By Jonathan Mbiriyamveka
Winning an international conference is only half the battle — Zimbabwe must deliver on every promise made in the bid, the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) has warned.
ZTA acting director for bidding and business development Josephine Noah said securing a major event created expectations that had to be matched by quality delivery on the ground.
“A successful bid creates an expectation that every partner must help fulfil,” Noah said.
She was speaking at the close of a MICE masterclass focused on helping Zimbabwe’s tourism and events industry compete for international conferences and deliver them successfully.
Noah said winning bids were only the start of the process, with the real test coming when delegates arrived.
“Planning, logistics, the delegate experience, risk management, sustainability, technology, accessibility, and post-event evaluation are connected parts of one commitment to the client and the visitor,” she said.
Her warning puts the spotlight on the need for Zimbabwe to strengthen the entire MICE value chain rather than focusing only on securing conference business.
She said a successful bid required strategy, evidence, partnerships and a credible presentation, but those elements had to be backed by professional execution once the event was secured.
Noah also stressed the importance of collaboration, saying convention bureaux, hotels, venues, airlines, local authorities, universities, associations, government agencies, technical teams and event organisers all had a role in delivering a successful event.
Professional standards would also be critical, she said, urging industry players to embrace ethical conduct, relevant certification and continuous learning.
Such measures, she said, would help businesses earn trust while strengthening Zimbabwe’s reputation as a destination capable of competing for and delivering quality international events.
Noah challenged participants to ensure that the masterclass produced tangible results.
“I invite each of us to take one practical action from the masterclass,” she said, urging stakeholders to strengthen live bids and improve their operations.
The programme covered the event journey from identifying opportunities in the global MICE market and destination positioning to bidding, event delivery and post-event evaluation.
Noah thanked facilitator Ms Nonnie Kubeka, Lulu The Event Planner and the Zimbabwe Agricultural Society for their contributions, while also acknowledging the speakers, organisers, support team and participants.
She said the real measure of the masterclass would be stronger partnerships, more competitive bids, professionally delivered events and increased tourism activity.
The masterclass ended with participants invited to continue the conversation through lunch and business networking.
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