Uganda is seeking a greater share of the global weddings and events market through ADCCE 2026, which brought international planners and tourism stakeholders to Kampala to explore business opportunities across Africa’s hospitality and creative industries.
Uganda is seeking to expand its tourism industry beyond wildlife safaris by attracting international weddings, corporate retreats, conferences and milestone celebrations through a new continental events platform.
The inaugural Africa Destination Celebrations Conference and Expo (ADCCE) 2026 brought event planners and tourism stakeholders from Africa, Europe and Asia to Kampala for a two-day meeting held on October 12 and 13 at Speke Resort Convention Centre in Munyonyo.
Held under the theme “Africa Unveils Events in the Wild,” the conference attracted delegates from Nigeria, Kenya, the United Kingdom, Botswana, South Africa, Zambia, Romania and India, with the aim of connecting African destinations and service providers to international markets.
Jackline Nanteza, the founder and chief executive officer of ADCCE, said the initiative was conceived to broaden Africa’s image in the global tourism and events industry.
She questioned why international celebrations continued to gravitate towards destinations such as Bali and Paris when African countries have diverse landscapes, cultures, hospitality and creative talent that could support world-class events.
“Why should Africa be known primarily for wildlife, safaris and holidays only when we have the potential to host world-class destinations, international conferences, corporate retreats and milestone celebrations?” Nanteza asked.
She said Africa’s events, tourism, hospitality and creative industries often operate independently, limiting their international visibility, access to global buyers and ability to compete for business.
ADCCE is intended to bring these sectors together through a platform that promotes African destinations, builds international partnerships and facilitates trade in events, travel, tourism and hospitality services.
Nanteza said destination weddings and international conferences could generate business across several sectors, including aviation, accommodation, transport, catering, photography, entertainment, event planning and tour operations.
She cited an international wedding involving 150 guests as an example of how a single event could generate demand for multiple local businesses, extending the economic benefits beyond the immediate organisers.
The conference programme includes business-to-business meetings, professional development sessions and familiarisation experiences intended to introduce international buyers to opportunities in African destinations.
Participants include international event planners, professional conference organisers, destination marketing companies, tourism boards, hospitality leaders, investors and policymakers.
Nanteza said the initiative's success would depend on the commercial relationships and opportunities it creates beyond the conference itself.
“Our success will not be measured only by attendance, but by the businesses created, businesses impacted, markets opened and relationships sustained beyond this conference,” she said.
Christine Ogbeh, an event planner and founder of Quoram Africa, said Africa's natural beauty alone would not guarantee success in attracting international clients unless service providers delivered quality experiences throughout the customer journey.
She said event professionals needed to meet the expectations of clients who invest significant resources in travelling to another country for celebrations and other events.
“When a client chooses Africa for their event, they are trusting us with moments they cannot repeat, and we must be worthy of their trust,” Ogbeh said.
She challenged African event planners to move beyond conventional hotel ballrooms and incorporate local cultures, landscapes and distinctive experiences into the events they organise.
Ogbeh recounted attending a destination event in Kenya where dinner was held in a hotel ballroom, an experience she said could easily have been replicated in the guests' home country.
She argued that destination events should offer visitors experiences unique to the host country rather than simply reproducing familiar settings in a different location.
For Uganda, this could involve incorporating its cultural heritage, natural attractions, hospitality and creative industries into celebrations that distinguish the country from competing destinations.
Ogbeh also emphasised the importance of local knowledge, saying event planners needed to understand the facilities, attractions and cultural experiences available in their own countries before marketing them effectively to international clients.
The conference comes as destinations compete to attract international events that can bring visitors, stimulate investment and create opportunities for local enterprises.
For Uganda, attracting a greater share of the market could diversify tourism earnings by complementing wildlife safaris and conventional leisure travel with weddings, corporate retreats, conferences and other celebrations.
ADCCE's broader ambition is to establish a rotating continental platform that brings African destinations together and strengthens their visibility in the global events industry.
Nanteza said the continent's prospects in the sector would depend on collaboration among countries, governments, businesses and event professionals.
“Africa is not only a place to visit. Africa is a place to celebrate life's greatest moments,” she said.
The inaugural conference is intended to lay the foundation for stronger commercial connections between African service providers and international buyers, with the long-term goal of positioning the continent as a destination for global celebrations.