NEW CITIES SUMMIT 2025
EVENT: NEW CITIES SUMMIT 2025
CLIENT: CHARTER CITIES INSTITUTE
VENUE: EMARA OLE-SERENI HOTEL
DATES: 12TH -13TH JUNE 2025
The Moment
The New Cities Summit 2025 convened global leaders, innovators and urban change makers to explore transformative ideas shaping the future of cities across Africa and beyond.
The objective was clear. Create a platform for high level dialogue, project showcases and strategic networking that could catalyse investment and advance sustainable, inclusive urban development.
Waridi partnered with the Charter Cities Institute to deliver a summit that felt globally relevant while remaining distinctly rooted in Nairobi.
BRINGING NAIROBI TO THE ROOM
The defining feature of this summit was its visual identity.
Inspired by Nairobi’s reputation as the green city in the sun, the stage design drew from the city’s skyline at sunset. Warm hues, layered silhouettes and natural textures recreated the feeling of the Nairobi horizon within the ballroom. The result was a stage that felt immersive yet refined, anchoring the conversation in place.
That homage extended throughout the experience. A curated Maasai market was set up within the venue, allowing delegates to engage directly with local artisans during breaks. Rather than generic conference merchandise, all giveaways were locally sourced keepsakes, including shukas, Ankara fabric tote bags and Maasai beaded lanyards. These details reinforced authenticity and supported local enterprise.
Room naming further reflected the summit’s urban theme. Breakout spaces were named after emerging African cities, including Tatu City, reinforcing the future facing conversation around new urban models.
The event opened with a networking cocktail at Emara’s rooftop Sky Lounge, overlooking Nairobi National Park. From the outset, delegates experienced the unique juxtaposition that defines the city. Urban ambition framed by natural landscape.
Designing, a city, within a city
The summit itself felt like a city within a city.
Alongside plenary discussions and panel sessions, the Cities Catapult sessions created space for high impact urban projects to connect with investors, partners and technical expertise. These sessions drew strong attendance and became one of the event’s defining highlights.
An on site podcast studio allowed speakers and partners to extend conversations beyond the stage, capturing insights in real time. A gala dinner added another layer of cultural immersion, blending global networking with local entertainment.
The cultural village concept and curated entertainment were consistently highlighted in participant feedback as memorable features of the summit. Engagement remained strong across sessions, with seamless transitions and clear program flow.
Behind the scenes, Waridi managed venue coordination, production design, vendor oversight and overall event flow to ensure that the aesthetic ambition was matched by operational precision. See a guide to planning your conference in Nairobi
Over two days, 250 participants engaged in forward looking discussions about the future of cities while experiencing Nairobi not simply as a host location, but as an active character in the summit narrative.
The New Cities Summit 2025 achieved the client’s vision of a globally relevant yet locally grounded convening.
It demonstrated how destination storytelling, strong design language and disciplined execution can elevate a conference beyond conversation into lived experience.
