Pictured: Dr. Roelof Botha – top economist andcommentator on macro-economics

The South African Plastic Pipe Manufacturer’s Association (SAPPMA) has announced that registrations are now open for this year’s Pipes VII Conference that will be taking place on Tuesday, 10 September 2013 at the Bytes Conference Centre in Midrand.According to Jan Venter, Chairman of SAPPMA, this annual conference has gained the reputation for being the plastic pipe industry event of the year.

“Last year’s conference attracted almost 200 delegates who were keen to learn more about the local and international plastic pipe industry from the 11 local and four international speakers. We also attracted an extensive spread of sponsors, exhibitors and advertiserswho were keen to showcase their products and services and use the opportunity to network, learn about best practices and the latest developments in the industry,” Venter says.

The focus on this year’s conference will once again fall on the challenges and opportunities facing the industry, as well look at trends influencing the direction the industry is taking on a local and global scale. The objective is to grow the delegates not only in numbers, but also by attracting a very specific audience comprising consulting engineers, specifiers and contractors.

“We are excited to announce that Dr. Roelof Botha – top economist andcommentator on macro-economics and recipient of Finmedia’s Economist of the Year Award – has been confirmed as one of the keynote speakers,” says Venter.  The rest of the programme will be released soon.

As in the past, the 2013 Pipes VII conference will consist of two parallel sessions that run concurrently.  With a wide spectrum of delegates attending, the organisersprefer not to restrict speakers too much. Experts are invited to present papers on design, materials, energy conservation, installation, costing, specific projects and infrastructural development. The organisers are strict on keeping content non- commercial and therefore create an interesting offering to all industry players.

Registration forms are available at www.sappma.co.za