Kenya,Jamaica enters bidding process to host international conventions and destinations

Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) has announced plans to collaborate with Jamaica to strengthen conference tourism in both countries.

This comes after a recent meeting between the Jamaican Minister for Tourism Edmund Bartlett and the KICC Chief Executive Officer Nana Gecaga, at the Montego Bay Convention Centre.

The two discussed opportunities for the two destinations to fully exploit their conference tourism potential, position their agenda globally, as well as an opportunity to undertake exchange programmes among other potential synergies.

‘‘There is need for Montego Bay Convention Centre to join international bodies that support the meetings industry in order to bid for international conventions, especially the rotational professional association-based conferences,’’ said Nana.

Most of the big conferences in Meetings Incentives Travel Conferences and Exhibitions (M.I.C.E) source markets, she said are rotational and can only be bid for through a local professional association.

‘‘Different countries submit their bids to host the events on a rotational basis. For a destination to win the bid to host, among the criteria required is support from other member bodies in other destinations,’’ she added.

Nana noted that the partnership between KICC and Montego Bay will increase the chances for the two destinations winning the bids through the support they will give each other at the bid presentation and voting.

Bartlett on the other hand, while applauding Kenya’s resilience in tourism, said one of the key points in the talks was intended to be “a movement when we begin to codify, if not solidify the connection between the Montego Bay Convention Centre and the KICC.”

“We are the location in the Caribbean for big meetings, exhibitions and incentive activities, as Kenya is in Eastern Africa, so we think that synergy exists and that collaboration will inure to the benefit of all,” he said

The KICC is the government agent mandated to spearhead the MICE industry in Kenya in collaboration with other industries.

The partnership, is therefore a welcome move in pushing Kenya’s MICE agenda internationally.