“Allow us to Hold Small Meetings and Events,” EMAK Pleads with the Government

Events organizers are appealing with the government to allow their businesses to “hold small meetings and events to promote & market their products and services.”

Through a statement seen by Inversk, the Event Managers Association of Kenya (EMAK) is urging the government to ‘lift the ban on public gatherings but limit the number of attendees depending on the capacity of the venues.’

MICE and Hospitality have been the hardest hit during the coronavirus pandemic and even with the recent phased reopening of businesses by the government, the industry is still shut down with the restriction of public gatherings.

Public gatherings were banned by President Kenyata to curb Covid-19 when the virus jetted into the country in March. However, over the last two months, the Government has gradually reopened the economy, lifting certain restrictions and issuing a myriad of guidelines for business operations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Even with this, the public gatherings ban is still in effect – keeping industry players out of business.

EMAK’s appeal to the government is to “allow events that will host between more than 100 people,” says EMAK Chairlady, Zuhura Ogada, saying the opening “will allow companies to hold product launches, small workshops, training and conferences, exhibitions enabling our members to run businesses and slowly revive the industry.”

Zuhura says the “revival of the industry will open up opportunities” for EMAK players which include “unskilled, semiskilled and skilled people who our members contract and employ; as well as use a lot of casual laborers who have been deeply affected.”

EMAK is the largest meeting and events association in Kenya. Founded in 2014, the association brings together event professionals and suppliers with an aim of creating world-class standards in meetings and events through advocacy, collaboration and fair play among event practitioners in Kenya with an international benchmarking.