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COLLABORATIONS MASTERCLASS NOTES

I attended a much needed Nigerian Events Industry Conference powered and organised by Associations of Professional Party Organizers and Event Managers of Nigeria (APPOEMN). The theme was Collaborations.

We learned that the key to collaborations is Trust and under that umbrella are the following

Competence – can you do the work?

Sincerity – are you honest?

Reliable – can you show up on time?

Compassion – do you care?

LOTS OF QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

I plan to join this organisation as I believe it’s a much needed support for all event suppliers in the industry. 

Here’s a summary of my notes

EVENT BRANDING

By Nelly Agbogu @NaijaBrandChick

She spoke about Event Branding and in particular about Instagram where she dominates. I have to admit that I was a late player to Instagram mainly because I didn’t believe that my target audience were there but I have noticed that my target audience age bracket are joining slowly. Wave if you’re one of them. (she smiles)

If you are an Event Supplier you should be on Instagram showcasing your brand. Show the journey; behind the scenes and how you finally executed your event or service product from start to finish.

Times have changed rapidly and consumers want to do business with people they know, like and trust. You have to show your personality on IG.

A good strategy is to comment on other people’s page because it helps you get noticed especially if you share something of value. If someone shows interest in your brand and likes your page, go to private chat and welcome them to your page. Make sure you end with a question. '' So how can I help further with your event? ''

INTERESTING GADGET

BUSINESS SOCIAL NETWORKING

By Ferdinand M Ibezim

What is Business Social Networking?

It is getting known by those who you can help build your career business and life

It is creating momentum towards business and career successes

It is building a people source bank

It is working with business contacts and turning into customers and friends

I invested in a signed copy of his book titled the XYZ of Business and Social Networking. So far so great.

EVENT PLANNERS FROM LEFT TO RIGHT SHARON, BLESSING & BUSOLA 

IMAGINATION FOR EVENT DECORATORS

By Christine Ogbel: @TheWeddingGuru

Event architects should gain inspiration from magazines and furniture shops.

Open a folder of inspirations.

If you don’t have an event, go and look at event hall setup by other planners but do get their permission. Its only polite.

Visit local markets and find materials especially building materials

Reinvest in your business

Don’t copy but create your version and signature

Experiment! Experiment! Experiment!

FUNKE BUCKNOR

BUSINESS GROWTH SUCCESS

By Funke Bucknor from Zapphaire Events

She posed some critical questions to all business owners in the event industry

Why are you in business?

Why are you an event planner? If you know the why it will keep you afloat.

What is the vision for your business?

What is the mission?

What makes you different?

What is different about your brand?

Can your target audience tell your signature?

What is the voice of your brand online?

She went on to say in this new age, you have to reinvent your brand to stay relevant.

Look for what customers are looking for

Anticipate the customers

Provide your personal touch and experience

Make sure your work is excellent

Think out of the box in fact break the box
Start small but think global

Remind family members of your trade

Do events for family and friends

Market Market Market your business

There was plenty of opportunity for Q&A

Hope these notes proved useful.

ABOUT MAJESTICALLY RARE

Please remember that Majestically Rare are your dedicated Event Planners and Business Trainers. 

Our approach to Event Planning is from an International perspective. Our roots come from managing events for world class brands like the BBC and Financial Times. In Nigeria, we have managed corporate events and training for brands like MTN, IHS Towers, Stanbic IBTC and Diamond Bank,  Zenith Bank, ACAN just to mention a few. 

We always approach our clients individually and think out of the box because we recognize that one size does not fit all. We are passionate about what we do and always explore cutting edge ways to delight our clients, through detailed consultation and superior customer care. 

When we are not party planning, we deliver practical business growth  workshops to executives like yourselves, on tactical development skills that will grow your business.

Our next High Business Growth Workshop,12^th Edition, is on October 18^th 2018 in an exclusive training center in Lekki Phase 1. I will be sharing some secret nuggets about how I tripled my revenues in the last three years. I will share everything that has and hasn’t worked for me.

We always get great feedback. One participant said, ''Throughout the workshop my creative juices were flowing with different ideas on how to grow my business and do things differently.'' 

Hope to you see you there if you’re serious about growing your business.

Contact me on 08068997439 if you are interested and tell a friend 

BOOK YOUR TICKETS

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THE FUTURE OF WORK

THE FUTURE OF WORK FROM EDC

There was so much discussion yesterday and it was impossible to take down everything but here are just a few points that stood out for me at the 12th SME Conference powered by EDC themed The Future of Work: Re-inventing your organisation for competitiveness.

 Nireti Adebayo credit
@enterprisedevelopmentcentre

WHAT IS CHANGING?

Nireti Adebayo led the key note discussion on the Future of work. 

The world is changing and so is the market place. The new players are the Millennials who are more clued on to their working needs. 40% of them expect to be in top management positions within 2 years of working. They are technology savvy and fast on their feet. They want managers as friends, coaches and mentors and not bosses.

Millennials don’t stay in jobs for more than 2 years if they get a better deal. They prefer mentors and coaches. 

Flexible working is becoming the norm. In America half the workforce now work from home. 

Technology is a big changer today. See how Uber and Taxify have knocked off the yellow cabs around Naija. 

There was so much to digest. 

Ensure your business has soul and encourage feedback. 

What is certain is that the future is uncertain but to stay competitive one must be  innovative and adaptable to these changes. 

BREAKOUT SESSION

There were 4 breakout sessions and the one I attended was tagged “Promoting Young Women’s Entrepreneurship and Innovation” which was facilitated by Nneka Okekearu deputy director at EDC 

KEY NOTE SPEAKER 

It’s always a pleasure to hear from Ndidi Nwuenli. She is simply amazing.

Three things she said that stood out
   1. She puts God first in everything 
   2. She has several mentors for different aspects of her life
   3. She surrounds herself with good advisers and she on several boards

BONUS In order to scale up and be taken seriously you should have a board. 

Some questions that Ndidi posed for ladies

   1. Are you self aware? 
   2. Are you innovative? 
   3. Are you ethical?

   4. Are you disciplined? 

If you answered yes to all of them then you are on your way to having a sustainable business. 

POWER ENTREPRENEURS 
At the breakout session led by Nneka Okekearu, Deputy Director at EDC, three powerful women spoke about their businesses namely:

1. Florence Opawaoye from Win Win, 

2. Abimbola Balogun from So Fresh  

3. Joy Igbodike from Jaebee Furniture. 

Two of them have businesses with their husbands and one in her own. (Joy)

Three things that stood out with all of them are the following: 

 
Be dedicated to your dreams. It involves a lot of sacrifice and discipline.

Always stay focused on the vision of the business.

Take risks and invest in things that will take your business to the next level.

Social media is a great platform for building your personal brand (Joy)

Go the extra mile to listen to staff and attend to their needs. This will  keep them loyal and motivated. 

Example provide food for staff especially if they work in a food environment or provide good cooling systems especially if they work in a hot environment. Just try as much as possible to cater to their needs and see staff as an investment. 

All of the ladies were down to earth, humble and approachable and I was inspired to do more to scale up my business. 

There so many familiar faces yesterday but I was only able to grab a selfie with Ijeoma Agbo from Full Circle Wellness Solutions, a network I'm proud to belong to.

I hope these notes helps!

Follow EDC on their social media @enterprisedevelopmentcentre for in-depth discussion on the conference 

I'M A PROUD ALUMNI 

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WHAT IS SELF ACTUALIZATION?

WHAT IS SELF ACTUALIZATION?

I remember in my early 30’s looking up to and observing a lady who was in her 50’s who worked in my office at the BBC. On the surface she looked like she had it all but upon closer examination she appeared deeply insecure. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it but in my mind I was like ‘gosh’, I don’t want to reach 50 years old and still be second guessing myself. I felt for her and told myself in my Naija manner ‘’That at her age that will not be my portion’’.

But who said life was easy? Who says you will be self assured and confident in your 40’s and beyond? It doesn’t just happen. It requires flexing those confident muscles daily. 

You have to go on a journey of self reflection and improvement. It involves being totally honest with yourself. It’s not been an easy journey for me  but as I approach my 48^th birthday in a few weeks, I believe I am getting closer to self actualization.

What does Self Actualization mean? The Dictionary defines it as ''The realization or fulfillment of one's talents and potentialities''. Once you have self actualized, you have fulfilled your full potential as a human being. But it requires the following to achieve it:

• ·      Being the best version of self
• ·      Accepting who you are with all your strengths and weaknesses
• ·      Developing strong resilience to life challenges
• ·      Not taking the actions of others so personally
• ·      Being comfortable in your own skin
• ·      Taking responsibility for your life
• ·      Not blaming anyone for your circumstances
• ·      Finding purpose in your life
• ·      Finding purpose beyond your immediate self
• ·      Enjoying your life now
• ·      Loving yourself just as you are
• ·      Loving others and their short comings unconditionally – if you love others with conditions, you will always be disappointed
• ·      Growing daily in wisdom
• ·      Embracing growth and learning
• ·      Confidence in your God given abilities
• ·      Dancing like no one is watching - P.S Ive been doing that all my life (she smiles)
• ·       Being grateful and appreciating every part of your life journey.

I am coming to a point in my life where I am enjoying being me because I am stuck with me until God calls me home.

How about you? Have you Self Actualized? Please let me know in the comment box.

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LETS TALK ABOUT DEPRESSION

LETS TALK ABOUT DEPRESSION

Today, I was invited to attend a seminar at This Present House church on dealing with depression. The speaker was Dr Boluwatife Oluwafunmilola – Lola Dare.

CONNECTIONS ARE GOOD FOR YOU - WITH ESOSA

Here are my summary notes. Dr Dare started by asking us the following questions.

·      Have you ever been depressed?

·      Are you currently depressed?

·      Why were you depressed?

Turns out that most people in the room thought they had been depressed but were actually sad. Sadness and depression are not the same thing. If something happens to you that is unpleasant like losing your job, its normal to feel sad.

Shades of mental wellness

Happy, Angry, Worried, Anxious, Low, Unhappy, Sad, Depressed, Suicide, Insanity

Mental Wellness is a state of wellbeing in which an individual

·      Realises her own abilities

·      Can cope with normal stresses of life

·      Can work productively and fruitfully

·      Able to make contribution to yourself and society

Transitions and stressors

Life: Puberty, Menopause, Virility, Aging

Developmental: Primary to Secondary, University to Work to Promotion

Key points

2011 Nigerians were named one of the happiest people on the earth

2017 -  Nigerians are now the most depressed in Africa

22% of Nigerians suffer from chronic depression

12% of Nigerians adolescent have attempted suicide

It starts much earlier than clinical manifestation

What has changed? The biggest factor I believe is society pressure to belong and keep up brought about by Social Media

How do I know if I am getting depressed?

·      Losing closeness

·      Not wanting to talk about it

·      Feeling lonely even when you are in a crowd

·      When it lasts for more than the average time from your stressors

·      Threshold is influenced by your personality type

What can trigger depression?

·      Financial hardship

·      Relationship breakdown

·      Disappointments

·      Feeling of failure

·      loss

There's an increase in the number of teens in Nigeria facing depression. Reasons include

·      Parents economic turn down 

·      Social media

·      Sexual orientation issues

·      Puberty and Adolescence

·      Culture and conflict

·      Busy parents

Signs to watch out for

Has my child changed to the following?

1. Mood

2. Eating patterns

3. Secretive

4. Hyper sensitive

5. Locks the door

What opportunities exist for churches and communities to help support those suffering from depression?

Have more empathy, listening skills, compassion, respect and respect privacy. 

Dont say it is well when it is not well

What tools can we use to help cope with depression?

Counselling, Support Groups, Awareness communications, Workshops, Seminars,

What NOT to say to someone who is depressed

·      It is well

·      Just get over it

·      Just pray

When a person is depressed their self worth will be affected. So please remind them of the following:

You are not alone

You matter

You are important

I care

I’m glad you’re here

I am not giving up on you

Can mental unwellness be prevented? 

Yes before it escalates. The person just has to know when they need help and seek it.

Hope these notes help and please feel free to share your own suggestions about depression and how to cope. Knowledge is power.

My inlaw Sopulu Okoye runs a support group. Please check his Facebook page
Rekindle counselling and therapy

HOW TO HAVE A GREAT PARTY

Everyone enjoys a great party but the ones that really stand out are those that have that je ne sais quoi'... meaning that special something. Great parties always stay in our memories and make us smile when we reminisce. It might all seem like great fun but a lot of planning goes into it. So what must we do to ensure our party rocks?

COUPLES PARTY

BUDGET FIRST

First things first, no point in planning a party if there's no money in the bank, so always know how much you want to spend and set a budget.  Make a list of all your items and find out how much each will cost. Always source the best price but don't compromise on quality.

WILD WILD WEST THEME

THEMED EVENTS

A theme can be very exciting for a great party, from King & Queens, 70's, 90's, Sci'fi , All White party, Famous People, Pop Stars, James Bond, Bollywood, Fancy Dress  just to mention a few. The theme will set the look and feel of the party and will be a talking point for your guests as they mingle on arrival.  

FANCY DRESS

LOCATION LOCATION

Where you hold your event is very key to having a great party. You might decide to hold your party outdoors but be mindful of the season because heavy rains or heavy winds can spoil even the most organised party.

BLACK TIE 

ATTENTION TO DETAIL

When booking a venue always sit down with the venue manager and go through every detail. Also bear in mind parking, good access to the rest rooms and good lighting around the premises especially at night. Make sure you have good security.

EVENT EXPECTATION

You need to fix a date and ensure that most of your guests will be available when you want to throw that great party. Guest lists can be very stressful especially if it’s a large party, so take your time to do them. Send a ‘’Save the date’’ message with a teaser about the event to create  excitement and then send the invitation card.

So now you’ve planned your party, the event day has finally arrived and your guests are anticipating a great time. Make sure their first impressions has that WOW factor which is normally the smiling ushers and a great ambiance. 

SAXMAN EMMANUEL

LET ME ENTERTAIN YOU 


Never leave your guests isolated. Keep their excitement and anticipation up while they wait for the main event. Consider entertainment such as a jazz band or light music on arrival. 

You can select anything that suits the occasion from a  DJ, full band, steel band, comedy, soloist, poetry, flotary and don’t forget to add some fun party games like the limbo, follow the leader or Karaoke.

HOSPITALITY

Food is another factor that makes a great party. Delicious food doesn't have to cost much but to play safe always choose recommended professional caterers. If you’re having a buffet, make sure that there are enough serving points because long queues can spoil the atmosphere of the party. Make sure there’s enough drinks for your guests and plenty of chilled water. Staff should demonstrate the highest etiquette.

GREAT DJ

Music can make or break the atmosphere of a party. Match your DJ to your audience. Some DJ’s specialize in Old Skool, others in traditional native music, others in dance gospel and others are great at mixing everything.

DJ EXCLUSIVE

DANCE DANCE DANCE

So, the party is in full swing. Everyone’s had plenty to eat and drink and the entertainment is on point. Guess what? The DJ’s got the crowd dancing around the hall. Next thing we see Lola and Ngo battling to moves on the Dance Floor. The crowd cheer on and sing away to...’’Get down, its Saturday night, Get down its Saturday night. I love to party, everybody does...’ This is a Lagos party at its best.

THANK YOU NOTE

People always want to feel appreciated for coming to your party so always call them or send a thank you card.

If the tips above sound too exhausting for you or you’re just too busy then you can always hire an event planner like me who has been in the industry since 1997 and delivered all sorts of exciting and memorable events. 

GOOD LUCK

TESTIMONIALS