Experts urge upcoming event planners to raise their game

Upcoming event planners have been asked to raise the content of their work and innovate creative ways of improving client experience.

At a two-day BusyBee Event Business Summit held at Gbagada, Lagos, last week, the experts said content, partnerships and passion are keys to building a successful event planning and management business.

Eunice Adeyemi, managing director, Q21 Solutions Limited, one of the leaders in corporate events and experience management in Nigeria, said there are millions of events but only content makes an event unique.

“No one remembers the event planner. What people remember is the content,” she said.

“Many people do not care about the venue because Eko Hotel is Eko Hotel, but they think about the content you give them,” she said.

She advised the upcoming players to find their niche and stick to it.

“Focus on one thing and be the best on that,” she admonished. It takes a while, but you will get referrals,” he further said.

She also urged them to do proper research before delving into any area, stressing the need for them to study the market and be sure of facts before making assumptions.

“Follow your passion and do not let anyone tell you that your brand is not good enough,” she said.

“Become an expert and advertise your brand. Do not do anything for free,” she further advised.

According to her, many young people rush into the event planning industry just because of money.

“They see the glitz and glamour and they think it is just money. They fail to realise that people are expecting us to deliver the service,” she explained.

She disclosed that her success is down to good content and creativity.

Astou N’diaye Djamat Dubois, chief executive of Côte d’Ivoire-based Spotlight Production, an event management agency, urged the upcoming event planners to know their clients and try to satisfy them.

Dubois explained that there is a need to develop partnerships, infuse culture and use local resources to achieve uniqueness.

She further gave the event planners a few marketing tips such as defining the target audience, using the client base, and using available media platforms.

She explained that the event planning industry in her country is still where Nigeria was 10 to 15 years ago, but hopes that it will be better.

“We have to take Africa higher,” she said.

“For the past seven years I have been doing training, I have always said we have to start thinking of managing big global events. We look forward to being asked to organise Emmy Awards,” she stated.

Bisi Sotunde, convener, BusyBee Event Business Summit and managing director of BusyBee Group, said her company has been in existence for 10 years.

Sotunde said she organised the event because of a gap. According to her, she noticed that entrepreneurs struggle in managing their businesses in the areas of accounting, branding, and structures.

“We decided to come in to fill the gap,” she said.

“We do training for people that want to start business and those that are already in business,” she said, adding that it is an annual event, which is in its third year.

She said there are testimonies from those that participated in the previous sessions, stressing that one of them testified that she made in three months what she makes in one year.

The theme of the event is ‘Expanding Your Horizon’ and is in its third year.

ODINAKA ANUDU