The second annual Attractions Africa conference is just around the corner and promises to be an educational experience with countless networking opportunities.

Attractions Africa is an attractions management conference and a forum for attraction managers to share knowledge and solutions to problems they may experience. This year it is being hosted on 3 and 4 June at Avenue, the grand new conferencing venue adjacent to the Two Oceans Aquarium.

Speakers

International speakers include Albert Postma, a Scenario Planning professor at the European Tourism Futures Institute at Stenden University in the Netherlands; David Russell, chairperson of The Russel Partnership, a food and technology consultancy specialising in the catering, conferencing, events and leisure market; Karen Staley, vice-president of the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions Europe (IAAPA); and Andreas Anderson, chair of IAAPA Europe, and CEO and president of Liseberg Theme Park in Sweden.

Speakers will discuss trends, benchmarks and best practices in the local attractions industry, as well as present case studies and give examples of excellence.

This year’s conference will once again present opportunities for rich discussion and the sharing of experiences.

Networking

A conference social on the first evening of the event, hosted at the Two Oceans Aquarium, will provide excellent networking opportunities (and it's a great chance to visit one of Cape Town's must-see attractions at night!).

Alichia Nortje, of the Two Oceans Aquarium is part of the project team behind Attractions Africa 2015, alongside Sabine Lehmann from the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway; Claire Kaplan from the Cape Point Partnership; Craig Allenby from the National Zoological Gardens; Tony Rubin from the SAB World of Beer; and professional conference organiser African Agenda.

Nortje says she found last year's inaugural conference extremely interesting and jumped at the opportunity to form part of the planning committee this year.

"I'm looking forward to networking with fellow industry members," she says. "We often think that our 'problems' are unique and I enjoy the opportunity to gain insight and learn from fellow attractions.

"In a way, the Aquarium is quite young in comparison to some of the attractions being represented at the conference, so we have much to learn."

She says there is a great need for wholesome family-centric attractions that cater for all ages, and this is where the Two Oceans Aquarium excels. Curriculum-based environmental education is another very attractive factor for schools visiting the Aquarium, and their experience in these areas will no doubt make for useful insights for conference delegates.

Visit attractionsafrica.co.za to register.