The South African Communications Industries Association (SACIA) has announced that the Council of Events Professionals Africa (CEPA) will now be reconstituted as a special interest group under the SACIA umbrella. CEPA was originally formed as a three-way partnership between the Exhibition and Event Association of Southern Africa (EXSA), the International Festivals and Events Association (IFEA) Africa and the Southern African Association for the Conference Industry (SAACI).

As a result of the merger, SACIA will now proceed to develop and register new professional designations for the Event Management sector as well. This will provide for a formal recognition of competencies for professionals working as Event Co-ordinators, Event Managers and Event Directors, and related service providers working on conferences, exhibitions, festivals and awards functions. It also extends to practitioners involved in  weddings, funerals, sports days, social excursions, fund-raising events and more. The baseline standard outlined in the various Professional Designation levels can be applied to all industry professionals working in the events industry, thereby creating new opportunities for individuals who may have been marginalised and/or denied access to commercial opportunities in the past.