In this intriguing interview with VoyagesAfriq (VA), Mahi Tadesse, the Founder and CEO of Hallpax, shares her inspiring journey from accidental event planner to industry trailblazer. Established in Addis Ababa 14 years ago and rebranded in 2018 with a base in the US, Hallpax has grown into a formidable player in the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) sector across Africa.
Mahi offers insights into the company’s unique role in addressing challenges faced by African tourism boards and convention bureaus, promoting sustainable event practices, and collaborating with local communities to ensure fair economic participation.
Through candid reflections, Mahi reveals the heart of Hallpax’s mission—providing accessible resources for organizations hosting events across the continent, empowering local businesses, and contributing to the growth of Africa’s MICE industry. Join us as we explore her bold vision, the company’s impact, and the exciting prospects for 2025.
VA: Kindly tell us about Hallpax and your role within the company
Mahi: Hallpax is an event management company. We were founded in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 14-years ago, in 2018 we rebranded and moved the company to the US. We now mainly execute events in east, west and southern African countries.
VA: Walk us through Hallpax’s footprint in Africa and what makes you unique
Mahi: Even though by definition we are an event management company, we are driven to promote African destinations for MICE. Most governments in the continent don’t yet have the necessary marketing strategy to promote their respective destinations. The countries that have strong convention bureaus/ tourism boards don’t yet have the bandwidth to offer the necessary support required to institutions that host events.
We see multiple institutions struggling to narrow down possible event venues within their own cities or understanding their own country visa regulations. This is because tourism boards & convention bureaus have very little resources available on their website and aren’t yet easily accessible. Most tourism boards/ convention bureaus in the continent are new and are still in the development phase. This is where we are stepping in as we wait for these government bodies to come out of their cocoon.
We have developed resources to guide organizations, companies & associations plan events in multiple African cities. We are seeing this guide and resource being consumed mainly by institutions that have a footprints in the continent. For example, most of our resources about Nairobi are being consumed by Kenyans, this is a clear indication to us the information gap on how to execute events in African cities isn’t just for foreigners visiting either from the region or outside of the region but also for local institutions.
Anyone that comes to us for guidance will get a free consultation on how to plan an event in any African city we cover. We also offer a free budget estimate and connection with local venues and suppliers. This isn’t something we do to gain clients, it is a service we offer 100% free of charge because we believe when one city in Africa gains an event we will all gain in the long term.
We have also recently started collaborating with government owned convention centers and tourism boards to submit bids to host international events in their cities, we are hoping to continue to do so with multiple countries.
These are some of the roles we are currently playing among some interesting ones in the pipeline for 2025.
VA: As a foremost event management, what do you think can be done to make events sustainable from an environmental and local community perspective.
Mahi: Our industry has the potential to lift a nation out of poverty, but without proper regulation most of the profits generated from the industry will go to international hotel chains. It breaks our heart when a casual waiter’s daily wage is $5.00 at an international brand hotel our delegates pay $200.00 + per night. Leakage in tourism is a serious issue,governments must step in and ensure the local community is getting a fair share from the development of the industry.
Tourism is unlike any other export product; the “country” is the main product. Ensuring local communities’ livelihood is improved and natural resources are conserved is the most important aspect of sustainable tourism.
We at Hallpax understand travel & tourism is responsible for more than 5% of the world’s carbon emitted. We take offsetting carbon footprint very seriously, we actively discourage our clients from printing and add tree planting as an activity for delegates to help offset our carbon footprint.
We also try to find unique ways to involve local businesses & young people in our events. For example, we recently did an event in Kampala where we had a visually impaired artist paint the backdrop banner & our client sold the art at the end of the event as a fundraiser. We are working with UNHCR in Malawi to get a special permit to hire young refugees to work as casual event staff at events we execute in Lilongwe. We believe in fair wage compensation for the casual young people we work with.
Even though we are still a very small company, we have 5 core values that guide us in every decision we take as a company; people, nature, culture, history & service. We value the people & culture of every destination, our service and love to show it off at every event we work on. Preserving the nature & history of the destinations we service is our top priority, and the only way we can move forward.
VA: Tell us about the role Hallpax wants to play in contributing to the growth of MICE in Africa
Mahi: We love the continent and see tremendous potential in Africa. We are consistently overwhelmed by our vendors’ flexibility, dedication and excellence. The culture of hospitality is embedded in the service of most of the small businesses we work with. Most of the vendors we work with aren’t on google and don’t have a fancy website but they are run by dedicated local entrepreneurs. We want to create tools for our vendors to be discovered easily and resources for anyone to plan an event in Africa.
We currently have a number of resources available & we are open to help guide anyone planning an event in Africa. That is definitely something we are committed to do in the long term as well.
VA: Finally, share with us your own journey
Mahi: I became an event planner accidentally. Someone saw me volunteering at a charity fundraiser and asked me to volunteer for an event UNIDO Ethiopia was planning when I was in college. I was hooked, I loved it so much I dropped out of college and started my first event management company with just $150.00 as a working capital. 14-years later, we operate in 19 African cities and based on demand we execute events in Europe, Asia & the US.
I founded Hallpax but it is no longer only my journey or vision. I am lucky to have met wonderful people I get to work with everyday that are shaping the direction we are taking. The team we are building and the unique superpower they all possess motivates me everyday.
This article was first published in the Nov/December 2024 Edition of VoyagesAfriq Travel Magazine
