- The first ‘Africa Exhibition Forum’ (AEF) takes place on 4 and 5 December 2026 at the Sarit Expo Centre in Nairobi, Kenya, supported by UFI, The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, and UNIDO
- The new summit will bring together local and international organizers, venue operators, exhibition service providers, government stakeholders and investors in an intimate format.
Cologne / Nairobi, September 7, 2026.
Exhibit Africa and jwc will hold the first edition of the ‘Africa Exhibition Forum’ on 4 and 5 December 2026, hosted by the Sarit Expo Centre in Nairobi, with the support of UFI, The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, and UNIDO, the UN specialized agency for industrial development.
For the first time, the two-day conference brings together local and international organizers, venue operators, service providers, government stakeholders and investors to specifically discuss the development of the exhibition industry across the continent.
Current market data highlights the opportunities and challenges. Of the 81 venues with more than 100,000 sqm listed in the latest ‘UFI/jwc World Map of Exhibition Venues’, not one is located in Africa. Just five African markets clear the report’s 50,000 sqm reporting threshold: South Africa (126,489 sqm across six venues), Algeria (76,000 sqm), Morocco (60,000 sqm), Egypt (55,480 sqm) and Senegal (53,000 sqm). Between them, they report 17 venues and 370,969 sqm of space. By contrast, Messe Frankfurt, one of the world’s mega venues, holds 372,073 sqm alone.
This infrastructure gap weakens existing policy commitments. The African Continental Free Trade Area, signed in Kigali in March 2018 and in force since May 2019, commits the 49 states that ratified it to liberalize 90% of tariff lines across a market of 1.4 billion people. The World Bank estimates full implementation would raise intra-African exports by 81% by 2035. Intra-African trade reached an estimated $213.8 billion in 2025, roughly 14 percent of the continent’s total merchandise trade estimated around $1.5 trillion, according to the African Trade Report 2026.
Jochen Witt, Chairman, jwc, says: ‘Africa holds significant potential for the exhibition and business events industry, though it functions as a collection of distinct markets rather than a single, unified landscape. Many of these markets are shaped by deeply rooted ethnic, linguistic, and cultural trading networks, which often drive substantial informal trade outside standard customs channels. Mapping and understanding these authentic trade flows is essential to building a successful exhibition business. At the same time, governments represent a critical stakeholder group. Each of the continent’s 54 nations pursues its own economic agenda, with varying levels of emphasis on how exhibitions and business events contribute to national growth. To bridge this gap, the ‘Africa Exhibition Forum’ (AEF) works to inform governments on the vital role exhibition and business events play in accelerating overall economic development.’
Program
The Forum’s program is built around three themes. The first is the market: how trade moves across the continent, where the demand actually sits, and what global industry data says about Africa’s position. Naji El Haddad, Regional Director of UFI, will present data on the economic impact of exhibitions. UNIDO and jwc will present insights from a new study on Africa’s trade show and venue landscape, offering a comparable overview of relevant exhibitions and venues across key markets.
The second theme focuses on government. Business events drive economic growth, raise export revenue, attract investment and develop domestic industries, and the case for public support rests on those returns rather than on the sector’s own advocacy.
The third program pillar is infrastructure. International organizers work to specifications on space, access, logistics and services, and a destination that cannot meet them is ruled out before any commercial discussion starts.
The program also includes a tour of the Sarit Expo Centre and workshops on the fundamentals of the exhibition business and on the requirements facing African organizers and venues.
Conference speakers include Wolfram Diener, President and CEO of Messe Düsseldorf and UFI President 2026/27, Stefan Kratzsch, PhD, Head Sustainable Investments and Responsible Business Unit, UNIDO, Carole Kadenge, GM of Sarit Expo Centre, Paul Maerz, Managing Director of Fairtrade, and Jamie Hill, CEO of BtoB Events. Further speakers are to be confirmed.
Daniel Mesfin, CEO, Exhibit Africa, says: ‘We want three things to come out of Nairobi: Quick fixes for the gaps that cost this continent international events today. Agreement on what the industry needs, so that high-quality venues get built faster than they are being built now. And a clear message to the rest of the world that Africa is a growth market to buy into now, not in ten years.’
Carole Kadenge, GM, Sarit Expo Centre, says: ‘We are delighted to host this inaugural event at Sarit Expo Centre and welcome delegates from across the world to Nairobi, a city with enormous potential to serve as a gateway to Africa’s growing exhibitions and business events industry. Our strategic location within Sarit Mall gives delegates access to essential services including banks, forex bureaus, restaurants, a supermarket and other amenities, while our connectivity via the Nairobi Expressway places us approximately 18 km from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and 9 km from Wilson Airport. With leading five-star hotels nearby, Sarit Expo Centre offers an ideal environment for global business connections as Africa emerges as a key destination for exhibitions, investment and trade.’
Registration is open at https://www.liveet.co/e/B8SR8E.
Enquiries: [email protected].
AEF 2026 is hosted by Sarit Expo Centre and organized by Exhibit Africa and jwc, in partnership with UFI.
About Exhibit Africa: Exhibit Africa is a pioneer in the exhibition services industry in Africa, delivering exhibition solutions across the continent for international organizers, governments and leading brands. Its activities span exhibition stand design and build, national pavilions, event delivery and industry development. With an established presence in East Africa and experience supporting projects internationally, Exhibit Africa combines local market knowledge with international exhibition standards to help develop and strengthen Africa’s growing events industry.
About jwc: jwc is the leading management consultancy specializing in the exhibition, trade fair and conference industry, founded in 2007. The firm works with organizers, venue owners, service providers, investors, governments and industry associations across Europe, Asia and the Middle East. In addition to advisory work, jwc produces industry benchmarks and market analyses, including the Global Industry Performance Review (GIPR) and the co-published UFI World Map of Exhibition Venues, which are used by industry executives, investors and policymakers for market comparison and strategic decision-making.
About Sarit Expo Centre: Sarit Expo Centre is a premier exhibitions and events venue and organizer based in Nairobi, Kenya, located within Sarit Mall. Its 4,510 sqm column-free exhibition space and meeting rooms have hosted leading events and organizations from across Africa, Europe and Asia. Strategically located in one of Nairobi’s key business districts, Sarit Expo Centre serves as a hub for business connections, trade and industry engagement across East Africa. The Centre is a member of UFI, the Association of Kenya Business Events (AKBE), and the Africa Business Development Events Council (ABDEC). It is also the founder and organizer of Africa MICE Expo, alongside a portfolio of eight flagship events supporting the growth of Kenya’s exhibitions and business events industry.
For media enquiries, please contact:Â
Julia Donoghue, Senior Consultant jwc GmbH ([email protected])
