While the moratorium on large events and gatherings imposed by COVID has wreaked havoc with the multi-billion Dollar events industry in South Africa, 3D, interactive, virtual exhibition software created in the country is cause for hope.  

Inkanyezi Events, an internationally active, Port Elizabeth-head-quartered marketing company has partnered with a local technology start-up to create virtual exhibition software, which, according to Inkanyezi CEO, Andrew Binning, is receiving ‘intense global interest’. He said , "I have had meetings with organisers of events across the globe, including from Myanmar, Indonesia, India, Malaysia, Singapore, Greece, China, Russia and Brazil, among others who are looking for a virtual exhibition solution that is interactive, 3D and provides a visitor experience.''

Binning, the South African representative on the BRICS & Emerging Markets MICE Co-operation Forum, said the software platform which allows for gameplay like functionality and interaction would be piloted at three upcoming Inkanyezi managed events.

These are the 260 exhibitors strong Eastern Cape Virtual Exhibition on July 23 and 24, the Working World Careers Expo from August 12-14 and the International Personal Protective Equipment Expo from August 25-28. 

The Working World Careers expo, one of the largest career fairs in Africa, has been run for the past 21 successive years but was placed in jeopardy by lock-down regulations this year spiking concerns that the Class of 2020 would not get access to essential career resources.

Binning said the virtual technology solution would ensure that it would continue this year, despite the prohibition on public gatherings.

He opined, "The virtual nature of the platform means that visitors are not restricted by the limitations of venue capacity, parking and geographic distance, or health or safety regulations, which means virtual technology holds many benefits.'' 

According to Binning, once the virtual visitors have downloaded the app, they are able to live voice or text chat with exhibiting organisations, view company videos, download brochures and experience traditional features of an exhibition like seminars or workshops.

As a case in point Binning said annually around 15 000 visitors attend the traditional Working World Careers Expo and benefit from its resources, but Inkanyezi is working with schools to ensure that they now can access all the functionality of the expo without leaving their classrooms. "We think that we could reach record visitor numbers this year,'' he said.

Information on the virtual exhibition platform and events at which it is to be piloted are available at www.inkanyezi.co.za, Binning said.