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Are you looking to hold a conference in Kampala? Are you looking for a conference room that could suit your needs? We are excited to announce our new conference room “Mandela” is now ready for hire in Kampala, Uganda.

 

Sitting upto 40 persons (including tables) or 50 persons without tables, our conference hall would be perfect for your conference or general meeting needs.

 

 

Size:

Our Conference Room measures 34ft x 17ft x 10ft covering an area of 578sq feet.

 

Depending on the type of seating plan you would like, our conference room can hold the following number of people:

Theatre Style: A head table at the front of the conference room. Theatre style chairs lined up in rows behind the head table. No tables included. This can fit upto 50 persons.

U-Shape Style: Tables arranged in a U shape style with chairs on the outer edges. One head table at the front of the conference room. This allows the facilitators to access most of the participants. This can fit upto 40 persons.

Classroom Style: Tables arranged in rows with chairs. Head table at the front of the conference room. This can fit upto 40 persons.

Hollow Rectangle Style: Tables arranged in a rectangle with chairs on the outer edges. This enables all participants to face each other and interact with all in the conference room. This can fit upto 24 persons.

Boardroom Style: Tables combined with chairs placed on the outer edges. Allows participants to face one another and interact with all in the conference room. This style allows a facilitator or leader to sit at either end of the table. This can fit upto 20 persons.

 

 

Why should you choose our conference room facility?

 

Location:

Our hotel is centrally located in the Kampala city centre, close to offices, the central business district and several restaurants. If you are looking to hold a business conference, we are perfectly located in the buzzing Nakasero prime district suitable for your needs. It is close to most government ministries and embassies as well. Holding your conference at our conference room would make it easily accessible for attendees no matter where they are located in Kampala.

We are ideally tucked away on a road just behind the busy Kampala Road such that we are very close to the business district but away from the hustle and bustle of the busy Kampala road.

Around us

Places of interest around us include the Independence monument, Uganda National Cultural Centre (National Theatre) and African Crafts Market.

The most visited attractions in Kampala city are only 20 minutes away from our hotel by car. These include Gaddafi mosque, Kasubi Tombs and Kabaka’s palace.

We are also surrounded by several restaurants, bars and coffee shops in case you would like to take any meetings off-site. There is a large supermarket, Senana, and doctors’ clinics a few minutes walk away for your convenience. The police station is also located a few minutes away.

Getting to our hotel from the Airport

Depending on the time of the day, it takes about 45 minutes to get from Entebbe Airport to our hotel with low traffic levels. We would recommend that you travel at an off-peak time to ensure you do not get stuck in Kampala traffic.

 

Parking:

Despite being located in the city centre of Kampala, we have ample parking space available for all your conference attendees. This is free for attendees and parking is secure.

 

Facilities:

We are able to provide all the extra facilities you may require for your conferencing needs at a fee such as:

• Projector & Screen
• Public Announcement system
• Flipchart
• Stationery including notepads/pens/markers
• Bottled Water
• Lunch/Dinner/Tea Break Refreshments catering
• Business services such as printing/photocopying
• Free & Fast Wi-Fi
• Bright White Lighting
• Multiple Sockets for plugging in electrical devices

If you require any other services such as binding etc, simply get in touch at info@prestigehotelsuites.com.

 

 

Catering:

If you are looking to hold your conference at our conference hall, we can arrange a buffet lunch or dinner or even Tea/Coffee Break Snacks as per your needs at a fixed fee per head.

A Lunch/Dinner buffet can only be arranged for a minimum of 10 persons.

If you are looking for a conference venue for fewer than 10 persons, you can choose from our A La Carte menu.

Click to view our A La Carte menu and to get a feel for our catering options.

Simply get in touch with us at info@prestigehotelsuites.com with your ideas and we’ll take care of it.

 

Good Value for Money:

Despite being located in the city centre, we have very reasonable pricing for our conference room in Uganda which will be suitable for your needs. Simply get in touch at info@prestigehotelsuites.com to find out our value for money prices for this centrally located conference room.

 

Accommodation with Conferencing:

If you require accommodation for your attendees along with the conference room, we can provide this. All our rooms are suites and will provide for very comfortable lodging for your attendees while they stay with us in Uganda.

 

 

Comfort:

Our conference room has air-conditioning and will make for a comfortable space for your conference. Equipped with sturdy tables and comfortable chairs, the conference will be a success for your attendees.

 

Break-out Sessions

We have ample space for break-out sessions for you to choose from, whether it is our pool terrace overlooking the pool, our mini-garden, around our pool or in our bar/lounge.

Security:

Our hotel is secured with CCTV and 24/7 security guards with guns.

We are centrally located, surrounded by embassies such as the French and Danish embassy. The state house is only 10 minutes away by walking. Hence, our location is in a relatively secure area of Kampala.

We do not allow visitors who are not staying at our hotel to use our facilities or dine from our restaurant unless they are related to a guest currently staying at our hotel. All our facilities are exclusively for our guests only reducing any security risks.

 

 

 

Away from work day:

If you are looking to create an “away from work” day for your staff whilst holding the conference to motivate them, we also have a swimming pool/pool terrace/bar/lounge/gym which can be used for downtime. Simply get in touch with us to arrange an out of the box conference idea and we can see what we can whip up.

Whether you are looking to host a national or international conference, convention, board meeting, agm, presentation, our conference hall for hire in Kampala will make for a perfect venue for your needs.

Get in touch with us at info@prestigehotelsuites.com with your needs and for more information.

 

 

 

Why hold a conference?

Conferences are held by a variety of organisations ranging from government bodies eg ministries to large private organisations. These conferences usually focus on a particular industry, in an effort to analyse past and present standings and consider solutions to problems or where the future will lead and how to deal with it. 

Government conferences are fairly common and are almost a necessity, however, as a company you may wonder whether what the benefits of holding a conference are. Conferences take up a lot of time and involve a large investment, so it is worth considering whether the benefits from holding the conference will outweigh the costs incurred.

Are you considering holding a conference in Kampala? Do you think it might be a good idea but are not sure? To help you make that decision, we highlight 5 reasons why you should hold a conference and how it could help you.

1. Staying ahead of the competition

Depending on the sector you are involved in, holding a conference would be a great way to stand out in your industry and spread word about your product. A conference allows you to invite any prospect, whether it is a potential buyer, a potential investor or even someone who could connect you in a way you have not anticipated yet. A conference can open possibilities to new sales channels and potentially provide you with new ways of progressing in your own field. By holding a conference, people get to know you and your product/industry, it builds trust and is a fast and effective way of getting more exposure.

Not all companies can afford to invest or put time into holding a conference, so you can stay ahead of the competition by personally reaching out to prospects in a single day.

A conference is also a great way to launch a new product as you’ll be able to give presentations on it and there will be a lot of press for that much needed exposure. It can also give you an opportunity to obtain feedback as professionals in the field test it and give you their expert opinions.

2. Creating a sense of community

Holding a conference means several individuals from many different companies/organisations will come together, get to know each other, build stronger networks, exchange ideas and create a sense of working together towards a common goal. There is more to be obtained from synergy when ideas come together, than when a company works on its own. Creating a community will create that ever-lasting network that will lead to more advancement in the industry. 

Your company will be seen as an industry leader capable of putting up such an event and this builds a lot of trust and influence. Conversely, as a company, you’ll get to meet industry leaders, scientists, financiers, you name it, building your own personal network rapidly laying the foundation for more success ahead.

3. Solving problems

Depending on what your goals are, holding a conference can help you analyse the industry, where you stand, what has been achieved so far, what the road blocks are and how these can be overcome. By inviting an entire community that works around the same issue, it is far more likely that a solution will be found and this can enable the industry/company as a whole to move in the right direction.

4. Education & Inspiration

If you are looking to educate and inspire a large group of individuals, there is no better way to do this than to hold an intensive 1-2 day conference. Through a conference, great minds, leaders in their fields can be invited to talk on their areas of expertise, workshops can be organised, a lot of educational material will reach the right hands and all in all, you will be able to achieve your goal of education much faster. 

It is also a great way to find out the challenges being faced by your target market such that appropriate measures can be taken to achieve the desired goals.

5. Motivation

Holding a conference enables employees to take a break from work whilst still being at work. It enables them to get away from the office, explore new ways of doing things and being in a new environment can also enable one to be more productive.

Depending on the type of conference you organise, you could have team-building activities that can improve communication and provide an opportunity for employees to take on leadership roles. Combining a conference with an away day helps rejuvenate employees allowing them to be more productive and even appreciate the company/organisations they are working for.

 

So, do you think holding a conference would be appropriate for your organisation? Take some time and think about it. If you feel you would like to hold a conference, the next step would be to find an appropriate venue and start preparing for it.

 

How to Organise a Conference?

Planning or organising a conference is a daunting task. However, if you break the planning process into small steps, it can be more manageable. You would need a team to handle the different tasks so that it is not overwhelming.

These are some of the main things you need to be thinking about first when organising your conference:

• Conference Theme
• Inviting Speakers
• Budget
• Sponsors
• Team
• Marketing
• Venue
• Ticketing & Communication

Conference Theme:

The most important part of organising a conference is ofcourse the theme. Depending on the type of company/organisation you are, you will have a certain objective you are trying to achieve and you should know your target market. 

It would help to brainstorm and outline a few things that you would hope to see on the conference agenda eg

• Talks 
• Workshops
• Team activities
• Drop-in clinics
• A section for selling products?
• One to one sessions etc

You should also think about when to hold the conference because this could make/break your event. You should make sure that conferences are not held during holiday seasons or weekends (unless you are targeting a market that is more likely to attend on weekends eg buyers of goods/retailers). It is better to organise a conference during a work day and better yet to hold it on a Thursday/Friday as this encourages attendees to stay on after the conference has ended to network. There is no pressure of rushing home as they have a whole week of work ahead. Attending conferences can be tiring.

Secondly, try as much as possible to ensure your conference does not collide with other major events, especially in your industry. Ofcourse, other events may pop up even if you have already picked a date but better to take as much precaution as possible to ensure a high attendance. Also, if you announce your conference first, you are more likely to secure your target market first.

Inviting Speakers:

Once you’ve drawn up this conference theme outline, you’ll have a clearer picture of what your agenda should have and whom you should contact next. 

You can make a list of the public speakers that you would hope to invite as well as any companies that need to get involved in the work-shops or drop-in clinics. 

When inviting speakers, you do need to put aside a budget for them. You may simply need to pay for their transportation/accommodation needs, however, you should also be prepared to pay any professional fees.

Keep the speakers informed throughout the planning phrase of the conference so that they are aware of what to expect on the day and how they need to prepare.

TIP: Check if they require any technical equipment eg translation equipment and check if the venue can provide it.

Budget:

One of the most important points you need to think about in organising a conference is the budget. Without a budget, you cannot succeed. You’ll need to have upfront income/cash to take care of certain things such as the venue and speaker fees.

Some of the things to consider when budgeting are:

• Venue
• Speaker fees
• Accommodation
• Transportation
• Catering
• Marketing spend
• Printing/Stationery
• Salaries if you are hiring new team members
• Equipment for organising activities/clinics etc

Organising a conference can be very expensive and make sure you think all the costs through and how you are going to cover them. As you sell more tickets, you’ll be able to cover costs but that is dependent on how many tickets you sell and costs will have to be covered whether you sell tickets or not.

Sponsorships:

Do you require sponsors for your conference? If it is a small conference, or you are a large company and can afford to organise the conference without sponsors, that would be amazing. Sponsors can sometimes take away from conference. They may have specific requirements and for the attendees, it may sometimes feel as though they are watching television, enjoying what they are watching and suddenly they are inundated with marketing ads.

However, if you are organising a large conference, sponsors may be your key to making it happen. Over the course of time, you could always limit how much marketing material is put out there. Sponsors can bridge the gap between the initial costs and the revenue obtained when ticket sales come through.

Team:

In order to plan and execute a conference successfully, you need a team. You must delegate tasks in order for them to be carried out effectively. The areas that need to be delegated are as follows:

• Planning: As you can see from the above, planning is a very important process of organising a conference. From selecting the speakers, to arranging accommodation/choosing the venue, creating the work-shops, you’ll need a team to ensure all these things are done right.
• Marketing: This is a very important aspect of organising a conference and you’ll require a full time person to market whether it is social media, magazines, television, radio, email lists etc. Marketing is very essential to get those ticket sales
• Sponsorship: You’ll need a team just to go out and look for sponsors. These are essential for raising that investment for organising the conference.
• Admin: In order for everything to flow smoothly, a person will be required to co-ordinate all activities and also handle things such as ticketing, payments, budgeting etc. You could have a separate financial team if the conference is quite big. 
• IT: This could be combined with the admin team. You’ll need someone to set up a website, email contact, registration form etc.
• Volunteers: It always helps to have some extra hands on site. You’ll be amazed at how many people may be interested in volunteering in your industry, not only because it helps them gain relevant work experience but also enables them to network in their industry. These would be useful for acting as ushers on the day, ticketing etc.

Marketing:

In order to secure those ticket sales and even get attendees, a lot has to be invested in marketing. This will be a full time process and could involve the following channels:

• Social media 
• Direct email marketing
• TV/Radio/Newspapers
• Industry magazines/publications
• Word of mouth
• Postal marketing
• Press releases
• Forums/Blogs

TIP: For social media, ensure you have a unique hashtag to use across all channels and encourage attendees to use this hashtag.

Consider inviting journalists/press in your selected industry for more exposure.

Venue:

Very important, is finding a venue. Once you have set a date, it is important to check for venues that could fit the number of attendees. If you are looking for a conference venue in Kampala, it can be quite hard to find one for a large number of attendees if you do not book in advance.

If you have 40-50 conference attendees, feel free to email us at info@prestigehotelsuites.com. We can accommodate you and arrange for all your catering/technical/transportation/accommodation needs all for a very reasonable price in central Kampala.

If you have between 100-150 attendees, feel free to email us as we have access to our sister hotel, Hotel Ruch, whose conference room can accommodate upto 150 attendees. 

The venue you choose should also preferably have suitable areas for your attendees to hang out during breaks/downtime. Think about all the logistics such as :

How will your attendees get there?

Is it easily accessible?

Is there enough space to organise your required activities? 

Where will refreshments be served?

Will you require tents/outdoor seating?

Where will the volunteers be based/who will man doors/welcome guests?

Ticketing and Communication:

This will be essential to ensure all ticket sales are handled smoothly. You’ll need someone on board to handle all attendee queries in a fast and efficient manner.

You’ll also need to work with the IT team and finance team to ensure several channels for payment are provided.

 

On the day of the conference:

We are pretty sure there are many other things to be considered when organising your conference. However, as a closing note, here are some things to consider on the day of the event:

• Have back-up speakers/workshops arranged for in case a speaker can’t make it/eg an outdoor workshop cannot be held because it rains
• Aim to get as much feedback as possible to ensure the next conference is even better
• Make sure you give out handbooks with information about speakers, workshops etc
• Ensure there is someone responsible for time-keeping
• Network and talk to as many attendees/journalists/speakers to get the most benefit out of the conference
• It may be possible to create a goodie bag incase your sponsors offer products. This will be a great way for an attendee to remember your conference/organisation long after it has ended.
• Arrange for attendee labels for easy identification 
• If possible, organise post-conference refreshments so that attendees get the most out of the conference in a relaxed environment

We hope the above tips on why to organise a conference and how to prepare for it have been helpful to you. If you have any queries or would like more information, please feel free to get in touch at info@prestigehotelsuites.com

Equipment must-haves for your conference room in Kampala

If you have organised a conference before, you may already be aware of the equipment you may need. However, for those organising a conference for the first time in Kampala, here’s a small guide on the type of equipment available for hire for your conference room. 

Projector

The most professional way to hold a presentation is to use a projector. You can prepare slides on your laptop which can then be projected onto the projector screen. This enables all your conference attendees to see your presentation clearly and it is professional. Any information that attendees need to take away such as contact details or even information related to the conference can be highlighted on the projector enabling attendees to write it down or take photos and they can refer to it at a later time.

Tip: Did you know that giving a talk with a presentation on a projector means that your attendees attention will be divided between the speaker and the projector screen. This can enable the speaker to be less nervous when presenting.

Public Announcement System (PA System)

A PA system comprises of speakers and mics. If you are holding a larger meeting/conference of more than say 15 attendees, it would be good to have a PA system so that all your attendees can hear what you have to say. We would provide both wire and wireless mics incase the speaker would like to walk around the room when presenting. 

This ensures that the conference is successful as everyone can hear what the hosts/guest speakers have to say.

Stationery

This is a no-brainer. For a successful conference, your attendees need to be provided with stationery to take down notes for referral at a later time. We can provide both notepads and pens, hence you do not have to worry about arranging for these.

Flipchart

Incase you are looking to brainstorm at the conference or note down ideas that your attendees come up with, having a flip-chart is very essential. As it is fairly large, most people can see it but it is also a great way to brainstorm with a large group of people. 

We can arrange for both a flipchart and marker for you in case you would require it.

Business services eg printing, photocopying, scanning

You need to ensure that hiring a conference room also provides access to business services such as printing/photocopying/scanning in case you need to print out some important data or provide copies to your attendees. Perhaps, you may have forgotten to do this beforehand. Having access to such services on site is very important otherwise your conference may not be as successful as it could be. Luckily, our hotel can provide for such business services.

Wi-Fi

It is important to provide Wi-Fi in today’s world as everything is done online. Having access to fast and free Wi-Fi is essential, not an option. Luckily, we as a hotel provide this as well.

Tip: A lot of time can be wasted when providing Wi-Fi network and password information. It could be a good idea to highlight these on the projector screen when attendees are arriving, before the conference starts, so that you can save time once the conference starts.

In case you are looking for a conference room in Kampala and would require access to any of the services listed above, feel free to get in touch with us at info@prestigehotelsuites.com. If there’s any equipment you require not listed above, feel free to let us know and we can arrange it.