The event planning industry is the fastest growing business all over the world. It is a kind of business that is well recognized and very lucrative. You too can become a successful event planner in Nigeria going home with a money bag.
Nigeria’s event planning business is highly competitive as several parties and events take place every weekend and behind the glamour are people working hard to ensure that things hold together perfectly, however not free.
‘Kdecor’ planners is one of the biggest planning event outfits in Lagos giving events the desired touch of music, colours, discussion and decoration. Event planning encompasses all aspects of a ceremony, from its initial conception and idea-generating stage through the tiny bit of details for the event itself.
Blessing Odiboh, the Chief Executive Officer of the enterprise has made the management and delivery of hitch-free events her preoccupation, placing the satisfaction of their client at the fore.
She has managed to stay atop of her game amidst the challenges and demands of her job since 2016 falling out of career goals initially. Blessing, a Mass communication graduate did not envisage event planning as a career option to cash out big until she landed full time into the business of event planning.
Though the industry can be vast and difficult to play across the board, Odiboh handles weddings, corporate and social events with top notch.
Speaking on the business startup, she said, “The event planning business involves catering, getting familiar with events, production, entertainment, transportation, decorating of halls, planning conferences, birthdays, rental equipment and so on. knowing the right steps to take would give you a broad knowledge of how to start.
“Kdecor is an event company that deals with planning parties and corporate events. The business which is seven years now started 2016 drawing inspiration from my mother who is into food making and owns a rental company. She is good with planning and event management. I would say my training begins from there even though naturally it’s a gift from God.
“There is no specific amount of capital required in starting the business, but today, it is pertinent to enroll in an event planning and management school or attend seminars to get abreast with latest trends. As the world revolves with the advent of technology growing in width and bounds, getting the latest knowledge and skills about event planning business cannot be overemphasized.”
The business which is open for both male and female gender, Odiboh said having a broad experience in the field of the business was necessary to kick start the business.
According to her, “event planning is more than just planning for wedding and birthday parties. You need to have a broad knowledge and experience of the business first before you operate among many other competitors who already exist in this line of business. Associating with already-existing event planners, doing non-profitable works for them when they have events. Obtaining a professional certificate in hotel management, public relations, and marketing can also be an added advantage. Being an event planner could be rewarding though stressful, but when you adapt you find it easier while smiling home with cash for a job well done.”
Narrating her early years’ experience and how she was able to secure her first client, Blessing says the support of her mother and encouragement got her the first contract which afterward brought her lots of referral and jobs.
“I recall my first job was a child christening, I was just sitting with my mum discussing on that fateful day when a client came and said you come and do a decoration for my child party. I was shocked and my mum said you can do it and the rest was history as surprisingly, I got loads of positive reviews, thereafter the breakthrough began.”
While there is cool cash on the business, she said one must work for it with striking passion for the job rather than profits.
According to her, “every business exists to make profit; which is very correct but in the event planning business, passion must be the driving force rather than profits. Passion keeps you going in the face of difficulties because there are some clients that are very difficult and many unfavourable characters to deal with. You have to have a passion for it, you just can’t say you want to go into event planning because of profit because it has its own ups and down.”
Profitability margin
No one sets his hand on a business with the mindset to make losses; everyone is bent and geared toward the direction of profit making. Event planning business too has huge profits as more and more people are cashing out big in this venture.
Blessing said, depending on the client’s event one is handling, profit ranges from N100, 000 (Hundred thousand naira) to millions of naira except for some events like school parties, mini birthdays’ etc where profit can be between N30, 000 to N50, 000. For top events, I sometimes go home with N200, 000 to N400, 000 after removing various expenditures but that is even a small profit margin as compared to some firms return. Firms into event planning and management are cashing out big really.
However, the frequency of how a job comes will place one on a weekly pay which is far higher as compared to what some organisations pay their staff for a month’s job. I will always advise people to venture into this business but whoever is coming in must be ready to work hard, conquer stress and produce positive and effective results that would boost customer’s satisfaction and in turn enhance referrals to their brand.
Speaking on the uniqueness of the business, the young entrepreneur said, “Event planning allows you to meet different people and know places but you must be ready to talk and talk as communication here is key. The business is highly competitive as the market field is saturated, prospects vying for the business must have a high sense of integrity with a distinctive professional style.”
Kdecor brand which has continued to break boundaries to become a global brand, the CEO said affordability is the firm watchword, saying, “what makes my brand different from other brands is that it is affordable and I always give my client a listening ear.”
“Also, there are a lot of event planners here and there. The market is flooded so as an aspiring event planner you need to create your market niche and target that, find a distinctive professional style that would make you stand out from the crowd and pursue it. Be very patient and ready to learn, show respect, and be calm, be proactive too because some clients can get on your nerves and you must be ready to work because there is no place for a lazy person in this business. Your level of hard work will determine how big you are cashing out. No room for laziness here!” Blessing stressed.
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