I find this subject noteworthy to discuss in the event industry. I am committed to championing a cause to effect this and ensure it is institutionalised as a culture for event professionals in Nigeria.
These were the words of the CEO/Creative Director of 2A’s Events Nigeria Ltd, Mrs Bose Abisagboola. She made this assertion in her write-up for the event industry conference magazine in 2017.
The theme, “Standardisation”, is influenced by the collective competencies of her impact and expertise as a passionate member of the Association of party planners and Event Managers in Nigeria (APPOEMN).
The importance and urgency of standardisation in Nigeria’s event industry cannot be over-emphasised. It has become one of the fastest-growing and evolving industries in the Nigerian economy.
Due to our cultural heritage and identity embedded in a communal celebration, Nigerians celebrate every moment and occasion in their lives in a grandeur style that will leave one to wonder.
From dating proposals to marriage engagements, weddings, baby showers, child dedications, birthdays, wedding anniversaries, college graduations, investitures, coronations, promotions, house dedications to car dedications and many more.
We celebrate virtually anything and everything worthy of celebration with friends and families in deeply rich and cultural diversities. We have been touted as the happiest people on the face of the planet. With Nigerians around you, there will never be a dull moment.
Our events today have evolved. The culture and traditional styles have blended with western styles and evolving global trends in the industry.
In anticipation of a more productive and sustainable development in our event industry, we need to adopt a more holistic viewpoint on the standardisation of the industry by setting those win-win ethical standards, practices, rules, and appropriate codes of conduct that will guide every practitioner and stakeholders within and around the event ecosystem.
Such standards when developed and adopted will impact perennial issues such as staffing, vendors and venue sourcing, costing, client management and ultimately customer satisfaction.
Standardisation is a unifying procedure that creates an enabling environment for a consensus operation in the industry.
Formulation, publication, and implementation of guidelines, rules, and specifications for common and repeated processes, aimed at achieving the optimum degree of order or uniformity in each context, discipline, or field of endeavours”. In creating these standards, attention must be accorded to the following contexts, which when implemented will benefit all stakeholders
The integrity of the event practitioners will be greatly enhanced when we adopt standards that guide our operation and make these standards a working tool.
Provide structural support for organisations when the guidelines such as contracts, terms and conditions are adopted to provide the framework for quality and prompt service delivery
Standardisation will encourage continuous education through collective training, formulation and implementation of industry ethics and code of conduct.
It will also encourage industrial alignment in negotiations, pricing, invoicing, accountability, and refund policies.
Formulation of effective safety standards for both vendors and guests, staff, venues or location owners with aim of having safe and incident-free events
Standardisation of brand presentation, branding and packaging of events
Indeed standardisation will enhance the credibility of the industry and will attract Government participation and partnership in policy formulations
Standardisation will inject professionalism into our business. Regular training and certification for event practitioners will enhance capacity building and promote professional integrity.
Standardisation will enhance idea sharing, Innovative solutions to solving common challenges and keeping up with the technology, and evolving trends of doing business through educational seminars and exhibitions.
Standardisation means to make things of the same type have the same basic features. This simply speaks to every Event practitioner having a common industrial focus which should be consistently disseminated across the board as a ground rule to be factored into each company’s standard operating procedures.
For example, APPOEMN’s statement of vision says, “Setting standards that ultimately yield profitability in Nigeria’s events industry”. Every member of this association is therefore expected to be standard driven which should ultimately affect their mode of operation and service delivery.
Abosede Abisagboola
CEO of 2A’S Events Ltd
Writes from Lagos
