I learned a lot last week at the first--and certainly not the last--African Experiential Summit, held in Johannesburg and organized by EXP. As someone who's passionate about the value of experiential marketing, but who comes at the field from a US and western European perspective, it's fascinating to learn more about the factors that make face-to-face marketing an even more appealing proposition in Africa. These include the premium placed on trust and authenticity, which play well to experiential; the receptiveness to grassroots and community-based marketing; and differing levels of media penetration, especially for TV and the Internet. I heard a lot about sponsorship and activation, including terrific presentations from South African marketers at Coca-Cola and ABSA Bank. There was also lots of excitement, not surprisingly, about the 2010 FIFA World Cup, which South Africa will host--the first African nation to do so.