Kenyatta International Convention Centre eyes conferencing potential in counties

The Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) is partnering with counties to promote the Meeting Incentives Conference and Exhibition (Mice) in the country.

Speaking to Weekend Business in Mombasa, KICC Managing Director Fred Simiyu said they have carried out successful activation campaigns on conferencing. “We are keen to ensure bigger events are held away from Nairobi and for that reason, counties are required to have the capacity and ability to host such events,” he said.

He said the counties identified for setting up Mice convention centres include Mombasa, Kisumu, Nyeri, Turkana and Bungoma. “We are carrying out product mapping which in itself is a research exercise -  to tell capacities in each of the identified counties and fill in the gaps before Mice concept is established,” he said.

Mr Simiyu explained that they discussed with the Mombasa County government to have it set up modern conference facilities. He expects the Mombasa facility to have a capacity of 15,000 people. “This kind of facility if and when in use will provide and feed the 18,000 plus bed capacities in and around North and South Coast hotels which have had to grapple with the traditional tourism seasonality of high and low seasons,” he said.

He said Nairobi hotels have reaped big from Mice tourism since conferencing business is dynamic.

Preferred destination

Mr Simiyu said increased conferencing has seen the establishment of new hotels within Nairobi City such as Villa Rosa Kempinski, Best Western, Sankara and the Radison Blue. “Mice tourism requires concerted efforts from the Government, Mice industry players and other stakeholders to push its agenda globally,” he said.

He observed that this has been possible through various bidding and marketing strategies which KICC has been central to in delivering international conferences and events to Kenya. East African Community, Commerce and Tourism Cabinet Secretary Phyllis Kandie in earlier remarks said Mice concept has set objectives and timelines to achieve tourism targets that will see Kenya attain status of a preferred destination.

After successfully hosting the Global Entrepreneurship Summit graced by US President Barack Obama, his Kenyan counterpart Uhuru Kenyatta and a host of world top notch entrepreneurs, Kenya is set to host the 10th World Trade Organisation (WTO) inter ministerial conference later in December.

Simiyu said the WTO meeting will have more than 7,000 delegates who include 200 trade ministers from around the world.

Kenya has also won bids to host the International Association of Travel and Tourism Professionals in October, closely followed by World Conference on Public Relations Forum in November and the World Youth Championships later in 2017.

Simiyu observed that KICC has put in place measures that will work towards ensuring a coordinated approach in enhancing effective and efficient management of the Mice agenda in processes of lead generation, qualification, bidding and hosting Mice gatherings in Kenya.