced the Community Heroes and Heroines Recognition Awards which the publication’s Editor, Victoria Ruzvidzo described as “a celebration of love, kindness, and selflessness.”

The Institute of People Management of Zimbabwe (IPMZ)’s HR Excellence Awards was renamed to Human Capital Excellence Awards. “These changes are designed to foster greater participation and confidence among all stakeholders ensuring that every deserving individual and organisation showcases their achievements in human capital management,” the institute explained using its various social media handles.

Conferences and other meetings

In 2024 the market witnessed media houses increasingly playing a role in the business events sector as they sought to move away from being mere media partners in some events. They sought to become more involved as organisers. During the year under review, Zimpapers’ various subsidiaries such as the Zimpapers Knowledge Centre partnered the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development as well as other stakeholders to hold conferences on agricultural issues such as horticulture and wheat farming.

Although Zimpapers has always had an events arm, which organised events such as The Sunday Mail Bridal Expo, the media house joined other local media players in getting more involved in the events industry. The Financial Gazette, which is part of the Jester Media Services Group organises the Top Companies Survey Awards, while the Alpha Media Holdings’ various titles organise business events such as the Annual Sustainability Summit. Events provide an additional income stream to media players whose industry is under siege from technological advancements which have seen print runs reduce significantly as people access the news from their mobile phones.

The year also saw the introduction of new events. Apart from the Zimpapers’ new business events, one area where the market witnessed new events is the sustainability subsector. As the environment, social and governance (ESG) concept and framework has taken a firm root in Zimbabwe over the past two or so years, some business events were organised to push the sustainability agenda. In September, The Zimbabwe Independent held its Annual Sustainability Summit in Harare while the Institute of Directors Zimbabwe (IODZ) partnered the Institute for Sustainability Africa (Insaf) to hold the inaugural ESG and Sustainability Conference in October in Nyanga.  

One conference that stood out was the Amplifaya Creative Business Conference which was organised by Earground Africa and ZAR Events. Hosted by the 7 Arts venue in Harare, the ground-breaking event brought together artists and corporate leaders under one roof to shape the future of Zimbabwe’s creative economy. The event was key in that it brought together main stakeholders to introspect and strategise on how to leverage the abundant talent in Zimbabwe’s creative sector for the benefit of the artists, stakeholders, the economy and society.

The period under review also witnessed the growth of some meetings. In 2023 ABC Auctions started a networking event, the ABC Connect, where professionals pitch their businesses to fellow attendees. The event grew in leaps and bounds during the course of the year. At the time of writing, 33 editions of the event had been held.

As has become the norm, the region and the continent continued to benefit from the expertise and experience of some Zimbabweans, who were invited in various capacities at different conferences. Former Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) Company Chairperson and past Marketers Association of Zimbabwe (MAZ) President, Dr Ruth Ncube was invited to speak at the African Marketing Confederation (AMC) Annual Marketing Conference which was held in Kenya in September. Relatedly, MAZ CEO and one of the founders of the AMC, Gillian Rusike, was named as an honorary member of the AMC at the event. Digital marketing expert, Taffy Gotora was invited to facilitate a digital marketing master class during the Institute of Marketing in Malawi (IMM) annual conference in November.

The year under review also saw more entities using conferences and road shows to market their brands and initiatives to foreign-based Zimbabweans and foreigners. In the past it was mainly organisations like the CEO Africa Roundtable which used to organise business meetings in foreign lands such as the USA, but in 2024 the market saw more companies and organisations following suit. In July, CBZ and Seef Properties were in the UK for the CBZ Diaspora Business Networking Forum.  A Zimbabwe diaspora property confex was also held during the time to showcase and discuss the property opportunities in Zimbabwe.

• Exhibitions

The year also witnessed the ongoing interest and boom in the construction industry reflecting in the number of new exhibitions and confexes which were introduced to the market. The exhibition season opened in March with the inaugural Buildex confex, which was organised by digital marketing agency, Sabistar Digital (Pvt) Ltd and backed by the Institute of Architects if Zimbabwe (IAZ) and the Zimbabwe Building Contractors Association).

In October a new events player, Africa Exhibition Group (Pvt) Ltd, and the Estate Agents Council introduced the Zimbabwe Property Expo, which was held at the Celebration Centre. December saw the introduction of the inaugural Zimbabwe Real Estate Expo. The confex incorporated the inaugural Zimbabwe Real Estate and Construction Awards.  The event broke the traditional confex mould by including tours of award winners’ projects like Exodus and Company’s Madokero Creek, Pam Golding’s cluster housing and WestProp’s Millennium Heights.

Some of the year’s exhibitions such as the ADMA AgriShow and the Annual Garden Show saw some players like Halsteds Builders Express demonstrating how to make the most of exhibitions to market one’s brand without taking up a stand at the show. Almost every show goer at the ADMA AgriShow carried a blue Halsteds-branded tote bag, thereby putting the brand in almost each visitor’s eyes. Given the amount of marketing literature that visitors collect in their rounds at such exhibitions, the bag became a very thoughtful necessity.

Additionally, Halsteds strategically placed its brand at the show by taking a showground entrance display to showcase its name and a very few hardware exhibits. During the ADMA ADMA AgriShow Business Events engaged some exhibitors who were of the opinion that given the popularity of the exhibition, the organisers should include meetings where exhibitors and other stakeholders discuss issues affecting their sector.

• Stakeholder experience issues

The bygone year also brought to the fore the issue of stakeholder experience during business events. The ZITF Company, which organises the annual international exhibition, the ZITF, demonstrated its commitment to positive stakeholder experiences by disclosing its efforts in this regard during a ZITF preparations update in March. The Company’s Chairman, Busisa Moyo indicated that his entity was holding meetings with other critical players like customs authorities, local airlines and the hospitality industry to ensure a seamless exhibition experience for our participants.

On the other hand, two exhibitions which were held at the beginning of October in Harare exposed how some organisers seemed not to care much about exhibitors’ concerns and experiences. At both shows exhibitors lost half of the first day as the organisers were still putting up stands over five hours into the first day of the shows. For one event, which was running for two days, this meant that exhibitors lost almost a quarter of the time they had paid for. At the other show, exhibitors were exposed to the sun as the modular shell scheme stands they were allocated did not have any overhead cover to shelter them from the elements.

•  Human capital and training

The former ZITF Company Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Stella Nkomo left the parastatal when she was appointed ambassador to India in April. Apart from her Deputy CEO duties, Ambassador Nkomo led the Company’s marketing department.

The yawning gap between the professional way that some events like the ADMA AgriShow are organised and the two Harare shows referred above points to the need for continuous learning on the part of local exhibition and event organisers.

As the year came to an end, a Harare-based local educational institution, Trust Academy announced the introduction of an Events Management Diploma, which it will be offering effective this month in conjunction with the Chinhoyi University of Technology (CUT). Successful students will be eligible to proceed to study for a Bachelor of Science Honours degree in Event Management with CUT. The development adds to a number of such initiatives as events stakeholders seek to improve the quality of the people managing and planning events. In March the Zimbabwe Association of Business Communicators (ZABC) announced the introduction of a certified Master of Ceremonies (MCs) course to sharpen master of ceremonies’ skills and improve their craft. Last year MAZ introduced an event management certificate course.

• Venues

In terms of venues, the year witnessed the completion of new venues in Bulawayo and Harare. In April the ZBC reported that the 6 400-seater Harare Hippodrome was ready to host events although finishing touches continued for the remainder of the year and the venue is yet to be officially opened.

In December, President Emmerson Mnangagwa officially opened the Harvest House International Church-owned Harvest House International Conference Centre. The building has a 10 500-seater conference facility. The building also includes other facilities such as a gymnasium, a food court, a medical centre and a pharmacy.

Apart from the improved road infrastructure in some parts of Harare, the capital city also benefitted from the major refurbishment of the Rainbow Towers Hotel and Conference Centre, since opening in 1985. The hotel was revamped ahead of the 44h SADC Summit and the SADC 7th Industrialisation Week, which were held in Zimbabwe in July and August. The hotel and conference centre hosted some of the delegates and events that were held as part of the regional event.

Towards the end of the year, the NewsDay reported that the Rainbow Tourism Group, which also owns the Rainbow Towers Hotel and Conference Centre, agreed to acquire Montclair Hotel and Casino from Briolette Services (Private) Limited for US$5 million. The hotel boasts of 85 rooms and four conferencing rooms, which can seat up to 620 delegates.

A peek at 2025

As the new year commences, Business Events projects an increase in the number of business events during the course of 2025. Given that awards rake in money, the market is set to witness an increase in the number of award events and for as long as award processes and criteria remain shrouded in secrecy, controversy is going to be part of the country’s award ceremonies.

In view of the increasing number of Zimbabweans in the diaspora and the need to lure more foreign investors to the economy, this year is likely to witness more events being held in foreign countries to target citizens in the diaspora and potential foreign investors.

ESG and sustainability issues are here to stay. This is set to see more ESG and sustainability-related business events during the course of this year.  Relatedly, the year is likely to witness a push for sustainable event practices by some events professionals with a heart for sustainable business practices.