Good work at Zoo recognised

In the past decade, visitor numbers to the zoo have almost doubled, thanks in large part to marketing and education efforts. The woman behind it all has been recognised for her work.
THE hard work of the zoo’s executive manager of marketing and education, Louise Gordon, is paying off: she was nominated for the Most Influential Women in Business and Government Awards.

Louise Gordon, nominated for SA's Most Influential Woman in BusinessLouise Gordon, the zoo's executive manager of marketing and educationOrganised by the publishing house company CEO Communications, the awards recognise the work of women who have excelled in specialised sectors such as agriculture, building and construction, mining and public enterprises.

The theme of this year’s awards was Honouring Women of Substance and Vision. The final winners were announced at the Sandton Convention Centre on 29 July, a few days before August, Women’s Month.

Gordon, who joined the zoo 22 years ago, says hundreds of nominations were submitted by the public – and she admits her nomination came as a shock to her. “When I was told I was a finalist I was so excited I told the whole world.”

Explaining the awards process, she points out that the nominations were put through two judging panels. The first involved a verification process which narrowed down the number of entries.

The final nominees were then subjected to a questionnaire to verify the validity of their nomination. The questionnaires touched on issues like developing business capacity and social responsibility.

Even though she wasn’t the winner in her category, Gordon says she was recognised for her role in doubling the number of visitors at the zoo since 2000. “In 2006, I became involved in marketing and the numbers of visitors grew every year,” she says.

“In the last financial year [2010 to 2011], we had 552 000 visitors [up] from 280 000 visitors that we had in 2000. The products and programmes that we offer in the zoo have helped grow the numbers.”

These products include the annual pass, whereby visitors pay a once-off entrance fee. “These products encourage people to visit the zoo.”

There are also special days for people from disadvantaged communities, such as Mothers’ Day, Fathers’ Day and Nelson Mandela Day, when they can visit the facility for free.

In addition, this year it introduced two initiatives dedicated to young people. “On Youth Day, youth from various places of safety got a chance to visit the zoo for free,” says Gordon.

And on Children’s Day, children in orphanages, who are under the age of 13, are invited to the park. “We use these days to make sure everyone has a chance to come to the zoo and enjoy it,” says Gordon.

Her future goal is to make the zoo one of South Africa’s top destinations. “There’s always room for improvement and I would like to see the zoo have a curio shop with merchandise and a few more restaurants.”

And her advice to other women staring their careers? “Work hard and set goals to achieve; learn how to be part of a team and be nice to women you work with. Sometimes women do not treat each other well in the workplace but in truth women can become each other’s allies.

“Finally, don’t be afraid to experiment and see what works for you and where your strengths lie,” she explains.