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October Is Expo Season in Nairobi — and It Moves the Hotel Market

23 September 2026 · Karen Plains HotelBusiness TravelConferencesNairobi EventsOctober 2026
Interior at Karen Plains Hotel, Karen, Nairobi

Twende! · October 2026 expo calendar

If you are booking a Nairobi hotel in October and wondering why certain weeks look expensive, this is usually why. The city’s exhibition calendar is unusually concentrated this year, and most of it lands at one venue.

The October 2026 calendar

1–3 Oct Ideal Interiors: Kitchen & Bathroom Expo
3 Oct Worldview Education Fair — Nairobi Serena Hotel
3 Oct K-Lifestyle 2026 — Village Market
6–8 Oct Foodpro East Africa — Sarit Centre
10 Oct Kenya Green Energy Conference & Expo — KICC
13–15 Oct Mega Clima Kenya HVAC-R Expo — Sarit Expo Centre
13–15 Oct 5th International Mega Water Kenya Expo — Sarit Expo Centre
13–15 Oct International Mega Electricity Kenya Expo — Sarit Expo Centre
15–16 Oct TEMS Africa ICT Exhibition & Conference — Sarit Expo Centre
16 Oct Nairobi International College Fair — Villa Rosa Kempinski
21–23 Oct Big 5 Construct Kenya — Sarit Expo Centre

Add the Nairobi International Trade Fair, which runs from 28 September into 4 October at Jamhuri Park, and the Mashujaa Day holiday on Tuesday 20 October, and you have a month with very few genuinely quiet weeks.

What this does to rooms

Three expos sharing a venue on 13 to 15 October is the tightest point of the month, with TEMS Africa overlapping straight afterwards. Big 5 Construct on 21 to 23 October follows the long weekend, so the demand runs from the weekend of the 17th right through to the 23rd.

If your dates are flexible, the first weekend of October and anything after 24 October are the easiest parts of the month to book. If they are not, book early and book direct — the rooms that disappear first are the ones held back from the aggregators.

Staying in Karen for a Westlands expo

Sarit is in Westlands, on the other side of the city from Karen. That is a real drive, and we would rather tell you that than pretend otherwise. What Karen gives you in exchange is a quiet night, secure parking, room to work and somewhere that does not feel like a conference hotel after three days of being at a conference.

Plenty of exhibitors make that trade deliberately. We have landing pages for several of this month’s shows: Mega Clima Kenya, conference delegates generally, and business travellers.

Staying in Karen while you are here

Karen Plains Hotel sits in Karen Plains Arcade on Karen Plains Road, a few steps from The Waterfront Karen and its restaurants and supermarket. Check-in is from 12:00 and check-out is by 10:00, breakfast runs from 7:00 to 10:30, and the front desk is staffed 24 hours, so a late arrival is never a problem. Parking is free, Wi-Fi is free throughout, every room has a work desk, and a generator covers the guest rooms and the Wi-Fi when the power goes. Lunch and dinner are available together for an extra US$40 per day if you would rather not go out.

For exhibiting teams: the Boardroom Day Pass is US$20 per day from 9:00 to 17:00, lunch and dinner together are US$40 per day, and airport transfers can be fixed in advance.

Exhibiting in October?

Multi-room and multi-night bookings are worth a conversation. Send us the show and your dates and we will come back with what we can hold.

Check availability & book direct WhatsApp the front desk

Not ready to book? Tap the chat bubble on any page and talk to Tulia, our concierge — she answers questions about rooms, transfers and what is on in Nairobi, day or night. Or see the full Book Direct page.

Expo dates and venues from public exhibition listings. Confirm with each organiser, as dates and venues occasionally move.

More from Twende!: What’s On in Nairobi · Nairobi This Weekend · Plan Your Stay · Guest FAQs
Karen Plains Hotel · Karen Plains Arcade, Karen Plains Road, Karen, Nairobi · info@karenplainshotel.com · +254 796 989 928

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