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Programme
Global Shifts, African Momentum.
DAY 1 — Thursday, 24 September 2026
08:00 – 09:00
REGISTRATION & ARRIVAL
09:00 – 09:10
OPENING WELCOME FROM FORUM ORGANISERS AND PARTNERS
09:15 – 09:30
WELCOME ADDRESS AND OPENING CEREMONY
09:30 – 10:00
KEYNOTE ADDRESS:
Global Shifts, African Momentum: Africa’s Continental Free Trade Area and the New Era of Borderless Opportunity
A keynote on how global economic shifts and the AfCFTA are opening a new era of easier, larger-scale investment across Africa. It highlights how stronger infrastructure, governance, and business conditions are making destinations more attractive to investors, while new regional value chains and trade corridors create clearer entry points for U.S. and global partners. The session positions Africa’s integration as a driver of borderless economic opportunity.
10:05 – 10:55
SESSION ONE: INVESTING IN NEW GROWTH SECTORS
Growth Corridors: Tourism, Creative Industries & High-Impact Investment
Africa’s next growth curve is being shaped by high-impact sectors spanning tourism infrastructure, creative industries, climate-resilient energy, inclusive real estate, social services, and sustainable land use. These sectors collectively drive jobs, cultural value, competitiveness, and long-term resilience. The session distils the investment logic and policy levers underpinning their expansion. It highlights how DFIs and catalytic capital can unlock scalable, inclusive development across these ecosystems.
11:00 – 11:20
INVESTMENT & BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY SHOWCASES (IBOS)
11:25 – 11:40
IBOS 1
11:45 – 12:00
IBOS 2
12:05 – 12:20
IBOS 3
14:00 – 14:15
IBOS 4
SESSION TWO: DIGITAL ECONOMIC (AI, FINTECH, INFRASTRUCTURE, INNOVATION ECOSYSTEMS)
The Digital Dividend: Investing in Africa’s Travel, Tourism & Fintech Revolution
Africa’s digital leap is opening strong investment opportunities across travel tech, tourism tech, and fintech. With mobile-first consumers and rising demand for seamless travel, payments, and visitor services, scalable platforms are emerging to fill real market gaps. This session highlights where capital is flowing, from booking and mobility solutions to AI-enabled destination services and smart-tourism infrastructure, and why these ecosystems are positioning Africa as a high-return digital frontier for investors.
SESSION THREE: HERITAGE INVESTMENT CORRIDORS
Heritage Landscapes as Investable Asset Classes
This session explores how heritage landscapes, from cultural sites and memorial precincts to living traditions and creative districts, can be transformed into economic assets that drive inclusive growth. It highlights the investment potential in restoration, adaptive reuse, cultural precinct development and community-based enterprises, showing how heritage-led strategies strengthen destination identity, expand local value chains and unlock long-term social and economic returns.
INVESTMENT & BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY EXCHANGES
- Tourism & Hospitality Investment
- Screen & Creative Production Economy
- Infrastructure and Real Estate
- Heritage & Cultural Economy
- Infrastructure & Green Transitions
- Technology
CLOSING SESSION
- Summary of key outcomes
- Announcements (MoUs, Partnerships, Next Steps)
- Closing remarks
DAY 2 — Friday, 25 September 2026
08:00 – 09:00
REGISTRATION / COFFEE / TEA
09:00 – 09:30
WELCOME ADDRESS:
09:35 – 10:20
SESSION FOUR: SCREEN, SCENE AND SUMMIT
How Film, Festivals and Meetings Convert Visitor Economies into Engines of Inclusive Growth
This session explores how destinations that align their film industry, festival economy and major meetings sector to build a high-performing, inclusive visitor economy, demonstrating how coordinated investment across tourism, screen production and MICE drives jobs, SME growth and neighbourhood-level uplift. It shows how these sectors, when strategically developed, create a strong multiplier effect that broadens participation and strengthens local value chains.
10:20 – 11:10
INSIGHTFUL TALK ON AFRICA’S UNTAPPED SCREEN BOOM
Creators, Capital & Code - The New Production Power Shift
A deep dive into financing models shaping the future of film, television, branded entertainment, and creator-led media. Topics include IP monetization, tourism partnerships, global financing strategies, and investment opportunities in emerging media ecosystems.
11:35 – 12:25
SESSION SIX: PRODUCTION & DEVELOPMENT
Choosing Locations
This panel explores how productions select filming destinations, navigate incentives, build studio relationships, and leverage local economies and tourism infrastructure in today’s competitive production environment.
12:30 – 13:20
SESSION SEVEN: NEW VISION – NEW MEDIA
Closing the Demand–Supply Gap: Investing in Africa’s High-Growth Storytelling Market
An exploration of emerging creator ecosystems, independent platforms, music-media convergence, digital storytelling, and how creators are redefining audience engagement in the streaming and social era. Africa’s fast-rising screen and creator markets are generating demand that outpaces supply, opening clear financing gaps and early-mover opportunities for U.S. investors in the new storytelling economy. Drawing on insights from leading American and African experts, the session highlights how film, TV, music and creator-led platforms are emerging as investable asset classes and how destinations can position themselves within this growth.
14:45 – 15:45
INVESTMENT & BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY EXCHANGES
15:45 – 16:15
- Tourism & Hospitality Investment
- Screen & Creative Production Economy
- Infrastructure and Real Estate
- Heritage & Cultural Economy
- Infrastructure & Green Transitions
- Technology
16:30 – 18:30
INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL
- Peter White (UK)
- Vincent Ingala (USA)
- Donald Harrison (NEW ORLEANS)
DAY 3 — Saturday, 26 September 2026
09:00 – 13:00
SITE VISITS – CITY OF NEW ORLEANS
14:00 – 19:00
INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL
- Seun Kuti – (Nigeria)
- Sax to Soul Package: Regina Belle – (USA)
- Irvin Mayfield (NEW ORLEANS)
Michael Lington - (USA)
Paul Taylor (USA) - (USA)
DAY 4 — Sunday, 27 September 2026
09:00 – 17:00
INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL
- Collie Buddz - ( NEW ORLEANS BORN BERMUDA RESIDENT)
- Bushman - (JAMAICA)
- Corey Henry & The Treme Funktet - (NEW ORLEANS)
- Alexi Marti - (CUBA)
19:00 – 22:00