Uganda is now better suited to bid for and host high profile Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Events (MICE) thanks to 45 sector players who are now certified and internationally recognized as Professional Conference and Event Organisers (PCOs and PEOs), stakeholders have said.
The bespoke training conducted by sector experts from Event Academy Africa ran for 12 weeks, an initiative of the Uganda Tourism Board (UTB) in collaboration with Uganda Convention Bureau (UCB) with funding from the Private Sector Foundation of Uganda (PSFU) and Competitiveness and Enterprise Development Project (CEDP).
Tailor-made for Uganda, the programme aimed to equip trainees with knowledge and skills in among other aspects; statistics, budget drafting, use of new social media tools, graphic designing and digital conference management.
The programme modules included; Introduction to MICE Tourism & Bidding, Financial Management, Registration & Project Management, Functional Event Design, Event Logistics & Planning, Event Marketing & Communication, Accommodation and Housing Management, Sponsorship Management, Programme management and legacy audio visual & technical management, Sustainable events, Food & beverage management.
Giving his remarks at the certificate awarding ceremony held on Friday at Hotel Africana, Henry Bukenya, in-charge Business Development at Uganda Convention Bureau noted that the Bureau’s focus is on events that draw in foreign currency and the sector is now better skilled to bid for and host the same.
“Things are looking up for the MICE industry because right now we have 45 more members who are certified and internationally recognized as professionals who can carry the weight of conference and event hosting seamlessly. With these PCOs and PEOs, I know we will be much better in terms of event and conference hosting,” Bukenya said.
He noted that much as the holiday season, which is always packed with events, is approaching, the engagements are largely domestic and do not contribute much to the country’s status in terms of MICE.
“Unfortunately, most of the events that happen within the festive season are local and shilling based. As UCB, we focus on tapping into incentive travel and hosting international conferences because those individuals, as per research, spend more money than the domestic luxury travelers. When we have people jetting in from the UK, Asia and other places, we are earning foreign exchange which is good for our economy,” he added.
According to Bradford Ocheng, Deputy CEO at UTB, beefing up the MICE sector is crucial as the tourism industry strives to lower effects of seasonality since conferences and events are less affected by fluctuations in tourist numbers occasioned by factors like weather conditions.
Ocheng also noted that the growth of the MICE industry will springboard more investment in the sector which is a win for tourism development.
“As we monitor the ranking of Uganda on the continent as regards MICE, we are also tracking the kind of investment that eventually will come as a result of it. We are hopeful that you (PEOs and PCOs) will help us get there by making sure that your business environment is up to standard,” he said.
One of the trainers from Event Academy Africa Zelda Coetzee noted that the trainees are now well-equipped to handle international events in a professional manner.
As the national MICE strategy (2025-2030) braces to attract $250 million into the economy, various interventions have been employed to realize the mark including the formation of the Uganda Association of Conference and Incentive Industry (UACCI) to uphold international standards, investment in the Speke Resort Convention Center, training and certification of Professional Event and Conference Organisers among others.
In 2024, Uganda has so far hosted high profile international conferences including the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Summit, Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth (CSPOC), G77+ China Summit among others.