Promoter Abtex Controversial Decision: Ditching Local Artists for International Acts

Readmedia January 20, 2023 2 min read

Abtex, a well-known local event promoter in Uganda, recently published a letter in which he counsels his fellow promoters to forego event marketing in favor of finding other dependable revenue streams. The letter, which was published on January 19th, 2023, has generated a lot of buzz in the business since Abtex has long been a major player in the Ugandan events sector.

Abtex gives various justifications in the letter for his choice to stop endorsing activities in Uganda. The fact that the events industry is now losing money is one of the primary causes. Abtex contends that it is now challenging to turn a profit due to the rising costs of event planning and promotion. Additionally, he points out that the absence of government assistance for the events sector has made it even more difficult to turn a profit.

The intense rivalry in the events sector is another justification Abtex gives for his choice. With so many events occurring often, it’s become harder to draw a large enough audience to make the events lucrative.

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In his letter, Abtex also makes the point that the country’s high level of insecurity makes it difficult to organize a successful event. He uses the 2019 Freedom City stampede as an example, which left several people dead and injured. Abtex was taken into custody and accused of instigating the stampede.

Abtex cites the popularity of foreign artists and how they will draw in a wider audience as further justifications for his decision to stop promoting regional events. He thinks that event producers may draw more attendees and earn more money by concentrating on booking foreign performers.

The letter from Abtex has generated a lot of controversy and disagreement in the Ugandan events sector. While some agree with Abtex’s justifications for abandoning the promotion of regional events, others think it’s crucial to champion regional artists.

Abtex’s letter concludes by highlighting the difficulties the Ugandan events sector is experiencing. The industry is experiencing a number of difficulties, including the high cost of planning and publicizing concerts, the absence of government assistance, the intense rivalry, the lack of security, and the preference for foreign artists over local acts. It’s critical that the government pay attention and act to assist the local artists and the events sector.