Suren Naidoo
DURBAN companies are getting the lion’s share of business from the city’s hosting of the UN’s 17th Conference of Parties (COP17) climate change meeting, which begins next Monday with 20 000 delegates and participants descending on the city.
Sue Bannister, of the eThekwini Municipality’s Strategic Projects Unit, said up to 90 percent of the city’s R50 million budget for the event was being spent with local suppliers and service providers.
She said this was in addition to the massive multi-million rand spin-offs for the hospitality industry, with more than 160 000 “bed-nights” already sold for the 12-day mega conference.
“With the city’s spending for COP17 we stipulated that most of the businesses we contracted were local and that they sourced as much local material and staff as possible. I can’t speak for national government spending, but I do know that a lot of their spending is also being used on local companies and suppliers,” she said.
“Also, with the context of the event being so huge and related to climate change, we want to reduce its carbon footprint as much as we can. Thus, it makes sense to have more local suppliers, service providers and businesses involved,” she said.
Some of the COP17 contracts awarded to Durban-based companies are The Conference Company, Thompsons Africa, Durban Oaysis Exhibitions and Events, Global Conferences and Schenker Logistics.
The Conference Company, headed by Nina Freysen-Pretorius, was appointed as the main professional conference organiser (PCO) for COP17. Thompsons Africa, headed by Linda Pampallis, was appointed the official accommodation services provider.
Global Conferences was appointed to handle the Department of Environmental Affairs Climate Change Response Expo, located at the tent city at the Centrum site, near The Workshop shopping centre.
“We were delighted to have been appointed by the city as the main PCO for COP17. But, we are also excited to see so many local companies benefiting from this event,” said Freysen-Pretorius. “This monster conference is expected to be the biggest… South Africa has ever hosted, with 20 000 participants anticipated.”
“With so many stakeholders involved and committed to its success, it is very exciting… Importantly it also exposes local companies to large-scale eventing experience,” added Freysen-Pretorius.
Gill Martini, of Global Conferences and project manager of the Climate Change Response Expo, said because of the fact that the event would have a carbon audit, participants were obliged to use local Durban companies as far as possible.
“Owing to the size of the event some of the big marquees had to be brought in. However, all the scaffolding, catering, waitressing and cleaning services are local. It is an immense honour to be working on this event,” she said.
Durban Chamber of Commerce CEO Andrew Layman said he had received very few complaints from local business that COP17 contracts were given to businesses outside KwaZulu-Natal.
