Our story & impact
From Cape Town, with love — since 2012
Local Conference Solutions exists to prove a simple idea: that the bags handed to delegates at a conference can create dignified work in Cape Town instead of profit for an overseas factory.
Since 2012
More than a decade of serving the conference industry
Local Conference Solutions started in 2012 with a straightforward observation: South African conferences were handing out imported bags while skilled local seamstresses needed work. We decided the industry could do better — and built a workshop to prove it.
More than a decade later, our bags have opened international congresses, travelled to book festivals, and turned up "in the wild" years after their events ended. In May 2026 we refreshed our brand, but the mission hasn't moved: beautiful, functional conference gifting that creates local employment with every order.
Providing employment, one bag at a time
The people behind the seams
Our products are handmade by skilled local women — artisans whose craft turns event budgets into dignified, ongoing work in Cape Town. Every order you place funds real hours of skilled labour: cutting, sewing, beading and finishing that imported production simply removes from this country.
We don't just make conference bags. We create opportunities, empower communities, and stitch a piece of South Africa into everything we send out.
Sustainability you can measure
From plastic bottles to premium bags
The fabric used to make many of our delegate bags used to be plastic bottles. Our RPET felt contains roughly twelve recycled bottles per linear metre — and it's processed entirely in South Africa, so the sustainability story doesn't evaporate somewhere over the ocean.
Combined with 100% locally sourced textiles and local production, it means your event's gifting can make environmental claims that actually survive an audit.
Explore our fabrics
From Cape Town, with love
Why "handmade" is a quality standard, not a buzzword
Handmade means a person chose the fabric lay, matched the pattern, sewed the seam and checked the finish — on your bag specifically. It's why our products survive years of reuse, and why "Made in Cape Town" represents more than a label: it embodies a commitment to skillful craftsmanship.
Want the story with your order? We can add swing tags telling your delegates who made their bag — turning your gifting into part of your event's message.
Work with usGet a quote
Put your event's budget to work locally
Every order creates hours of skilled work for Cape Town artisans. Tell us about your event and we'll show you what your budget can make — and who it supports.