Editor finds new passion in event organising

How Rosemary Kinyua’s travel documents were processed during a visit to Tampa in Florida captured her imagination.

She got a business idea, started asking questions, and, with characteristic keenness, was convinced it was time to enter event organising.

Ms Kinyua was attending a five-day scientific editorial conference and was amazed that the Council for Science president organised the event successfully — yet he was in a different country.

She inquired more on how the organisation handled such tasks. “I wanted to know how they managed to organise such big forums while away from their offices,” she says.

“I asked a lady who was among the organisers the trick. She told me they hired administrators who specialise in the business.”
When Business Daily met Ms Kinyua, 55, for this interview, she spent quite a while talking about keenness.

Ms Esther Passaris whose Adopt-A-Light business idea changed the outdoor advertising scene in Kenya fascinates her, she said. Ms Passaris is keen, she said.

“When I travel, I look for aspects I can borrow. Whatever I see helps me to improve on my work; I often throw in those new ideas in my clients’ services.”

She is the proprietor of Medics Management Services that was started in 2006. At the time, she was the editorial manager of the East African Medical Journal. She juggled her love and a job she had been at for 31 years.

“I always got clients who called in requesting me to handle their events. They said I was good at what I did. That was when I thought it was time to dedicate my time to it.”

In 2009, she stepped down from Kenya Medical Association to join her five staff at Medics Management Services.

Two years after making the decision, Ms Kinyua has an “endless” list of conferences she is organising. “I have a busy year.”

On her client list are the Kenya Association of Urological Surgeons, Kenya Society of Haematology and Oncology, Allergy Society of Kenya, Ophthalmological Society of Eastern Africa and the Kenya Orthopedic Society.

She offers full-fledged office services especially organisations that do not have permanent offices. “We do everything for our clients. They do not have an operational office. We are their office.”

Medics Management Services provides a secretary who takes minutes and e-mails members all types of communication on behalf of the organisation.

“We give callers all the information they need. In cases where they want to speak to the directors, we give them their contacts for follow up.”