The Most Important Trade Shows and Exhibitions in East Africa in 2027

East Africa's 2027 exhibition calendar is the most ambitious yet. New events are launching, established shows are expanding, and COP32 in Addis Ababa will bring the world's largest climate summit to the region for the first time. For international exhibitors planning where to invest their trade show budgets next year, this is the definitive guide to the events that matter most across Kenya, Ethiopia, Tanzania, and Rwanda.

AGMEX Green Mobility and Energy Exhibition in Addis Ababa

AGMEX launches from 25 to 27 February 2027 at the Addis International Convention Centre in Addis Ababa. Organised by Exhibit Africa, it is Ethiopia's first dedicated exhibition for green mobility, renewable energy, and sustainable infrastructure, bringing together over 150 exhibitors and 3,000 visitors from more than 20 countries.

The event covers solar energy, battery storage, electric vehicles, charging infrastructure, smart cities, green manufacturing, and sustainable agriculture. With COP32 arriving in Addis Ababa later in the year, AGMEX positions itself as an early indicator of Ethiopia's capacity to host world-class exhibitions and a practical platform for the companies shaping the country's green transition.

Air Cargo Africa and Transport Logistic Africa at the Sarit Expo Centre

Air cargo Africa returns from 2 to 4 February 2027 at the Sarit Expo Centre in Nairobi, co-located with transport logistic Africa. Organised by Messe Munchen, the event is the continent's leading air freight exhibition and conference, bringing together airlines, freight forwarders, airports, ground handlers, shippers, and technology partners from over 50 countries.

With Africa's multimodal trade corridors expanding and Kenya's position as East Africa's primary air cargo hub, the event connects regional logistics momentum to global routes. The co-location with transport logistic Africa, part of the globally recognised transport logistic network, extends the platform to cover road, rail, sea, and digital supply chain solutions. For logistics, freight, and supply chain companies, this is the strongest B2B meeting point in East Africa.

Propak East Africa and Print East Africa at the Sarit Expo Centre

Propak East Africa returns from 2 to 4 March 2027 at the Sarit Expo Centre in Nairobi, co-located with Print East Africa and Pro-Agro East Africa. The combined event brings together over 150 exhibitors and 5,500 attendees across packaging, plastics, printing, labelling, food processing, and agro-processing.

This is the largest dedicated packaging and processing exhibition in East Africa, and the co-location of three events under one roof creates a concentrated platform for companies whose products span food production, packaging, and print. The visitor profile targets directors, plant managers, procurement heads, and regional distributors with active purchasing authority.

Intersolar Africa 2027 at the Sarit Expo Centre in Nairobi

The third edition of Intersolar Africa takes place on 16 and 17 March 2027 at the Sarit Expo Centre, bringing together approximately 100 exhibitors and over 3,000 trade visitors from across the continent. Organised by FWTM and Solar Promotion GmbH, it is East Africa's premier B2B exhibition and conference for solar power and energy storage.

Following a strong 2026 edition that attracted visitors from 60 countries, the 2027 event expands its conference programme to cover renewable energy partnerships across Rwanda, Zambia, and Malawi. For solar panel manufacturers, energy storage providers, and EPC contractors, Intersolar Africa is the most focused entry point into East Africa's rapidly growing renewable energy market.

Big 5 Construct Ethiopia at the AICC in Addis Ababa

Big 5 Construct Ethiopia moves to 8 to 10 April 2027 at the Addis International Convention Centre, co-located with the East Africa Infrastructure Expo. The event is expected to attract approximately 180 exhibitors and 10,000 visitors, covering building materials, heavy construction equipment, MEP services, and digital construction technologies.

Ethiopia's construction market remains one of Africa's most active, with major infrastructure programmes spanning roads, railways, industrial parks, and housing. The co-location with the Infrastructure Expo creates a combined platform that reaches both construction industry buyers and large-scale infrastructure project stakeholders. The Big 5 Talks CPD-certified conference programme adds further depth for architects, engineers, and project managers.

Gulfood360 Kenya Launches in Nairobi

Gulfood360 Kenya brings the world's most recognised food sourcing brand to East Africa for the first time in May 2027. Backed by the Kenyan government and building on Gulfood Dubai's three decades of connecting the global food industry, this inaugural edition positions Nairobi as a gateway to Africa's projected $567 billion food economy.

For food and beverage companies already exhibiting at Gulfood in Dubai, adding the Kenya edition creates a natural extension into East Africa's consumer market. For companies already present in Kenya through events like Propak, Gulfood360 adds a finished-food and sourcing dimension that the packaging-focused events do not cover.

Agrofood and Plastprintpack Ethiopia in Addis Ababa

Agrofood Ethiopia 2027 returns in May at the Addis Ababa Exhibition Centre, co-located with plastprintpack Ethiopia. The combined event covers food and beverage products, food processing equipment, packaging machinery, plastics, and printing technologies, attracting exhibitors from across Europe, Asia, and the Middle East alongside local Ethiopian manufacturers and distributors.

The co-location is significant. Ethiopia's food processing sector is expanding rapidly as the government prioritises import substitution and local value addition, and that growth is creating parallel demand for packaging and printing solutions. Companies that supply across both food processing and packaging can reach both buyer audiences within a single event, making this one of the most efficient exhibitions in the East African calendar.

AI Everything Kenya and GITEX Kenya 2027 at the Sarit Expo Centre and KICC

AI Everything Kenya x GITEX Kenya returns for its second edition from 12 to 14 May 2027 across two Nairobi venues. The Inclusive AI Everything Summit takes place at the Sarit Expo Centre on day one, followed by the AI Everything Kenya Expo at KICC on days two and three.

The 2026 debut positioned Nairobi as a serious player in Africa's $16.5 billion AI market, attracting global technology firms, policymakers, startups, and investors. The 2027 edition builds on that momentum with an expanded exhibition and conference programme covering AI, agritech, cloud, cybersecurity, IoT, and sustainability. For technology companies targeting East Africa's digital transformation, this is the region's largest and most high-profile tech event.

Big 5 Construct Kenya at the Sarit Expo Centre

Big 5 Construct Kenya returns in November 2027 at the Sarit Expo Centre in Nairobi. The event brings together over 150 exhibitors from more than 25 countries and attracts approximately 9,500 construction industry professionals.

Kenya's construction market is valued at over $26 billion, with the country accounting for 64.4% of East Africa's identified construction project value. The CPD-certified Big 5 Talks programme adds depth for architects, engineers, and project managers, while the exhibition floor covers the full construction value chain from building materials and MEP services to digital construction and sustainable building solutions. For construction brands planning a multi-country Big 5 strategy, combining the Ethiopia edition in April with the Kenya edition in November creates two touchpoints across East Africa's two most active building markets.

COP32 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Addis Ababa

The biggest event on the 2027 calendar, by a significant margin, is COP32. The 32nd United Nations Climate Change Conference comes to Addis Ababa in November 2027, bringing approximately 50,000 participants including world leaders, government delegations from over 190 countries, international organisations, and corporate exhibitors.

COP32 will require the construction of dozens of country pavilions, corporate exhibition spaces, and public engagement zones. It is the largest and most complex exhibition project in East African history, and the governments, corporates, and event agencies involved should be engaging local partners now. For the exhibition industry, COP32 is both a generational opportunity and the ultimate test of Africa's capacity to deliver at the highest international level.

How to Plan Your Exhibition Calendar for East Africa in 2027

With this many events spread across the year, building a strategic multi-event calendar is essential. The density is remarkable. Between February and May alone, Nairobi and Addis Ababa host air cargo Africa, AGMEX, Propak, Intersolar Africa, Big 5 Construct Ethiopia, Gulfood360, agrofood Ethiopia, and GITEX Kenya, followed by Big 5 Construct Kenya and COP32 closing out the year.

For companies attending multiple events, modular exhibition stand systems that can be reconfigured for different venues and stand sizes reduce costs significantly compared to building from scratch at every show. A local stand builder who fabricates at each venue and stores components between events makes multi-event strategies practical and affordable.

Exhibit at East Africa's Biggest Trade Shows in 2027 with Exhibit Africa

East Africa's 2027 exhibition calendar offers more opportunity than any year before it, from established industry events to new launches and the historic COP32 summit.

Exhibit Africa designs, builds, and manages exhibition stands and country pavilions at trade shows across Kenya, Ethiopia, and Rwanda. From custom builds at Big 5 Construct and Gulfood360 to modular solutions for companies exhibiting at multiple events throughout the year, we handle design, local fabrication, venue logistics, and on-site management at every event on the calendar.

Ready to plan your 2027 exhibition programme in East Africa? Contact Exhibit Africa and let us build your presence across the region's most important trade shows.