GENERAL CIRCULAR TO MEMBERS

CCEA: Proposed Altered Method of Exhibition Presentation

If a statement were to be made that the present method of careers exhibition presentation used does not
satisfy the requirements of a number of member organisations, or schools, it would probably be valid. A
revised operational plan would probably also not meet the standards of all the institutions, but it is possible
that the proposed new method described further, might be more effective and satisfactory to more
organisations.

The present system of centralised exhibitions:

1. Historically poses the problem of the cost / availability of learner transport to the venue.
2. Road transport, or walking groups, will always present a safety hazard
3. Centralised expo’s necessitate long periods of learner abscence from class
4. Transported learners require additional supervision
5. Headmasters increasingly find learner departure from secure school grounds a serious safety /
discipline concern.
6. Bus transport of less than all the learners eligible, necessitates selection which affects the
requirements of different exhibitor institutions negatively or positively-never neutral.
7. It has always been difficult to find willing or effective exhibition organisers, due to complicated
organisational demands.
8. The refreshments / meal requirements of centralised exhibitions pose either a cost or logistical
difficulty.
9. Exhibition organisers have difficulty in finding suitable venues with space, kitchens, toilets,
parking and bus manoeuvering areas able to accommodate large visitor groups.
10. Host schools often have a concern about accommodating strange learner groups and rivalry is
apparent.
11. In contrast with exhibitors efforts to reduce costs, organisers require ever increasing
contributions to continue their arrangements, or reduce attendances to cope within available
budgets, not knowing which exhibitors will attend.

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 12. Exhibitors at centralised exhibitions often sit idle, waiting for delayed busloads or cancelled
attendees that the organiser has no control over, but tends to feel or be held responsible for.
13. Exhibitors do not receive pre-exhibition information regarding visitor numbers or grades or
school identities.
14. Organisers have different methods of arranging expos’, some requiring afternoon time,
accommodation of parents, dedicated presentation by institutions, parents / careers evenings.
15. Organisers have to contend with the complexity of collection of exhibitors contributions pre-
exhibition, by mailed cheque, electronically, cash or cheque on the day, uncertainty of exhibitors
whether their office made payment and by what means to whom, non-payment often occurs
reflecting also on the CCEA, and receipts have to be issued.
16. Institutions increasingly experience resistance and difficulty when requesting access to learners
individually by way of dedicated school visits.
17. School visits impact negatively on available class lecture time, disrupt teacher schedules and
there is differentiation of availability of access to institutions generally.
18. The practice of inviting visitor schools to a centralised exhibition often results in important
feeder schools not attending or visitor groups that lack a generally acceptable standard or
include grades not targeted by attending exhibitors.
19. It could possibly be argued that changing circumstances have brought about an unsatisfactory
situation of the CCEA arranging with great effort, display activities that are becoming
increasingly less effective and professional.
20. The preceeding 19 points cannot be considered a complete list of items which should urgently
be addressed.

The CCEA itself operates with the following obvious shortcomings:

1. It does not employ a full time dedicated secretary or exhibition co-ordinator who can carry
responsibility and provide accountability to provide members with information.
2. Volunteer workers are hard put for available time, have other responsibilities that take
precedence, and it is problematic to expect accountability or support of their employers.
3. The association does not have its own office / premises or infrastructure and relies on the use of
telephones, cellphones, computers, stationery and offices of member institutions.
4. The present level of annual institution membership fees does not allow for payment of staff or
cost of infrastructure and operation of administration.
5. In an effort to individually improve institutions effectiveness or penetration to selected groups, it
is found that some institutions conduct school visits simultaneous to exhibitions held in the
same area by the organisation.
6. Because headmasters, guidance teachers, schools or organising community service
organisations, even municipalities and libraries are ignorant about the existence of the CCEA
(often due to the change of office bearers or employees) the arrangement of conflicting

P.O. Box 1542, Bellville, 7535 Tel: (021) 982 5540

Fax: (021) 982 8724 E-mail: ccea@amelia.co.za
 guidance exhibitions clashing with CCEA exhibition programme dates, is becoming more
prevalent.
7. Conflicting or doubled-up exhibitions / careers fairs, pose problems for institutions with single
person units or small institutions to be present at more than one location.
8. Communication and feedback from member institutions to the CCEA co-ordinator regarding
developments and conflicting invitations / requests is non-existent in most instances.
9. Over the many years of its existence, much progress has been made in the degree of co-
operation and mutual support between member institutions, but is must be concerned that
members will remain autonomous in the application of their own policies and that a certain
amount of rivalry apparent or otherwise, will always remain, and probably presents a healthy
circumstance.
10. Having made the immediately foregoing statement, a question sometimes remains about the
degree of loyalty and commitment of member institutions to their own organisation and the
apparent private agenda’s that will always apply when operating in circumstances where private
enterprise prevails.
11. The co-existance of the CCEA with its characteristic community service type of more
personalised exhibition, augmented by the activities of state, municipal, institutional and
business sponsored mass career exhibitions, often with expensive participation costs and
catering for very large groups of learners in the cities (often with a profit motive) should be
continued because each contributes distinctively to the good and benefit of the population it
addresses.
12. The more modern light and portable, fast erecting and de-mounting display equipment used by
exhibitors contribute to a revised method of presentation being adopted.

It is proposed that the CCEA and its member institutions seriously consider the merits of the following
proposed alterations to be adopted as an operational model within the prescriptions of its existing
constitution.

1. That, especially in the rural areas, where it has proven more feasible to invite and bus in smaller
school groups to centralised exhibitions, where individual exhibition visits cannot be justified, the
existing exhibition model be continued, due to the proven effectiveness of this practise.
2. That, mostly in larger centres and metropolitan areas, where the size and learner population per
school warrants, the CCEA through a massed visit by its members, conduct a 2-hour exhibition
per school, allowing for the re-location of the visiting exhibitor group to another nearby school
for a second exhibition on the same day, for another 2 hours presentation.
3. That, if accepted, this revised approach will necessitate the increase of exhibition days to be
attended by member institutions in the larger towns and cities (where the prospects are also
multiplied) to obtain the increased benefits of this new approach.

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 4. That the CCEA actively promotes two hour early evening (17H30 to 19H30) presentations to
schools preferring exhibitions after hours.

The foregoing proposals (conceding that there might not be such a thing as a perfect way of presenting
career guidance / recruitment exhibitions) might offer our organisation and members the following
advantages:
1. Improved selection of schools and learner groups
2. Increased exposure to larger numbers of target group learners.
3. Avoidance of the bus / transport cost / safety / security / time and selected attendance
problems being encountered.
4. Improved effectiveness and avoidance of idle time, together with the frustration of exhibitors and
organisers alike being remedied, can certainly be a realistic expectation.
5. The shorter – time exhibition would absolve organisers of feeling obliged to provide catering /
meals above the normal tea / coffee / juice as refreshments.
6. The more appealing and attractive future type of CCEA exhibition will come to schools and will
contribute to their willingness to participate and allow access.
7. The practise of offering host schools an exhibitor contribution as an incentive, to add to school
funds, to defray cost of administration and to help pay for catering and transport cost, would fall
away, also saving the mass of administration and other negatives that accompany its collection
/ payment, when shorter school visits exhibitions are presented in larger centres.
8. Should the exhibition contributions paid by members rather be applied to an increase in their
membership fees of the CCEA, their own overall expenses will probably be reduced, and it will
become possible for the CCEA to employ staff to enhance radically the way in which it will in
future operate.
9. It must be emphasised that exhibitors and their principals / employers, generally agree that
career guidance / study and occupational motivation / enrolment encouragement is best
performed in the way that CCEA exhibitions are presented, contributory to other methods of
motivation / advertising / recruitment which are employed.

Members are urged to seriously consider the foregoing which does not presume to comprehensively
address all the opinions or needs of our membership, but to apply these arguments and proposals in their
own written response to the Committee, to discuss mutually among members or to engage in mutually
beneficial communication regarding the subject with the Chairperson.

It is foreseen that a refined and condensed version of the foregoing evolve through member involvement
over the next few weeks, for the issue to be debated at the next General Meeting and probably at the
Annual General Meeting to be held later this year, prior to implementation in its final form.

P.O. Box 1542, Bellville, 7535 Tel: (021) 982 5540

Fax: (021) 982 8724 E-mail: ccea@amelia.co.za