RDB banks on festive season to jumpstart MICE industry

 By

Hudson Kuteesa 

Kigali Arena will host different events dubbed ‘Holidays at The Arena’, the initiative between RDB, the Kigali Arena (the venue) and Rwanda Convention Bureau . / Sam Ngendahimana

Rwanda Development Board (RDB) is banking on festive season events to revitalise the MICE (Meetings, Inceptives, Conferences and Events) industry which has been much affected by the

Covid-19 pandemic.

The events that will begin next week, according to organisers, include dining experiences, concerts, movie screenings and pop shows among others.

Dubbed ‘Holidays at The Arena’, the initiative is a partnership between RDB, the Kigali Arena (the venue) and Rwanda Convention Bureau (RCB).

Announcing the development, Kyle Schofield the Solutions Director of QA Venue – the company that manages Kigali Arena – said they have created what is believed to be the first large-scale event series on the African continent that adheres to the WHO Covid-19 prevention guidelines along with providing seamless experiences for those attending the events.

 “As the management of the Kigali Arena, we understand that the entire MICE industry on the continent has suffered greatly due to Covid-19. In the case of Rwanda, since the re-opening of tourism, event organisers, promoters and the various players in the MICE sector have been working to organise events safely by following the Government of Rwanda’s Covid-19 health and safety guidelines,” he said.

Speaking on behalf of RDB, Belise Kariza the Chief Tourism Officer pledged to support the initiative that she said was the re-emergence of the country’s MICE industry.

“We are confident that these December events will help kick-start the resumption of events in the country, especially as we move towards 2021. I want to reiterate our support to the MICE industry as a whole and to artists, event promoters and conference organizers and look forward to working together to make these events a success.”

Rwanda has over the past two years ranked the second most popular destination in Africa for hosting international conferences and events by the ICCA (International Congress and Convention Association) and the Kigali Arena is one of the country’s world class events venues.

This year, QA Venue Solutions Rwanda signed a seven-year agreement with the Government of Rwanda to manage the iconic arena located in Remera, next to Amahoro National Stadium.

Under the agreement, QA Venue Solutions is working with local and international federations, event organizers, PCOs (Professional Conference Organizers), promoters and the MICE industry to develop a full and robust events calendar for the facility.

Organisers said they will soon announce to the public the calendar of these events and safety guidelines to be adhered to by revellers in line with Covid-19 measure