Coatings for Africa 2013 – Update

With 90+ stands and more than five months before the opening on May 21, 2013, the Johannesburg- based Conference Coatings for Africa 2013 (CFA 2013) is proceeding smoothly and steadily The local organising committee (LOC) has approached its designated tasks and areas of responsibility with great energy and enthusiasm and in turn, they have been rewarded with very positive indications that CFA 2013 will not only be successful but shall provide a springboard into the future for an industry event that can only evolve and grow in stature.
Even now it is safe to say that with more than two thirds of the exhibition space sold, nearly 40 technical papers submitted for the Symposium and generous offers of sponsorship secured, the 2013 Conference will easily surpass the previous event held in 2010 in terms of size and scope. With expenses to date and projected forward costs in line with the projected budget, the LOC is quietly confident that financial targets will be met without difficulty.
The major job now left to the organisers, is to place greater emphasis upon the marketing aspects of CFA 2013 and to draw in the delegates and visitors that are critical to the overall accomplishment of the Conference. It is important that our channels of communication reach further and wider into the global arena and naturally, across the continental Africa itself – a recognised growth market for coatings, its raw materials and supporting technologies and systems. Above all is the emphasis that has been placed upon greener, environmentally acceptable products and processes. This developing technology is perhaps even more critical to the economic ‘landscapes’ of developing nations, which are experiencing rapid change and further industrialisation.
Not to be overlooked is the marketplace that CFA 2013 will provide for all parties positioned on either side of the supply-demand continuum and there will be great opportunities for business people, technologists and entrepreneurs to network and make new connections on a face-to-face basis. Many companies that have already committed to CFA 2013 have spoken about increasing their ‘footprint’ in Africa.
The venue for CFA 3013 is Gallagher Estate a well-established centre that has professionally hosted many shows, expos and functions for well over the past 10 years and has been seen as a natural choice for the LOC to select as the new home for CFA 2013 and beyond. It is well served by transport systems and particularly the Gautrain railway, which will enable local and international visitors to get to and from O R Tambo International Airport without difficulty.
Lastly, it is encouraging to note that the South African Government has endorsed CFA 2013 with offers of support and sponsorship promised by the Department of Trade and Industry and also the Department of Tourism. So to conclude, we are all ‘good to go’ with the exciting potential of CFA 2013 set to boost the biggest ‘Paint Show’ on the African Continent to even greater heights and acclaim.
D T Grady
Chairman LOC – CFA 2013