How Outdoor Events Have Become A New Enterprise to Event Planners In Kenya; Major Events In Nairobi

by Wa Kimani  - October 2, 2022

Nairobi, also known as ‘the green city of the sun’ is the most populous city in East Africa. Nairobi is home to thousands of businesses and innumerable Aid agencies. Due to this fact, the city in Kenya is thronged with people who are either born, bred, employed or those trying to make a living. Everybody is bee busy in this 24 hours city of Kenya. Nairobi never seems to sleep. The city is vibrant with boundless vigour, vitality and vivacity. Take a walk on the Nairobi city streets and avenues and see how people jostle you off the way. Everybody is consumed by the fire of cutting a niche for themselves. People are building enterprises in Nairobi from scratch. There are bills to pay, mouths to feed, deadlines to meet, places to be and deals to seal. People are getting emancipated and they are reinventing themselves in new ways in Nairobi.

But the struggle is all too consuming and intense. People in the city of Nairobi work on the mantra ’work hard play hard’. At sundown or on the weekend people need to release the pressure of the expeditious lifestyle in the city of Nairobi. Friends and colleagues will meet after work to unwind over music, chitchat, and drinks. Clubs in Nairobi and pubs fill to capacity during weekends. People also go for weekend getaways and road trips in Kenya.

A recent fad is the emergence of many outdoor events in Nairobi which are better suited for specific crowds in Kenya. Event organizers in Kenya are coming up with more unique and matchless ways to cash in. Most enterprises in Nairobi are profit making entities and to achieve all the proceeds they seek, there must be careful packaging and branding. It is now becoming a core business strategy and it is yielding vast returns. These events in Kenya have catchy names and flamboyant advertisements.

With myriads of events burgeoning in the city of Nairobi, one has to choose where to go on a Saturday afternoon or a Saturday night. You might decide to go for an afro fusion concert, a festival or a fashion event in Nairobi.

Why are people more inclined to outdoor types of events and why are they all the rage?

Outdoor events in Nairobi take place during the day because people in Kenya are keener on networking and meeting the bigwigs in society. Celebrities in Kenya also want to perform to a more clear-headed crowd as opposed to in a club in the city of Nairobi where revelers will be throwing bottles and hurling insults and diatribe. They also desire to interact with their fans on a conventional setting and this would best be done during the day. Those women in Kenya who have kids at home prefer to have fun during the day so that they can be with their families in the evenings. The turnout has increased over time due to marketing through the social media platforms in Kenya and word of mouth. People also want to be allied with the latest trends on photography pages and glossy magazines in Kenya. It also increases their social standing since the target market in Kenya is specific.

The augmentation is characterized by the emergence of blogs and websites that insight us on the various events in the city of Nairobi. This keeps us abreast with the places to be.

Is this the new way to go for event planners in Kenya?

Event planners in Kenya capitalize on the fact that Nairobians are becoming more receptive and are embracing the culture of daytime events. People in Kenya are willing to pay a lot of money just to have a good time. This is good news for event planners on the business standpoint. Though there is high capital outlay involved in planning, if people in Kenya show up in multitudes they are able to cover their costs and even make profits. Cash inflows are in form of contributions by sponsors, charges to companies and individuals in Kenya wishing to showcase in the event and ticket fees. The costs are advertising, venue charges, security, payments to celebrities, performing acts and the sales and marketing team. In most cases the revenue outweighs the costs meaning greater profits are realized in these events in Kenya. Some events give some stake to charity.

Critics have accused the events in Kenya (or at least its organizers) of going “commercial” in a bid to rake in as much profit from its growing popularity as possible.

There are other benefits from the events in Kenya that one gets. You get to market yourself as a brand and get out there. It is a challenging issue to put together an event. It’s a multifaceted affair that involves bookings, deposits payments and looking for a sound team. It involves people working in close synergy to make sure that every aspect is well taken care of and that things go swimmingly. It is not all fun and games. When all is said done, there is the business aspect. It is a business like any other. It is a good way to make money because those in attendance get to enjoy and have the ultimate experience while the organizers get money to fund future events and remuneration for a job well done.

It is also easier for corporate and enterprises to market their brands and products in Kenya during the day. This is through banners, posters and promotional material.

I had the pleasure of attending ‘The Mingle’ Event in Nairobi which is a bimonthly affair. It was held in Impala grounds in the Ngong Racecourse in Nairobi earlier this month. This is an electric event meant for people aged 21 and above. It is meant to make people rekindle their childhood memories in fun and games. As Plato said, \”you can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation’’. Just as the name suggests, the event in Kenya is meant to help people get out of their comfort zone, improve their social skills and make new friends. Ever seen grown men and women skip rope, hopscotch, shake, foosball, human bingo and play hoops? Now imagine an event which gives you a chance to do all that with friends and strangers. While the idea sounded ridiculous at first when a friend suggested it to me I actually enjoyed myself. A ticket goes for one thousand shillings. You also get to spend money buying drinks and food which are a tad expensive than usual.

Blankets and Wine Event in Nairobi has also been a common event and it has found its niche in the upward financial demographic hence the perception that the event is designed for bourgeoisie or the rich. Hence, the event would incorporate lifestyle brands such as fashion, cuisine and wine to attract its target market. And also afford the seemingly hefty ticket fees of about 2000 kshs charged to keep the organizers in business. It is basically one of Nairobi’s most covered events and this has seen the numbers escalate from a mere 100 people in inception to about 4000 people.

Another event is the Earth Dance Event in Nairobi which is an annual global affair .It has taken place in over 500 locations and 80 countries all over the world and recently in Kenya. The motivation for this event is to bring people together to celebrate their uniqueness, regardless of race tribe or religion, in peace love and unity. An advance ticket goes for 2500 and V.I.P tickets go for 6000 kshs. Each Earth dance event contributes 50% of its profits to charity. This event also has a large turnout and it has major corporate sponsors like Heineken.

The Sports Aficionados Event in Nairobi are not left out. People in Kenya are espousing the culture of going for football   and even rugby games in the full garb and attire. A ticket to watch the Rugby sevens for example will go for roughly 500 and VIP tickets go for 1000 -2000kshs.

Another event of its kind is the Subaru Fest in Nairobi which was organized by Subaru and Capital Fm. The event was one of a kind and it sought to celebrate the thrill of speed and roaring engines. Activities included timed races, corporate challenges, barbeques and kids activities and music. A ticket to Subaru Fest went for 1000kshs.

For the fashion enthusiasts in Kenya there are fashion events in Nairobi for example Fashion High tea, Swahili fashion week, Nairobi Fashion market among others all held in Nairobi. These include professional photography, designer profiles and model catwalks. Those who grace these events have to dress the part.

The experiences in some of these events in Kenya are breathtaking and irreplaceable even though you may have paid a lot of cash .People in the city of Nairobi are more liberal and are willing to pay a lot to have a good time. Nascent events continue to evolve and come up with themes and concepts to get more funds and to set them apart.

We accept the fact that it is business after all and it is not easy to get everything up and running Even if you paid double or triple the price but still had fun and relaxed, it was worth it. There is no price for a day well spent.

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