Every year, Kenya’s calendar is filled with flashy conferences and summits. Themed around topics like sustainability, digital transformation, youth empowerment, and innovation, these events draw high-profile speakers, significant sponsorship from leading companies, and hundreds of attendees well-dressed for the occasion.
However, despite their glamour, these conferences often become little more than social rituals, elaborate productions that lack substantial value. We gather in upscale venues, nodding through rehearsed speeches, participating in panel discussions that often reiterate familiar ideas.
In the moment, it feels empowering, as if we are contributing to the future of Kenya’s industries and society. Yet, come Monday morning, it’s back to business as usual.
While marketed as significant moments for reflection, knowledge sharing, and strategic planning, a critical question lingers beneath the surface: Where is the follow-through?
For a start, the structure of these events often detracts from their original goals. Delegates frequently arrive late or leave early, virtual sessions are marred by technical glitches, and participants may be distracted by work commitments, not fully engaging in the discussions.
Physical conferences aren’t much different; attendees often juggle emails and phone calls, attending with half their focus elsewhere.
Multi-day retreats at luxurious locations can devolve into mere photo opportunities, marked more by elegant dress codes and social events than by meaningful outcomes. By the end of these gatherings, the results are often scant—no published reports, no actionable commitments, and little real work accomplished, just a collection of polished images featuring professionals in picturesque settings.
In contrast, global platforms like Women Deliver, COP28, or the World Economic Forum in Davos place a strong emphasis on accountability.
They start by reviewing previous commitments, publishing progress reports, and guiding discussions based on what has or hasn't worked in the past. This structured approach lends credibility to their events, leading to measurable outcomes, sustained momentum, and partnerships that extend beyond the conference stage into real-world applications.
Locally, however, this level of discipline is often absent. Numerous Kenyan conferences claim to address issues such as youth unemployment, SME empowerment, or bridging the digital divide.
Despite passionate panels and bold promises, there are typically no key performance indicators, no tracking mechanisms, and no one held accountable for progress. The same speakers and organisations return year after year to recapitulate the same dialogue, offering no new insights or shifts in outcomes.
This disconnect is increasingly eroding trust, particularly among sponsors. Many corporates enthusiastically engage in the first year—branding stages and send top executives to participate. Yet, by year two or three, their involvement often dwindles.
Why? Because they can no longer justify the investment. There’s no return on investment—no tangible business outcomes, no shifts in policy, and no engagement from stakeholders. Just impressions and well-crafted photos.
As we continue to host these conferences, it is vital to focus on creating lasting impact and accountability, ensuring that discussions lead to measurable change rather than fleeting moments of enthusiasm.
What we’ve seen so far is the corporatisation of dialogue without any tangible delivery. For many, sponsorship has become more about optics than about meaningful contributions. Some speakers utilise these platforms for personal branding and profile enhancement, while Kenya’s pressing issues—such as youth unemployment, digital inequality and food insecurity —remain largely unaddressed, pushed aside until the next “thought leadership” event rolls around.
It’s essential to clarify that not all conferences are devoid of substance. There are rare instances where outcomes are documented, coalitions are formed, and real change emerges.
However, these cases are far too few. The reality is that many gatherings have morphed into what could be cynically labelled as “wellness retreats for the white-collar class.” They serve as brief escapes from the hustle of Nairobi. And while that might be acceptable, let’s be honest about it.
We need to shift from event-based engagement to a focus on commitment-based impact. This requires careful planning with accountability at the forefront: publishing post-event reports, tracking deliverables, inviting third-party audits, and ensuring that participants remain engaged beyond the confines of the venue. If we truly aspire to shape the future, we must measure success by impact, not just ambience.
We can no longer afford to mistake activity for impact. The future demands more than hashtags, beach selfies, and cocktail receptions; it requires courage, clarity, and consistency. If the aim is merely to unwind, let’s call it a retreat. But if we are labelling it a conference for change, then real change must follow.
The writer is a public relations manager at MultiChoice Kenya.
