Assessment of Conference and Events Management Capabilities of Hotels in Abuja, North Central Nigeria

This study assesses the conference and events management capabilities of hotels in Abuja, Nigeria's Federal Capital Territory, within the North Central geopolitical zone. Abuja functions as Nigeria's premier MICE destination, hosting governmental, diplomatic, and corporate events throughout the year. A descriptive research design is employed with structured questionnaires administered to 25 events managers and operations staff across 12 four-star and five-star hotels in the Maitama, Wuse, and Central Business District areas. Variables assessed include conference hall capacity, audio-visual equipment quality, catering services for events, technical support staff competence, and client satisfaction ratings. Findings indicate that while Abuja hotels possess strong infrastructure for large-scale conferences, audio-visual technology lags behind regional competitors in Ghana and Kenya, with 55 percent of events managers reporting equipment failures during events in the preceding year. Client satisfaction with catering services at events averages 3.7 out of 5. Staffing continuity for events management roles is identified as a challenge, with high turnover affecting institutional knowledge retention. The study recommends hotel investment in modern audio-visual technology, development of an event management certification programme for staff, and strategic collaboration with Abuja Convention Bureau to standardise city-level event service benchmarks. Keywords: conference management, MICE tourism, hotel events, Abuja, meetings industry