EXMAN Commences 9th Annual Congress, Bridges Town/Gown Gap With Session At DOU, Asaba (Photos)

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Members of EXMAN and some top management of the Dennis Osadebe University (DOU), Asaba, yesterday at a session facilitated by the association to bridge the town/gown divide.

The Experiential Marketers Association of Nigeria (EXMAN) has commenced its ninth Annual General Meeting (AGM) today on a strong footing in the city of Asaba, the capital of Delta State with a session geared towards bridging the widening gap between and gown and town as parts of its activities for this year’s AGM.


Members and executives of the association turned out en masse at the Dennis Osadebe University (DOU), Asaba to facilitate the knowledge sharing session. Mr Kayode Olagesin, pioneer President of EXMAN and Managing Director of TownCriers Limited commenced the session, speaking on what he entitled, “Making a Career in Marketing Communications-Experiential Marketing.”


Taking students through the rudiments of marketing communication, Olagesin painstakingly explained to participants what the industry is all about, devolving into in the segmentations of the industry which berthed experiential marketing. He regaled participants as with some of the memorable experiential activations and campaigns that that have remained a reference point in the industry while also outlining the career opportunities and prospects for undergraduates.


His presentation was followed by that of Mrs Rosemary Akpo, Managing Director of EXP Nigeria and GA Productions. In the highly interactive session, Akpo delved deeper into what experiential agencies and professionals do with a topic that centred on the nexus between Consumer Experience & Experiential Marketing.


Leveraging her personal experience, Akpo engaged students on the entry channels into the experiential marketing industry, revealing that it is open to all irrespective of disciplines. She also moderated a lively question and answer segment where members of EXMAN fielded questions from inquisitive students and lecturers of the university.

Mrs Rosemary Akpo on Consumer Experience & Experiential Marketing.


Speaking earlier, Vice-Chancellor of the University, Prof. Ben Emukufia welcomed EXMAN members and students to the occasion. The Vice-Chancellor who was ably represented by the Dean of Marketing and Social Science Faculty of the university, Prof. Ben Nwabueze decried the gap between the marketing communication industry and students as well as the low knowledge on what the industry is about. He however expressed optimism on the impact of the knowledge sharing session for all participants.


Also re-echoing his sentiments, the Head of Department f, Dr. Ekene Asiagbu paised the leadership of EXMAN for considering DOU Asaba to share their wealth of knowledge. She expressed the optimism that the session will play a vital role in the lives of the students in the immediate future.


EXMAN President, and Group Managing Director of Republicom Group, Tunji Adeyinka while responding to questions on the session explained that part of the key pillars of the EXMAN Executive Committee is entrenchment. “One of the key areas we are looking at doing this is taking education to tertiary institutions, especially around experiential marketing. We decided that at this AGM, we will just do a very short pilot and that is what we decided to do here because we have a very high level of unemployment and youth restiveness in Nigeria. It is also a very big opportunity for them to learn skills even when they are in school.


“We are uniquely placed as an industry to employ anyone to actively build that because it is actually the future and we are uniquely placed to do that,” he said.


In the same vein, Field Marshal of Abelinis Limited, Abiodun Oshinibosi while responding to a student’s question on participating in the industry while still in school, notified students that they can take advantage of EXMAN’s newly reintroduced Certified Brand Ambassadors Program (ECBAP) to gain more insight about the industry and certification to work with any EXMAN member-agency.


The Certified Brand Ambassadors programme is intended to be the foundation of a more responsible and structured vocational development programme as a way of combating youth unemployment, while also instilling better behaviour, discipline and professionalism within the experiential marketing industry which contributes over N30b annually.

The Field Marshal on the ECAP Programme.


ECBAP was originally launched by the association in 2016. It is an initiative designed to re-organize the operating structure of the activation industry by establishing a central register of field activation personnel across the country, while also offering on-line and distance learning as well as all-year-round group life and personal accident cover to brand ambassadors recruited by any of EXMAN’s member agencies.


Speaking to Brand Communicator on the deeply engaging session with EXMAN members, many students revealed that their interest in experiential marketing has been piqued and that they will study more about it.


Asimiduah Faith, an undergraduate in the university has this to say: “these people (EXMAN) have shown us that there is more to marketing than what we use to know. I am happier that I have more knowledge about marketing communication, that it is not as mall and narrow as I use to think. I am also happy to know that my passion can create way for me in that profession.


Adim Nonso Patrick, another student of the tertiary institution studying Agricultural Economics also said, “even though we are still students, we can still get a source of income even before finishing school and getting a job. I don’t have to be afraid that what I am studying will be irrelevant tomorrow. If someone who studied Computer Science and Engineering and follow experiential marketing and be successful, I can also be successful with my passion for organising thinks in experiential marketing.”


EXMAN is the sectoral trade body for forward-looking experiential marketing communications and activation agencies in Nigeria and employs over 25,000 contract and part-time field activation personnel on behalf of brands. The association protects, promotes and regulates the activities of certified players within the experiential marketing industry in Nigeria. It has 50-member agencies and boast of over thirty billion naira as total billing.

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