The Africa’s Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE) sector is experiencing significant growth, fueled by economic expansion, urban development, and increasing investments in hotels and conference facilities. Yet, despite these strides, critical barriers continue to hinder the industry’s full potential. Mahi Tadesse, founder and CEO of Hallpax, who is at the forefront of addressing these challenges, shared her insights into the sector’s growth, the barriers limiting intra-African collaboration, and how Hallpax’s innovative marketplace aims to transform the MICE sector across the continent.
Over the course of Tadesse’s more than 15-year career in the MICE sector, Hallpax has expanded from a modest Addis Ababa-based event company to a significant force in Africa. Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, Mauritius, Seychelles, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Botswana, South Africa, and Ghana are among the 14 nations where Hallpax operates.
Reflecting on the evolution of the sector, she said: “The continent is doing wonderful. There is growth in every sector, and that means it is great for the MICE industry. Cities are growing, hotels are being built, conference centers are being built across the continent. So that general growth helps a lot of us in the MICE industry thrive.”
Despite the notable expansion that has helped the sector advance, Tadesse underlined that difficulties still exist, especially with regard to accessibility and travel throughout Africa.
For African business travellers, visa restrictions and costly indirect flights remain significant obstacles. Tadesse emphasised the sharp disparity between intra-African mobility and how the continent welcomes foreign tourists.
“Most of the marketing that we do in Africa is for outside of the continent. The continent is not yet welcoming to itself. As an Ethiopian traveling across Africa, it is significantly harder for me compared to someone holding an European or American passport. It is extremely challenging,” she said.
While African destinations promote themselves aggressively to international audiences, they often neglect marketing to their regional neighbors, she regretted as lack of intra-African engagement stifles cross-border business opportunities.
“Even the little marketing that we do, it is focused outside the continent. African governments need to wake up and ask, why are we discriminating against each other when it comes to travel?”
Finding trustworthy suppliers for printing, audiovisual, and transportation needs is a logistical headache for event planners. The problem is not that there are not any good service providers; rather, it is that they are not present on digital platforms or have a sufficient database of services available.
“It is insanely difficult to find good suppliers. It is not that they are not there: African suppliers are significantly more responsive and service-oriented; but they do not promote themselves. Most businesses that are successful in their country do not have a website, making them nearly invisible to event planners looking for services.”
As well, understanding these difficulties and having a well-defined plan to resolve this dilemma, Hallpax has created a digital solution called the Hallpax Marketplace. The marketplace is intended to simplify MICE event planning throughout Africa by serving as a one-stop shop for suppliers, vendors, and event planners.
According to Tadesse, the site is similar to Facebook or LinkedIn for vendors, but it differs slightly from social media platforms in that it allows companies to set up organised profiles that highlight their offerings.
“What we are creating is essentially a service catalog. If you are a printing vendor, you will be able to showcase your products; whether it is business cards, backdrops, or banners. Unlike a Facebook page, which is built for social media content, our platform is structured specifically for businesses to highlight their services clearly.”
Since the marketplace is a web application, even companies with no technical know-how can use it. Using a mobile device, vendors can communicate with customers, update service details, and manage their profiles.
Beyond being a marketplace, the platform also integrates a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system. This allows vendors to collect and manage leads, respond to quotation request and track business performance in comparison to competitors
“A printing vendor in Accra, for example, will be able to see how many leads they have received compared to the best-performing vendor in the city. They won’t see the competitor’s name, but they will know if they are falling behind or leading in their category. It is a great benchmarking tool.”
Again, the platform’s city-based navigation is another distinctive feature. Essential materials for event preparation will be available on the pages dedicated to each major city.
“Accra, Cape Town, Nairobi will have their own city pages. These pages will feature vendor listings, event calendars, and even practical information like visa requirements and government contacts. Essentially, we are filling a gap that convention bureaus should be addressing but have not yet.”
Enabling Small and Medium Businesses (SMEs) to compete on an even playing field is one of the platform’s main goals.
“The biggest businesses will always find a way to get noticed. But smaller vendors: who often deliver the best service; are the ones struggling with visibility. Our platform ensures they are found easily and have equal access to business opportunities.”
Hallpax is implementing a phased rollout strategy, onboarding businesses city by city to ensure a seamless experience.
“We are starting with a strong focus on key cities before expanding further. Our goal is to make this platform the go-to place for event planners in Africa.”
Hallpax has already made significant strides in attracting interest and getting more people to sign up for the platform.
“We started mid-March, so it is been just over two weeks now. The great thing is that we have not encountered a single business saying, ‘Oh, I do not want to be on the platform.
“It is been overwhelmingly well received, especially by the small businesses we are approaching. One reason is that it’s completely free: we are not charging them to be on it, and we do not take a commission from their earnings. People can choose to work with them directly and handle their own transactions,” Tadesse enthused.
Hallpax is poised to transform Africa’s MICE sector by addressing the visibility gap for African suppliers, streamlining the intra-African event planning process, and providing a centralised digital marketplace.
Looking ahead, Hallpax aims to build on its success and expand its reach, bringing more businesses on board ahead of its launch.
“We are launching in the third week of June. By then, our goal is to have 1,000 vendors onboarded on the platform,”Tadesse concluded.
