The Rand Show is excited to announce that just like a real super hero, the Marvel Find Your Power Junior Super Hero Training Academy will be swooping in to thrill families at the 2020 show. This experience is not only a brand-new addition to one of SA’s most iconic events, but it is also a unique offering that families will not be able to experience just anywhere.  

In line with a host of new offerings and the pledge from organisers that there will be a new world to #discover next year, the unique training academy is a Marvel-themed event for children up to 12 years old, and will see them learning the moves of some of Marvel’s most well-known super hero characters in specially-curated sessions.  

Imagine your children learning the moves of some of Marvel’s most iconic super hero characters such as Thor, Black Panther, Captain America, Black Widow as well as Spider-Man. You don’t have to imagine, at the Rand Show they will complete their training and earn their own Marvel Junior Super Hero membership card. Look out for a few surprises too. 

As well as a fun-filled opportunity, the Marvel Find Your Power Junior Super Hero Training Academy will empower and inspire your children to be their very own superhero in their everyday lives. Whether its sharing random acts of kindness or taking on the attributes of superhero characters such as leadership, courage, endurance and sacrifice, all will be highlighted and shared with the children.  

The addition is one of several unique experiences at the brand new Play Zone. 

This Black Friday you can secure fantastic discounts on your family’s Rand Show entry. Visit www.randshow.co.za on the 29th of November to secure your discounted tickets.

The new-look Rand Show just got bigger and better for gamers and geeks. The show’s Play Zone 2 is being transformed into every escapist’s dream as the Festival of Gaming explodes onto the scene from 8-13 April 2020. 

The team at NAG has partnered with the Rand Show to turn Hall 8 into an epic geek destination. The Festival of Gaming will play host to a variety of video games, gadgets, tech, esports and cosplay, plus a feast of other pop culture delights. 

Digital battles, booming bandwidth, all the gaming and tech gadgets you need and loads of cool toys, collectibles and must-have gear, along with tournaments and other digital attractions, will be on hand to tempt seasoned geeks and newcomers alike. Michael James, Publisher of NAG and Senior Project Manager of Vodacom rAge says, “Our objective at NAG has always been to grow the gaming industry. The exciting reinvention of the Rand Show in 2020 is a fantastic opportunity for us to showcase the culture we all love so much to an audience that hasn’t been exposed to our industry on such a large scale. We’re also working on bringing a few amazing experiences to our existing community by leveraging off the footprint and power of the Rand Show. We look forward to fresh gaming, technology and geek culture for everyone while staying true to our hardcore gaming audience. The NAG, Vodacom rAge and Rush esports teams have come together to use their combined influence and existing audience reach to bring an enticing new digital energy to the legendary Rand Show.” 

This partnership also means that NAG is moving their annual Rush esports event to the Festival of Gaming in 2020. The event will celebrate its fourth iteration by expanding scope to include casual gamers while still hosting tournaments for professional players. This is in line with the company’s objective of growing local esports by enabling new audiences to participate in and experience this global phenomenon. 

Ulanova Visser, Marketing Director of Vodacom 4U, Vodacom’s Youth Branded Channel says, “Rush esports is going to cause a huge spectacle at the Rand Show this year, and Vodacom 4U can’t wait for the big reveal on 8 April. This is South Africa’s biggest show, so of course we have to bring something that matches its stature. It’s going to be huge.”

Another exciting addition to the Festival of Gaming will be the World Cosplay Summit (WCS) South African Championship. Beginning in 2003, World Cosplay Summit has grown to be the largest cosplay event in the world - teams of two must design and create their own costumes, as well as perform a skit, of their favourite Japanese pop culture characters. In August 2020, over 40 countries will send their representatives to Japan to compete in the WCS Championship, where one team will be crowned the WCS Champion. The Festival of Gaming will be hosting the WCS South African Championship round, where the country's top cosplayers will battle it out to become the National Champion, and fly to Japan in 2021 to take on the world's best in the biggest cosplay competition in the world. 

Les Allen, WCS Regional Organiser for South Africa says, “South Africa has a special place in the WCS global community, being the ONLY country in Africa to be a participant nation. This represents a massive opportunity for local cosplayers - the chance to represent your country and take on the best in the world. 2020 will be our third year in WCS, with our previous national teams performing exceptionally well - our 2019 team placed in the top 8 after the Tokyo round this year.”  

“Partnering with the Festival of Gaming is a truly exciting opportunity to further showcase South Africa's incredible array of cosplayers, who are already making their mark in the pop culture scene around the world. We look forward to having the Rand Show crowds cheer on the best cosplayers in the country as we search for our next National Champion team.”  

Craig Newman, CEO of the Johannesburg Expo Centre said, “The Rand Show is moving with the times and reinventing itself for a new generation. The Festival of Gaming is adding a whole new dimension to the show for visitors – both new and old – to discover. The 2020 show is shaping up to be the biggest yet. We’re all ready to go and very excited about launching this brand-new attraction.” 

Tickets to the Rand Show will go on sale on Black Friday 29 November 2019 on the Rand Show website. This Black Friday only, discover the Rand Show and the Festival of Gaming at a fraction of the price. Buy one ticket and get one free. A single day pass will get you into any one of the six show days and includes access to the Festival of Gaming. Max per person: two tickets per basket and stocks are limited.  

The Festival of Gaming will be in Play Zone 2, Hall 8 at the Rand Show, Johannesburg Expo Centre, Nasrec from 8-13 April 2020. #MyRandShow #festivalofgaming

This Black Friday only, discover Rand Show 2020 at a fraction of the price. Buy one ticket and get one free.  A single day pass will get you into any one of the six show days.Max per person: two tickets per basket and stocks are limited. Take advantage of this great deal now! Come and discover what’s in it for you. 

Standard Day Pass:

R 150 at the door.R 135 online (Price valid only until 31 March 2020. After 31 March, R 150).

Kids Day Pass:

R 80 at the door.R 70 online (Price valid only until 31 March 2020. After 31 March, R 80).Kids under 6 enter for free.

Pensioners Day Pass:

R 80 at the door.R 70 online (Price valid only until 31 March 2020. After 31 March, R 80).

Family Pass:

R 460 at the door.R 400 online (Price valid only until 31 March 2020. After 31 March, R 460). 

#BlackFriday only: Buy one, get one free!

Purchase your tickets online at www.randshow.co.za. 

In 2020, the Rand Show will surprise and amaze you with a brand-new journey. Discover new on-trend content, a greater variety of experiences, activations and shows distinctive to the Rand Show. Discover a Rand Show created just for you! 

The kids are sorted too. The Marvel Find Your Power Junior Super Hero Training Academy, brought in especially for the 2020 show, will be there to teach the children some superhero moves and to empower them to be everyday heroes in their day-to-day lives. Kids can also immerse themselves in an exclusive to the Rand Show Disney Frozen 2 experience or search for Easter eggs in the giant Beacon maze.  

Rush esports will be there to wow gamers at the Festival of Gaming, and there will be a feast of games, tech, geek culture and cosplay to indulge your inner geek. You can also tantalise your taste buds with exciting food and drink experiences and learn all about farm-to-table meal prep at the Organic Farmers Market; or settle in for the Jacaranda Clash of Kitchens – South Africa’s newest reality cooking challenge. There’s plenty for shopaholics too, with the show’s vast home makeover and shopping hall showcasing all the best brands. 

This is truly a jam packed, epic  festival of fun and discovery for all ages. 

Purchase your Black Friday special tickets online at www.randshow.co.za (powered by Howler) on 29 November only!  

Visit www.randshow.co.za for more information.

#MyRandShow

Mr Craig Newman, CEO, Johannesburg Expo Centre 

From MamaMagic to the Vodacom rAge Expo and HuntEx to SA Fashion Week, there are exhibitions for so many different niches in South Africa every year. And for the most part, the exhibition industry is showing no signs of slowing down.  

One of the most recent events, Vodacom rAge, is a perfect example of the extent to which likeminded people will turn out in support of an event that plays to their unique interests. Several exhibitors reported that they did so well, they had run out of stock by day three of the event.  

Vodacom rAge caters to a very specific niche – the toys, gaming, sci-fi and fantasy market. According to PR Newswire, the global toys and games market is expected to expand at a Compound Annual Growth rate (CAGR) of 4.6% between now and 2025.  

That’s just one example of a powerful niche market that’s gaining ground year-on-year. Exhibitions are focused marketing opportunities that bring your target market to you and allow you to network with your audience for ongoing sales. They’re fostering niche pocket economies everywhere.  

Expo trends now 

Other niches are also on the rise, and the exhibition circuit is a great opportunity to capitalise on consumer interest, even in a struggling economy.  

It’s not just the big ones that are doing well. Smaller-scale exhibitions are also seeing an increase in attendance. For example, broadcasting, entertainment and communications technology expo, Mediatech Africa, attracted 7525 visitors in July this year – a six-percent increase over last year, with 701 brands on display and 148 exhibiting companies. 

South Africans love a good exhibition. We’re a culture of hobbyists and weekend project collectors who love to turn up for a day out at an expo centre to consult the experts who know about the things we like, buy the latest and greatest goods and enjoy fine fare from food trucks, donut stands and boerewors roll sellers.

Having attended many varying exhibitions myself, as an industry professional and exhibition enthusiast, I can confidently say that we’re in a business that’s growing every year. Trade shows, conferences and exhibitions contribute to the local economy, boost tourism and enhance South Africa’s GDP.  

Exhibitions truly tap into the South African entrepreneurial spirit. An article published by Fin24 in 2018 states that visiting business delegates – many of them here for conferences or exhibitions – contribute around R115bn to our GDP annually.  

The feelgood factor 

The common denominator, whether you’re at Africa Health, Discop Africa or Vodacom rAge, for the most part, is the positive energy you encounter as you wander between the stands and showpieces at most South African expos and shows.  

The Rand Show in April this year completely changed lives with a local entrepreneur making a whopping sale of over R500 000. And it’s a testament to the fact that destination shows can provide a captive audience for exhibitors. In this case, it was the Rand Show’s dedicated SMME section, activated by the South African Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development. And I’m sure we can expect many more stories like this one to come.  

What does the future hold?  

New tools and technology are making the exhibition business more exciting than ever before. Dedicated event management software is making it easier for organisers and exhibitors to plan their efforts to the letter, and electronic booking or ticketing solutions have done away with human error when it comes to letting people in and out. 

Mobile technology is becoming more and more prevalent every year, with just about every big expo having its own dedicated app to help guests navigate their event and stay up to date with any panels, showstoppers or press events that are scheduled during an expo. 

Digital design and the advent of technologies such as 3D printing have made stands easier to create, set up and strike, not to mention more appealing to the eye than ever before. And if you’re not that keen on the crowds, who knows? There may be more Virtual Reality expo experiences coming up sooner rather than later.  

At the time of writing this, having seen the faces of the people in the crowds at the likes of the Rand Show, Vodacom rAge, the Design Indaba and more, exhibitions are still putting smiles on faces. And every year, they just get bigger and more advanced. Stay tuned for 2020’s exhibition circuit. It’s going to be the most impressive yet.

 It’s almost time once again for Joburg’s most iconic and well-loved family day out, and this year it is not simply going to be a show but is guaranteed to be an all-round show-stopper! Celebrating it’s 125th year anniversary, The Rand Show is synonymous with family entertainment on a grand scale, and this year, the injection of on trend content - to appeal to a whole new generation of Rand Show fans - will leave visitors wanting for nothing, except maybe a little more time to soak up the fun!

Early Bird tickets for the show are now open, and we all know that the proverbial early bird catches the worm, with the ‘worm’ being a Suzuki Swift and a tidy saving on the entry fee!

A limited number of early bird tickets are available online with a saving of up to R 70 on the ticket price, meaning that for as little as R 100 per adult and R 50 per child, the whole family can come along.  This great saving includes free entry into the Gaming Entertainment Pavilion, as well as automatic entry for every adult ticket purchased to win a set of adrenaline-charged wheels, sponsored by Suzuki.

Festival goers can get a taste for all the thrills of driving one of these little beauties at the Suzuki Adventure Zone.  Also, in the zone, for true adrenaline junkies, there is a 125m zip line to really get hearts racing.

Aside from pulse quickening adventure activities, the 125th celebration of Joburg’s Best Day Out includes the introduction of a host of family orientated and never-before seen attractions in a new Gaming Entertainment Pavilion. Gaming, Cosplay and Dance are just some of the new additions to the entertainment menu, and gaming junkies will be given their true fix with a Fortnite Gaming Tournament where R 100 000 is up for grabs.

The chance to win big is made even greater with awesome, reality inspired competitions such as the Jacaranda Clash of Ages live reality cooking show, as well as a public Talent Show that each boast R 125 000 in cash to the lucky winners. The list of prizes just goes on and on and includes an Easylife Kitchens home makeover, trips to Twitchcon USA, Chelsea Flower Show UK, Lesotho, Kirstenbosch Gardens and so much more. With all that and more up for grabs you literally have nothing to lose!

Well-loved Show favourites such as the gorgeous Garden and Home Flower and Décor Pavilion, Military displays and of course the fantastic fun fair have all been super-charged with the addition of a world class Fashion, Beauty and Fitness Expo which boasts some of the industries most recognised fitness fundi’s; as well as Cape Town’s famous Zip Zap Circus and the Drum Majorette Gold Cup.

With all this and so much more, the Rand Show has truly come full circle as one of the oldest and longest running lifestyle events in the world! 125 years of entertainment legacy is about to culminate in the biggest and best Show yet – one that South Africans simply cannot miss out on.

To book your Early Bird ticket today visit the Rand Show website or book through Computicket here.

As the countdown begins to one of this country’s most iconic events, the organisers have announced the introduction of an immersive ‘Gaming Entertainment Pavilion’ at the 2019 Rand Show. The Gaming Entertainment Pavilion hosted alongside numerous new lifestyle, retail and entertainment offerings, promises a massively fun family day – or days – out.  The additions to this year’s 125th Anniversary event have been designed to appeal to a generation of visitors that may never have experienced the show in all its glory.

“The Rand Show is the oldest Heritage event in this country, but many young South Africans  may not have experienced it. We have purposely re-injected on trend content into the experience, to appeal to a wider range of visitors. Gaming is an extremely important part of youth and even family culture now, it is a growing sector and we wanted to make sure that everyone attending would enjoy Joburg’s best day out” says Mike Bray, Marketing Manager of The Rand Show.

Some highlights of Gaming Entertainment Pavilion!

• A Fortnite Gaming Tournament with over R100,000 prize pool and other prizes.  Entry will be via an online registration system that goes live on 25 February at http://randshow.co.za/gaming/.  Visitors can also enter at The Rand Show, however this will be on a first-come-first-served basis on the day. There is a 13-year-old age restriction to the Tournament. Any Tournament entrant under 16 will have to sign a parental guidance form and be accompanied by an adult.

• A Cosplay running on the first weekend on the show. This is a more relaxed approach to cosplay that will encourage beginners to participate.  Daily prizes will be awarded with participants required to do a two-minute skit on stage.

• A traditional Cosplay Tournament over the final weekend being judged in three categories:
• The Newcomer category will take place on weekend two of the Rand Show and is open to newcomers, casual cosplayers and kids/teens (ages 6 - 12 and 13 - 15). Past competition cosplays welcome. First, second and third place will be awarded to the various age groups.
• The Like a Boss category is an intermediate competition. It will take place on Weekend two of the Rand Show. It is open to all, except experienced cosplayers. Beginners are welcome to enter as well. Pre-Judging and skit judging will take place. Past competition cosplays welcome. First, second and third place will be awarded.
• The Beast Mode category is an experienced competition and is only open to experienced cosplayers. It will take place on Weekend two. Pre-Judging and skit judging will take place. Past competition cosplays welcome. 

Entry is via an online registration system that goes live on 25 February at http://randshow.co.za/gaming/. 

• A Fortnite inspired Dance Off Competition will be held with various daily prizes up for grabs.  To enter, participants must upload a 15 second video clip of themselves performing their favourite Fortnite inspired dance moves to the Rand Show Facebook or Instagram pages along with the hashtag #RSDanceOff and #randshow2019. 

R 150 gives you entry into The Rand Show (which gives you access to all the halls). Entry into the Gaming Entertainment Pavilion will cost an additional R 20 for a two-hour tour through an immersive environment of Gaming, Cosplay and Dance. There are prizes up for grabs including a trip to TwitchCon USA and for early bird purchases, a Suzuki Swift! The early bird online ticket purchase of R 100 will give visitors both access into The Rand Show as well as the Gaming Entertainment Pavilion. So get your tickets early! 

The pavilion will be open from 14h00 to 19h00 weekdays and 10h00 to 19h00 on weekends. #getinthegame #randshow2019 #joburgsbestdayout #somethingforeveryone