The Experiential Marketers Association of Nigeria (EXMAN) recently marked its 10th anniversary by hosting a two-day brand experience Summit, entitled, Unlocking the X. The event also included its Annual General Meeting (AGM) and an awards gala.
Kicking off with a two-day brand experience summit, the event featured a distinguished lineup of over 30 speakers from different fields, including technology, marketing communications, entertainment, legal, and film production.
Renowned industry professionals such as, President of Association Of Advertising Agencies Of Nigeria (AAAN), who is equally the CEO/CCO of X3M Ideas, Steve Babaeko; Director at PwC, Feyi Olubodun; Founder and Managing Partner of Open Squares Consulting, Ifeanyi Oputa; Founder of Studio24, Rolake Akinkugbe-Filani; Founder of J.E.I Consulting, Jane
Egerton-Idehen; renowned singer and songwriter, Dare Art Alade; Prof. Uchenna Uzo of the Lagos Business School; CEO of Identiture Africa, Franklyn Ozekhome; Nigerian filmmaker and documentarist, Femi Odugbemi; Head of Productions at Multichoice Nigeria, Victor Aghahowa; Founder of Reach Africa, JR Kanu and Founder of Vault Hill, Jimi Daodu; among others, shared their expertise and insights.
The speakers explored a wide range of topics, including, “Activating Brands in the Metaverse,” “Amplifying Live Experiences through Digital,” “Monetizing Events through Streaming,” “The New Agency Model,” “Creating Experiences With Afrobeat,” “Understanding the Nigerian Consumer through Financial Data,” “The Power of Live Experiences – the BBN Story,” “Insights on Pop Culture,” and “Intellectual Properties (How Agencies can protect their IP),” among others.
Following the enlightening brand experience summit, EXMAN held her AGM, where five exceptional agencies were inducted into the association.
The new agencies include, Acceler8ted Marketing, Expose Media, Iminnd Experience, MPXM, and Red Gecko, thereby, further strengthening the EXMAN community.
EXMAN executives, led by Tunji Adeyinka, concluded their service to the association after two successful terms in office, during which they propelled both the association and the experiential industry to new heights.
They made way for newly elected leadership, led by Tolulope Medebem, assumes responsibility as President of the association.
Medebem, who is also the CEO of AsterIML, becomes the first female president of EXMAN, having previously served as the association’s first female Vice President.
The association also elected other key officers, including Director of Client Engagement, Strategy & Creative at EXP Marketing Nigeria, Angela Makinwa, as Vice President; Business Optimisation Director at iD8 Limited, Olurotimi Rhodes as General Secretary; Managing Director of IMinnd Experience, Olayiwola Jegede, as Publicity Secretary and Ndanusa Amihere of TownCriers Limited, as Financial Secretary.
The grand finale of the event, a commemorative anniversary dinner and awards night, celebrated the achievements of outstanding agencies and individuals within the experiential marketing ecosystem in Nigeria. Distinguished industry leaders and stakeholders, including Dr. Olalekan Fadolapo, Director-General of the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria, and Steve Babaeko, President of AAAN and Chairman of IAA Nigeria; Femi Adelusi, President of the Media Independent Practitioners Association of Nigeria-MIPAN graced the occasion.
Fifteen categories witnessed intense competition among experiential agencies, with Connect Marketing emerging as the overall winner and recipient of the grand prix—the most prestigious award of the night.
Additionally, industry giants such as, George Thorpe and Kunle Onime were honoured for their remarkable contributions to the growth of the experiential industry.
Thorpe bagged lifetime achievement award, while Onime was recognised for his exceptional contributions and also received a lifetime achievement award.
