Heads of state from six African countries to hold meeting at same venue during ICANN meeting.
As if security threats and big name companies backing out of next week’s ICANN meeting in Nairobi weren’t enough, attendees to the meeting are about to face another big headache.
Nick Tomasso, General Manager, Meetings and Conferences for ICANN has just posted an update that the InterGovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) will be holding a meeting at the same venue as the ICANN meeting next week.
Tomasso writes that this could “severely impact our community as it attends the meeting here on Monday and Tuesday”.
What’s the big fuss? Well, the IGAD is made up of six member nations (Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan and Uganda). All of them will have their heads of state at the venue on March 9, along with their “respective entourages and full security details, which will be substantial.”
In some ways this will be a cool experience for attendees. But it is also likely to slow things down to a halt. IGAD will certainly take precedence to ICANN at the venue. And if there were already security worries about the venue, having leaders from countries such as Somalia there will certainly heighten those concerns.
wonder says
I wonder if this gov’t meeting was recently scheduled?
Or, has it been on the books for a while?
Somebody at Icann should have known about this a while back.
The booking team?
The advance team?
I wonder if the Icann attendees will be bumped from the hotel rooms?
What about restaurant availability?
How many of the gov’t meeting attendees will crash the Icann meeting? They are invited.
But will they throw in their 2 cents on topics they might not have any knowledge of?
Good thing some of the Icann attendees canceled. Otherwise, they might be sleeping on the street.
This Icann meeting fisco will change the strategy of all future meetings.
Andrew Allemann says
What’s surprising is it has always sounded like the Kenyan government was excited about the ICANN meeting and doing everything possible to make ICANN happy. It reassured ICANN of security, put additional protections in place, etc. Or so we were made to believe. If that’s the case, how did this come up right now?
jeff says
I guess they upsold them the venue by letting them have it the same time as the intergovernment one. They have extra security already on those days.
John Berryhil says
The venue is quite large and has a separate secure VIP entrance area. I don’t see why the other meeting should cause a problem. It’s tough to describe how extensive a complex it is.
Meanhile, near the remote participation site in Northern Virgina, a gunman opened fire at the Pentagon. Hmmm… I’m heading out for another stroll around Nairobi, and a trip to the park.
Andrew Allemann says
John – glad to hear it won’t cause much of a problem. Looking forward to hearing more when you return.
Wonder says
John, that is great to hear.
So, you feel secure.
??
I don’t know the customs of Kenya but I’m sure you can’t do and take a picture of it like you did in Australia (in front of the sign).
If you do, be careful of the wind direction.
The big question is –
What type of costume will John wear to the receptions?
John Berryhil says
The summit and the ICANN meeting are both running smoothly here. The “security issue” is waaaay overblown by those who simply didn’t want the meeting held in Kenya. The conference center is huge and in a secure block with Kenyan military around the perimeter. We all enjoyed the national anthems and pomp from several balconies as the leaders arrived this morning.
I’ve been wandering about town on my own, and it is full of friendly folks and retired western tourists embarking or arriving from their safaris. It’s safer than Philadelphia.
Andrew Allemann says
@ John Berryhill – glad the summit isn’t causing the problems ICANN thought it might. I still think Nairobi is probably safer than Mexico City 🙂