Bench Events, APO seek market share in hotel investments

Bench Events, organisers of the Africa Hotel Investment Forum, and APO Group, a media relations consultancy, have announced a collaboration aimed at boosting investment in the hospitality industry in Africa.

According to the Head of Media Relations,APO Group, Caroline Guilhaume, the deal, set to run until 2022, covers the next three editions of AHIF and its Francophone equivalent, the Forum de l’Investissement Hôtelier Africain.

“Hotels are crucial in boosting the economies of developing nations. Not only do they drive tourism, encouraging foreign investment and bringing in foreign currencies, they also host important business meetings. All over Africa, international conferences like AHIF help generate huge exposure – while world-class hotels facilitate day-to-day business travel for global executives and multinational organisations,” she added in a statement.

AHIF 2019 takes place at the Sheraton Hotel in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from September 23 to 25, while the next FIHA conference will be in March 2020.

Bench Events has consistently ensured that AHIF and FIHA attract high calibre international hotel investors, connecting business leaders from international and local markets, driving investment into hotel development and other hospitality and tourism-oriented projects across the continent.

The latest edition of AHIF is expected to be the biggest event of its kind ever staged in Africa.

Among the over 600 attendees will be senior figures from the Marriott, Hilton, Accor hotels and Radisson hotel groups.

During the week of each event, exhibitors at both AHIF and FIHA will benefit from complimentary access to APO Group’s comprehensive African press release distribution service.

Ahead of each of the next three editions of AHIF and FIHA, APO Group will invite an African journalist on an all-expenses-paid trip to the conference. It will also mobilise unparalleled corporate network to provide keynote speakers from diverse industries to add depth to the topics being discussed.

“What’s great about APO Group is their unrivalled expertise in African media landscapes and their ability to reach prominent journalists to help drive our message to new audiences,” said the Managing Director of Bench Events, Matthew Weihs.

“In partnership, I believe we have all the tools to make these conferences even more successful and bring greater international exposure and investment to the tourism industry all over Africa,” he added.

“AHIF and FIHA represent the best in global collaboration in the hospitality industry,” said the CEO of APO Group, Lionel Reina.

He said, “Hotels in Africa are a showcase for tourism and business across the continent, providing meeting places for commerce, as well as helping to drive interest and investment throughout the region.

“We relish partnerships like this one with Bench Events, as they demonstrate our commitment to raising Africa’s profile across a range of diverse industries.”