Experts believe that the event industry in Nigeria is already saturated. This means that only those with innovation and character will survive there. But the development has helped the growth of the industry with healthy competition at play among stakeholders.
For anyone to thrive successfully in the event space, they must be ready to bring something new to the table.
One entrepreneur who has boldly brought ingenuity in the industry is Francisca Onyinye Ogunlade.
Ogunlade is the founder of Eftinzz Events. She came into the hospitality industry in 2016 with a passion to make a difference and surpass clients’ expectations. She has since inception owned her space and become sought-after in the industry.
Drawing from her well of ingenuity, Ogunlade in 2017 developed Nigeria’s first and only Wedding Budget Calculator app on Google Playstore with a view to helping clients with budget management for weddings.
Although her novel idea did not gain much acceptance at the outset, she kept on with a ray of hope.
Explaining how it all started, she says, “After surviving and recovering from a car crash, my priorities in life changed. I was working full-time as a banker but made up mind that I would not want to remain an employee for life,” she says.
“I wanted to do something more. I wanted to leave a legacy behind. And in response to pursuing my goal, I leveraged my skills and passion for organising and planning, and took a decision to build an event business around it.
“I enrolled with the Events Planning Institute, USA, and got certified as a professional events planner after my training. Not long after, the brand started in Akure, Ondo State where I reside,” she discloses.
The event expert explains that in the course of providing event management services, she observed that business owners and vendors outside Lagos were often underrated even though their works could compete well with international standards.
She also says they are often priced lower by clients because of this perception. This challenge led her to birth Beauty and Bride Exhibition.
According to her, Beauty and Bride exhibition is the first events and wedding exhibition in South West Nigeria outside Lagos. It’s in its fourth year and has afforded vendors in Ondo, Edo, Oyo, Abuja, Ekiti and Lagos to be able to showcase their brand offerings, connect directly with prospects as well as gain visibility.
“Beauty and Bride Nigeria has evolved from not just hosting exhibitions but publishing an events magazine, pageantry, conferences as well as hosting business master classes,” she notes.
Speaking on her offering, Ogunlade says her firm, Eftinzz, offers event planning management and productions for both corporate and social events.
“The company has successfully managed and produced events for notable individuals and corporate organizations, some of which include: Ondo State Government, First Bank Akure, Forum of Wives of Ondo State officials, Queen Naomi Ogunwusi, Olori of the Ooni of Ife, among others.”
“Having created Nigeria’s first and only Wedding Budget Calculator app on Google Playstore, we have consulted for many individuals in creating the right budget for their weddings,” she further says.
Describing how she found her path to success, she says tenacity, self development, focus, innovation and God have helped her.
“We have thrived as a team, without compromising on excellence, trust and selfless service, to ensure customer satisfaction is met and exceeded. Every growing business must be resilient especially when things are going as planned.”
Sharing her thought on the effect of the novel Covid-19 on busineses, she notes that the pandemic has ensured that every sector embrace technology in running businesses.
“For our team, we have been able to produce hybrid events for our clients and we achieved a great feat by hosting Beauty and Bride Business Conference between October 5 -7th this year.
“We had 18 seasoned speakers and we were able to reach over 2,200 participants online and across four continents. These would never have been possible without technology,” she notes.
Her biggest achievement in the industry is the number of businesses assisted to grow through Beauty and Bride brand. She says over 150 businesses have been directly impacted.
“New businesses and partnerships have been birthed through this platform. We have been able to change the creative business space in Ondo State and in extension South West Nigeria,” she says.
On challenges and how she has been able to overcome, Ogunlade says one major challenge with Beauty and Bride brand has been funding. She explains that the event has been self-funded in the last four years and has had an effect on the growth of the main company. However, with support from family, goodwill, and commitment of team members, she has been able to remain in business.
She advises budding entrepreneurs saying, “No one ever said entrepreneurship will be easy, it only promises to bring your creativity to fore while solving problems with your business. However, it is a fulfilling space for whoever is patient enough to work hard for it.”
