March and April usually bring the best weather to Cape Town and this year is no exception.  While the mornings are darker for longer and the sun sets earlier these days, we are still having absoulutely gorgeous weather here in Cape Town and expect this to continue until at least mid May or so.  Alas, the one day that it just had to rain was the annual Two Oceans Marathon held over Easter Weekend.  I was told by several participants however that while they were drenched to the skin for the most part that it was exhilirating to run in the pouring rain.

What does the rest of April hold for us?  Well the Global Forum for Health Research takes place from the 24th to the 26th of April this year which is a forum for all the key figures who can make research and innovation work for health, equity and development.  This is followed closely by Decorex Cape Town which is happening on the 27th, 28th and 29th of April.

May 2012 looks to be quite an exciting month too with world renowned crooner Michael Buble scheduled to perform at the Grand West Grand Arena from the 1st of May to the 3rd of May.  We also have the Marketing Indaba, Hostex Cape Town 2012 and the 1st Annual Congress of the Faculty of Physicians taking place one after the other from the 9th of May 2012 until the 20th of May 2012, so all in all a busy few weeks coming up.

The Good Food and Wine show also takes place this May from the 24th to the 27th.  Boasting a decade of unprecedented success, this national event is now considered one of the finest on the world gourmet stage with the Cape Town leg rolling out the red carpet for famed foodies Buddy Valastro, of the hit TLC show, Cake Boss, winner of MasterChef America, Whitney Miller, Reza Mahammad, Ariana Bundy and CBeebies Mister Maker! Sounds exciting right?

May also sees the 4th Wind Power Africa Conference & Renewable Energy Exhibition as well as the Mobile Health Summit happening.

So in closing, I hope I’ve convinced you to visit Cape Town this May for at least one of the incredible events taking place. Whether it be to croon along to Michael Buble’s magical voice or to stuff your face with samples at the Good Food and Wine Show, Cape Town is the place to be this May 2012.

Oh and P.S…we still have rooms available. Book Now for rates of only R750.00 per room per night during May!

The Eastern Palace opened on the 1st of December 2011 inside The 4 Star Urban Chic Boutique Hotel and will be run by MingLiang (Ricky) Wang and his partner of 4 years, Cora Han. Distinguished by impeccable service and stylish, contemporary decor, Eastern Palace will serve a variety of mouth-watering Thai food, sushi and seafood and some of the Cape’s finest wines.

The restaurant boasts large glass-fronted views of Table Mountain and the bustling Long Street. The cuisine is fresh and light with each individual ingredient upholding its own identity yet blending superbly into the overall flavour.

Combining elements of several Southeast Asian traditions, Thai cooking places emphasis on lightly prepared dishes with strong fragrant components. Balance, detail and variety are of great importance to Eastern Palace’s Thai chefs.  The spiciness of Thai cuisine is notorious, and it is also known for its enthusiastic use of fresh herbs and is considered by many to be among the best in the world.

Sushi is fast becoming the cuisine of choice in Cape Town due to its fresh and healthy concept in a society where health and vitality have taken over as the number one priority on Capetonians’ to do list. Not to mention – it’s delicious!  With a Sushi bar, immaculate table settings and the eastern cuisine infused with superlative ingredients Ricky and Cora plan to make this restaurant a top dining spot in Long Street.

Trading hours:

Monday  – Thursday: 7am – 10pm

Fridays & Saturdays: 7am – 11pm

Sundays: 7am – 10pm

Signature dishes:

Geang Khew-Wan (Thai Green Curry)

A delectable Thai flavour green curry, served with mixed vegetables and basil

Beef – R55.00       Chicken – R50.00                        Prawn – R55.00        Vegetable – R48.00

Pad Thai Noodle

A patron flavoured rice noodle wok fried with tofu, bean sprouts, spring onions and egg. Content Peanut.

Chicken – R53.00     Beef – R55.00      Prawn – R55.00

Vegetarian Sushi Platter – R78.00

Avo Maki (8pcs), Inside out roll (8pcs), Hand (1pc), Inari(2pcs)

Salmon Platter – R120.00

Sashimi(4pcs), Nigiri(2pcs), Rainbow roll(4pcs), Inside Out roll(4pcs), Salmon Roses(3pcs), Fashion sandwich(3pcs)

Tel: 021 424 1861  ~  Fax: 086 587 7983  ~  E-mail: easternpalace.cpt@gmail.com

NHBRC would like to welcome you to the 12th International Housing & Home Warranty Conference which brings together warranty organisations, home builders and housing professionals from across the world, providing an opportunity to discuss challenges in the international market for the provision of new homes and share best practice on addressing them.

As the legislative capital of South Africa and the seat of the National Parliament, Cape Town, one of the world’s most beautiful cities with its well known landmarks including Table Mountain and Cape Point, provides the perfect venue for this first International Housing and Home Warranty Conference on the African continent.

Issues addressed at the conference will include international housing policy, managing risk and protecting consumers, warranty provision and enforcement, technical innovation and the quest to address climate change.

The conference will be held at the exceptional Cape Town International Convention Centre positioned in Cape Town’s bustling foreshore. The CTICC is only a short distance from many exciting attractions and amenities so providing an ideal centre for the Social Programme which accompanies the Business Sessions of the Conference, helping to make this event truly memorable.

For more info visit the website at http://www.ihhwc-southafrica.co.za/

BOOK YOUR ACCOMMODATION HERE

HASA 2011 CONFERENCE
21-22 SEPTEMBER, CAPE TOWN INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION CENTRE

REFORM SIDE BY SIDE. RETHINK. RECONNECT. REFORM

“A system only functions when it’s connected. It’s clear that the public and private sector need to work side by side in order to accomplish viable reform.” Dr Nkaki Matlala, Chairman of the Hospital Association of South Africa (HASA).

With healthcare reform in South Africa at a critical juncture, the theme of HASA’s 2011 conference has been aptly titled: “Reform Side by Side.”

The content of HASA’S 2011 conference will encourage delegates and stakeholders in the healthcare industry to rethink, reconnect and reform the healthcare system in such a way that it can deliver quality, affordable care to South Africans.

International and local speakers include:

• Dr Michael Thiede, Senior Health Economist at the University Hospital Heidelberg
• Pedro Delgado, Executive Director for the Institute of Healthcare Improvement
• Dr Ramon Castano-Yepes, Colombia
• Dr Mark Britnell, Chairman & Partner, Global Health Practice, KPMG
• Heather McLeod, ENZCAM, University of Canterbury, New Zealand
• Andrew Donaldson, Deputy Director General Public Finance, National Treasury
• Prof Hoosen Coovadia, Emeritus Victor Daitz Professor of HIV/AIDS Research; Emeritus Professor of Paediatrics and Child Health, University of Natal; Director at Match, University of the Witwatersrand
• Jessica Long, Accenture Development Partners
• Dr Okore Okorafor, Health Economist, Mediclinic Southern Africa
• Dr Jonathan Broomberg, CEO Discovery Health
• Dr Brigid Strachan
• Prof Alex van den Heever, Old Mutual Chair of Social Security Systems Administration and Management Studies, University of the Witwatersrand
• Carla Faustino Coelho, International Finance Corporation Advisory Services in Public Private Partnerships

To register for the conference, please visit: http://www.findavenue.co.za/Hasa/ or for further information, contact Viv Eades from Find a Venue on 031 767 4588, email: viv@findavenue.co.za.

BOOK YOUR ACCOMMODATION NOW!

The 2011 Loerie Awards will be held in Cape Town, with the festival weekend taking place from September 16 to 18. The awards ceremonies will take place at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) but there will also be various other events taking place at venues around the Mother City. Creative Week Cape Town runs from September 9 to 18.

To keep up with what’s happening over the weekend, attendees have the option to receive FREE SMS programme alerts straight to their phone, thanks to Vodacom Mobile Media.

This is the 33rd edition of South Africa’s premier advertising awards and the third consecutive year that the event is being hosted in creative Cape Town. The theme for this year’s event is “Don’t hate. Create.”

The Loerie Awards is the country’s biggest gathering of creative thinkers and brand communication experts. It is also one of the biggest parties of the year, with festivities continuing into the early hours of every morning.

The awards ceremony itself is a real red-carpet affair, with tuxedos, cocktail dresses, paparazzi, television cameras and lots of energy. The 2010 event included performances by comedians like David Kau, as well as musicians like Arno Carstens and Pitch Black Afro.

Cape Town creative agencies were prominent among the list of awards winners in 2010: The Loerie Awards introduced an agency ranking system and Cape Town’s King James topped this list. Read our blog about why Alistair King, their group chief creative, prefers to be based in Cape Town.

BOOK YOUR ACCOMMODATION IN CAPE TOWN’S PARTY STREET NOW!

Brought to you by South African Tourism & Hosted by Cape Town Tourism

All new format, speakers & subjects for 2011.

By Popular demand, now including new seminars on online marketing, management and social media for tourism.

In addition to our conference featuring a new line up of some of the world’s leading online travel firms and speakers on tourism and technology, we are now offering optional seminars in digital marketing, online tourism reservations and e-commerce with step by step instruction on using social media to promote your business.

If you are working in Tourism in Africa then you can’t afford to miss this conference. Now in the 4th year- this event has grown to be THE event for tourism and technology in Africa. As the majority of travel is now being sold online- this is your chance to be sure you are up to speed and keeping pace with the latest technology, trends and tools for tourism professionals. This year there is an all new line up of international and local speakers with engaging, interesting and entertaining presentations.

This year’s event will feature a full day of international speakers highlighting key issues and a second day with optional training seminars on digital marketing, social media and e-commerce- or optional panel sessions addressing critical issues for the development of local, regional and African tourism online.

ETD2011 is an international symposium and gathering of current and future researchers and practitioners in the area of Electronic Theses and Dissertations, and will provide delegates with the unique opportunity to share experiences, discuss current good practices from around the globe and network which in turn will enable researchers and practitioners to chart a future course.

Being held from the 13^th to the 17^th of September 2011 at the BMW Pavilion in the V&A Waterfront, ETD 2011 will kick off on the 13^th of September with a segment called ETD for Rookies followed by the opening ceremony and opening reception and will finish off on the 17^th with a workshop on Institutional Repositories.

If you have not booked your accommodation yet, then now is the time to do it. CLICK HERE!

Your hosts the Cape Town Science Centre, the Southern African Association of Science and Technology Centres, and the North Africa and Middle East Science Centers Network look forward to welcoming you to Cape Town.

With the theme “Science Across Cultures”, the 6th Science Centre World Congress will encourage reconciliation between different cultures and a greater appreciation of the role that science centres can play in highlighting each culture’s unique contributions to science, technology and science education.

Since its inception in 1996 the Science Centre World Congress “system” has followed some standard practices which distinguish it. These include:

• Science Centre World Congresses are held every three years on alternating continents and are open to science centre and museum professionals from all over the world. The congress organisation consists of a Local Organising Committee, set up by the host institution, and an International Program Committee, set up by the various science centre networks as detailed below.
• The Local Organising Committee is responsible for practical arrangements of the congress (logistics, arrangements) and its finances.
• An International Program Committee works with the host institution and is responsible for the content and program of the congress. The committee takes decisions on themes and subject areas of the program, session formats and speakers, and invites guest speakers within the congress budget or resources made available to it by the Local Organising Committee.
• The International Program Committee consists of the head of the host institution as Chair of the Committee, the previous congress Chair and three representatives each designated by the Association of Science-Technology Centers and the European Collaborative for Science, Industry and Technology Exhibitions, and two representatives each designated by the Red-Pop network and the Asia-Pacific Association of Science Centres. In addition to this, one representative from China, India and Africa is to be designated by appropriate bodies or invited by the Committee.
• The International Program Committee selects the venue of the next congress. The committee defines the criteria for selecting a venue in the invitation to compete. The selection procedure is open and invitations are limited to one region at a time for a particular conference.
• Parallel Sessions include representatives from at least three continents.
• Ample time is provided between sessions and in the evenings for delegates to connect informally.

The organisers say that: “There is definitely something for everyone, whether you work in a science centre or in a traditional museum, outdoor park, zoo, aquarium, visitor centre, botanical garden or the corporate exhibitions environment. We predict that you will have some difficult decisions to make as to which sessions to attend, but we have no doubt that you will have an inspiring and enjoyable time at the 6SCWC!”

Book your 4 star accommodation including breakfast, FREE internet and parking now!

The week before is the Stellenbosch Wine Week which kicks off on Friday, 22 July, offers a feast of indulgences on many of the 150 farms that make up the Stellenbosch American Express® Wine Routes. Ideal for day trips or for a prolonged stay in the Winelands, the Stellenbosch Wine Week offers food and wine encounters at top wine estate restaurants, exclusive winemaker dinners and much more. Seating is limited at many of these bespoke events, so be sure to book early!

The Stellenbosch Wine Festival has become a tradition during the winter months and is a popular attraction for both local and international wine enthusiasts.

For more information on the Stellenbosch Wine Festival, contact 021 886 4310 or visit their WEBSITE

Cape Town is the first city in Africa to come this close to being named a World Design Capital, a designation which bears prestigious status. The title is awarded biennially by the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design (ICSID) to cities that are dedicated to using design for social, cultural and economic development.

The announcement is pivotal for Cape Town’s reputation as a destination that has adopted design for transformation and social cohesion. Well-designed cities are best placed to address issues of competitiveness, climate change, growth, social cohesion and mobility. There is a strong connection between good design and a city’s economic growth, development and social inclusion program.

This title will give Cape Town a chance to showcase its achievements and aspirations through a year-long programme of design-led events and activities as World Design Capital designees Seoul and Helsinki will do in this year and in 2012 respectively. For more information on World Design Capital, please visit www.worlddesigncapital.com

The Cape Town Partnership has asked that supporters “make a designerly noise” in the run up to the final stages. A digital supporter button can be downloaded on www.capetown2014.co.za