The Magical Kenya Travel Expo

We are delighted to be working with the Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) and On Show Solutions on East Africa’s largest travel trade show: the Magical Kenya Travel Expo (MKTE). MKTE is an annual showcase of the finest Kenyan and East African products. It is a trade show designed for B2B connections and meetings. It takes place from 3 – 5 October 2018 at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre, Nairobi.

The selection of exhibitors and hosted buyers is diverse. The exhibitors include DMCs, products, tourism boards, and many more. The hosted buyers hail from around the world; hosted buyers are chosen through a detailed screening process to ensure that only those who will do business with and in Kenya (and the rest of East Africa) are those in attendance. Ahead of the show, the hosted buyers enjoy fam trips (familiarisation trips) where they experience Kenyan hospitality at its best. This year hosted buyers experienced game drives, luxury accommodation, beach holidays, Kenyan culture, and more. Their social media posts showcase some of their wonderful experiences.

A business meeting at last year’s show.

At the show, exhibitors have pre-scheduled meetings with the hosted buyers to discuss their offering and how the two parties will do business together in the future. These meetings are happening all day, throughout the show.

For those not in the tourism industry: a buyer is someone who would “buy” trips and experiences. They are, essentially, travel agents who will go back to their countries after the show and recommend that people see Kenya as a great MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Events) location. A hosted buyer is someone who has been brought to the show by the hosts (i.e. they are hosted and do not need to pay their own way to the show); these hosted buyers get to experience the best of the country before meeting with a range of products at the actual show. Because MKTE is a B2B show, the focus is MICE.

Trade visitors are also invited to attend the show. Not only is there the opportunity to meet with the people who sell Kenya and experiences in Kenya and East Africa to people around the world, there are also interesting seminars on a range of topics with experts in the field. One such seminar this year is on “The rise of the African brand.” There will also be market presentations in which the KTB will present stats on the various markets (i.e. information on people who visit Kenya from different countries) so that presentation attendees can hear how to better market their products to people from those regions. The hosted buyers from these markets will be in attendance giving presentation attendees the opportunity to speak to people who actually sell Kenya in those markets.

Last year’s seminar, by the KTB, on its new digital strategy

These seminars and presentations provide a unique and vital opportunity for members of the trade to learn about the latest trends and news from the national tourism board and people who work in those particular areas.

We are managing the event social media and making magic for our partners. We have been managing the social media in the build up to the event and we will handle all the live coverage at the show.

We are big supporters of the tourism industry so it makes sense that we would enjoy working on a show such as this.

Follow the action on social media using #MKTE2018. The show social media handles are:

Facebook: @MagicalKenyaTravelExpoShow

Twitter: @MKTravelExpo

Instagram: @magicalkenyatravelexpo

The show takes place at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre in Nairobi from 3 – 5 October 2018.