Events planners seek government’s support to grow industry

• Generate N300 billion annually
Events entrepreneurs have sought the support of the Federal Government to grow the industry, as they are contributing more to the development of the nation through revenue generation, job creation and empowerment.

While craving for both local and international support, they argued that the industry, being a billion-dollar and productive, has the capacity to generate over N300 billion annually.

For instance, in Lagos alone, statistics has proven that over 20,000 events are done monthly, and contributes immensely to the state’s development through revenue generation and job creation, by hiring more manpower to execute jobs.

At the third edition of BusyBee Event Business Summit, themed, “Expand your Horizon”, Convener, Bisi Sotunde, said this is to empower more people through mentoring and growing a new breed of professionals in the event industry.

She said it aims to synchronise business with solutions to provide companies with a competitive advantage in the events industry.

“The summit is expected to make great impact on the participants, they will go back with a fresh mindset that they need to expand their coast and get out of their comfort zone. They have been groomed to expand their networks, collaborate, and hold away in the events ecosystem.

“There is a gap that we recognised in the events industry, a lot of people are good with their operations but they have challenges in business management. We also realised a lot of them have challenges managing  structures, account, finances, branding, we have to bring industry experts, business consultants to come and address these issues, relating it to their events business.

“We are sure that participation at the summit is only the beginning of mentoring/coaching relationship, and that will have the opportunity to make a continuing contribution to organisation’s profitability and growth.”

One of the speakers, Ayiri Oladunmoye of Oaken Events, who took the participants on “Creating Memorable Experiences”, said memorable experiences start not just on the day of the event proper, but the day the client gets in contact with them.

She urged them to ensure they set policies and establish relationships that would make clients always look forward to sealing business deals with them.

In creating exceptional memorable experiences, Oladunmoye said: “Create exceptional customer service, be deliberate, be genuine, make the client feel valuable, research and challenge existing status quo among others.

“As the theme suggests, for us to move from our present place to another dimension, we all have to expand our thinking, expand our horizon and just take things a top-notch higher from what we are doing.”

Oladunmoye, who has been in the events industry for more than ten years said: “At the moment, the industry has not enjoyed any support from government; we get our support more from individual and private.

“I hope that will be different in the coming year, as we hope to get in touch with the tourism board to support the event industry and our annual conferences, Atinuke, where industry experts, both local and international with over 20 years of experience, come to share their wealth of knowledge to grow our own industry where necessary.”

On challenges inherent in the events industry and how government would address them, she called for more recognition in the sector.

She said: “It is a billion dollar industry. We generate huge revenue to the market place, it is a huge industry and it is very productive. I believe we need more light to be shone on us for them to see difference that we are making in the industry.”

Among the speakers was, Onye Ubanatu, the Managing Director and Chief Executive, My Passion My Life Media Limited, who took participants on storytelling through events.

He urged them to always create a reference point that will also create a mileage for them in the course of duty, even as they increase their standard and pricing.