Gone are the days when you have parties and you solely do the planning from A to Z, or with the help of family members.
It has now become a trend and stress-free moment for anyone who is staging a ceremony to employ the services of event planners.
In 2022, this set of event planners shone like stars, planning topnotch events and winning awards back to back, hosting interactive seminars and making sure they brought their A game to the fore.
In 2023, they are the best plug of event planners to watch out for. Be it in Lagos, Ibadan, Abeokuta, Abuja, this set of event planners have planned notable events all around, these cities which are always full of activities from weddings ,birthdays, luncheons, to naming ceremonies and corporate functions, from one weekend or weekdays to the other, hence this made them busy.
These are professional event planners who have mastered the game of planning well and you can actually go to sleep while they do their job. Some of them have been in the business for many years, while some have few years to their starting point, their innovations and ideas are what stands them out. They have planned major A class weddings for the high and mighty and their patrons still grow in large decimals, and they are smiling to the banks because of their top notch services when it comes to delivery.
In no particular order, below are 10 top innovative event planners to watch out for in 2023. On this list is Bisi Sotunde, the CEO of BusyBee Events in Lagos, Adeola Sessi-Traore of Lemony Touch Events in Lagos, Nneoma Jide-Ebelendu of Alessa Suave Events in Lagos, Oluchi Okeke of Luchy Signature Events in Lagos, Kikelomo Idowu of Kyksie Drapes Events in Ibadan, Oluwaseyifunmi Fadeyi of Zircon Events in Ibadan, Moninuoluwa Ajani of Moeventsville in Ibadan, Abidemi Adeyemi of Tammys Events in Abeokuta, Opeyemi Bello of Oomph Events in Abuja and Maryam Haruna of Chocolate Signature Events in Kaduna.
Bisi Sotunde is the CEO of BusyBee Events an award winning Events Planner, Influencer and Thought leader. A force to reckon with in the Events industry, having successfully planned and managed several high profile events from Corporate Functions, Weddings and Parties for 13 years, Bisi was selected as one of the 6 destination planners to represent Africa at the Experiential Planner Expo (EXPO), which held in September 2022 in Dubai (an all-expense paid trip by the Dubai Tourism Board/Dubai Government).In August, 2022 She was listed as one of 5 Africa Giants in the Industry by The African Wedding Makers Ghana for her impact and contributions to the growth of the wedding industry. She is popularly known as the Jagaban of the Events Industry. Other Awards received by Bisi are Innovative Event Planner of the Year by City People Magazine, Top 50 influential icons in Nigeria, Most Supportive Coach of the year, Golden Mentor of the year, 2020 ASSEV Event Mentor of the year, 40 under 40 outstanding event professional of the year etc.
Bisi recently put together a world class 2 days conference event professionals tagged BusyBee Event Business Summit which had both Nigerian and International Speakers with over 250 participants in attendance from Nigeria and Diaspora.She also hosted the BusyBee Excellence Awards which celebrated outstanding event professionals who have displayed true excellence in their businesses in the year 2022.Through her platform she has trained, mentored and helped over 1300 event professionals.
She is the founder of the Thriving Business Network -The Well-Watered Garden Tribe Nation (WWGT),a Community for event professionals who are intentional about taking their businesses to the next level with a membership of over 250 people. Bisi is a Member of Nigerian British Chamber of Commerce (NBCC), as well as other event professional bodies home and abroad. This fast rising and influential woman is indeed a female leading entrepreneur in the industry celebrated on radio/TV shows, newspapers as a renowned Events Planner, Business Coach and Mentor.
Abidemi Abisola Adeyemi FPAN, ACIPM is the Chief Operations Officer at Tammys Events as well as Tammys Events Training Academy with a background in Education, Human Resource Management and a Business degree from the Metropolitan Business School, London. Abidemi manages Tammys Events which belongs to her daughter Oluwatamilore Adeyemi (who is currently still learning the ropes of the business).
The company is a full-service event planning, management and decoration company which handles a large scale of corporate and social events with over 10 years industry experience.
She has been featured in The City people magazine several times, and recognized at the Lagos Female Entrepreneur’s awards 2018 organized by City People. She is a recipient of several other awards in Ogun State for excellence as an event planner and decorator. Her clientele cuts across many states in Nigeria and abroad. Tammys Events were actively involved in the burial of Late Pastor T B Joshua of The Synagogue Church and the burial of Late Baba Teacher, Pa Abiodun, father of H.E Ogun State Governor, to mention a few.They are professionally involved in over 50 percent of OGSG events both formal and social.
This year 2022, they have planned and successfully executed over 50 events across the Nation and in the United Kingdom (London).Abidemi is a trained facilitator in events management, decoration, entrepreneurship and training.She recently opened a first of its kind training academy in Abeokuta to cater to the training needs of young upcoming events professionals and provide master classes for professionals.
The Academy graduated its 1st set in November 2022 and are currently training and mentoring several students to become excellent event professionals. Besides impacting knowledge in the events industry, she is passionate about personal and business developments, which is why undergoing continuous training is important to her.
She was recipients of Palton Morgan Holdings scholarship on economic development strategies from the prestigious Pan Atlantic University /LBS amongst others while also attending Events Industry related courses.” Abidemi is a fellow member of the Chartered Institute of Public Administrators of Nigeria (CIPAN), a member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM), member Association of Professional Party Organisers and Event Managers of Nigeria (APPOEMN), and Well-Watered Garden Tribe (WWGT)
She is presently the President of the prestigious Mothers Club of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL), the club where she and her members uplift the lives of established women, the indigent citizens of the Nation and mentor young people into different business and trade areas of the society. Abidemi inspires other women and is always proud to share her story about balancing work/business/family/social life as a woman in the society.
Adeola Sessi-Traore is the Chief Executive Officer, Lemonytouch Events, an events planning and management business grown from her passion to take stress off people and build lifetime relationships with her clients.
Lemonytouch Events offers an exceptional service of exquisite touch to clients giving them a Personalized Event Service experience. With over 180 events execution experience, she produces events ranging from weddings, birthdays, event styling, bridal and baby showers, etc.
She is the convener of TALMAD (Touch A Life, Make A Difference), an annual charity program of over 6 years which aims to give back to and celebrate the underprivileged people in the society by putting a smile on their face especially at Christmas. TALMAD has been opportune to work with over 6 orphanages (with about 150 children), Makoko community, Agege community, etc.
She is the author of “Help! Don’t Stress the Bride”, a book to help brides or brides to be identify stressor when planning their wedding, how to manage said stressors, how loved ones around the bride (who mean well) may be stressors without intending to and how they can help the bride achieve her dreams of a beautiful and successful wedding day.
A firm believer in personal growth and professional development, she has undergone the following courses and leadership/mentorship programs – Mentorship Program – Women in Business, Management & Public Service (Wimbiz), AWEC Business Academy – Applying design thinking to satisfy changing customer need, Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women, Daystar Leadership Academy Basic Leadership Course (Executive), Fundamentals of Leadership, Grow Your Business, Fundamentals of Business Finance, etc. to mention a few. She has also served on the planning committee of the following conferences – Women in Business, Management & Public Service (Wimbiz) Conference 2022, Association of Party Organizers & Event Managers Nigeria (APPOEMN) Conference 2022 and Busybee Event Business Summit 6.0 2022.
She has been invited to share from the wealth of her knowledge and experience at the following events – Event Market Nigeria Meet and Greet 2022, Ikorodu Event Conference 2022, My Grand Event 2022, to mention a few. She was also nominated for the 2022 BEA Awards as Emerging Event Professional of the Year.She holds an M.Sc in Management from the University of Lagos and a B.Sc in Economics from Bowen University, Osun. She is a member of Association of Party Organizers & Event Managers Nigeria (APPOEMN) and an Associate Member of Women in Business, Management & Public Service (Wimbiz).
Moni Ajani, is the Creative Director of Mo’ Events Ville, A wedding and event planning outfit based in Ibadan, Oyo State.
Moni alongside her team have planned and coordinated several events of various sizes and themes such as society and private weddings, landmark birthday parties, funeral ceremonies, book, foundation and album luncheons, karaoke tours to mention but a few within and outside Ibadan.
An Economics graduate of the University of Ibadan, she started her career as a Customer Service Associate in a multinational telecommunications company. She also managed a fashion house before fully launching into the events space.
After solo planning her first event in August 2016, she went ahead to have formal trainings and internship with industry experts- Diamond Page Academy, Busy Bee Events and KFA Rentals before officially fully launching her event outfit in 2018.
A 2017 alumnus of EDC/CBN business school Initiative, she has attended several acknowledged event related trainings of international standard such as TEXAFRICA, BUSYBEE BUSINESS SUMMIT, WEDEXPO just to mention a few, which has given her exposure on how to better serve her clients.She is also the Lead facilitator at the Mo’ Events Ville Academy, a sister company that has trained over 50 students through their online and offline platforms since its inception in February 2019.
In March 2022, as part of the celebration of the International Women’s Day, Moni was recognized and celebrated as part of the top 50 Fierce Women in Business who is breaking the bias in the Event Industry by Ibadan Event Vendors.A recipient of several awards of excellent and a three-time nominee of the Blingz Events Awards, her integrity, keen attention to detail, hardwork and consistency in transforming the Nigerian event industry one event at a time is definitely being recognized and appreciated.She and her team currently operate from their office in Ibadan where they strategize and execute the creation of golden and exquisite memories for every event to the satisfaction of their clients.
Kikelomo Olayeni Idowu is the CEO of KYKSIE DRAPES EVENTS AND INTERIORS NIG. LTD, Ibadan, Oyo State with a partnership in New Jersey, United States.
She trained as an event decorator / stylist , interior decorator and an event planner at FLOURISH PARADISE EVENTS ACADEMY UK. Kikelomo Idowu is an award winning 360 degree event and Interiors professional, specialised in Events styling, interior designs, event planning and coordination and has been in the event industry for 13 years.She is a lover of aesthetics and creative innovations this has earned her many high profile clients such as; . FCMB, Coca Cola, Olubadan of Ibadan Land event, Alaafin of Oyo’s event, Chief Kuye’s family, Ex Governor of Oyo State and the Chief Kuku’s family etc
She is an active and member of (APPOEMN).She sits as the current Western Regional Director for the Well Watered Garden Tribe Nation, A Community of Event Professionals in Nigeria/ Diaspora . Kikelomo is a Rotarian and a member of Women Enterpreneur Network, Nigeria, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF CHRISTIAN WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS (NACWE) HQ, Dallas, Texas, USA and many other non profitable and profitable creditable groups.
She holds a diploma and Degree in Teacher Education, specifically early childhood education and language arts from the great University of Ibadan.She loves public speaking and has been a part of many business conferences and committees home and abroad to mention few . She has helped many people to start up and maintain their businesses .
This has birthed the Kyksie Drapes Training School. She has been selected be by the Dubai tourism board to represent the Nigeria in the forthcoming Dubai Global Wedding Excellence Retreat a full sponsorship Leadership initiative by the Dubai Government.
Kikelomo has been honoured with numerous awards within and outside the country , some of which are; Business Personality Award from African industrious Women Awards Organization Ghana,Top 50 most Industrious women in Africa Award 2022, Award of Excellence in Event Planning and Decorations , Blingz Event Award Decorator of the year 2020 amongst others.Kike is indeed an Influential Event Professional changing the narratives one event at a time .
Maryam Haruna is the Creative Director of Chocolate Signature Events an event planning firm based in Kaduna state. A graduate of Theatre Arts from the Kogi State University, she started her career doing menial decoration jobs. She discovered she possessed an inate passion for organizing events when she would plan the weddings of friends with joy and at no cost.
Maryam would go to events and her keen eyes would easily spot out errors in planning. She wouldn’t be at peace until she points it out to the planner and it is corrected. This passion grew and in 2013, she decided to set up an event planning service with a difference; to correct the anomalies she had seen in the business. This has grown to be Chocolate Signature Events
For over Nine(9) years that Chocolate Signature Events has been in operation, Maryam and her team has planned several events: weddings, dinners, trade fairs, luncheons for a wide range of clients. Notable amongst her work is the planning of the following events: Tomato Jos commissioning, Kaduna State Tradefair, the wedding of the Taraba State governor’s two children amongst others.
She has also not relented in developing herself personally and professionally as she has attended trainings to up her skill, this includes training at the Busy Bee Event Business Summit.
Her contributions to the event planning industry hasn’t gone unnoticed as she has won the Event Professional Recognition for Excellence Award (Northern Zone) by Busy Bee Excellence Awards in 2021.Maryam and her team of excellent planners work from their office in Kaduna State.
Her work has spoken for her continually, the extra touch of excellence always leaves her praise on the lips of her clients.
Nneoma Jide-Ebelendu is the Managing Director of Alessa Suave Events, A full service event planning and management company that offers unconventional experiences to her clients.
With over a decade in the retail sector of the banking industry, Nneoma was able to guide her customers in choosing products that best suits their business needs. Her love for exquisite events drove her into event management where she uses her expertise in curating personalised services for her customers in banking to curate event packages to suit her varying clients needs.
She believes that every client is unique in their own way.
Nneoma Jide-Ebelendu is a certified Event Planning & Management professional with four years experience in the business. She hosts the first innovative IG Live Session tagged ALESSA MEETS where she brings event vendors to discuss events in its totality. She recently clinched the award for Emerging Event Professional of the Year 2022 at the Busy Bee Excellence Awards in November.
She has also received the Merit Award by the Ikorodu Event Hub for her positive impact and leadership qualities in the industry. Her passion for excellence in service delivery and pleasant disposition is second to none.
Seyifunmi Fadeyi is the founder and creative director of Zircon Initiatives (Zircon Events), an event company with the undeniable touch of excellence. A graduate of Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye where she studied Mass Communication. She is an industrious entrepreneur and Public Relations expert .
She practiced briefly at Tutasusa Nig. Ltd, a PR firm owned by the Late Chief Tunde Savage, I-Recruit, a human resource consultancy firm, and was the Event Manager at Kakanfo Conference Center before deciding to start up her own independent event company Zircon Initiatives with the experience and expertise from the private sector.Seyifunmi’s dedication and commitment has distinguished her event company in the industry.
She has planned and coordinated events working with many high profile clients and corporate organizations.
She saw the gap and need to have well coordinated events and her passion nudged her on to profit. She has consistently built her brand into an established organization in over 11 years.
She has gotten several awards and recognitions for her excellence and continued commitment to success, some of which are Blingz Event Awards; Planner of the year 2020, PERA Event planner of the year 2021, Top 40 under 40 Ibadam Event Vendors Award 2022, PACE Awards 2022 and most recently PERA Event Planner of the year 2022, Enterprising Women Awards Africa 2022.She is an associate member of Nigerian Institute of Public Relations. Seyifunmi’s passion to help others grow and start on the right footing in the event industry made her start an event academy. She has trained hundreds through her event academy. Her hobbies include reading, travelling, networking and driving. She’s happily married with a very supportive family.
Opeyemi Bello is the CEO of Oomph Events, an events management and production company that delivers on all your corporate and social event management needs.
His reputation as the crisis manager for clients’ events and a solution provider for small businesses, has earned him the name “Mr Fix It” within the events and consulting sphere.
Opeyemi is a season event producer and strategist who worked on many projects within and outside Nigeria. He was recently one of the panelists at the just concluded BusyBee Event Business Summit, an international summit for all event professionals held in Lagos. Some of his notable past social and corporate events:The Traditional Wedding Ceremony of the first daughter of the current Ondo State governor, His Excellency, Arakunrin Akeredolu, The Wedding Ceremony of the daughter of Mr Uzomah, the Managing Director of United Surgicals Nigeria Limited, Hybrid Events for International organizations where he handles the full scale event logistics from start to finish, The annual retreat for different teams from the Century 21 Freedom Group amongst other projects.
He is also an internationally trained marketing and networking professional.
Since bagging a distinction in Advertising and Marketing from the Hull University Business School, United Kingdom, he has risen through the ranks as the go-to-guy for marketing, brand management and networking. Opeyemi excels at incorporating his consumer-centric, first-class education and international proficiency in providing innovative and strategic solutions to start-ups, scale-ups and influencers everywhere. He does this by employing diverse marketing channels and tools (such as Advertising, Online promotions, Integrated Marketing Communications, Strategic Networking and Corporate Branding), to communicate your brand message to the desired audience.
As a consultant with deep industry knowledge, he empowers business owners by teaching proven strategies that have helped thousands of entrepreneurs across different sectors, on how to position themselves as go-to experts so that they can better serve clients and sell premium packages, Facilitating training classes on your various product lines. Opeyemi has spoken in various trainings some of which are Decorators Summit, Funke Awobokun Bootcamp amongst other platforms.He is a leading Event Expert in Abuja.
Oluchi Okeke is the Creative Director of Ageless by Luchys Events ( also known as Luchy Signature Events) . A full wedding and event planning outfit based in Lagos. She and her team have planned and coordinated large and small events in several categories spanning from weddings , corporate events, themed parties , birthday celebrations , funerals etc within and outside Lagos. Oluchi is a Banking & Finance graduate , She started as a customer service representative with Zenith bank plc, then moved on to some expatriate firms before launching into Event planning fully. However before launching into Events fully, She has been attending seminars and conferences. She has undergone a number of trainings on Event planning such as the Annie Idibia foundation training on events & crafts, Wed Business School owned by Mr Akin ESHO of Wed Expo etc. Oluchi has also attended several international & Industry masterclasses such as BusyBee Event Business Summit, ASSEV Esmeralda Masterclass, The Event Clinic etc .Oluchi served as a core planning team member at the just concluded BusyBee Event Business Summit held in November. 2022, she has also served in other numerous event related projects. Her tagline is ‘creating timeless memories ‘ and this is all her company focuses and aims to achieve for every event .
-TAYO OYEDIJI
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