Not just a ticket: Why Talanta’s big day is about the experience

In 1987, Kenya opened the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani, gates ahead of the All Africa Games. It was a statement of sporting ambition and a declaration that the country was ready to host major international competitions.

Nearly four decades later, Kenya is set to unveil its next landmark sports facility -- the Raila Odinga International Stadium at Talanta Sports City.

Talanta and MISC represent different moments in our national journey, but share a common purpose in expanding the place of sport in Kenya's identity, economy and future.

On January 5, next year, FC Bayern München and AFC Ajax will face off at Talanta Sports City in an encounter that will bring two of the world's most celebrated football institutions to Nairobi. It will also mark the first time in history that a club fixture of this calibre will be staged on African soil.

For Kenyan football fans who rarely get an opportunity to watch the best players in the world up close, this is an extraordinary chance. For Kenya, however, the significance of the occasion is considerably greater. It is an opportunity to introduce a new national asset to the world, demonstrate our capacity to deliver international events and, importantly, establish a commercial model for the future of the stadium.

I believe the real conversation about Talanta Sports City should begin here. A stadium must be more than an infrastructure achievement. It must be an economic enterprise.

We have invested in a world-class, 60,000-capacity facility. The question now is how we ensure that this investment delivers a return to the country, not simply through the prestige of hosting top tier international matches, but through sustained economic activity.

A successful stadium project must attract a calendar of commercially viable events, develop partnerships with the private sector, create experiences compelling enough to bring people back repeatedly, and free itself of government dependency.

It must ultimately become self-sustaining.

This is an important distinction. The objective should not simply be to host events. It should be to build an events business around the stadium, one in which every event has a clear value proposition, a defined audience, a commercial model and measurable economic returns.

The launch of Raila Odinga International Stadium is our first opportunity to demonstrate that this model is possible.

The decision to bring Bayern Munich and Ajax to Nairobi was therefore deliberate. This could not just be a football match organised simply for the sake of inaugurating a stadium. The occasion requires a fixture with the ability to command international attention and introduce Talanta Sports City to an audience beyond Kenya's borders.

Bayern Munich and Ajax, between them, command a global following approaching half a billion across their international fan communities and digital platforms. Their presence gives us an extraordinary opportunity to reach audiences that would otherwise have little reason to engage with a new stadium in Nairobi. That the first wave of tickets released on November 5 attracted purchases from as far as Colombia and Kazakhstan, is testament to this.

This inaugural event is as much about global reach as it is about football. It is also our first proof of concept for corporate participation.

The private sector will not invest simply because a facility is impressive or because an event carries national significance. We must always be cognizant of the fact that corporate organisations will invest only when they can identify value, reach consumers, build relationships, strengthen their brands and generate commercial returns.

The launch event provides an opportunity to demonstrate that when the private sector is presented with a compelling proposition, one that connects brand visibility, audience engagement, hospitality, tourism and international exposure, it is willing to come on board.

That is the model this fixture has been conceived on, and the structure we must build upon. Government provides the enabling infrastructure, while the private sector becomes the partner in activating, commercialising, and sustaining venue operations.

But there is another important question we must address: who exactly is this stadium for?

The biggest untapped market for Talanta Sports City is not the traditional football fan.

Kenya has an established culture of mass participation in sport. Look at the families that turn up for city marathons, the corporate teams that participate in sporting challenges, and the thousands of Kenyans who attend concerts, festivals and lifestyle events. There is a sizeable consumer market that already spends money on experiences, but that same demographic does not necessarily attend domestic football matches.

That is the audience that Talanta Sports City must unlock.

For it to come, we must earn their confidence.

They need to know that getting to the stadium will be convenient, that parking and shuttle arrangements will be efficient, that security will be properly managed and that their friends and family can enjoy the experience safely. They need to know that what awaits them inside is a high-quality product, from the facilities and hospitality to the entertainment and overall organisation.

In other words, Talanta must always present an experience, not just sell a ticket.

This is why the demonstration of Talanta's versatility on the 5th of January, entailing a food and music festival, an electrifying A-list concert, and a top tier football match, all produced to a world-class standard, is so important. The stadium must be seen as a worthy destination for international football, rugby, concerts, cultural festivals, family entertainment, corporate experiences and other major gatherings.

The objective is to give people multiple reasons to visit, and to give commercial partners multiple opportunities to participate.

The economic opportunity extends well beyond the stadium gates.

Every major event creates demand across an ecosystem of businesses. Hotels accommodate teams, officials, supporters and visitors. Transport operators move people. Restaurants and retailers benefit from increased spending. Tourism businesses package excursions and experiences. Local suppliers provide equipment, services and logistics. Media, technology and creative enterprises find new opportunities.

This is how a sporting facility becomes an economic asset.

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Lungaho is the 2027 Afcon Local Organising Committee CEO