Call for Papers: Industrial Marketing Management Africa Summit

Industrial Marketing Management African Summit: 10 -12 September 2025.

Stellenbosch

Stellenbosch, one of South Africa’s most historic and charming towns, was founded in 1679 by Simon van der Stel, then Governor of the Cape Colony. Nestled in a fertile valley along the Eerste River, the town quickly became a key agricultural hub, particularly known for its vineyards and oak-lined streets. As the second-oldest European settlement in South Africa after Cape Town, Stellenbosch boasts a rich colonial heritage, reflected in its well-preserved Cape Dutch architecture and historic landmarks. Today, Stellenbosch is renowned as one of the country’s top wine-producing regions, with its surrounding vineyards attracting wine connoisseurs worldwide. The Stellenbosch Wine Route, established in 1971 as the first of its kind in South Africa, offers visitors an opportunity to experience award-winning wines, scenic landscapes, and fine dining. The town’s location in the Cape Winelands, with its stunning mountain backdrops and Mediterranean climate, further enhances its appeal as a travel destination.

Stellenbosch University

Stellenbosch University (SU) is one of South Africa’s most prestigious and internationally recognised institutions of higher learning. Established in 1918, the university has grown from a small institution into a globally respected centre of academic excellence, innovation, and research. Nestled in the heart of Stellenbosch, in the picturesque Western Cape, the university is surrounded by breathtaking mountain landscapes and vineyards, creating an inspiring environment for students and scholars alike. Stellenbosch University has established itself as a leader in higher education in Africa with its rich heritage, world-class facilities, and commitment to cutting-edge research. As one of South Africa’s oldest universities, SU has a proud history of academic distinction. It offers undergraduate and postgraduate programs across ten faculties, including Science, Engineering, Medicine and Health Sciences, Law, Business, and the Humanities. The university is particularly renowned for its contributions to fields such as sustainability, biotechnology, agricultural sciences, and artificial intelligence. Its research-intensive approach has led to significant breakthroughs with real-world impact, attracting top scholars and industry partnerships worldwide. A defining feature of Stellenbosch University is its strong international outlook. The institution collaborates with leading universities and research institutions worldwide, encouraging student exchanges, joint research projects, and global academic engagement. It is also a hub for multilingual education, with English and Afrikaans being the primary languages of instruction, ensuring accessibility to a diverse student body. The university has continuously worked to foster inclusivity and transformation, making strides towards greater diversity and social responsibility.

The Summit

The African Industrial Marketing Management Summit seeks to uphold its tradition of stimulating discussions, showcasing innovative research and contributing to the improvement of industrial market functioning. This year’s event will highlight the latest developments in industrial and business-to-business marketing, blending theoretical insights with practical applications. Building on the achievements of past summits and the strong heritage of Industrial Marketing Management, the summit promises dynamic exchanges, fresh perspectives, and actionable solutions. Participants can look forward to academic research presentations in parallel sessions; an early career and doctoral workshop; and a practitioner event. Papers exploring how to navigate collaboration, diversity, and sustainability in African business marketing settings would be particularly welcome.

The Practitioner Event

This practitioner event on “The art of doing business in Africa” is designed to facilitate a vibrant exchange of ideas by bringing together practitioners and academics. Practitioners will share their real-world challenges, which will be explored collaboratively with academics through discussions and an interactive session. This format, successfully introduced in previous Industrial Marketing Management summits, has already led to several impactful collaborations, and we are proud to continue fostering these valuable partnerships.

The Early Career Academic and Doctoral Workshop

Navigating the early stages of an academic career can be both exciting and challenging. The early career academic workshop is designed to equip early career researchers with essential skills and insights to advance their research, secure funding, and build a successful academic career. Through a mix of expert-led sessions, interactive discussions, and networking opportunities, participants will explore strategies for obtaining research grants, publishing in high-impact journals, building collaborations with industry, balancing teaching and research responsibilities, ensuring a healthy balance between work and life, and preparing for career progression.

Extended Abstract submission

Submit only an extended abstract by emailing it as an attachment to Gert Human ([email protected]). The title of the email heading should start with “IMMAFRICA”.

The abstract should be a maximum of three pages with the following parameters: (1) Use 11 Font Times New Roman with 1.5 spacing and A4 format in MS Word only; (2) Include the title in bold on the first page; (3) Immediately after the title, include the authors and their affiliations; and (4) Include at least five key references at the end of the abstract. Abstracts will be blinded prior to the review process.

Presenters at the IMM summit should prepare for 15 minutes presentation and 15 minutes discussion.

The submission schedule is as follows: (1) Submissions open: 1 May 2025; (2) Submission closes: 15 August 2025; and (3) Acceptance notification: One week after submission.

Registration

To register for the summit, simply send an email to [email protected] and provide your full name and contact address. A confirmation that you have paid the conference fee (delegates who did not complete the payment will not be included in the summit). Please let us know about any dietary requirements.

Registration for the IMM summit will commence on 1 June and will continue through to 15 August.

Venue: Department of Business Management, Stellenbosch University, 2nd Floor Schumann Building, Bosman Street, Stellenbosch, South Africa.

Fees and Payment

The conference fee is R3600 (South African Rand) and includes everything. Fees can be paid into the Following Bank Account:

PKF Constantia Trust Account

Standard Bank

Account Number: 071 698 280

Branch Code: 051 001

Swift = SBZAZAJJ

IMPORTANT: When you make the payment, use the following reference protocol:

IMM_Surname_Initial (example: IMM_Smith_J)

Preliminary Program

Light lunches will be at the summit venue. An award ceremony featuring the best doctoral paper and the best conference paper will take place at the close of the summit on 12 September. The preliminary structure of the program is as follows (a detailed program will be available approximately three weeks before the summit).

10 September 2025: Early Career Academic and Doctoral Workshop

11:30 – 11:35: Welcome

11:35 – 11:50: Original, Courageous Ideas: Strategies for developing research ideas

11:50 – 12:40: Publishing Research: Writing, revising, and responding to reviews

12:40 – 13:05: Industry & Academia: Transitioning between sectors and building collaborations

13:05 – 13:30: Funding & Research Grants: Strategies for securing research funding

13:30 – 14:30: Networking Lunch

14:30 – 14:55: Teaching & Research Balance: Different career paths strategies for managing workload and well-being

14:55 – 15:20: How to Develop an Academic Career as a Scholar

15:20 – 15:45: Preparing for Promotion & Tenure: Key milestones and dossier preparation

15:45 – 16:15: Q&A and Open Discussion

16:15 – 16:20: Closing Remarks

11 September 2025: Practitioner session and Paper session

09:00 – 09:30: Refreshments

09:30 – 11:00: Practitioner session: The art of doing business in Africa

11:00 – 11:30: Break

11:30 – 13:00: Parallel paper session

13:00 – 14:00: Lunch

14:00 – 15:30: Parallel paper session

15:30 – 16:00: Break

16:00 – 17:00: Parallel paper session

17:30: Wine tasting and gala dinner at Wine Estate

12 September 2025: Paper session

09:00 – 09:30: Refreshments

09:30 – 11:00: Parallel paper session

11:00 – 11:30: Break

11:30 – 12:30: Parallel paper session

12:30 – 13:00: Paper awards & closing

13:00 – 14:00: Lunch

Summit academic leadership

Gert Human (Stellenbosch University), Adam Lindgreen (Co-Editor-in-Chief IMM), and Anthony Di Benedetto (Co-Editor-in-Chief, IMM)

WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU IN THE WINELANDS