By Etop Ekanem

Professional decorators operating in the event industry in Nigeria have been called upon to embrace creativity and innovation in order to remain relevant and sustainable. 

This call was made recently in Lagos, at the 3rd edition of the annual decorators’ summit, with the theme “Innovation: A key to business sustainability” organised by Agatha Adesigbin, CEO of Jedidiahs Grand Services. 

In her opening remark, the Convener, Adesigbin, said it is very expedient for professional decorators to be intentional about their personal and business growth. 

She stated that a summit like this affords participants an opportunity to come and glean knowledge from those who have experience and have been in the industry for years. 

She said: “The reason for this year’s theme, which is innovation, is not far fetched having come to realise that innovation is one of the most crucial elements to remain relevant in any industry. When we gather like this, it’s expected that we come with an open mind to learn and unlearn. It’s an opportunity to network and promote collaborations among industry colleagues.”

In her keynote address, Mrs. Funke Kuyoro, Past President, Association of Professional Party Organisers and Event Managers of Nigeria (APPOEMN), said innovation is inevitable as a player in the industry. 

“For me being innovative is to go over and beyond for clients as this has been her secret having spent about 11 years in the event industry. 

Some of the speakers who lent their voice to the theme include; Onye Ubanatu, an Event Content Producer who urged the decorators to make travel a priority as it helps to spark their creative juices. Mrs. Ozoemezie Adeyeye CEO of Flowerplus, an experienced florist, tasked the participants to always think out of the box and stay abreast of trends.

Pastor Akinboye Odeku, CEO of Classicus Rentals, emphasize the need for decor entrepreneurs to be tenacious and train their workforce to also have that innovative mindset, as Juliet Obijiaku, founder, Social Polish Academy, during her session told the participants to develop great communication skills and Professionalism in their dealings in other to attract and retain premium clients.