While reflecting on Africa Travel Week, with Painted Wolf Wines as the sustainability partner for the fourth consecutive year, I feel my heart swell with pride at the huge amount of ongoing interest from media, safari lodges and companies, and the whole gamut of the travel industry and individuals alike. Huge thanks to Olivia Gradidge, marketing manager for WTM (World Travel Market) Africa and ILTM (International Luxury Travel Market) Africa, who gave us such wonderful opportunities, together with her assistant Nkele Mabelebele.
The energy at both shows is palpable, with sustainability and conservation impact a huge ongoing focus encouraging a holistic way of thinking about the guest experience and the well being of both guests and employees.
ILTM held at the inspirational Norval Foundation is one of the most exclusive gatherings in the global luxury travel calendar and is a curated event with around 80 exhibitors. It really is a show with a difference as, venue, design and atmosphere once again shaped the quality of engagement. Buyers, exhibitors and media moved fluidly between pre scheduled meetings, informal conversations and curated experiences that allowed relationships to develop organically rather than by diary slots alone
Exquisite snacks arrive at key moments of the day, with each lunch time and evening seeing a mass exodus to a hosting venue. The walk through the Klein Constantia cellar during their food and wine pairing first day lunch was extremely special with prawn cocktail tacos, potato samosas, beef waygu sliders and their delicious wines and the piece de la resistance, chocolate and apricot bon bon with Vin de Constance as the grand finale.
The ILTM media evening event was a standout for me, entitled ‘Africa’s untold stories’, four passionate producers were featured for the evening with travel and news writers from across the globe hungry for our unique stories. Ghanaian, Kojo Bentum-Williams put a wonderful short film together on Painted Wolf during the day at the show and we continued the conversation during a sumptuous dinner prepared by chef Julia Hattingh of Reverie. A unique long table dining experience where you share your ‘dreams’.
The beautifully prepared feast was a combination of family table service and plated dishes such as springbok loin. Kevin of Black elephant wines kept us well entertained in between and surprised us all when headphones were handed out and we were transported into another sphere listening to muic while delving into the flavours and textures of the multi faceted dessert and MCC pairing.
Sharing the ‘stage’ with Painted Wolf were Angelique Smith of Kalahari truffles with a welcome sip of liqueur turned cocktail together with MCC, Nydia Carelse of African Gypsy, a local tour operator and curio distributor gifting her locally handmade by older unemployed ladies, brooches of maps of Africa, and Wendren of Wren Design, a cape town based creative studio founded on the belief that thoughtful design can reshape how we value materials, objects and everyday life through their bespoke ProtectPaper computer/handbags of all descriptions and designs.
The following evening, all the exhibitors and buyers were hosted at Spyced restaurant and Painted Wolf was the sole wine brand being poured. The tables were super festive in true African style and the staff adorned in Shwe Shwe outfits and warm welcoming smiles.
Guests were greeted by the lively and entertaining Cape Quarter band and a ‘spyced’ cocktail. Very soon, my tasting table at the entrance was buzzing, giving me a wonderful opportunity to engage first hand with both new and well known faces from the shows over the years.
The eclectic menu began with beautifully displayed samosas, aranchini and Tandoori chicken wings working perfectly with our ‘Teardrop’ viognier and ‘Solo’ Roussanne.
Festivities commenced with a few words from Carol Weaving, CEO of RX Africa, Richard of Spyced restaurant and myself. I shared our story of 20 years of wines for conservation and encouraged everyone to keep our celebratory wine glass tags made by Growing Paper, for planting when home.
I have always wanted to join a drumming session, and here was my chance as we were led by a hilarious guy, building slowly teaching the simple rhythm to fast and furious with everyone in stitches of laughter. On to the main courses of the Spyced braai including polenta beef and a Cape Malay chicken curry, accompanied by our ‘Pictus’ red blend and ‘Guillermo’ Pinotage, finishing off with a coconut cream dessert and our old vine Chenin blanc 2021, a treat of a pairing. Dancing ensued and wrapped up a fun filled evening.
WTM is by far the larger of the two events, held at the CTICC, in the traditional style of around 800 exhibitors on their stands and 8000 trade professionals from 63 countries intent on moving between them for meetings, criss crossing the large halls. In between there are three stages aptly named the Brainbox, the Inspire theatre and the Future theatre with panel discussions on topics ranging from responsible tourism, travel tech, inclusion and diversity, sustainable travel to travel psyshcology, sports tourism and so much more in between!
Our presence was somewhat different at the shows this year with our fund raising art installation – Sip Poke Protect – designed by Maria Steyn and winning the most innovative stand award. We raised over R5000 for the Endangered Wildlife Trust and raised massive awareness of our dedication to impactful conservation, ensuring a future for the African wild dog, associated wildlife and communities.
For the second year, we partnered with the stunning Mobibars by Africa Infused to set off our wines to best effect.
Visitors were highly complementary and impressed with our having such a presence at the tourism shows always and of course our celebration of 20 years of wines for conservation.
With our stand ably manned by Emilicia Barends and Fred Loffler, with back up assistance by Maria Steyn and Madison Keyser, I spent my time talking up a storm and networking with colleagues in the travel and tourism industry, many of whom have become firm friends and handling the press aspect of which there was an even higher level of interest than usual. The positioning of our stand next to the Inspire theatre was hugely appreciated, drawing people throughout the three days to see what we were up to.
I was delighted to be able to gift each of the recipients of the sustainability awards with a bottle of our premium wine during the ceremony and to the press at WTM after a tasting following the media awards and also to the buyers at ILTM from all over the world, It was a coup to have the CTICC agree to sell Painted Wolf by the glass in their two show restaurants, and I sincerely hope they will continue on an ongoing basis. As usual Painted Wolf was poured at the ATTA networking event during WTM at the most unusual venue of Cape Town helicopters which was stunning.
It is quite a marathon week each year yet so seriously rewarding on so many levels. Olivia and I are already brainstorming for next year – hope to see you there!
Emma Borg
Press Links
- WTM Podcast – Geniene Preston – Painted Wolves
- ILTM Africa Comes Into Its Own as Business, Experience and Belonging Converge in Cape Town – Kojo Bentum-Williams
- Watch this space for an article by Lorraine Kearney in Travel, Southern Africa.
