The ups and downs of event management in Kigali

Several high profile social and entertainment events have been held all over the country in the previous years, and last year in particular. While some of these events have registered overwhelming success, measured by the number of people who attended them, there are some that have fallen short, leaving organisers counting losses. Event organisers say they are usually faced with different challenges when trying to give their best when it comes to holding entertainment events in the country. Many of them decry the high cost charged by the hosts of such events, adding that facilities to hold competitive events are insufficient. Just recently on Boxing Day, Tanzanian songstress Vanessa Mdee performed in front of a handful of weary fans after arriving late at the Red Avenue Party—organised by Sandra Teta, when many had already left the venue. Davis Genza, CEO of Show Time Events that organises the Jungle Party, says among the major challenges they face is lack of facilities. “We are into this business of organising entertainment events and Show Time has been there close to 15 years now. However, we still grapple with lack of adequate facilities. When you need to organize a high profile event, you must ensure first that you organise it at an ideal venue, but some of the few venues that we have charge exorbitant costs that make many people shy away from organising entertainment shows,” says Genza. Thousands of music fans thronged Amahoro Stadium’s parking for the concert that saw local and Jamaican dancehall heartthrob, perform on January 1. (Photos by Richard Irakoze) At the same time, he calls upon the government to construct facilities that they can hire at a cheaper cost, as opposed to privately owned ones that normally charge them high fees. Genza also adds many people have come to expect the events to be free, because there are many event organisers that have, over the years, made their events to be free. “The free events have become a spoilsport to those of us who want to get a return on our investments. It’s always defeatist when you invest a lot of money in an event, bringing in a musician and hiring the venue and yet people expect freebies after all the efforts you’ve made. It’s unfortunate that many people have come to expect the entry to the events to be free. This makes us lose out,” he says. Eric Mugisha, the brain behind the Kings of Komedy, who has been responsible for bringing regional stand-up comedy giants like, Erick Omondi, Anne Kansiime and Patrick “Salvado” Idringi, also agrees that the main challenge of organising events is lack of facilities in Kigali. Mugisha, who has been in this business for eight years now, claims things have not changed in terms of the facilities. “The government should construct an amphitheatre in Kigali where we can rent the venue at a cheaper cost. Otherwise, event organisation is still going to be expensive, and many people are still going to shy away from them.” But he hastens to add that they always ensure they engage high profile and experienced comedians to attract corporate sponsorship. “Content is the key to unlocking the vault of sponsorship. We always ensure the comedians we engage are going to deliver satisfactorily, which in turn attracts corporate sponsorship,” he says. The Red Avenue Party attracted only a handful of attendees. (File) However, Joseph Mushyoma aka Boubu, CEO of East African Promoters that organises the annual End of Year Party, says that to hold successful events like, Primus Guma Guma Superstar and End of Year Party, they always plan ahead of time to ensure that things run smoothly. “We are now in our eighth year and though there might have been some teething problems, we’ve not experienced major challenges since we always properly plan for such events,” says Mushyoma. This is a food for thought, since event organisers should always ensure they not only plan ahead but they should also make sure the artistes they engage are going to give the fans the value for their money. Recently, the East African Promoters hosted two successful concerts; the last years Vibe Party on December 31 and End of Year party on January 1, graced by Jamaican dancehall artiste Konshens, real name Garfield Spence. editorial@newtimes.co.rw

Entertainment

The ups and downs of event management in Kigali