The African Association for Visitor Experiences and Attractions (AAVEA) is gearing up to host its sixth annual conference for attractions managers and industry professionals at the Radisson RED Hotel in Cape Town on 21 and 22 August 2019. 

The association, which launched in April 2019, is proud to present an inspiring two-day programme of insightful case studies, captivating presentations by international and local speakers, and thought-provoking roundtable discussions. 

This year’s programme will include a presentation by Mikael Ahlerup, the CEO of Lund Group in Norway. The Lund Group is a family-owned company that goes back generations and is one of Norway’s largest leisure companies. Mikael will be sharing his experience on how to embrace leadership. 

AAVEA is supported by the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) who will be holding its Institute for Attractions Managers (IAM) at the Radisson RED Hotel from 18 to 20 August 2019. The IAM course, being held for the first time ever in Africa, is directed at emerging industry professionals who have the potential to join senior management team and newly hired executives in the attractions industry. Those who participate in both the AAVEA Annual Conference and the IAM course will be awarded 26 credits towards their IAAPA qualification as a Certified Attractions Leader, an internationally recognised endorsement that can open up opportunities in the attractions industry. 

AAVEA president Sabine Lehmann, who founded the conference in 2014, is excited to welcome participants to both of these attractions industry events.

 “Both the AAVEA conference and the IAM course are fantastic opportunities for African attractions managers to learn from and with the best global pioneers in the industry. We are proud to be working alongside the IAAPA team to bring emerging trends, best practice case studies, and universal benchmarks to the shores of Cape Town, and to showcase examples of local excellence to our international peers. Register today and join us for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!” says Lehmann. 

Join us at the Annual AAVEA Conference 2019:

Attractions Africa, now AAVEA, will hold its sixth annual conference (AAVEA 2019) on Wednesday 21 and Thursday 22 August 2019 at the Radisson RED Hotel in Cape Town. The conference is a two-day gathering especially designed for visitor experience and attraction professionals. The programme offers insights into best practice, trends, management, and bench marking. Networking events open up collaboration opportunities. Panelists and presenters share personal experiences and case studies of real-world excellence. It’s the only African platform for visitor experience and attraction professionals to network, share, and seek solutions together.  

Conference registration for AAVEA 2019 is open and AAVEA members will enjoy special discounted pricing.  

For more information about AAVEA, please visit www.aavea.org.za, call +27 (0)21 683 2934, or send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The only association for visitor experience and attraction professionals, the African Association of Visitor Experiences and Attractions (AAVEA), celebrated its inception with a digital media launch on Wednesday, 6 March 2019.

At the fifth annual Attractions Africa conference last June, Sabine Lehmann announced the intention to launch an association focussed on unifying and elevating the attractions sector, and raising awareness about the contribution that attractions and visitor experiences make to the broader tourism industry. In November 2018, based on the success of five Attractions Africa conferences, AAVEA was formed. 

A first for the continent, AAVEA is a membership-driven association, governed by a board, which offers the only educational opportunities for visitor experience and attraction professionals in Africa. At its annual conference, AAVEA members and others in the attractions sector will learn, network, share, and seek solutions together. 

Lehmann, founder of AAVEA and a thought leader in the attractions sector with 25 years of experience in the tourism industry, heads up the new AAVEA Board as its president. She is thrilled about the launch of the association and the impact it will have on the broader tourism industry: 

“Visitor experiences and attractions play an important role in the tourism economy and are often the reason people choose to visit a city or region in the first place. Through AAVEA and our conference, we hope to raise the profile of attractions within the tourism industry, be the voice of the attractions sector, and contribute to the quality of attraction and visitor experience management,” says Lehmann.

 In another exciting feat for AAVEA, the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) has recognised the association as its African representation in its Europe, Middle East, and Africa division, now known as IAAPA EMEA.

 “Attractions Africa, now AAVEA, has been instrumental in the growth of the attractions industry in Africa. We are excited to work with them to strengthen our presence in the continent. We, as IAAPA EMEA, look forward to co-hosting with AAVEA our Institute for Attraction Managers training course that will be held in Cape Town in the latter part of 2019, and our global leadership forum in South Africa in early 2020”, says Jakob Wahl, Vice President and Executive Director of IAAPA. 

Join us at the 2019 Annual Conference:

 Attractions Africa, now AAVEA, will hold its fifth annual conference (AAVEA 2019) on 21 and 22 August 2019 in Cape Town. 

The conference is a two-day event especially designed for visitor experience and attraction professionals. The programme comprises international speakers sharing trends, benchmarks, and best practice, as well as local examples of excellence, case studies, and white papers presented by local attraction and visitor experience professionals. 

Conference registration for AAVEA 2019 will open in April 2019  and AAVEA members enjoy special discounted pricing.  

For more information about AAVEA, please visit www.aavea.org.za, call +27 (0)21 683 2934, or send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Interested conference participants are invited to follow AAVEA at @Attractions_Afr on Twitter and @AttractionsAfrica on Facebook.