AAXO Approved Badge and Show Audits
A stamp of approval from AAXO means quality and credibility – AAXO is bringing SA in line with international standards
If it’s AAXO-approved, it’s credible and quality-assured. The Association of African Exhibition Organisers has worked relentlessly since their inception in 2015 to ensure that exceptionally high standards are held within the exhibition industry. AAXO has achieved this in a number of ways: by commissioning up –to-date research that can inform industry best practices, by hosting training seminars and by working to audit exhibitions and accredit members.
The power of exhibitions as a marketing medium is being increasingly recognised in South Africa and internationally. This is due to the fact that it provides an unparalleled opportunity for exhibitors to engage with customers face-to-face. Sensory, experiential and immersive, exhibitions often result in an excellent return on investment and create a way for brands to increase awareness, launch and demonstrate products and connect with customers in innovative ways. For this reason, AAXO is working to facilitate exhibitions of superior quality, so that brands are able to reach their target markets. This is in addition to AAXO’s contribution to the growth and profitability of the exhibitions industry in South Africa.
As a step in this direction, AAXO members can now display their AAXO stamp of approval with an AAXO-approved badge. This is a symbol to other stakeholders within the marketing community that the badge holder adheres to AAXO’s stringent quality criteria. The purpose of introducing the AAXO-approved badge is to help businesses and brands to identify the best possible exhibition partners.
Another quality control measure that AAXO has introduced is the Audit Bureau of Circulations’ (ABC) show audits which validate attendance figures at event. A set of ABC Exhibition and Conference Reporting Standards has been developed according to international best practice, which has been approved by AAXO. AAXO members and exhibition organisers will register on the ABC website www.abc.org.za to ensure that ABC provides certification of confirmed attendance figures at their exhibitions.
Carol Weaving, Chairperson of AAXO, says that these measures are part of AAXO’s mandate to ensure that South Africa’s exhibition industry meets international gold standards. “When someone deals with AAXO or an AAXO member, they can be assured of quality and credibility. This is underscored by the number of local and international partnerships that AAXO has formed and the work that we have done to make sure that events are measured for quality control. We want our members to wear their AAXO-approved badge with pride- and we feel that they can.”
There are a number of other benefits to AAXO membership. A full list can be accessed on the AAXO website at www.aaxo.co.za
For more information on AAXO visit www.aaxo.co.za or contact Cindy Wandrag on 011 549 8300 or info@aaxo.co.za. For membership inquiries, including a full list of membership benefits and information on how to join, contact membership@aaxo.co.za
Issued on behalf of: Association of African Exhibition Organisers (AAXO)
Issued by: Harvey Fox
Contact: Philippa Harvey
Tel: +27 (0) 12 348 2699
Cell: +27 (0) 72 879 4077
E-mail: philippa@harveyfox.co.za