Welcome to IAALD 2012 Conference

Dear Participants,

As the President of the IAALD Africa Chapter, it is my pleasure to invite you to attend the 3rd IAALD Africa Chapter Conference to be held in Johannesburg, South Africa, from 21st - 23rd May 2012.

The Johannesburg conference will be an exciting experience. It will draw attendance from professionals and experts involved in the application of information and communication technology (ICT) in the rural domain, with a primary focus on agriculture (e-Agriculture), from both inside and outside Africa. We are expecting speakers representing government policy makers, industry, international development community, rural development practitioners, as well as researchers and graduate students from the agricultural and rural development field, including ICT, to present and discuss the latest topics in e-agriculture and to share their experiences and lessons learned in the implementation of e-agriculture initiatives.

The conference activities will comprise of an exhibition showcasing e-agriculture initiatives and activities; pre-conference workshops, seminars and training; and the main conference which will include presentations and panel discussions. Prior to the conference, an online global discussion on e-Agriculture in Africa will be organised on the e-Agriculture.org platform.

Johannesburg , also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is a dynamic cosmopolitan city with great places to eat, interesting sites to visit, a good range of places to stay and excellent shopping opportunities. A visit to Soweto and the Johannesburg Apartheid Museum should be a must on your agenda, especially if you are coming from outside South Africa.

I am looking forward to meeting you in Jo'burg in May 2012 at what promises to be a most stimulating and enjoyable conference!

Dr. Justin Chisenga
IAALD Africa Chapter President

Venue

www.emperorspalace.co.za

Emperors Palace is a sensational resort that combines timeless classical elegance and sheer entertainment.  The resort offers a unique experience with luxurious accommodation, leisure facilities, a magnificent casino with unparalleled gaming enjoyment, an international dining experience and world-class entertainment.

The exhibition and conference centre at Emperors Palace provides a diverse range of exciting, multi-purpose venues, as well as small executive breakaway rooms. The entire venue has extensive technical resources and is equipped with state-of-theart facilities including Wireless Internet connectivity.

Location

Gauteng is the economic powerhouse of the Southern African region and home to Africa’s greatest cities.
With its diverse combinations from highly-sophisticated city living in Johannesburg,  to the exciting, vibrant township life in the metropolis of Soweto to the tree-lined diplomacy of Pretoria, Gauteng is a cosmopolitan, multicultural mix of people from all walks of life and is, without doubt, the most important city in the country

• Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli
• Gauteng is the smallest of South Africa's nine provinces.
• Its three main cities are Johannesburg, Soweto and Tshwane ( Pretoria).
• The population of Gauteng is approximately 8,8 million
• Johannesburg boasts 74% of multinational head quarters in South Africa
• OR Tambo is Africa’s busiest airport
• Johannesburg is Africa’s second largest city
• Johannesburg hosted the lions share of the 2010 World Cup
• The largest city in the world not built on or near a major water source.

Sponsors

IAALD Africa Chapter was established on 26 May 2006, in Nairobi, Kenya. We are a forum of individuals and organizations involved in creating, capturing, accessing, disseminating information and knowledge concerning agriculture and rural development in Africa.

We promote:

• Partnerships among members in management and dissemination of information.
• Capacity building in information management and knowledge sharing.

We advocate for:

• Sound information and communication management strategies and policies in institutions.
• Making public domain agricultural research information and knowledge truly accessible to all.

There are sponsorship and exhibit opportunities and we welcome the opportunity to customize a marketing package to communicate your intellectual strengths and enhance awareness of your company’s services to a very important and influential group of delegates.

Why sponsor, Why exhibit?

• Long term branding
• Unique intellectual leadership communication opportunities.
• Reaching the world’s Agricultural decision makers in the one place at the one time.
• Promoting your solutions research information regarding agricultural knowledge and assuring its accessability for others.