4.2 DATA COLLECTION
4.2.25 Exhibitors’/Stallholders’ responses
As previously stated exhibitors/stallholders who represented established businesses in both the cities were located at the registration venues in these cities. The Durban Exhibition Centre is adjacent to the Durban International Convention Centre. The Exhibition Centre offers up to 13 200 square metres of usable and flexible space across two halls and is much larger than the space that is utilised for registration in Pietermaritzburg which was estimated to be
approximately 600 square metres. Consequently, the Durban venue accommodated a greater number of stalls than the Pietermaritzburg venue. It must also be noted that a little over a quarter of the participants (26.4%) that resided in and around Pietermaritzburg registered in this city.
The responses were fairly similar amongst the Exhibitors in both the cities. The Exhibitors indicated that they were notified in advance that the Bonitas Comrades Expo would take place in Durban. They confirmed that there was ample notification from the CMA and that the CMA had done excellently in marketing the event locally, nationally and internationally. However, they believed that there was room for improvement. They identified the following products and services that were sold or offered at the Expo viz. food, wines, sporting apparel, vitamin
supplements for sports people, massages and road-running footwear for athletes. The common products and services that were offered at both cities were food and clothing and footwear for athletes. The other products and services were offered at only the Expo in Durban.
The majority of the stallholders (70%) also revealed that they had incurred additional costs in preparation of the event. The additional costs ranged from R2 000 to R5 000 and were evenly
spread amongst the stallholders in the cities. A third of these additional costs were expended to purchase the stands at the venues. All the stallholders disclosed that they had employed
additional people. It was confirmed that Pietermaritzburg stallholders (75%) employed more additional staff than the stallholders (25%) in Durban. The majority (85.7%) of the additional labour force was employed in sales and marketing. The majority of the Pietermaritzburg stallholders (75%) declared that their sales increased because of the event whereas 40% of the respondents in Durban declared that there was an increase in their sales because of the event.
Figure 4.7: New income generated in Durban and Pietermaritzburg (n=14)
Figure 4.7 shows that nearly twice as many stallholders from Pietermaritzburg as compared to Durban attributed increased revenue to the event.
0,0 10,0 20,0 30,0 40,0 50,0 60,0 70,0 80,0
Durban Pietermaritzburg
40,0
75,0
40,0
25,0 20,0
0,0
Percent
Agree Neither agree nor disagree Disagree
All the respondents (100%) in Pietermaritzburg also declared that more tourists were attracted to the city because of the Comrades Marathon whereas 80% of the respondents in Durban stated that more tourists were attracted to the city because of the event. On average, 90% of the respondents agreed that the event attracts more tourists (Figure 4.8) into the cities and the
province. Figure 4.7 also illustrates that respondents representing the businesses in Durban were as twice as optimistic as their Pietermaritzburg counterparts that there would be increased
financial benefits because of the race.
Figure 4.8: Exhibitors’ responses to the cities’ tourists attractions (n=14)
Figure 4.8 illustrates that the businesses respondents in Durban were as twice as optimistic than their Pietermaritzburg counterparts that the Comrades Marathon would have a positive financial impact on the cities and the province and would also create jobs in the cities. A chi-square was conducted and a p-value of 0.2 was generated which indicated that there was no significant difference between the ratings of the two cities.
0,0 10,0 20,0 30,0 40,0 50,0 60,0 70,0 80,0 90,0 100,0
Durban Pietermaritzburg
80,0
100,0
20,0
0,0
Percent
Agree Neither agree nor disagree
Figure 4.9: 2010 FIFA World Cup perceived financial benefits (n=14)
Table 4.17 below shows that all (100%) of the stallholders interviewed in Durban declared that the 2010 FIFA World Cup would have a positive economic impact on the Comrades Marathon and the city whereas only 50% of the respondents in Pietermaritzburg stated that the World Cup would have a positive impact on the event. Table 4.17 also indicates the level of satisfaction of the stallholders based on the factors listed in the questionnaire.
0,0 20,0 40,0 60,0 80,0 100,0
Durban Pietermaritzburg
100,0
50,0 50,0
Percent
Agree Neither agree nor disagree
Table 4.17: Exhibitors’ level of satisfaction of the event (%) (n=14)
FACTORS
LOCATION
DURBAN (%)
PIETERMARITZBURG (%)
Location of the event 100 100
Organisation of the event 100 100
Attendance at the event 100 100
Security at the event 100 100
Advertising/Publicity of the event 100 100
All of the respondents i.e. Exhibitors/Stallholders in both cities, indicated that they were satisfied with each of the factors indicated in the questionnaire. Table 4.17 identified the factors and displayed the Exhibitors’ responses as percentages. All the stallholders (100%) in both the cities stated that they were satisfied with the location, organisation and marketing of the event and the attendance and security at the event. The stallholders (50%) in both the cities made the following suggestions to improve the event:
Emphasise the involvement of the citizens of the country in the marketing campaign in order to encourage the general public to attend the event
Increase security especially towards the evening
Increase the number of toilets
Provide more parking
The remaining 50% stated that the event was perfect and consequently did not require any amendments.
All (100%) the stallholders in both the cities acknowledged that the event would have a positive financial impact on the local economic development of the cities and on their types of businesses as the event gave their businesses a great deal of exposure and supported the businesses they represented. The respondents also stated that the event contributes positively towards job creation and social development.