New brand, new vision for 2022
In June 2021, leading global exhibition and events company Reed Exhibitions unveiled its new brand identity and positioning to leverage its capabilities in data and technology and create year-round communities in the hybrid space, to support businesses and customers to grow.
Thus, sleek and agile RX was born.
Already setting the pace in both in-person and hybrid exhibitions, RX Africa embraced the evolution of the brand with the vigour of a team dedicated to its craft and to innovation. Carol Weaving, MD, RX Africa, says:
“RX Africa’s attitude to the many changes that 2020 and 2021 brought shows not only our tenacity, but our willingness to take on challenges that some may see as overreach, if not entirely crazy.
“I came across a speech from the iconic Think Different Apple commercial narrated by Steve Jobs, which highlights our work ethos perfectly as the people who see things differently, and are ‘crazy’ enough to think we can change the world, so we do.”
Weaving says RX Africa’s “crazy” in 2021 included a number of “think outside the box” initiatives to ensure it continued to offer the industries it serves the best they could get, during a pandemic.
“We threw away the box entirely and took risks many would have balked at. Chief among these was launching FAME Week Africa, a business development initiative for the film, arts, media and entertainment industries, in partnership with the Host City of Cape Town.”
Noting this was one of the few events launched in Africa amid the turbulence of 2021, Weaving says the response from the FAME sector across Africa was “overwhelming” and encouraging, not only for RX Africa but for the many that were able to showcase their work within a vast influential network of their peers.
“FAME Week Africa answered the need for events that reconnected us all face-to-face, and gave RX the opportunity to do what we do best – build businesses.
“On the digital front.” Weaving notes, “We launched a very successful Decorex eCommerce Store that takes advantage of 365 business days that online offers. The ever-popular Decorex Africa is no longer just an annual event where visitors and clients in the décor, interior design and lifestyle industries can gather in person, but a full-time meet, sell and purchase e-commerce platform too.”
Africa Travel Week headlined by World Travel Market Africa and International Luxury Travel hosted a successful virtual event that had over 5,000 successful 1-on-1 meetings, 4,000 views of content sessions, and over 4,300 minutes of speed networking.
About 2022 and beyond
Even while nobody escaped the sudden-onset pandemic unscathed, Weaving notes that RX was an innovator and imagination frontrunner at a time when things looked bleak.
“As an organisation, we really feel that if we continue to practise our business with the cohesion we have shown through the dark times, we can meet challenges with innovation, whatever it takes.
“RX has always played a significant role in the global economy by constantly creating opportunities for businesses to do business. Our commitment to diversity and our drive toward economic inclusivity plays a pivotal role in the platforms that we can offer businesses across the globe,” Weaving asserts.
“As we move into 2022 with new offerings and robust digital skills, we do so with the lessons from 2021 and our square-pegs-in-round-holes’ resilience and look forward to serving our industry and clients with renewed vigour.”
