An event in Kigali

Kim Roberts, director of Miseen-place Solutions, shared her recent experience on working on an event in Kigali, Rwanda. This is her story.

A direct flight to Kigali from Cape Town was not on the cards, on recent visits, with stop overs enroute. The team at RwandAir, however, are extremely friendly and pleasant to deal with, setting the tone for what can be expected in this colourful African city nestled in the heart of Africa.

Known as a City of a Thousand Hills, Kigali’s landscape certainly lives up to its name.

Accessibility once you have touched down is a breeze. Not only are there flights from all the major hubs, but getting a visa at the airport is as easy as 1, 2, 3, making it the perfect business events destination for conferences that have multi-country delegates.

The city of Kigali certainly has enough to do to keep visitors occupied for a couple of days. It is easy to walk around, and there are plenty of bars, cafes and restaurants. Something that I personally love to experience when I travel is the local night life and food offerings.

One of the first things I noticed is that, particularly for an African city, Kigali is spotlessly clean, partly because plastic bags are banned in the country. There is also a strong sense of pride for those that are doing business in the city.

There are multiple hotels in and around the city, many with conference facilities. Several of the more well-known brands have established a presence in Kigali, and more will be coming on line. One of the things you cannot ignore is the building and infrastructure development that is happening in the city.

It must be noted that Kigali’s accommodation is of a slightly lower standard than general international standards, which means a four-star property in South Africa is equivalent to a 5+ star property in Kigali. It is well worth understanding and knowing these properties, and having done your due diligence before making any recommendations.

I was excited to see, however, that in the last month they have gone live with their grading system, which is great news for visitors. The Rwandan Development Board and Convention Bureau are hard at work improving services all the time.

My dealings with service providers were pleasant, but for the most part not consistent. The people are really charming and warm, wanting to assist but not always grasping the importance of absolute detail and timing when it comes to planning and delivery on events.

While this was a challenge initially, understanding the landscape by my second visit allowed for changes in my approach in order to ensure things got done.

In what are arguably state-of-the-art facilities to choose from and work in, audiovisual support is not sufficiently advanced and simple things like rigging points are few and far between, with some facilities not even having one!

Working together with a local partner is a must, as it makes for streamlined business dealings and shows your respect for being part of their growing economy.

The journey we took with our local suppliers was very rewarding, with heartfelt thanks for what we had taught them, but also for us!

Many businesses that service the events industry operate between Kenya and Rwanda. It is important to ensure that the company you have engaged with, if operating in both, has sufficient product to meet demand. Before you know it, you could be paying as much as three times more for product. With two currencies in operation, the Rwandan Franc and the US Dollar, it is worth having that currency calculator top of mind, as services can get very expensive. You need to be ready to negotiate!

Taxis and motorcycle taxis are aplenty and reasonably priced, making visits to attractions around the city and inbetween the odd meeting possible. I managed The Genocide Museum, The Kimirondo Market, a local woman sewing cooperative and a couple of art museums during my time, not to mention some awesome coffee stops.

Rwanda is a great destination for pre- and post-tours for business events. With a number of unique national parks only a couple of hours from Kigali, there is no reason why you should not go and experience these eco-systems.

Our delegates took advantage of Rwanda being one of only three countries in the world where the critically endangered mountain gorillas live. A half day tour, starting from your hotel, will get you gorilla tracking in what is often described as a life-changing experience, and with good reason. With only an estimated 880 gorillas left in the world, to see these gentle creatures in their natural habitat is a memorable and unique experience. Our guests returned completely moved by the experience.

Yes, I am returning to Rwanda for both business and pleasure. While there are some challenges, the Rwandan community is open to learning, improving and growing. This makes it an exciting destination to visit and you know each experience will be better than your last.