GITEX Africa 2027 is scheduled for Monday 26 to Wednesday 28 April 2027 in Marrakech, according to the show’s official website (checked on 14 October 2026). The exact venue for that edition has not been published yet. If you plan to host clients during the show, whether with a dinner, a drinks reception, a business breakfast or simply rooms for your delegation, timing is the real constraint: the show falls in Marrakech’s high season, and rooms and private venues for that week are booked months ahead. As a budget guide, the model behind our online calculator gives roughly €1,800 to €3,500 for a dinner for 20 clients in a private hotel room, and €7,600 to €15,400 for 60 guests in a privately hired riad with live musicians, excluding alcohol and planning fees. This guide covers the dates, the pressures of show week and the formats that work.
When and where is GITEX Africa 2027?
The official GITEX Africa website announces a fifth edition from 26 to 28 April 2027 in Marrakech, hosted by Morocco’s Digital Development Agency and organised by KAOUN International. As of 14 October 2026, neither the exact 2027 venue nor the opening hours are online. Until they are, avoid fixing a dinner time or choosing your delegation’s hotel on the strength of an assumed location.
Past editions give useful reference points:
| Edition | Dates | Venue stated | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 (first edition) | 31 May to 2 June 2023 | Marrakech | official site (archived version, March 2023) |
| 2024 | 29 to 31 May 2024 | Bab Jdid, Marrakech | official site FAQ (archived version, April 2024) |
| 2025 | 14 to 16 April 2025 | Bab Jdid, Marrakech | official site FAQ |
| 2026 | 7 to 9 April 2026 | Marrakech Exhibition & Convention Centre | official site FAQ |
| 2027 | 26 to 28 April 2027 | Marrakech, exact venue not yet published | official site |
In terms of scale, the organiser reports more than 1,500 exhibitors and startups and 55,000 visitors for the 2026 edition. Entry is restricted to trade and business visitors, and under-18s are not admitted: if you plan to take guests onto the show floor, each of them needs to register individually.
Why should accommodation come first?
Three calendars overlap at the end of April 2027. The first is the show itself, which draws tens of thousands of visitors according to the organiser’s figures. The second is Marrakech’s high season, March to May, already busy with corporate groups and leisure travellers. The third matters if you or your guests come from France: French school zone B is on spring holiday from 17 April to 2 May 2027, which covers all three show days.
We do not publish hotel occupancy rates or price rises for show week, because no official source provides them. The practical consequence is straightforward, though. The longer you wait, the less choice you have over location and category, and the more likely you are to split your delegation across several hotels, which complicates transfers and meetings.
What to agree when you book
- A block of rooms in your company’s name, with a release date for unused rooms.
- Cancellation terms, room by room, and their deadlines.
- Sunday 25 April arrivals, if your team is setting up a stand or holding meetings from Monday morning.
- A private room or meeting room in the same hotel, to save one more journey.
For the 2025 edition, the organiser offered an official travel partner with a selection of hotels at negotiated rates and airport transfers. Check the show’s website for a similar offer in 2027 and compare it with your own options before you commit.
Which format suits your client event?
The format depends on what you want from the encounter. A dinner deepens a relationship with a few people; a drinks reception lets you see many people in little time; a breakfast secures time with senior decision-makers before the show swallows their day.
The client dinner, 20 to 60 guests
This is the format that gives you the most conversation time per guest. For 20 guests, a private dining room in a hotel is enough: one or two tables, controlled service, and guests who can walk back to their rooms if they are staying there. Beyond 40 guests, a privately hired riad makes a stronger impression, but it brings transport logistics and a fixed finishing time. Our guide to the corporate gala dinner in Marrakech compares hotel, riad and Agafay desert venues in detail, so we will not repeat it here.
The after-show drinks reception
A reception lets you invite widely, including contacts met on your stand that day. It works best in a venue close to the show or to your guests’ hotels: every extra journey costs you part of the audience. Plan a guest list, a welcome desk that checks names, and a clear finishing time.
The business breakfast
Breakfast reaches executives whose evenings are already taken. Hold it in the hotel where they are staying, or in yours, before the show opens. Allow an hour to an hour and a half, with a short talk in the middle.
The private meeting or workshop
For a product demonstration or a steering meeting with one client, a meeting room hired by the day or half-day keeps you away from the noise of the halls. Our article on hiring a meeting room in Marrakech (in French) details capacities and the equipment to request in writing. For a plenary of several hundred delegates, see our article on conventions for 300 to 1,000 people in Marrakech.
What does each format cost?
The figures below come from the model behind our online calculator. They are market ranges rounded to the nearest hundred, including a 10% contingency, not contractual prices. They exclude flights, alcohol, tourist tax and planning fees. The model reflects usual market prices: during a trade-show week, actual rates may fall outside these ranges, and only a dated quote confirms them.
| Format | What the estimate covers | Estimated total | Per person |
|---|---|---|---|
| Client dinner, 20 guests, hotel | dinner and private room hire | €1,800 to €3,500 | €90 to €180 |
| Client dinner, 40 guests, hotel | dinner and private room hire | €3,000 to €5,400 | €74 to €135 |
| Client dinner, 40 guests, riad | dinner and exclusive use of the riad | €5,100 to €11,000 | €130 to €280 |
| Client dinner, 60 guests, riad | dinner, exclusive use, live musicians | €7,600 to €15,400 | €130 to €260 |
| Meeting or workshop, 20 people, 1 day | room, breaks, lunch, AV | €1,400 to €2,300 | €70 to €120 |
| Delegation of 15, 3 nights, 4-star | rooms, 3 dinners, airport transfers, local shuttles | €5,800 to €9,800 | €390 to €650 |
| Delegation of 15, 3 nights, 5-star | same items | €9,800 to €16,200 | €650 to €1,080 |
For a drinks reception, the model has no “canapés” line, so catering is quoted on request. The other two items are in the model: exclusive use of a riad accounts for €2,000 to €6,000 and a DJ for €500 to €1,200, before contingency. A business breakfast, branded décor, a photographer and client gifts are also quoted on request.
One pattern stands out for a delegation: accommodation makes up about two thirds of the sum of items at 4-star level, and over three quarters at 5-star. Hotel category and number of nights drive the budget far more than the choice of dinner.
How do you fit your event around the show day?
Wait for the official opening hours before you set a time. Then give guests enough time to leave the show, stop at their hotel and reach your venue: a dinner that starts too early fills up slowly, which disrupts seating and service.
A few local rules apply whatever the time. In the city, amplified music is often cut between midnight and 1am. For an event with more than 100 guests, the prefecture’s authorisation must be requested 30 days ahead, or 15 days ahead below that number: for a reception on 26 April 2027, the 30-day deadline falls on 27 March 2027.
Mind the time difference too. Morocco has been on UTC+0 all year round since 20 September 2026. In late April, the UK is on summer time (UTC+1) and France, Belgium and Switzerland on UTC+2, so Marrakech is one hour behind London and two hours behind Paris, Brussels or Geneva. A 6pm call in Paris is 4pm on the show floor.
For a dinner, Tuesday 27 April has an advantage: guests have one show day behind them, with things to discuss, and one ahead, so still a reason to be in Marrakech. Check the official programme all the same, as it may schedule evening events or highlights that day.
How should your guests get around?
The official site’s FAQ, written for the 2026 edition, notes that parking on and around the venue is limited. For your guests, the most reliable option is a group transfer at fixed times between hotel and show, then between show and dinner venue. In the evening, plan staggered returns rather than a single departure at the end, because guests never all leave at once.
On arrival, a taxi between Marrakech-Menara airport and the city usually costs 70 to 150 dirhams in the daytime; above a handful of people, a group transfer is easier to manage. Our guide to seminar logistics for 50, 100 or 200 people covers arrivals and transfers. Flights are booked by you or your travel agency; our article on direct group flights to Marrakech lists the routes.
What planning timeline should you follow?
- Now: confirm how many rooms you need and secure a block, even provisionally, with clear release terms.
- Once the venue and hours are published: choose your dinner or reception venue based on travel time from the show.
- Two to three months ahead: send invitations with a reply-by date.
- Before 27 March 2027: file the authorisation request if you expect more than 100 guests.
- Final week: confirm the guest list, dietary requirements and the transfer plan.
Our corporate retreat planning timeline gives the full version for a longer programme, and our guide to the best time for a retreat in Marrakech in 2027 places April within the year.
Frequently asked questions
Are the GITEX Africa 2027 dates confirmed?
The official show website announces 26 to 28 April 2027 in Marrakech (checked on 14 October 2026). The exact venue and opening hours are not yet published. Check the show’s site again before making any firm commitment.
How far ahead should we book a client dinner during the show?
As early as possible: the week combines the show, the spring high season and French school holidays. Secure rooms first, then the dinner venue as soon as the show location is confirmed.
Can we serve alcohol at a client dinner?
Not every venue is licensed to serve it, so that is the first question to ask. Alcohol is not included in our calculator’s estimates and is quoted separately.
Can you coordinate the event on the ground?
Yes. Our team works in English and French, with you and with local suppliers, and stays on site from start to finish. We coordinate on-site logistics, including airport transfers and getting around. The rest of your programme, invitations included, is defined when we quote.
To go further, see our seminar planning in Marrakech, estimate your budget with the seminar and corporate event budget calculator, or ask for a free quote with your GITEX Africa dates and guest numbers.