2023 AIPC Africa Summit

The 2023 AIPC Africa Summit took place at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg, South-Africa, bringing together convention centre leaders from across the continent. Similar to AIPC’s other summits, it was a mix of lectures by local/global thought leaders and facilitated networking.

Organizers, such as Luc Bodea – Director of the International Conference on AIDS & STIs in Africa – shared their views on the changing organizer requirements, resulting from a shifting market landscape and highlighted the importance of organized events to stimulate trade and collaboration. This was echoed by Dr. Geoffrey Manyara, Economics Affairs Officer at the UN for East-Africa, who demonstrated in a very clear and fact-based way the potential impact of events on the African community, especially when taking into account the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which was officially launched in 2021.

The day was closed with a debate between executives from 3 major South-African convention centers – Cape Town, Durban and Sandton – on the challenges faced and possible solutions. It came as no surprise that resources and energy were top on the agenda. Professional education and the promotion of a career in the event industry were seen as opportunities – an area where AIPC will definitely play a role.

The dates and location of next year’s edition will be published as soon as possible.