East Africa Moves to Take Global Events Spotlight

Story By: Evans Mutinda.

Africa Events Summit brings industry players together to break silos, boost investment and position the region as a premier events destination

East Africa is stepping up efforts to transform its events industry into a major economic and cultural powerhouse, with industry players calling for greater regional collaboration, investment and stronger government support.

The push will take centre stage at the Africa Events Summit (AES) scheduled for September 10th and 11th 2026,bringing together close to 60 players from *Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda* to chart a new direction for the region’s events ecosystem.

The summit’s organisers led by *Chief Executive officer,Ian Migwi*, says the industry has for years operated in silos despite growing demand for concerts, conferences, exhibitions, corporate events and other experiences across the region.

The African Events Summit CEO said the gathering was designed to bring the entire events ecosystem around one table and create a platform for collaboration, knowledge exchange and business opportunities.

*”We are bringing together the entire industry within the region for us to have a conversation and inspire more,”* the CEO said.

The summit is being positioned as one of the first homegrown regional platforms dedicated to the wider events industry, with organisers arguing that East Africa can become significantly stronger if its countries stop operating as isolated markets.

The CEO said countries in the region could learn from one another, particularly from markets that have successfully attracted large international events and delegates.

The organisers cited Rwanda as an example, saying the country attracted more than 60,000 delegates in 2025 and generated more than $90 million from its events ecosystem.

The figures, they argued, demonstrate the economic potential of the meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions sector and the opportunity available to Kenya and the wider region.

A major demand emerging from the summit is for the Kenyan Government to fully operationalise the Kenya National Convention Bureau (KNCB).

Organisers said the bureau would play a critical role in marketing Kenya as an events destination and attracting international conferences and delegates.

They argued that attracting an international event goes beyond the event organiser itself, benefiting *hotels, airlines, restaurants, transport providers, tourism operators, security companies, artists, technology firms and other service providers.

“The more we can market Kenya, the better for the entire industry. The more delegates we can bring from outside, the better,” the CEO said.

The summit’s strategic partners said recommendations emerging from the meeting would be presented to the Principal Secretary for Tourism to help inform government policy.

Simon Peter, one of the strategic partners, said the events sector had for years been treated as an “afterthought” despite its potential to generate investment, tourism and employment.

He said the private sector must now unite to push for greater investment and policy recognition.

According to him, an operational convention bureau would enable Kenya to compete more aggressively for major international events.

Beyond policy, organisers want AES to become a catalyst for collaboration among event organisers, hotels, tourism agencies, security companies, artists, agencies, technology firms and other players.

The CEO said many industry professionals rarely sit together outside individual deals or projects, making it difficult to identify weaknesses and develop common standards.

“If we don’t sit down together, we are not able to look at where we are going wrong, where we can correct, what we can do better and how we shape the future,” the CEO said.

The summit will also focus heavily on knowledge transfer, particularly to younger professionals entering the industry.

The CEO said many current practitioners had learnt through trial and error, and the next generation should not be forced to repeat the same mistakes.

Safety and security will also feature prominently at the summit, with industry leaders warning that security should be incorporated into event planning from the beginning rather than treated as an afterthought.

“Kingsley Litali* CEO, CRIMESHIELD SECURITY LTD, said large crowds should not automatically be viewed as dangerous.

Instead, he said, the real challenge was whether organisers had put in place proper systems to manage the crowds.

He will lead a masterclass on safety and security, focusing on crowd management and the planning of safe event experiences.

Litali said,security should be integrated into floor plans and event design, including planning for ingress, circulation and egress *— how people enter, move through and leave a venue.

He also criticised the tendency by some organisers to underinvest in security while spending heavily on other aspects of events.

“Security is supposed to be built in,” he said, warning that poor security planning can undermine an otherwise successful event.

He said security personnel were often the first people attendees encounter and therefore form an important part of an event’s first impression

The summit will also explore the role of music, entertainment and culture in creating economic opportunities for the region.

*Benjamin Otwal* , a music executive, talent manager and guest lecturer, said East Africa’s greatest export to the world was its culture, much of which was being carried through entertainment.

He said the region now needed to package its creative products more strategically and compete for global attention.

“The creative economy is the new frontier,” Otwal said.

He will deliver a masterclass on experience alignment, focusing on how artists, dancers, DJs and other creatives can package themselves to compete internationally.

Benjamin Otwal* Alikba’s Manager said,East Africa’s large population provided a significant competitive advantage if the region could consolidate its market.

He argued that the global economy was increasingly driven by attention, making perception, storytelling and presentation crucial to the success of African creative products.

The organisers say the summit is not intended to remain a Kenyan or even East African initiative.

The long-term ambition is to establish an East African chapter before expanding the platform to other parts of the continent, including Southern and West Africa.

The organisers believe Africa’s growing population, creative industries and expanding consumer markets provide an opportunity for the continent to become a major global events destination.

The Africa Events Summit will feature five masterclasses led by industry practitioners, alongside panel discussions involving senior executives and other industry stakeholders.

Organisers have also acknowledged the support of partners including Hyatt, Marriott, Bestay Equipment, GM and the Kenya Tourism Board, among others.

The organisers are urging event professionals, government agencies, tourism stakeholders, artists, experience creators and private-sector investors from across Africa to join the conversation.