A federal bureau tasked with organising conventions is determined to bring a significant tourism and technology conference to Addis Abeba as it participated in its first bid since its inception last year.

The Ethiopian Convention Bureau (ECB) has made an offer to host the 30th edition of the annual ENTER conference scheduled for late January next year. Organised by the International Federation for Information Technologies and Travel & Tourism (IFITT), a non-profit organisation, 200 delegates will assemble for three days. The registration fee will be 500 euros, revenues to be shared with the Federation.

The Bureau's officials declined to disclose the bid amount.

The Bureau is mandated to bid for international events and host them independently. Aided by consultants hired by the World Bank's fund, it has developed a five-year strategic plan with a budget of 3.4 million dollars.

If it wins the bid, it will select an event organiser, disclosed Wondemagegne Girma, director of tourism sales and bidding at the Bureau.

“The event organiser will be responsible for arranging and facilitating accommodation and venues,” said Wondemagegne.

This is the first bid the Bureau has participated in since its formation in 2020. Its officials say it is necessary to make Addis Abeba the top event destination in Africa in a decade.

Consolidating a task previously performed by several government institutions into one entity has many advantages, according to Yoadan Tilahun, managing director of Flawless Events, an event organiser for 14 years. A member of the International Conventions & Conferences Association, Flawless has organised international exhibitions and conferences in 14 African countries, including Ethiopia.

“The existence of a dedicated entity allows the country to follow up and compete in bids on a much larger scale,” she said.

But some challenges deter the country from attracting events, according to Yoadan.