President of the Experiential Marketers Association of Nigeria (EXMAN), Tolulope Medebem and Vice President Angela Makinwa have delivered an extensive report on their year-long stewardship as leaders of the body at its ongoing 11th AGM.
The event themed “Ignite Your Possibilities,” provided an opportunity for the two leaders to give a detailed account of the association’s achievements, challenges, and future plans.
Mrs Medebem opened the proceedings with a reflection on the past year’s challenges, both for the country and the industry. She outlined the EXCO’s service plan, anchored on the acronym THRIVE. “Our EXCO mission was set up on the acronym of THRIVE — with each letter standing for a goal that as a team, we have worked towards hopefully with some tangible results,” she explained. THRIVE represents Training and Thought Leadership, Harmony, Relationship, Inclusiveness, Value, and Engagement.
Vice President Makinwa in her presentation took a look into the association’s training initiatives while highlighting the partnership with the Lagos Business School (LBS). “EXMAN and LBS/Pan Atlantic on Feb 1st, 2024 formally launched an EMMP (Experiential Marketing Management Programme) aimed at increasing knowledge and awareness for experiential marketing and the association, providing credible and worthwhile on-the-job training as well overall manpower development,” Makinwa reported. The inaugural program saw 42 participants, with 37 being EXMAN members.
Makinwa also detailed the EXMAN Practice Sessions, a quarterly training initiative. “EXMAN Practice Sessions is a quarterly training aimed at improving the quality of our staff through on-the-job/practical Training. This has garnered quite a lot of positive reviews from participants thus far,” she noted. These sessions covered various aspects of experiential marketing, from operations management to strategy development.
Both leaders emphasized the association’s efforts to engage with students and young professionals. Medebem explained, “This activity was a necessity after we realized that a good number of students in tertiary institutions do not have an idea of what Experiential was; coupled with the Japa syndrome it became really important to introduce our craft to as many students as possible.” Makinwa added, “We distributed letters to a few universities here and there; a total of 6 asking to be given a slot within their activities to engage them.”
A remarkable achievement in thought leadership was the launch of a research publication. Makinwa reported, “In collaboration with EXMAN, LBS/PAU held a press briefing on May 9th, 2024, to unveil a groundbreaking research publication. This event was a significant milestone for the experiential marketing industry, attracting EXMAN member agencies, media representatives, and other stakeholders.”
Inclusivity was a key focus, particularly through the Women in Experiential (WIE) initiative. Makinwa proudly announced, “As you are already aware, Women in Experiential (WIE), is an arm of EXMAN. As with other professional Women Bodies we celebrated our own maiden edition of International Women’s Day conference on Friday March 15th, 2024.” The event, themed “Inspire Inclusion,” featured panel discussions on leadership, career growth, and work-life balance.
Medebem highlighted efforts to promote harmony within the industry. “Happy to note, that we are seeing more collaboration between agencies and it is a great feeling even if we haven’t yet completely scratched the surface,” she observed. However, she also acknowledged challenges, noting, “A number of bonding activities to ensure this harmony is deeply engrained were planned as would be reported BUT the economy was taken into consideration.”
On the engagement front, Medebem reported, “We are in constant touch with the marketing communications ecosystem as EXMAN, HASG and generally engaging and putting out the experiential subset of the ecosystem.” She highlighted EXMAN’s involvement in key industry initiatives, including the GDP multiplier report and the upcoming Brand Nigeria project.
Looking ahead, both leaders outlined plans for continued growth and innovation. Medebem emphasized, “The plan is to increase in value what it means to be an EXMAN member and hopefully, we are on that path.” She also called for support from member agencies, particularly for initiatives like the Training Portal and C-Suite training.
Makinwa concluded her report with a forward-looking statement: “As we look ahead, our focus remains on driving innovation, fostering collaboration, and ensuring that our members are well-equipped to navigate the evolving marketing landscape.”
EXMAN’s influence in the advertising industry cannot be understated, with 60 member agencies (and growing) collectively generating annual billings exceeding 30 billion naira. The association’s member agencies employ over 30,000 contract and part-time field activation personnel, a big statement to the economic impact of the experiential marketing sector in Nigeria. EXMAN’s multifaceted role includes protecting, promoting, and regulating the activities of certified players within the country’s experiential marketing landscape.
The day’s business is concluded. It’s time to let the hair down for the mother of all dinner party. Watch this space…we are not done, not yet.