It is a sign that you are doing something right when your peers cannot agree on exactly how you started, or when.

At the launch of the 2021 edition of the Bride & Groom Expo last week, there was a debate on when it actually begun, and where. And thus the Expo entered the realm of myths and legends.

For the record, the gala night of the first Expo was held on September 24^th, 2009 at the UMA Showgrounds, Lugogo. Since then it has evolved and changed, but every year it has become bigger and better. And Uganda has never seen anything like it.

2009: The Inaugural Expo

The wedding industry is huge globally, and growing at an exponential rate. The Bride & Groom magazine had been started a few years earlier, and it had grown in leaps and bounds. How to fully take advantage of this burgeoning market?

The then Sales & Marketing Manager, Tony Glencross, came up with the idea of a wedding exhibition. We looked around, and there was nothing like it in the whole region. So the decision was taken, and it would take the form of an international fashion week, with all the glitz and glamour that comes with it.

The marquee that housed the first fashion shows at the 2009 Expo.

That first Expo was about learning on the job, and almost everything that could go wrong did. The fashion shows, and the gala night on that Friday, was held under a huge marquee in what is now a parking lot. During the dress rehearsal the night before power went off, and there was no standby generator.

That evening of the gala night, there was a huge storm, which almost blew the marquee away. There was also construction going on, which meant guests had mud on their shoes when they reached the red carpet, which was made up of bits and pieces because a long enough one was not available in Kampala at that time.

But it was a huge success and caused a buzz in the industry that has never left. What would have been the fashion village at a fashion week, the exhibitors’ stalls, were in the UMA exhibition hall.

Inside the exhibition hall at the 2009 Expo.

While the Gala Night was an invites only affair, the fashion shows on subsequent days were free entry, and glamour-starved Ugandans flocked to them. As it would happen ever since, there was a rush every lunchtime and evening, when the fashion shows were announced. Actually, that was the only year that fashion shows were announced. In subsequent years it seemed that Kampala was just waiting looked was waiting for the Expo to start and they would rush to get their fix.

Also for the record, the Expo has been the biggest fashion event in the country since then, with at least six fashion shows over three days. It was the time that Ugandan models made the most money.

2010: The Second Edition

When the 2009 Expo ended, service providers were already asking about the next one, so it was decided to move to a bigger place, and after much scouting, Hotel Africa was the chosen site. The gala night dinner was held near the swimming pool, but the subsequent fashion shows and the stalls were held in the Nile Hall.

Lingerie at the 2010 Expo.

With the previous years’ experience, this one went off a lot smoother, we had learnt our lessons well. There were some memorable highlights, though. The biggest was when the Editor of Bride & Groom, Keturah Kamugasa (RIP) told off the then CEO, Robert Kabushenga, for attending the gala dinner dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, with a leather jacket. He took it in good faith, though.

This was also the year that Siima Sabiti and Moses Rudende, then with Vision Voice, became hosts of the fashion shows. And they would continue to do so for the next 10 years.

Keturah Kamugasa (left) and former Vision Group CEO Robert Kabushenga at the gala night of the 2010 Expo at Hotel Africana

Sadly, it was also the year that the gala dinner was last held, as it was decided by the money people that it was too expensive to sustain. Maybe when this whole void thing is over, to welcome people back, another gala night would be organised. God knows the country needs some glitz and glamour after almost 2 years of gloom.

2011-2015

By 2011 a new, bigger exhibition hall at UMA was almost finished, and it was decided to move the Expo there. But the hall was not completely finished, there were no toilets or changing rooms, so the models had to change behind a temporary screen. There were some hilarious and tense moments when some in the audience could actually see the models change, but that was quickly rectified.

Fashion shows at the 2011 Expo.

And the numbers had been growing since the first one was held, an entry fee was introduced, at first a modest sh2,000. By 2019 the entrance fee had risen to sh10,000, but it was still full house every day.

That new hall would become the home of the Expo henceforth, and over the years it was completed and improved. Presentable bathrooms were constructed, and dressing rooms were added. Fashion shows were held at one end of the hall, with the rest of the space used for exhibitors’ stalls.

Workshops also became a big thing, from showing clients how to bake cakes, to masterclasses in hair and beauty. But by far the most popular were the Ssenga and Kojja sessions.

A model in a changing gown at the 2018 Expo.

It was also during this period that the tagline, ‘Plan Your Wedding In A Day’ was born. And it caught on, with couples being able to visit the Expo and leave with their whole wedding planned out, from church needs to reception venues and service providers. Even honeymoon packages were available, plus video and photography services.

And by this time we also had exhibitors from Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda. Everyone wanted to be part of the Bride & Groom Expo, where service providers met their prospective clients in one place.

2016-2019

But eventually, even that bigger hall would become small for the number of exhibitors that wanted to participate, so in 2017 the fashion shows were moved outside under a huge marquee, so in effect, we had come full circle.

During this period, a ‘Win a Wedding’ campaign was launched, where couples won everything that is needed to hold a wedding. From wedding gowns and groom suits to reception venues, decorators, and photo and video services.

A stall at the 2019 Expo.

In 2016 we had our first ever live wedding at the Expo, with Mr and Mrs Katende exchanging vows and rings on stage.

Entertainment has always been a big part of any wedding, and the Expo gave chances to numerous artists to show what they have to offer while entertaining the hundreds that showed up. Jazz saxophonist Isaiah Katumwa was the first one in 2009, and since then dozens have performed, from Winnie Nwagi to Cindy Sanyu and traditional musical troupes.

And always, the final show had a lot of lingerie, which was the most popular of all the fashion shows. And the last Sunday show was always standing room only.

And by 2019 designers had also joined the fray, not only were ‘boutiques’ showcasing what they had to offer. Designers brought their showstoppers and awed the audiences.

Outfits by Rehoboth Bridals at the 2019 Expo.

Along the way, prizes and awards were given out to the best exhibitors in different categories, and those awards became a prized possession for the winners, who displayed them with pride.

2021 and beyond

And then COVID-19 happened, and everything was thrown into disarray. 2020 was supposed to be a watershed year, with new innovations for the Expo. But because of the pandemic, it was cancelled, so for the first time in 12 years, there was no Bride & Groom Expo.

Life moved on, and many things became virtual. And so the 2021 Expo will be a virtual one, but it had to happen.

“Whatever circumstances we find ourselves in, life has to go on,” Barbara Kaija, Editor-In-Chief of the Vision Group, said at the launch last week. “People will still fall in love, and want to get married. Even scientific weddings have to be planned, and so instead of couples coming to the Expo, we are taking the Expo to them.”

This year’s Expo is airing live every weekend from September 11th to October 3rd on all Vision Group TV channels, including Bukedde 1 and 2, Urban, and TV West. It is also being shown on the new Wan Luo TV. Fashion shows and expert panellists air every Saturday (2-4 pm) and Sunday (3-5 pm). It is also on all Vision Group platforms, including radio, online and print.

And so as it has done for the past 12 years, the Bride & Groom Expo is again leading the way. Henceforth any show held in this country will have to include a virtual edition, the pandemic notwithstanding.