This year’s Nedbank Integrated Marketing Council (IMC) Conference, taking place on the 15 September,  again promises to be the showcase marketing event in Africa that draws thought leaders from all over the world to discuss “Marketing is Business©”. One of the IMC’s fundamental objectives is equipping the youth with the relevant skills and experience to lead the way in an increasingly competitive marketing sector. 

The Nedbank IMC Conference has extended its long running partnership with the Red & Yellow Creative School of Business (“Red & Yellow”) to meet this objective. Red & Yellow is Africa’s leading creative business school, which itself has a vision to build a formidable creative and energised talent pool. The Nedbank IMC is proud to be sponsoring two bursaries for on-campus students for 2024.

Dale Hefer, IMC CEO says that it is imperative for the marketing industry to seek out, nurture and retain talent. “This is precisely why our bursary programme is an integral part of the Nedbank IMC mandate,” she says. Dale’s sentiment aligns with the latest Department of Home Affair’s Critical Skills Shortage list (2022) which singles out market research and multimedia design skills in particular as being in short supply.

Red & Yellow is not only a highly respected place of learning for creative industries, but is also a driver of social upliftment and transformation. The school provides financial access to underprivileged students and helps open up direct access to the marketing, design and other creative industries. It offers a variety of full-time and part-time programmes, including degrees, advanced diplomas, and higher certificates. Online qualifications and short courses are also catered for. 

Verusha Maharaj, CEO of Red & Yellow, and a previous speaker at the Nedbank IMC 2020 conference, says the school’s 93% student employability rate, and a commitment to at least 10% of students being fully funded by bursaries, is testament to their success of driving youth employment and kickstarting fulfilling careers. 

“We’re delighted to partner with the Nedbank IMC Conference to encourage more businesses support our efforts to develop the next generation of changemakers, innovators and creators from disadvantaged backgrounds,” says Maharaj. “As evidenced in our Red & Yellow 2022 Employability Report, we remain committed to providing a world class tertiary offering that enhances the employability of our graduates and alumni, creating a more empowered and robust workforce, with opportunities for those students that historically they may not have had access to.”

Don’t miss out on this landmark day – grab your seat before they are all gone. The Nedbank IMC 2023 is taking place on 15 September at the Urban Brew Studios in Johannesburg. An online option is also available.

In-person tickets (conference only) priced at R4 000 (excl VAT) until 31 July 2023.

In-person tickets (conference and Effie Awards South Africa) priced at R5 000 (excl VAT) until 31 July 2023.

Limited seats available.

Virtual tickets priced at R1 499.

For more information, visit www.imcconference.com.

The annual Nedbank IMC Conference is Africa’s foremost integrated marketing conference. The Integrated Marketing Council (IMC) believes that Marketing is Business© and that marketing deserves its place at the boardroom table. This conference has more CMOs, senior marketers and agency leaders attending than any other in Africa and is relevant to anyone in the business of communication.

One day of 15-minute presentations (with some exceptions), the conference is known for its hard-hitting global agenda with no sales pitches.

Now in proud partnership with The Effie Awards South Africa – the world’s pre-eminent marketing effectiveness award – the Nedbank IMC Conference will be in person or online on the 15 September 2023. The Nedbank IMC is presented in association with MASA, in collaboration with the ACA, in partnership with the DMASA and is endorsed by the IAB. The 2023 theme is ‘Marketing. UpClose&Personal’ and is relevant to anyone in the business of communication.