Zelda Coetzee-Burger commenced her business tourism career under the guidance of Rick Taylor as part of the team which established Africa’s first Convention Bureau, the Cape Town Convention Bureau. For several years thereafter, she was intrinsicly involved in various international bids and campaigns marketing Cape Town as Africa’s premier conference and events destination.
From this solid foundation, she progressed to heading up the Conference Division of Thebe Conventions, a subsidiary of the Thebe Investment Corporation for six years, before establishing her own conference management company, Imfunzelelo.
In 2012 Zelda and Grosvenor Tours & Conferences signed a partnership agreement to collaborate on conferences, events and incentives and to build on the capacities and skills within both companies. Grosvenor is a subsidiary of Cullinan Holdings, a Proudly South African company listed on the Johannesburg Securities Exchange. Cullinan owns some of the premier Tourism, Travel & Leisure Brands in South Africa.
Upon her return from a four month event production assignment for the Fortune Global Forum in China, she was appointed to oversee the logistical management of Cape Town’s World Design Capital’s signature events in 2014. In 2016 she became co-producer of the Cape Town Maker Faire, a family-friendly festival of invention, creativity and resourcefulness - a true celebration of the Maker movement.
In 2016 Zelda was part of the project team which successfully launched South Africa’s first Garden Day. During this campaign she worked closely with the retail industry and gardening trade associations to transform an idea into reality. In December 2016, Zelda was appointed to assist with the management of on-site logistics during the 2016 Fortune Global Forum in Rome, Italy.
Zelda has become a recognized force within the conference and events industry and boasts Fortune Conferences, World Bank, African Bank, SA Master Builders Association, IEEE, International Federation of Endodentistry, Cape Town Craft & Design Institute, GE, KWV, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, International Academy of Pathology, Urology Management Services, Round Square, Genesys and the Cape Film Commission as part of her client base, to name but a few.
Zelda has an in-depth understanding of the international business tourism landscape and has extensive experience in the production of international conferences and events, within South Africa and abroad. Apart from her vast practical experience, Zelda has held several tourism leadership positions, including Provincial and National Chairperson of the Southern African Association for the Conference Industry (SAACI) and board member of the Tourism Business Council of South Africa and regularly appears as guest speaker and panellist at industry congresses.
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