15th AREAConference 2026
Tourism-led urbanization & sustainable real estate investment.
Unlocking investment. Shaping cities. Building Uganda's future.
Counting down to Phase 1
3 November 2026 · Mestil Hotel, Kampala
What the Cities Series is
Six cities. One investment pipeline.
The Cities Series takes one conference across six Ugandan cities instead of keeping the conversation in Kampala. Each city brings its own projects, land records and city authority to the table; everything then converges on a single Deal Room in Jinja where investors and project sponsors meet face to face.
Kampala
Phase I host · Policy & Innovation Summit
3–4 Nov 2026
Jinja
Phase II host · Investment Deal Room
25–27 Nov 2026
Mbarara
City pavilion · Western investment corridor
City Partner
Gulu
City pavilion · Northern growth cluster
City Partner
Masaka
City pavilion · Lake-belt urban growth
City Partner
Fort Portal
City pavilion · Tourism city development
City Partner
The journey
Three parts, one destination: Deal Day.
Phase 1 · Kampala
Mestil Hotel
Policy & Innovation Summit
500 delegates across six themed sessions
3–4 Nov 2026
Strategic Investment Window
Screening & matchmaking
50 projects screened
Independent Investment Screening Committee
6–24 Nov 2026
Phase 2 · Jinja
Investment Deal Room
120 qualified participants
Deal Day, site visits and MoU signings
25–27 Nov 2026
Where it happens
Kampala, then Jinja.
Kampala
Mestil Hotel · Phase I, 3–4 Nov 2026
Jinja
Investment Deal Room · 25–27 Nov 2026
Exhibition & pavilions
City stands, booths and roundtables
On the programme
Six sessions in Kampala. Three days of deal-making in Jinja.
Pick a city, then a day, to see the full running order. Sessions run as chaired plenaries rather than parallel tracks, so every delegate is in every conversation.
Méstil Hotel, Kampala
Kampala · Day One
Tuesday, 3 November 2026
Opening ceremony and the first three sessions: policy dialogue, blended finance and smart cities. Chaired plenaries, so every delegate is in every conversation.
- 08:30 – 09:30
Registration and networking
HospitalityArrival, accreditation, exhibition and City Partner pavilions open.
- 09:30 – 11:00
Opening ceremony
CeremonyNational anthem; welcome address by the President of AREA Uganda; keynote address; address by the Guest of Honour and official opening.
- 11:00 – 11:30
Tea break
HospitalityExhibition and networking.
- 11:30 – 13:00
Session 1 — National Real Estate Policy Dialogue
Urban growth management; land governance reform; housing policy implementation; municipal financing; the sector-coordination gap.
- 13:00 – 14:00
Lunch
HospitalityNetworking.
- 14:00 – 15:30
Session 2 — Blended Finance for Urban Development
PPP models; infrastructure financing; institutional and cooperative housing capital; de-risking instruments; the Financing Readiness panel on bank due diligence and settlement infrastructure.
- 15:30 – 16:00
Tea break
HospitalityExhibition and networking.
- 16:00 – 17:30
Session 3 — Smart Cities and Urban Innovation
Artificial intelligence in city management; GIS and planning; digital land administration; data-driven cities.
- 18:30 – 20:30
Networking reception
NetworkingSponsor-hosted; City Partner pavilions open; curated introductions.
Register · Sponsor · Submit a project
Developers, financiers, city authorities, policymakers and investors — all in one room.
Delegate fees
Pick the pass that fits.
Every delegate receives both Phase I days and all six sessions, the Uganda Cities Investment Prospectus, twelve months of investment-portal access, all four research publications, and eligibility to submit a project into screening at no extra charge.
Early bird — full Conference
UGX 400,000
Registration and payment by 30 September 2026
Standard — full Conference
UGX 550,000
From 1 October 2026
Group rate (five or more)
UGX 350,000
Per delegate, single organisation booked together
Academic and student
UGX 150,000
Valid institutional identification required
Single day — Phase I
UGX 300,000
Either day; excludes networking reception
International delegate
USD 250
Includes Prospectus and Deal Room observer access
Phase II Deal Room — Jinja
UGX 750,000
By qualification only; complimentary for screened project sponsors
Partnership & sponsorship
Own a sector. Shape the agenda.
Prices are fixed; negotiation is on scope, not price. Platinum carries sector exclusivity — one partner each in banking and finance, insurance and pensions, telecommunications and technology, and construction and materials.
Platinum Partner
FlagshipUGX 130,000,000
4 slots · sector exclusive
- Keynote or plenary speaking role, 20 minutes
- Private hosted roundtable — 25 curated guests
- Named, co-branded research chapter
- 12 pre-qualified investor introductions
- Premium 12 sqm booth · Prospectus title branding
- 6 Phase I passes · 2 Deal Room passes
Gold Partner
UGX 65,000,000
4 slots
- Panel seat
- Shared roundtable
- Research acknowledgement
- 6 pre-qualified investor introductions
- 9 sqm booth · Prospectus logo
- 4 Phase I passes · 1 Deal Room pass
Silver Partner
UGX 30,000,000
6 slots
- 6 sqm exhibition space
- Prospectus logo
- 3 Phase I passes
Bronze Partner
UGX 12,000,000
8 slots
- Shared exhibition table
- 2 Phase I passes
City Partner
UGX 40,000,000
Mbarara · Gulu · Masaka · Fort Portal
- Dedicated city pavilion for both Phase I days
- Named chapter in the Secondary Cities Investment Report
- 30-minute city investment showcase at the media launch
- Up to five city projects screened at no extra charge
- 6 Phase I passes · 2 Deal Room passes
Speakers & panellists
Speakers to be announced.
The speaking line-up is being confirmed. Below are the seats on the programme; names, titles and photographs will be published here as each confirmation comes in.
Opening keynote
Ministerial address on urban policy
To be announced
Land governance panel
Ministry, municipal and registry leadership
To be announced
Blended finance panel
Banks, pension funds and development finance
To be announced
Smart cities showcase
Digital land administration and GIS practitioners
To be announced
ESG & green building
Standards bodies and sustainable developers
To be announced
Deal Room chair
Independent Investment Screening Committee
To be announced
Want a speaking or panel seat?
Plain English
The terms, without the jargon.
You do not need a finance background to take part. Tap any term for a one-line explanation, and read on only if you want the detail.
Project pipeline
Put your project in the Deal Room.
Fifty projects will be screened and title-verified during the Strategic Investment Window, 6–24 November 2026. Selection sits with an independent Investment Screening Committee — not with AREA. Screened sponsors are invited to the Jinja Deal Room at no charge.
Affordable housing
Indicative ticket UGX 2–20 billion
Tourism infrastructure
Indicative ticket UGX 1–15 billion
Industrial and logistics
Indicative ticket UGX 3–30 billion
Commercial real estate
Indicative ticket UGX 2–25 billion
Smart city and digital infrastructure
Indicative ticket UGX 1–10 billion
Green building and renewable energy
Indicative ticket UGX 1–12 billion
See you in Kampala.
areauganda.org/cities2026 · partnership@areauganda.org