One minute, you’re dressed up for a beautiful dinner overlooking Lake Victoria. A few days later, you’re on a safari, watching wildlife in its natural habitat, cruising along the River Nile and getting an up-close view of one of Uganda’s most famous waterfalls. That’s how our trip to Uganda went, and we have so much to tell you.
We travelled to Uganda, popularly known as the Pearl of Africa, for the inaugural Africa Destination Celebrations Conference & Expo (ADCCE) 2026, held from 12 to 13 October at the Speke Resort Munyonyo Convention Centre in Kampala, with familiarisation trips following the conference. The theme, Africa Unveils Events in the Wild, was an invitation to explore Africa’s potential as a destination for weddings, celebrations, luxury travel and unforgettable experiences.
And after spending five days between Kampala and Murchison Falls National Park, we got to experience some of that potential ourselves. Our BellaNaija crew consisted of Oluwadunsin Sanya, our Head of Editorial and Innovation, who also serves on ADCCE’s Board of Directors; Dorcas Anya, our Senior HR and Operations Associate; and me, Funmilola Sanya, Senior Content Associate.
First Stop: Lake Victoria, New Connections and a Dinner to Remember Our ADCCE experience began right at the airport, where the team welcomed us warmly to Uganda. It was a lovely introduction to the trip, and we were ready to see what the days ahead had in store.
We settled into Speke Resort Munyonyo, the conference venue, where event planners, wedding professionals, hospitality experts, tourism operators and creatives from different parts of Africa and beyond had gathered to connect and share ideas. Day one was all about business-to-business meetings, meeting industry professionals and exploring what the exhibitors had to offer. It was a great opportunity to make new connections and discover more about the possibilities for