IALC Workshop 2007 – Cape Town, South Africa
IALC Cape Town Workshop captures Spirit of South Africa
In April 2007, 250 language travel professionals from around the world travelled to Cape Town for the 2007 IALC Workshop. And Cape Town, the new hotspot for learning English, lived up to its reputation as a top travel destination, providing a vibrant, multicultural and breathtakingly beautiful backdrop to the 24th IALC meeting. IALC member Good Hope Studies organised a perfect meeting and a fun-packed entertainment and tour programme that truly captured the spirit of South Africa.
School and agency delegates from more than 25 countries came from as far away as Tokyo, Seoul, Stockholm, Moscow, Denver, Vancouver and Sydney. Most combined the business trip with a holiday in South Africa, some travelling independently, others joining the IALC post-workshop tours to the Winelands, Kruger National Park, Cape Peninsula and Garden Route.
Three evening parties in Cape Town presented the unique tastes, sights and sounds of South Africa. At the historic Castle of Good Hope, in Camps Bay and in the Good Hope Studies schools in the city centre and southern suburbs, delegates sampled delicious Cape Malay, Cape Dutch and Township cuisine, witnessed pulsating African dancing and drumming and listened to Cape Malay singers, a traditional jazz band and a children’s choir whose singing stirred the emotions.
The IALC Gala Dinner has a reputation for innovation and surprise, and this year’s extravaganza at the Bay Hotel in Camps Bay was no exception. After a mesmerising African dance performance, 260 smartly dressed study travel professionals and their companions beat out a furious rhythm on 260 African drums - a spectacle unlikely to be seen or heard again!
Workshop participants raise 22,000 Rand for South African children's charity
In recognition of the enormous challenge facing the young democracy of South Africa, Good Hope Studies and IALC sponsored the STARFISH GREATHEARTS FOUNDATION, an AIDS charity for children. Good Hope Studies' cheque was presented on stage at the Gala Dinner. Together with the donations from the Gala Dinner guests, a total of 22,000 Rand was collected for the charity's vital work.
The IALC Workshop is jointly organized by the Association's Secretariat and the hosting school, which, remarkably for the size of the event today, still gives its time and resources entirely voluntarily.
Feedback
"The workshop was excellent, very well organized and productive. Everything was very carefully managed and the evening activities including the visit to the three Good Hope schools were superb"
Maria Inez G. Grasso - Friends in the World- Viagens, Intercâmbio e Cursos
"Thank you the team of Good Hope Studies for this tremendous event in all its aspects. It was my first IALC workshop and I count myself lucky to attend this memorable event!”
Nina Döbbelin - Studiosus Reisen München GmbH
"Thank you for your top organisation during the IALC Workshop. It was a very nice experience and I was very impressed! I spent a total three weeks in South Africa. This journey was one of my unforgettable experiences."
Mamiko Tagutschi - Cosmolingua Sprachaufenthalte weltweit
"This first experience as a member of IALC has been extrememly positive. I highly appreciate the professionalism of the association coupled with a very friendly atmosphere. I would also like to thank all the organizers - I realise the huge efforts made to make this meeting and workshop successful!"
Anna Clara Sainte-Rose - IS Aix-en-Provence
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