The founding edition
SIAM AWALÉ 2026 (Salon International des Arts et Métiers) is the founding edition of an international fair dedicated to the Cultural and Creative Industries (CCI), taking place in Cotonou, Benin, from 4 to 6 December 2026. It is the physical outcome of a rigorous year-long process (2025 to mid-2026) led by the NGO CIAAC: sector diagnostics of the CCI in Benin, a mapping of key players, a benchmark of major regional events and the mobilisation of the international AWALÉ network, all carried out without dedicated external funding.
The fair focuses specifically on the Cultural and Creative Industries, a distinct segment within craftsmanship in the broad sense, which accounts for close to 13 % of Benin's economic units according to the 2023 RGE3 census. SIAM AWALÉ targets the creators of cultural value, those who bring together traditional know-how, contemporary design, ethical fashion and modern distribution networks. According to several analyses (UNCTAD, AfDB/BearingPoint), the growth of this sector could contribute up to 4 % of African GDP by 2030.
The event takes a sector-by-sector, step-by-step approach: this founding edition begins with textile and ready-to-wear artisans, before including and structuring, edition after edition, the six other CCI disciplines (visual arts, music, culinary arts, film and audiovisual, publishing and literature, digital arts). For 2026, while textile and fashion take centre stage, three supporting disciplines come together to create an immersive experience: design and visual arts for the scenography, music for the atmosphere, culinary arts for the receptions.
The fair operates under strict, eco-responsible and ethical specifications: exclusive use of local, natural and organic materials (Kanvô, batik, indigo, plant dyes), a target of 80 % eco-responsible collections on the runway, and fair trade practices guaranteeing artisans a just remuneration.
This founding edition rests on three pillars: Radical Sustainability, Ethics in Action and Creative Innovation. It aims for more than 100 exhibitors from 20 countries, 20 designers for the Grand Fashion Show and 3,000 visitors, including 750 professionals and international buyers.
Beyond the three days of the event, SIAM AWALÉ 2026 carries the BAKINDI project, the Benin-Rwanda trade bridge presented below. The fair also carries three other long-term initiatives: a textile cooperative, the SIAM Online marketplace and a continuous mentoring and training programme.
The organisers
SIAM AWALÉ 2026 is led by the NGO CIAAC, supported by three partner organisations: PUM, MedA Conseils and Xcom Conseils. Each brings a distinct role to the governance of the project, as set out in the edition's organisation chart.
NGO CIAAC, project owner
Co-founder: Ama K. Mensah
The NGO CIAAC (Centre International Africain de l'Art et de la Créativité) is the Beninese non-governmental organisation that initiated and steers SIAM AWALÉ 2026 as well as the international AWALÉ network. As project owner, it is responsible for the overall strategic direction and the coordination of the event. It directly supervises the operational departments: Communication (PR and press), Logistics and operations, Hospitality and networking, along with the artistic and creative directions (Technical and quality, Education and workshops, Artistic and professional with the ethical charter, and Artistic co-creation and fusion of arts).
PUM, technical and international partner
PUM (Netherlands Experts) is a Dutch organisation that mobilises senior volunteer experts to support small and medium-sized enterprises and business support organisations in developing countries, notably in the textile sector in Benin and Rwanda. Within the governance of the project, PUM contributes technical and international expertise, and steers the BAKINDI Benin-Rwanda trade bridge as well as the International Technical Guarantee.
MedA Conseils, consulting partner
MedA Conseils is a Beninese consultancy bringing multidisciplinary and multisectoral expertise to the project's leadership. Within the governance structure, MedA Conseils leads the Synergy, gender and entrepreneurship branch, ensuring that gender equity and entrepreneurship considerations are embedded throughout the project.
Xcom Conseils, organisation and marketing partner
Xcom Conseils is an organisation and marketing consultancy currently building up its role within the project. Alongside PUM, it supports the Finance and compliance, Marketing and prospecting, and Digital and technical branches, and helps coordinate the cross-departmental operational unit bringing together the Communication, Marketing and Digital functions.
BAKINDI, the Benin-Rwanda trade bridge
BAKINDI grew out of a simple observation: Rwanda imports most of its textiles from Asia and produces neither cotton nor textiles, while Benin, Africa's leading cotton producer, holds rich expertise in the field, from locally processed cotton to Kanvô, batik and plant dyes.
Present in both countries, PUM identified a natural opportunity to build a trade bridge between these two complementary markets. That is how BAKINDI was born. The initiative sits within SIAM AWALÉ 2026, and PUM carries it alongside the International Technical Guarantee mentioned above.
The participation of a Rwandan delegation at the fair is the concrete expression of this trade bridge.