Kenya has been ranked third in Africa in the just released 2023 report by International Congress and Conventions Association (ICCA), which ranks countries and cities according to the number of International rotational association meetings a destination hosts in a year.

This year’s ranking is a great improvement from the ninth-place in 2022. South Africa claimed first position by hosting 98 rotational Association conferences, Rwanda was second with 32 conferences while Kenya became third with 21 conferences.

ICCA is a global community and knowledge hub for the international association – and governmental – meetings industry. It specializes in the international association’s meetings sector and has 1,100 member organizations in 100 countries.

The ICCA report drew its analysis from over 10,000 meetings, highlighting Kenya’s remarkable progress. In this year’s report, Kenya climbed to the 58th position globally, a substantial improvement from its 80th place as per the ICCA 2022 report.

Similarly, on City ranking in Africa, Nairobi City was positioned  third behind Cape Town, and Kigali. Globally Nairobi surged to the 111th position in 2023 from its previous standing at 292nd, based on the global tally of meetings held.

 This advancement underscores the thriving landscape of the Meetings, Incentives Travel Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) also known as Business Events industry in Kenya, reinforcing its reputation as a premier destination for international events.

KICC hists

The Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) Chief Executive Officer James Mwaura said

 “The MICE sector is a key contributor to Kenya’s economic growth as laid out in the Bottom -Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA). The sector plans to Increase international MICE visitors from 110,000 in 2015 to 1 million by 2030.Raising MICE earnings from Sh17 billion (approximately US$157 million) in 2015 to Sh40 billion (approximately USD 370 million) by 2030.”

Mwaura added that the Convention Centre is currently gearing up host big conventions like 59th Group Annual meeting of the Board of Governors of the Africa Development Bank, International Association of Science Parks and Areas of Innovation (IASP) World Conference, Engineering Conference among others.

ICCA is the global nexus and knowledge centre for the international association meetings industry, boasting over 1,000 member companies and organizations spanning nearly 100 countries.

 With a professional network of approximately 100,000 individuals specializing in the international association meetings sector, ICCA provides unparalleled data, communication channels, and business development opportunities to its members, who represent top destinations worldwide and experienced specialist suppliers. International meeting planners rely on the ICCA network for solutions tailored to their event objectives, including venue selection, technical and strategic advice, delegate transportation assistance, full convention planning, and ad hoc services.

Mwaura further expressed optimism that Kenya’s achievement stands as a testament to its steadfast commitment and concerted efforts to enhance infrastructure, promote tourism, and cultivate a conducive business environment.

 Emerging as a beacon of excellence in Africa, Kenya is increasingly preferred for hosting conferences, exhibitions, and corporate gatherings of global significance.

The country’s performance underscores Kenya’s pivotal role in the global meetings industry, marking a remarkable journey of growth and development.

The KICC expresses immense pride in Kenya’s accomplishments and extends gratitude to all stakeholders for their steadfast support.

This achievement underscores Kenya’s growing influence and capability to host world-class events, reaffirming its dedication to the highest standards of service excellence, innovation, and inclusivity in the global meetings industry.