Africa Climate Summit 2023

Introduction

The African Union organised the inaugural Africa Climate Summit 2023 (ACS2023) in partnership with the host government, the Republic of Kenya. 

The Summit allows for the adoption of an African Leaders Nairobi Declaration on Green Growth and Climate Finance Solutions, as well as a Call to Action for African Union Member States and supporting partners to advocate its implementation. 

The summit serves as an arena for showcasing progress, exchanging opinions, and beginning to converge on common priorities for global debates. It will allow African countries to define detailed plans, shape their associated tools and investments, inform and advocate for reforms of the international financial architecture, share innovation, knowledge, experience, and practical approaches to deepen and expand understanding of climate challenges and opportunities, and allow Africa to renew itself.

The Ask

The African Union, in partnership with the Government of Kenya, intended to unite leaders from across the African continent for the inaugural ACS2023, with the goal of developing comprehensive pledging and commitment frameworks aimed at providing climate-positive growth and finance solutions for Africa and the globe. They needed live interpretation services for this seven-day event to ensure smooth communication.

Our Solution

Congress Rental EA was assigned to provide Simultaneous Interpretation (SI) support for four conference rooms at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC). Based on the floor space and the individual SI standards, the solution supplied was adapted to each room. In three breakout sessions at the KICC, interpreters worked in soundproof ISO-compliant interpretation booths, and audio was delivered to delegates through digital infrared receivers. Interpreters worked in soundproof interpreter booths built into the KICC Amphitheatre, where audio was routed back into our system before being sent to delegates through digital infrared receivers.

Collaboration with Audiovisual Engineering

Given the large scope of work that needed to be managed at such a large venue as the KICC in such a short time, one of our close collaborators, Audio Visual Engineering, enlisted Congress Rental East Africa to offer our undivided attention on four rooms, particularly the Amphitheatre, which hosted sensitive meetings, including a closed session between multiple African heads of state, 1 breakout session within the main KICC building and 2 breakout sessions within the Side Event Tents. 

The Venue

The Amphitheatre at KICC

This one-of-a-kind octagonal meeting hall kicked off the whole ACS2023 summit, which included a three-day African Climate Youth Assembly 2023 (AYCA2023), ACS2023, and concluded with African Climate Week 2023 (ACW2023). The Amphitheatre was outfitted with Bosch delegate discussion units, allowing for a conversational style gathering, while those who were not engaging in the dialogue were provided with digital infrared receivers, allowing them to follow in their preferred available language. The interpreters were housed in in-built booths, and their audio was routed back to our system before being broadcast to everyone in the room through digital infrared receivers and delegate discussion microphone units. 

Breakout sessions - inside KICC building and Side Event Tents

The breakout sessions began their operations 3 days after the Amphitheatre. In one of the breakout sessions within the main KICC building, interpreters were housed in in-built rooms and their audio feed routed back into our system before being relayed to the audience through digital infrared receivers. In the remaining 2 breakout sessions at the KICC Side Event Tents, interpreters were housed in our ISO compliant interpretation booths and their audio feed routed back into our system before being relayed to the audience through digital infrared receivers.

Conclusion

Throughout the seven-day event, Congress Rental East Africa managed to give live, smooth, and effective multilingual meeting experiences to every attendee inside our zone of operations.