Minister Mutsvangwa to officially open AMC conference

THE inaugural African Marketing Confederation (AMC) conference started in Victoria Falls yesterday amid calls for marketers across the continent to be guided by a collective refocusing of the sector to maximise opportunities.

The AMC conference is the first of its kind on the African continent as it connects marketing professionals from at least 10 different countries.

Yesterday delegates from Zambia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe attended the first session of the conference while Mavigo Tours and Transfers, AMC partners responsible for ground handling of delegates and transfers for the conference, were still shuttling those from Malawi, Uganda, Nigeria, Ghana and Kenya who had arrived in the city.

Giving welcome remarks, Marketers Association of Zimbabwe (MAZ) president, Professor Zororo Muranda, said the conference is a representation of a wider membership of MAZ. He said the occasion was an opportunity to grow personal, corporate and national brands.

“The day will go down in the annals of the history of marketing in that it is the day marketing practitioners and academics in Africa congregated on a realisation that there is power in collective interrogation, collective delayering and collective refocusing of our marketing approaches,” said Prof Muranda.

“What has brought us all here is the collective heritage we all have that is Africa. Our businesses will only thrive and establish noteworthy global footprint if we first understand how to optimise marketing opportunities closer to home, Africa.”

He said MAZ is proud to be the first to host the conference here in Victoria Falls, and this will lay a strong foundation for marketing with great focus on Africa.

The conference will be a hybrid event with 250 delegates expected to attend physically and 200 virtually. It is being hosted by MAZ and its patron, Senator Monica Mutsvangwa, who is Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister is expected to officially open it today.

The theme for the conference is “Astute marketer: Reshaping the future of business in Africa.”

Dr Lance Mambondiyani, managing director and chief executive for BancABC will be the keynote speaker.

BancABC

There are eight other speakers from across the African continent. AMC is the mother body of marketers associations in Africa and MAZ is a member.

AMC president Ms Helen McIntee said AMC has grown from a small group to more than association members.

“Tomorrow we will have Minister of Information who is also patron of MAZ Monica Mutsvangwa officially opening our conference. Government of Zimbabwe, according to Minister Mutsvangwa, is delighted that MAZ was bringing the inaugural AMC marketing conference 2022 to Zimbabwe and sees the conference as having a ripple effect on the organisation and the country as a whole as it brings regional spotlight to Zimbabwe as a major tourist and meetings destination,” she said. — -ebusinessweekly