EU-Kenya Business Forum
The inaugural EU-Kenya Business Forum held on the 21st and 22nd of February 2023 at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Upper Hill in Nairobi, Kenya, was jointly organized by the European Union and its Member States in partnership with the Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA) and the European Business Council (EBC). It aimed to foster increased European trade and investment in Kenya. It served as a platform to highlight economic opportunities and potential for expansion, promoting the country as a business destination. The forum also identified trade and investment opportunities for job creation and sustainable and diversified growth. The Global Gateway supported this development– the European Union’s (EU) strategic investment package – which supports strong, inclusive, and sustainable growth by fostering connectivity between the continents and accelerating the green transition and digital transformation.
Through a partnership with Sustainable Inclusive Business, TheRockGroup facilitated the forum’s logistical organization to ensure sustainability while delivering a high-quality event. This included curating and designing the program, managing the event website and all related aspects such as registrations, ensuring continuous communication updates with the participants, speakers, panelists, and partners, managing the audio-visual tech support (including live streaming, photography, and videography), branding and deco, stage management, entertainment, liaison with government protocol teams, host hotel, event sponsors, and suppliers and organizing and managing all side events, sessions, meetings, and cocktail. We were also responsible for providing a comprehensive post-event report, highlighting all the discussions and outcomes of the 2-day forum.
Project Objectives
To logistically organize a seamless, sustainable, and high-quality EU-Kenya Business Forum, catering to the logistical needs of the over 800 participants on the back and front end.
Target Groups & Impact
Target Group(s): The EU-Kenya Business Forum brought together over 800 Kenyan and European leaders and policymakers, public sector agencies, EU Member States, the private sector, trade support institutions and business associations, captains of industries, financial and non-financial intermediaries, investors, development partners, and donor agencies. This high-level participation underscored the importance of the event and the shared commitment to exploring win-win investment and trade opportunities in the country.
Impact:
- Smoothly facilitated the logistical needs of over 800 Kenyan and European participants, including the Kenyan president and Government Officials, EU Delegation and Members, and Kenyan and European Industry Representatives.
- Facilitated more than 200 Business-to-Business and Business-to-Government meetings over the two days.
- Facilitated 11 breakout sessions on business opportunities in many different sectors of the Kenyan market, including the circular economy, agriculture, digitalization, construction, green energy, and agro-processing. Representatives of the Kenyan Government widely supported the Forum discussions on opportunities and other vital topics such as the business environment and networking with businesses.
- Successfully organized and hosted a networking cocktail accommodating over 500 participants.
- Ensured high-quality audiovisual services for the forum’s live streaming, photography, and videography across the two days.
- Provided high-quality branding and deco for the event, in line with the EU brand guidelines.
- Successfully worked with numerous suppliers to ensure a sustainability-conscious forum, such as reducing event-related waste.
- Accommodated all the needs of the different EU member states, including facilitating ad-hoc closed-door meetings and engagements.
- Managed a highly active budget for the event, ensuring all logistics were covered without falling short.
- Created a highly effective communication and working plan to implement the forum efficiently.
- Managed a highly active and interactive event website, managing registrations and constant communication with participants.
- Developed, designed, and managed the forum’s program, ensuring constant updates and its presentability.
- Developed a comprehensive post-event report highlighting the forum’s activities, engagements, and outcomes.
Project Partners
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