The Metro FM Music Awards (MMAs), held at the International Convention Centre (ICC) in Durban on Saturday 23 February was bang on the urban pulse of South African music. Blue Moon pulled out all eventing stops to put together an outstanding event that truly raised the bar for live television and got the entire country tweeting up a storm, resulting in the #MMA12 hashtag trending globally.

 

The Urban Pulse ceremony celebrated the exceptional musical diversity that SA has to offer, which is so excellently represented by the Metro FM brand through its listeners, DJs and music. The creative thought behind the Urban Pulse of the MMAs was to celebrate the unique, world-class talent that exists in South African and to present a dynamic urban view of our music industry and how it forms the beat to the lives of South Africans. KZN talent was particularly highlighted by showcasing artists Big Nuz, DJ Tira, Toya Delazy and Khaya Mthethwa, who all got the audience on their feet and dancing.

 

Aired live for the very first time ever on SABC1, the show kicked off at 8pm sharp with a performance by The Soil and Best Hip Hop winner Zakwe. This electric display of talent immediately set the tone for the rest of the ceremony. Other performances included Best Newcomer nominees and crowd favourites Khaya Mthethwa and Toya Delazy, DJ Pepsi and international artist Monique Bingham, as well as Khuli Chana. The two most talked-about performances on Twitter, however, were the ones by Mafikizolo, who performed their popular new single Khona, and DJ Vetkuk and Mahoota’s remake of Via Orlando featuring Dr Malinga. The latter was in fact the surprise performance of the night as the man behind the original version of the song – Monwa – appeared on stage to an awed crowd, who sang along with the legend.

 

Performing twice on the night, the leaping, kicking, jumping, shaking Dr Malinga was the absolute star of the show. With his quirky short suits and multi-coloured shoes, he had the audience, and Metro FM’s twitter followers in an absolute frenzy, resulting in the national trending of the hashtag #DrMalinga.

 

Chicco Twala, recipient of the Lifetime Achiever Award, also gave a stunning performance of some of his classic songs, which again had the audience singing along, hands raised in praise.

 

Emcees for the night were Metro FM DJ Azania Mosaka, who stunned the audience with her gorgeous dresses and natural beauty, and sport presenter Robert Marawa. The two kept the show running smoothly and had a genuine, playful synergy that kept everyone entertained. Read out during the show were live tweets sent in by fans watching the awards live. This, and the consistent display of the #MMA12 hashtag on TV screens, added to the Twitter frenzy.

 

Remaining true to the Metro FM brand throughout the show, the event showcased a radio station and a nation that is trend setting, entertaining, and ultimately worships at the beat of local music. “We aimed to create a show first and foremost for the audience,” says Blue Moon Creative Dominique Masson, “And for the industry guests, as well as the viewers at home, the fans, who are the end consumers of the product. We believe that a brand is no longer what we tell the consumer it is – it is what consumers tell each other it is.”

 

Key to success of the awards was the creative powerhouse of Darren Hayward, Director of the show, Elmir Arnautovic, who was responsible for the audio-visual elements, and Greg Maqoma who pulled together the memorable choreography.

 

No aspect of the ceremony went unchecked. From the dynamic yet simple set, which included scaffolding and large screens, to the ever-changing lighting and pyrotechnics, there was never a dull moment on screen or off, as was experienced on Twitter. Partnering with SoulProviders, Blue Moon made sure that anyone not watching the show would know exactly what was happening by tweeting photos and updates, quotes and results on a minute-by-minute basis from the MetroFMSA Twitter account.

 

Blue Moon Executive Producer, Deana Heslop-Mthembu says she is pleased at the way the show came together: “There was a fantastic energy from the performers and the audience, which translated onto the TV screen. This is sometimes hard to capture, but I feel the Skhonyane Productions team responsible for the live broadcast got the mix just right for this magic to happen.”

 

Prior to the ceremony guests were welcomed on the stylish black carpet where they were photographed and interviewed for shows such as SABC’s Selimathunzi and Hectic9Nine. The nominees and invited celebrities, all looking absolutely gorgeous, were then greeted by screaming fans eagerly awaiting their arrival in the lobby.

 

Metro FM made a bold move by hosting the awards in February to cut through other music awards clutter, and it seems their approach has paid off. As one Twitter fan said, “This looks set to be the entertainment event of the year.”

 

Metro FM Award Winners:

• Best hip Hop: Zakwe for Zakwe
• Best Male Album: Professor for The Orientation
• Best Collaboration: Khuli Chana for Tswa Daar
• Best Compilation Album: Kalawa Jazmee for Kalawa Jazmee 2012: Pre Release
• Best Newcomer: Khaya Mthethwa
• Best Styled Artist: Donald
• Best Female Album: Zonke for Ina Ethe
• Best Contemporary Jazz Album: Mbuso Khoza for Zilindile
• Song of the Year: Oskido for Tsa Mandebele
• Best Group Album: The Muffinz for Have You Heard?
• Best R&B Album: Bryce Anderson for Ready for the World
• Best Hit Single: AKA for Jealousy
• Best Dance Album: DJ Pepsi for Royal House
• Best Produced Album: Donald for Train of Love
• Best Music Video: Julian Gomes for Love Song 28
• Best African Pop Album: Berita for Conquering Spirit
• Best Urban Gospel Album: Solly Mahlangu for Mwamba Mwamba
• Best Kwaito Album: Professor for Orientation
• Best Digital Download: Arthur for Hlokoloza

 

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Commercial law firm Dommisse Attorneys has been joined by new partner Jana van Zyl, an expert in consumer law, as part of the firm's process of acquisition of RTK Attorneys.

 

"Jana's presence on the team means we can offer a rounded set of compliance and commercial skills to our clients," says lead partner Adrian Dommisse. Dommisse says there is an increasing need for guidance on how to comply with the raft of new consumer-related legislation that has been introduced in recent years.  This applies to the many firm clients in the ICT industry, but also more generically.

 

The more important laws include not just the Consumer Protection Act (CPA), but also the National Credit Act (NCA), the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act (ECT), and more recently the Protection of Personal Information Bill (POPI) which is expected to be enacted soon.

 

“POPI compliance will need to be considered by any business who processes any personal information” says Van Zyl, who is assisting several large clients in the retail industry, “and in that case a compliance project is an essential governance exercise. We do that by delivering a gap analysis to the client, then developing an action plan and then helping the client to implement appropriate business processes.”

 

On CPA side, Van Zyl says clients also often ask for one-off consultations and opinions relating to the application of the CPA to their particular business operations. These could include everything from the wording of customer facing documentation, policies and competition terms to guidance on practically implementing a particular section of the legislation.

 

“Training is a crucial component of what our firm does,” she adds. “A number of common practices around marketing and promotions, for example, have had to change with the introduction of the CPA and POPI will add to that once enacted. Clients often need in-depth training before they can understand and implement the new laws in their everyday business practice.”

On the night of the 19^th of February the launch of the new line up and revamped SABC1 programming was showcased at the glamorous 1UP SABC1 Supreme event, produced by Blue Moon Corporate Communications, a Johannesburg-based Event and Employee Engagement business with over 23 years experience in the world of eventing.

 

Blue Moon has put together a number of events for the SABC in the past, marking iconic milestones, including the South African Music Awards, Miss SA Teen and the Friends Like These and Phat Joe launches, and Tuesday night’s event reinforced their reputation as one of the best party throwers in the business. The launch was themed around celebrating the revamped shows, announcing the new line up and highlighting their star talent, giving SABC1 a platform from which to springboard its refreshed programming.

 

Held at Room Five in Rivonia, Johannesburg, the show had both the live and digital audience captivated. Phat Joe was emcee for the night, and Khuli Chana wowed the audience with his Motswako swag. Other famous faces spotted were DJ Sbu, Zizo Beda, Andile Ncube, and Noluthando Meje, along with a host of other SABC1 actors and actresses.

 

Each of the new and revamped shows were personally introduced to the media and SABC1 stakeholders by Phat Joe, who interviewed each of the shows’ hosts in his signature, charismatic Real Goboza style. 

 

A highlight of the evening was when DJ Cleo announced a competition to win his iconic VayaMzansi bike, which was on proud display. As it turned out, he was just teasing the audience, but when the beautiful, petite winner was drawn and the announcement was made that the prize was, in fact, just a ride with DJ Cleo, there were certainly no disappointments!    

 

With a strong presence on Twitter throughout the night, SABC1 viewers not present at the event got a feel for what was happening at Room Five and got a glimpse of their favourite SABC1 personalities.

 

SABC1 Portfolio Marketing Manager for Entertainment, Dichaba Phalatse says: “The 1UP SABC1 Supreme event reaffirmed the channel’s position as the ‘Entertainment Authority’. The experiential treatment of each new and revamped show really brought each show to life in a fun, interactive and engaging way. The event was a true success.”

 

“We had a fantastic event last night where many old and new faces from the SABC1 family came together in a relaxed but sophisticated environment to celebrate their journeys to date, the great strides the channel has made and to get excited about the future programming,” says Michelle Caldeira, Managing Director of Blue Moon.

 

To close out the night, Fistaz Mixwell and the legendary Vetkuk and Mahoota hit the decks, keeping the crowd going well past bedtime and ensuring a memorable party.

Some of the guys from the SABC Publicity Department were at the event and had this to say: “The execution was fresh and different, and it represented the vibrant heart of what the brand is all about!”

 

“The SABC1 is one of our oldest clients of whom we are very fond. Blue Moon has shared many of their highlights and helped them to celebrate numerous landmarks and occasions. We know them well, and we understand what they, as a client, enjoy when it comes to putting together an event for the SABC1 family,” comments Deana Heslop-Mthembu, Managing Director: Events, Blue Moon.  

 

Blue Moon once again excelled at bringing together the who’s who of the entertainment industry in an impressive and thoroughly enjoyable event.

 

Phalatse concludes: “I would like to thank the entire Blue Moon team for the dedication and commitment displayed, from brief stage to execution of every element of the campaign. Everyone was professional, efficient and on the ball.”

 

The new and revamped shows on SABC1 are VayaMzansi, iLifestyle, Tropika Island Of Treasures, SkyRoom Live, The AfterParty, Selimathunzi, Khumbul’Ekhaya, iDentity, Gospel Gold and RGB.

 

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Leading sport lifestyle company starts journey towards store-specific demand oriented assortment and inventory optimisation

JDASoftware Group, Inc., The Supply Chain Company today announced that PUMA Retail, one of the world’s leading sport lifestyle companies, selected JDAAllocation in the fourth quarter of 2012 to help streamline and centralise the execution of its assortment strategies, to achieve optimised store-specific size availability, resulting in higher sales and reduced markdowns.

 

PUMA, founded in 1948, designs and develops footwear, apparel and accessories. The company distributes its products in more than 120 countries, employs more than 11,000 people worldwide and has headquarters in Herzogenaurach (Germany) Boston (United States) and London (England).

 

Facing an industry shift towards higher volumes, more clearly defined segments, developing categories and emerging geographies, PUMA Retail selected JDA^® Allocation to help achieve demand-oriented execution of store assortments. In addition to these broad challenges, PUMA Retail will look to JDA^® Allocation to help address low-size-level availability, high markdowns and inefficient visual merchandising due to a lack of space and presentation requirements. PUMA Retail will also seek improvements of in-season item performance and non-effective and manual case pack allocation, and address high manual workloads that result in an inability to operate frequent allocations.

 

This investment serves as PUMA Retail’s first step toward realising globally integrated planning, assortment and allocation management. The ultimate goal is to achieve a common understanding of market needs with maximum transparency to address customer needs in the most efficient way. This will enable PUMA Retail to be more flexible, agile and adaptive and will contribute significantly to its increasingly sharp focus on Retail.

 

“JDA Allocation is one of the most robust solutions in the marketplace and we believe it will help us too quickly and effectively optimise store-specific allocations across our entire retail enterprise,” said Stefan Meyrat, head of global retail, PUMA Retail. “The JDA^® Allocation implementation will serve as the first milestone in our multi-phased plan to achieve globally integrated planning and assortment management to allocate our Performance and Lifestyle collections to the right store at the right time.”

 

“We are delighted that an industry leader like PUMA Retail has selected JDA^® Allocation based on the business benefits it will deliver,” said Mark Morgan, regional vice president EMEA, JDA Software. With more than 120 live customers, JDA^® Allocation helps companies automate their allocation processes by better tailoring the right products to the right stores, improve availability, control inventory and reduce the risk of markdowns.