Research and analysis firm Frost & Sullivan is hosting its second annual Growth Innovation Leadership Event in Cape Town next month. The event attracts executives from some of SA’s and Africa’s biggest technology , mining, and engineering players.
The event will take place on 22 August at the Table Bay Hotel and will include a maximum of 200 delegates drawn from a wide range of industry sectors. One of the speakers, and former head of ICT Africa at Frost & Sullivan, Birgitta Cederstrom, says the event is the only one of its kind in Africa.
“There are other innovation events, but this is the only one aimed exclusively at business leaders. It’s an opportunity for them to come together, share industry insights, and collaborate on new ideas,” Cederstrom says.
“It’s a chance for leaders to talk about where their industries are going and what’s driving growth in their particular fields locally, in Africa, and globally.”
A number of technology companies are participating in the event, including BlackBerry maker Research in Motion (RIM), Bytes Technology Group, BT Global Services, Teraco, Alcatel-Lucent, Neotel, Mxit and Siemens. In addition, the major commercial banks, oil companies and a range of sustainable and green energy companies will be in attendance.
The event is one of 14 events Frost & Sullivan is hosting around the world this year. Some of the keynote speakers include Neotel CEO Sunil Joshi, Mxit founder and former CEO Herman Heunis, and Frost & Sullivan’s partner for Africa and Latin America, Phil Howarth, who will speak on the 50 global trends the company has identified for the rest of the decade.
Siemens’ city account manager, Marvin Benjamin, will speak on the challenges of connecting the unconnected and urbanisation. Other speakers include Exxaro CEO and president of the SA Chamber of Mines, Sipho Nkosi, and Naadiya Moosaje, cofounder of the SA Women in Engineering initiative and winner of CEO magazine’s most influential women of the year award in 2009.
To date, 180 delegates have signed up. Those still wishing can do so can register via the event’s website. The event costs R2 499/person.
TechCentral is media partner to the Growth Innovation Leadership Event.