ABUJA — The African Hospitality and Event Management Conference (AHEM-C) has reaffirmed its position as Africa’s foremost platform for hospitality, tourism, and event professionals. Held from 27 to 28 October 2025 at Tikera Village in Abuja, the AHEM-C Business Summit & Masterclass convened industry leaders, entrepreneurs, and creative professionals under the theme of scaling Africa’s event economy through sustainability, innovation, and leadership.
Redefining African Excellence
The summit, powered by Maims Dynamic Solutions Ltd., was led by Tolulope Akinlade, the visionary founder of AHEM-C. Her keynote address, “About AHEM & The Event,” outlined the organisation’s mission to professionalise the events and hospitality sector while promoting women’s leadership and entrepreneurship across the continent.
Akinlade emphasised that Africa’s creative and hospitality industries remain among the fastest-growing on the continent, contributing up to US $36 billion to GDP and employing millions of young people, according to UN WTO Africa. AHEM-C’s objective, she noted, is to close the skills gap by building a pipeline of trained professionals capable of meeting global standards in service excellence, sustainability, and event technology.
Industry Collaboration and Skill Transfer
Panels and masterclasses featured high-level facilitators, including Maimuna O. Abubakar, a leading strategist in event management and public relations, and Walid Baz of Baz Events, whose team delivered a hands-on technical training on stage lighting, 3D design, and event production systems.
The Abuja edition followed a five-day technical masterclass held in Kaduna in September 2025 and earlier sessions in Lagos, expanding the conference’s reach across Nigeria’s regional markets. According to AHEM-C organisers, the model is designed to rotate annually through different African capitals, reinforcing Nigeria’s growing reputation as the continent’s event-management nucleus.
Building a Continental Value Chain
The conference addressed cross-cutting themes in hospitality management, culinary arts, tourism development, event architecture, and digital branding, reflecting the evolving scope of Africa’s experience economy. Discussions explored how data-driven decision-making and green logistics can enhance competitiveness in Africa’s US $75 billion hospitality market, as projected by the African Development Bank.
Participants also debated the need for inclusive value chains—from caterers and decorators to travel operators and domestic staff—through AHEM-C’s associated Association of Household Employee Managers (AHEM) initiative, which advocates for professional recognition and rights of domestic and support workers in the sector.
Beyond the Summit
Organisers confirmed that the next phase of the AHEM-C series will focus on digital transformation in events, hospitality franchising, and cross-border tourism partnerships. Plans are underway to host regional editions in Ghana, Kenya, and South Africa, creating a continental platform for collaboration between public agencies, investors, and private-sector innovators.
By anchoring the conversation on sustainability, training, and women’s leadership, AHEM-C is shaping not only the professional identity of Africa’s hospitality workforce but also its global competitiveness. In the words of participants, the conference represents “a homegrown blueprint for Africa’s creative and event-driven renaissance.”
