Nana Gecaga, who's the CEO of the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) on Wednesday, July 8, lost her bid to be elected chair of the African chapter of the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA).
In a statement by the association, Nana was edged out by South African Taubie Motlhabane, the CEO of the Cape Town International Convention Centre.
In a hotly contested election held by global meetings industry network, Motlhabane garnered 54% of the total vote against Nana's 46%.
Jacinta Nzioka, who's the national coordinator for the Kenya National Convention Bureau (KNCB) was appointed Deputy Chair - a position in which the KICC CEO was elected to in 2018.
“I am excited to take up the position of ICCA Africa Chapter deputy chair and the opportunity to make an effective contribution to strengthening Kenya’s and Africa’s position in the international association meetings arena," she stated.
Nzioka and Motlhabane will serve for a period of two years where they will steer the affairs of the Africa chapter.
On March 4, KNCB was officially been inducted into the membership of the ICCA which automatically granted it access to ICCA’s large database of clients from the conventions sector all over the world.
At the time, the KNCB’s National Coordinator expressed appreciation for the support received from the Ministry of Tourism, it’s board and various stakeholders.
The ICCA African Chapter has 34 member organisations in over 9 countries, covering all areas of conference management – from venues and Convention Bureaux to hotels, airlines and PCOs.
Five Kenyan organisations have a membership to ICCA. They are; Diani Reef Beach Resort & Spa, Kenya National Convention Bureau, Kenya Tourism Board, Prideinn Paradise Beach Resort Convention Centre & Spa and The Kenyatta International Convention Centre.
Globally, the organisation comprises almost 1,000 member companies and organisations in over 90 countries worldwide.
ICCA specialises in the international association meetings sector, offering unrivalled data, communication channels, and business development opportunities.
