Uganda Business Events Push Reaches Asia: Debut at MICE Show Asia in Singapore

Uganda is taking its business events tourism pitch to Asia for the first time. The Uganda Tourism Board (UTB) and the Uganda Convention Bureau are exhibiting at MICE Show Asia 2026 in Singapore, a three-day trade show running from 21 to 23 October, where they are marketing the country to Asia-Pacific planners of conferences, corporate meetings, incentive trips and exhibitions, Nile Post reported.

It is Uganda's debut at the show. For the tourism industry, the move signals that Uganda wants a share of a higher-spending, long-haul business travel market that rarely features in its traditional safari sales.

What is happening in Singapore

MICE Show Asia is held at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre alongside ITB Asia and Travel Tech Asia, with one pass covering all three shows, according to its organiser, Messe Berlin Asia Pacific. Ahead of the show, the organiser said exhibition space had grown by 83.2 percent on the previous edition and that its community included more than 200 MICE buyers. It named the Uganda Convention Bureau among confirmed exhibitors, alongside convention bureaus from Sapporo and Sri Lanka, and listed buyers such as Amex GBT, ConferenceDirect and HelmsBriscoe.

"MICE Show Asia is evolving in line with the needs of today's business events industry," Darren Seah, executive director of Messe Berlin Asia Pacific, said in the organiser's statement.

Uganda's delegation, led by UTB with private-sector MICE partners, is presenting the country's capacity to host international conferences, meetings, incentive programmes and exhibitions, Nile Post reported. Mellon Tukeikiriza, UTB's senior MICE officer, spoke on the opening day's panel, titled "Asia on the Global Stage: Attracting the Next Generation of Business Events."

The board is looking for pre-qualified business leads, higher-value long-haul visitors and market intelligence on how Uganda compares with competing destinations, according to the report. Its sales pitch leans on the country's leisure strengths: delegates can combine conference work with trips to national parks and cultural sites.

Why business events matter to Uganda

MICE stands for meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions. UTB presents it as a way to bring in higher-value visitors who might not otherwise come for a safari holiday.

Uganda has been building this segment for several months. Earlier this month Kampala hosted the first Africa Destination Celebration Conference and Expo (ADCCE 2026) at Speke Resort Convention Centre in Munyonyo, aimed at wedding planners, event specialists and investors. "Uganda is intensifying efforts to diversify its tourism products beyond the traditional wildlife safaris," UTB spokesperson Simplicious Gessa told New Vision at the time, linking the push to attracting high-spending visitors. See our report on ADCCE 2026 and Kampala's pitch for destination weddings and conferences.

The numbers behind the strategy are encouraging. Citing the 2025/26 annual tourism performance report, New Vision reported that international arrivals rose 19.7 percent to 1.64 million in 2025, that tourism earnings rose 21.3 percent to 5.83 trillion shillings, and that international MICE bids were worth about 2.044 billion shillings in the 2025/26 financial year. For more on the arrivals record, see our story on Uganda's 2025 tourism figures.

The hard part: turning leads into bookings

Trade shows generate contacts, not guaranteed events. Nile Post noted that winning international conferences depends on suitable venues, reliable transport, good accommodation, dependable connectivity and professional event management, and that leads from Singapore will need sustained follow-up with organisers and corporate travel planners.

Access is part of that equation. Uganda's tour operators have separately called for easier visas and better infrastructure, as we reported this week. Uganda's air links are expanding within Africa, with Uganda Airlines due to launch Entebbe to Accra flights on 27 October.

What it means for travellers and the industry

For hotels, conference venues and destination management companies in Kampala and Entebbe, the Singapore debut opens a new pool of potential clients, and those that can offer combined meeting and safari packages are best placed to benefit.

For travellers, a growing events calendar means more reasons to visit outside the classic safari season and, over time, more investment in venues and hotels around Kampala. If you are planning a business trip with time to explore, see our guide to the best time to visit Uganda and our East Africa tourist visa guide.

Photo: Flöschen / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0).