The African Society of Association Executives (AfSAE), based in Johannesburg, South Africa has appointed The Conference Company as its secretariat.
Formed in 2015 to serve as the professional society for those in the association management profession in Africa, AfSAE will connect associations – of which there are some 500 on the continent – so that they develop and become successful, ultimately impacting on national and continental development.
AfSAE will have a strong educational focus, both face-to-face and online, reflecting best practices in not-for-profit management. This will enable members to build both professional and personal skills to enhance their careers.
AfSAE held its first education conference at Meetings Africa in Johannesburg earlier this year.
Nina Freysen-Pretorius, Chief Executive Officer of The Conference Company, says AfSAE will be managed jointly between the US-based Talley Management Group – which was instrumental in its establishment, together with the South African National Convention Bureau – and The Conference Company, to ensure that it remains relevant and at the forefront of industry trends and technology.
Its seven-member board of directors is presided over by Jeffers Miruka of the African Association of Agricultural Economists, based in Kenya.
Its membership is open to destinations, venues or supplier partners to the African association community.
The Conference Company, based in Durban with regional offices in Cape Town and Johannesburg, was founded in 1997 and today it is one of the largest professional conference organisers in South Africa, specialising in the association market.
Freysen-Pretorius is President of the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA).