How to Become an Event Planner in Nigeria

Behind the glitz and glamour of every successful event, there's a diligent and hardworking event planner working behind the scenes and making sure everything goes according to plan. This article will walk you through the A-Z of event planning, and how to become an event planner in Nigeria.

There's hardly any weekend or weekday when people aren't hosting events or throwing parties. If there's no book launch on Monday, then there's a birthday celebration on Tuesday. Otherwise, there's a funeral on Friday and a wedding ceremony on Saturday. As frequent as these events are, it takes a lot of planning, organisation and time to put them together, which the hosts may not be able to do by themselves. This is where an event planner comes in.

An event planner is responsible for handling the logistics of an event. They cover areas such as entertainment, invitations, room setup and decoration, reservations and so on. All in all, an event planner is required to ensure that nothing is left undone and that all the bases are covered. An event planner is a superman in disguise.

Festivities are held all year round and so the need for an event planner will never diminish. Because of this, event planning has fast become a booming and lucrative venture, and it requires only a little capital to kick-off!

The following are the steps on how to become an event planner in Nigeria:

1. Do some background research on event planning in Nigeria

As with any other business, before venturing into event planning, it is important to do some research. Don't go jumping into the deep end, at least not before testing the waters. You could start by asking questions from those who are already in the business. Try to understand what the business entails, what you might need, and the upsides and downsides, so absolutely nothing takes you by surprise.

2. Get the skills needed to become an event planner in Nigeria

For every job, there is a required skill set. With event planning, there's a need to develop both your organising and interpersonal skills. We can't have an event planner being shy or introverted. Oh no! It doesn't work that way. As an added advantage, you can also enrol in event planning courses that offer professional certification, e.g., Certified Special Events Professional (CSEP). This gives you an edge over those without.

3. Acquire experience in event planning in Nigeria

After getting the necessary information and skills, the next thing is to get hands-on experience. You need to be able to put everything you've learned to practice. Since you're not a recognised event planner yet, you do this by volunteering to intern with or help renowned event planners when they have functions to plan. This way, you're still learning but you're also doing, and with time you become a pro like them.

4. Build a network

Another benefit of interning or volunteering is that while on the job, you get to meet people from all walks of life. These people could end up becoming potential clients or suppliers for you when you finally start your own event planning business in Nigeria. You need to be able to build healthy and beneficial relationships with them, take down their contacts and connect with them when the need arises. That way, you're slowly building your own enterprise. See also How to Connect With the Right People and How to Attract Rich Clients in Nigeria.

5. Pick an event niche in Nigeria

There are so many aspects of event planning, and it is rather important that you specialise in one. As the saying goes, 'Jack of all trades, master of none.' Picking a particular niche, say wedding planning not only helps one become an expert at it, but it also helps to gain more visibility. Clients are only interested in someone who's good and proficient at what they do. So if you're the best wedding planner in Ibadan, then couples are sure to flock to you for your services.

6. Launch your event planning business and advertise

With zero to little capital, you can kick off your event planning business as long as you got it right at the networking stage. Have a nice and catchy name for your brand and tell people about your business. You might want to open social media accounts to attract an audience and also create a website to build an air of professionalism. You can also give out your business card to any potential clients you meet. See also 10 Best Ways to Attract Publicity For Your Business.

With these steps, carefully laid out for your benefit, your path to becoming a great and successful event planner in Nigeria is already set in stone. Good luck!