Sakekamer looks to the future
Ben Chowles hailed the Festival as a success, and was thankful for modern technology which kept him in the loop while he was overseas, attending the summit.
The Sakekamer held a meeting on May 9 to give feedback on the Vodacom Newcastle Winter Festival and the Newcastles of the World Summit.
Ben Chowles hailed the Festival as a success, and was thankful for modern technology which kept him in the loop while he was overseas, attending the summit.
“This year everything went smoothly,” he said. “The main arena certainly met expectations, while the main stage provided all our cultural groups in the community with entertainment, something which is very positive.”
Mr Chowles again highlighted the difficulties faced by judging the wares sold in the stalls, going by just the name the vendor provides when booking his or her spot, and said a complete 180 degree turnaround was needed to improve the stalls.
This year, 31 000 people attended the festival, almost a full 10 000 less than last year.
“Our school groups make up a large portion of that loss,” he explained. “It was a difficult time with the school holidays, and we did not see nearly as many school children as last year.”
He explained why the entrance fees had gone up, saying the organisers felt it better to increase the tariff once every few years, rather than by R5 annually. “It will most likely stay at R50 for the next few years.”
Mr Chowles and Japie Myburgh from the Sakekamer visited the Czech Republic from April 28 until May 4, along with Ferdie Alberts, Director for Department of Economic Development, and returned with slight colds and a lot of interesting prospects.
“In the past, the summits did not focus on business as much,” said Mr Alberts. “This year was a very business-minded summit, with some interesting ideas being shared by many officials from all over the world.” The benefits of organised business could impact sustainable development on a large scale, something which the entrepreneurs of Newcastle have not failed to notice.
“There are some very interesting prospects, but we cannot get into any details right now,” said Mr Chowles. “The municipality will release the details and more in-depth points raised at the summit at their discretion. It was a strange notion for the other officials to see us, where business and the municipality work together as one, with a business concept in mind. This is good for us, as development must be enhanced.”
The exciting prospects garnered from the summit will no doubt be highlighted, as it could mean a strong influx into the economy in Newcastles all over the world.
