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When the Council of Event Professionals Africa (CEPA) started developing our professional designations for event management, they were always intended to cover event organisers working across multiple fields, including music, sport, cultural and creative events, wedding planners, and community events. While there’s a core skillset common to all event organisers, music and live entertainment events have an added complexity because the costs of organising live music performances are high, visitors' needs are constantly changing, and competition plays a major role in the success of such events. Furthermore, management needs to be aware of the ever-changing external environment by determining what factors visitors consider vital for a rewarding experience at a major music event. Over the years, several efforts have been made to professionalise the live performance industry. In 1994, music promoters established the African Promoters Consultative Committee, which later became the African Promoters Organisation (AFPRO). In 2000, the organisation was restructured to become the South African Music Promoters Association (SAMPA). When the COVID-19 pandemic struck in March 2020, SAMPA had been dormant for several years, and a new organisation known as the South African Live Promoters Association (SALPA) surfaced. SALPA worked closely with SACIA in our engagements with government and regulatory bodies but their existence was short-lived, and shortly after the lifting of the State of National Disaster on 4 April 2022, the body was dissolved and replaced by the Live Promoters Council Africa (LIPCA). LIPCA is a specialist council within SACIA established to focus on standards, training and industry certification for entertainment promoters. The intention is to:
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