The Southern African Asset Management Association (SAAMA) will host its fifth physical Asset Management conference from 4 to 6 June 2018 at the Lord Charles Hotel in Somerset West, Cape Town. This annual conference focuses on the development of physical Asset Management in Southern Africa and will boast a few new features.
An impressive cast of experts, local and international speakers as well academic speakers will participate in this event which will feature plenary sessions, practical workshops and special roundtables devoted to the most pressing issues relating to enterprise Asset Management. This year the content will focus on "smarter" approaches to enterprise Asset Management – doing things smarter and working smarter – and how this will impact on the workforce, our assets and operations.
Smarter approaches that will be unpacked at this year's event include: digitalisation, IoT, mobile and technology, maturity principles and assessment, best practice in utilities and public sector, green/circular economy, competency and employee engagement and capital projects.
"The SAAMA conference remains the premier annual event where Asset Management professionals gather for meaningful discussions and unrivalled networking sessions with industry peers. The event aims at addressing pertinent Asset Management issues and offers delegates many reasons for attending. The first being that papers are content driven, topical and aimed at addressing the latest global Asset Management trends. We are positioning this conference as the premier showcase for the latest research and academic papers related to the field of Asset Management," says Johannes Coetzee, president of SAAMA.
"We realise that our conference constantly needs to stay current, and we therefore go out of our way to ensure we deliver a rich experience that entertains, engages and connects. We have been successful in doing this four years consecutively and will continue to evolve in order to remain the premier event on the Physical Asset Management calendar. Our pricing structure remains unrivalled as we kept our pricing below average, making it particularly competitive. SAAMA members pay R7 000, while conference delegates only pay R10 000 for the early bird three-day conference package. A lucrative 30% discount is offered for presenters at the conference. No other industry-related conference offers this much value for money and the logic is simple, SAAMA is a not for profit association thus it is all about providing membership value.”
“The SAAMA conference attracts delegates from a wide range of industries (from across the private and public sectors) whom are primarily in middle to senior management positions. Delegates attend this event to share in knowledge and practical experience gained from various industries and will walk away with not only insight into pressing challenges but also with innovative solutions to current challenges” says Coetzee.
"For the first time, this flagship conference gives academic attendees the opportunity to share their research. SAAMA2018 will provide a forum for academics to present their research on all aspects of Asset Management and we invite all prospective academic authors to submit papers, says Dr Wyhan Jooste, an academic at Stellenbosch University and SAAMA Council Member.
Dr Jooste will act as the editor of the conference proceedings which will follow a double blind peer review process in accordance with the requirements of the Department of Higher Education and Training for subsidy purposes. "We work in close collaboration with tertiary institutions to ensure SAAMA2018 complies at the highest level of relevant and informed academic content, adds Dr Jooste.
Another 'first' is the launch of a formal recognition programme for individuals and organisations that have excelled in the field of Asset Management. "This will indisputably be a highlight on this year's conference programme and we look forward to honour the many leaders, innovators and disrupters of our industry," says SAAMA president, Johannes Coetzee.
This year's event will be hosted at the Lord Charles Hotel due to this venue's location that creates the perfect atmosphere. Here, SAAMA delegates can enjoy the event in an intimate conference setup, away from the distractions of the office, allowing for focused dialogue and networking.
The call for papers are still open and the organisers invite industry speakers and academics to submit their industry presentations or full research papers. Exhibitors who want to showcase their services and products are also invited to register while delegates are reminded that the discounted early bird rate expires at the end of January 2018.
For more information on the call for papers, exhibition, registration of sponsorship opportunities, please contact the SAAMA Conference Event Organisers: conference@saama.org.za or +27 10 003 3827.