The organisation of the 2021 SAAFoST Congress – to be presented from the 20-22 September – is in full swing.
The virtual platform was agreed upon and débuted on 22 April with a webinar featuring John Cahalane, President & CEO for Kerry APMEA (Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa).
Virtual exhibition
Upon walking in to the Conference (accessed by logging onto the platform with your email address), you are greeted by a spacious auditorium with options to register, get your briefcase , obtain assistance from the help desk, attend the meetings that interest you, have a chat ( and home-brewed coffee) with colleagues, stroll through the expansive exhibitors hall, check out the bulletin board with event happenings and updates, and visit the exhibition stands – one of the many highlights of the Congress.
Local and African food scientists
The main highlight is an unparalleled scientific programme being finalised, currently with 20 international speakers confirmed – three South Africans resident in overseas institutions amongst them, together with the cream of local and African Food Scientists.
You would need to attend seven to eight conferences to hear all these speakers in normal times, so a remarkable achievement and opportunity for all attendees from which to benefit.
Another highlight is the Exhibition Hall, where you will be able to browse the exhibitions, interact with the exhibitors by live chat or scheduled appointment, download brochures, business cards, product and equipment videos into your briefcase for later review, taste sample products sent to you by exhibitors whilst learning about the product offerings – all very interactive.
The networking abilities are fabulous – formal or informal meetings can be requested on the platform and can be held in meeting rooms or lounges. All the delegates/exhibitors are shown, with an indication whether live or not, so contact is easy – just a click on their profile, and you can send an email, have a live chat, schedule a discussion, swop details or just say Hi!
When you need a break, you can have a gathering with your friends and colleagues by live invite and just chill as though you’re together – even if kilometres apart.
For more info, go to www.saafost.org.za . On the Home Page, click on SAAFoST virtual Congress 2021, under Items of Interest, to browse or register.
