Promote 2026 Opens in Yaoundé as Businesses Face Economic Headwinds

The 10th edition of Promote, the International Exhibition for Business, SMEs, and Partnerships, opens on June 12 at the Yaoundé Conference Center.

Organized by the Inter-Progress Foundation on behalf of the Cameroonian government, the event will run through June 21 under the theme: “Private Enterprises and the Business Environment: What Benchmarks for Addressing National and International Economic Challenges?”

According to Pierre Zumbach, Senior Adviser at the Inter-Progress Foundation, preparations were marked by a late surge in registrations after a prolonged period of slow enrollment.

“This year, registrations remained slow for a long time. Then suddenly there was a wave of late applicants looking for prime locations and exhibition space. It has been demanding, but we have managed. The venue is now fully booked, and we expect a successful edition of Promote,” he said.

As in previous years, Promote 2026 will feature a large exhibition area, conferences and thematic workshops, business meetings, and a range of networking and promotional activities. Held every two years, Promote has grown into the largest business and economic gathering in Cameroon and Central Africa. The event now attracts around 1,000 local and international exhibitors at each edition.

Participants from both the public and private sectors represent a broad range of industries, including agriculture and agribusiness, energy, manufacturing, construction, mining, infrastructure, information and communication technologies, healthcare, banking and finance, insurance, tourism, handicrafts, and communications.

BRM