The African Peering and Interconnection Forum (AfPIF) is an annual “open” event organized by the African IXP Association (AFIX) in partnership with the Internet Society.
AfPIF is a multi-stakeholder forum that aims to address key opportunities and challenges related to peering and network interconnection within the region. The event seeks to foster national and cross-border interconnection by ensuring that key players such as infrastructure providers, network operators, Internet exchange point (IXP) operators, and regulators are present at the event.
Event Format and Structure
The AfPIF event consists of the following key activities:
Day 0: Pre-Events
- The African IXP Association Meeting: A full day members meeting prior to the start of the main AfPIF event. This event is by invitation only.
- Sponsors Dinner: This activity is for the sponsors and will be held outside of the meeting venue in the evening. This event is invitation only. (Optional)
Day 1: Peering Coordinators Day
- Conference Plenary: Presentations, panel discussions, and other content focused on technical capacity building.
- Opening Cocktail: This activity is held at the end of the day, usually at the meeting venue or hotel. It starts shortly after the end of the conference and runs for a limited time, usually 1.5 to 2 hours.
Day 2: Main Event
- Conference Plenary: Formal opening session, keynote presentations, panel discussions, presentations, and lightning talks.
- Bilateral Meetings: A dedicated space is provided for participants to hold meetings on the sidelines of the conference. This is a popular activity at AfPIF and other Internet interconnection forums.
- Gala Dinner: This activity is typically held outside of the meeting venue at a location that provides authentic local cuisine and a cultural experience. It is AfPIF tradition for the local host and local stakeholders to sponsor and host the gala dinner
Day 3: Main Event
- Conference Plenary: Presentations, panel discussions, and lightning talks.
- Bilateral Meetings: A dedicated space is provided for participants to hold meetings on the sidelines of the conference. This is a popular networking activity at AfPIF and other Internet interconnection forums.
- Farewell Cocktail: This activity is optional and dependent on sponsorship.
Exhibition Area
A dedicated space with stalls or booths is provided for event sponsors on day 1, 2, and 3. Traditionally, the exhibition space also doubles as the coffee break area. This encourages interaction between participants and the exhibitors.
Specific Details and Additional Information
The following documents provide more specific details and additional information related to hosting the event:
Application Procedure
Interested parties should kindly submit an expression of interest to: sec@afpif.org
The deadline for submissions is 22 June 2023.
Upon receipt of an expression of interest, the AfPIF Program Committee (PC) will evaluate whether or not it should be pursued and potentially request more information regarding budget and organizational details.
Requirements and Selection Criteria
Successful applicants will be able to meet the following selection criteria:
- Locations with easy flight access to/from the rest of the world
- Favorable visa entry procedures or facilitation of the same by the host
- Reasonably priced meeting venues and hotels that meet AfPIF requirements
- Demonstrated local community interest in matters related to Internet peering, interconnection, and traffic exchange
- Demonstrated support from local network operators in hosting the event
- The existence of an operational Internet exchange point is an added advantage
- Demonstrate commitment, ability and willingness to engage local stakeholders and local Internet community to provide supplementary sponsorship that will help the local host meet some of its hosting obligations such as connectivity, gala dinner, etc.
Timelines and Notifications
- Open call for expression of interest: 22 May 2023
- Submission deadline: 22 June 2023
- Notification of selection: 06 July 2023
- Deadline for Acceptance: 20 July 2023
- Announcement of 2024 host: 24 August 2023 (at AfPIF 2023)
- Negotiations with Program Committee: 30 September 2023
- Organizers site visit: October 2023 (TBC)