Head of Local Organising Committee (LOC) - ICCA Congress 2027

About the role

Rwanda will host the ICCA Congress from 24 to 27 October 2027, welcoming more than 1,500 MICE professionals. The Rwanda Convention Bureau (RCB) is recruiting a Head of Local Organising Committee (LOC) to lead the committee and act as the main coordinating authority between the ICCA international team, RCB, the Kigali Convention Centre and Rwanda's events industry. The contract is fixed-term for 12 months, starting December 2026 and ending one month after the Congress.

Key responsibilities

• Governance and coordination: liaise daily with ICCA, RCB and the convention centre, set up the LOC governance structure, chair meetings and manage escalation protocols.
• Operational planning: direct the master operational plan covering venue, registration, accommodation, transport, AV, food and beverage and delegate services.
• Logistics and suppliers: oversee hotel room blocks, ground transport and airport logistics, and manage supplier contracts with RCB procurement.
• Programme and delegate experience: coordinate speaker logistics, social and cultural activities and delegate communications.
• Sponsorship and partnerships: develop a sponsorship strategy, deliver sponsor packages and monitor performance.
• Risk management: build a risk and contingency framework with national authorities, run tests and rehearsals, and lead on-site operations.
• Reporting: monitor the budget, submit monthly progress reports and deliver a final report within one month of the event.

Required profile

• Bachelor's degree with 8 years of relevant experience, or a Master's degree with 4 years.
• At least 4 years in event logistics, conference operations or hospitality, including delivery of major conferences of 1,000+ participants with senior operational responsibility.
• Demonstrated experience leading an international conference or congress of more than 1,000 delegates.
• Fluency in English is essential; French and/or Kinyarwanda is an advantage.
• Full-time availability in Kigali, including on-site presence during the Congress.

Required skills

• Leadership, decision-making and stakeholder management.
• Budgeting, negotiation and vendor management.
• Knowledge of ICCA Congress standards is highly desirable; experience in the African MICE market is an asset.
• A professional certification in events, project management or MICE is an advantage.