As you may have heard, the CGCSA has decided not to continue with its annual conference in the format that we have all been familiar with.

The CGCSA is in the midst of repositioning itself with a much more comprehensive mandate to address the more challenging Industry demands. This year we will be hosting a number of breakfast sessions in your cities, with powerful speakers and thought-provoking topics.

This is not a decision we have taken lightly. Over the years, the ECR/CGCSA Conference has been the highlight of the FMCG calendar – an opportunity to get together as an industry, meet old friends and colleagues, network with trading partners and get up to speed on innovations in the industry. Some businesses have used the conference as an opportunity to introduce their new recruits to the industry for the first time, while for CGCSA, it is an opportunity to meet our members face to face and introduce some of the big themes in our work as industry thought leaders and representatives.

Taking all of this into account, we look forward to a great future for the event, and will return next year, bigger, better and more relevant than before. This year, however, we are in the midst of a recession. We have consulted widely with members, and most have informed us that they are scaling back dramatically on events and conferences this year, focusing on cost cutting and efficiencies at their respective companies. Our regular exhibitors and sponsors have also suggested that cuts in the budgets may reduce their investment in the event this year.

As you know, CGCSA is a Section 21 company, the running costs of which are covered by members’ contributions. We could not responsibly invest these funds in an event which may for the first time not produce a profit. We will instead focus our efforts this year on consolidating the organisation, improving our service offering to members, and putting together a conference next year which will eclipse all previous events in relevance and interest for the industry.

In the meantime, we will be visiting you through our Power Breakfast Sessions to hear your thoughts on what you need from your industry’s representative body. We’ll keep you informed of the schedule and agenda for these events, and look forward to seeing you there!

Mncane Mthunzi
CEO, Consumer Goods Council of South Africa