With an intentional stakeholder relations management strategy implemented nine years ago, the Empowered Administrators Conference (EAC) has grown in stature and has now entered new markets. Close to 200 delegates and speakers from as far afield as the Western, Northern and the Eastern Cape; together with the Free State, Gauteng, Mpumalanga, and of course KZN, gathered for the two-day EAC at Gateway Hotel from 21-22 September. KZN also included delegates from as far afield districts as northern, Midlands, eThekwini, and Pietermaritzburg clusters. And of course, the role played by the KZN Social Development Provincial Office cannot be understated. In fact, this new partner has bigger plans on how MUT could become a new strategic partner.
The EAC topics are responsive to today’s need to have an agile office professional. To remain relevant to the topic, ‘Becoming an agile office professional’ major speakers mainly came from blue chip companies, such as Microsoft, ABSA, Deloitte, and they are top MUT alumni, already successful in executive positions. Another MUT alumnus who also presented was Kwenzy Khuzwayo, a director for remuneration at the University of Mpumalanga. Other external speakers were also notable executives such as Moretlo Mokuele, a former TUT HR executive director; and MUT’s MarComms team and Danielle Venter from IT&N.
The quality of the delegates is unbelievable; they are posh, attentive, well-educated, intellectual, positive, appreciative; and engaging. They are also a happy group, always ready to get on stage to dance when a ‘call to action’ song gets played. By the end of the EAC, delegates had also begun to implement ways on how they could work smarter, with most of them using the QR code as an easy access point and getting to grips with ChatGPT for professional reasons.