The Experiential Marketers Association of Nigeria (EXMAN) has, at its Annual General Meeting (AGM) held recently in Lagos, elected a new executive that will oversee the activities of the association for the next two years.

The association also had its Annual Brand Experience Summit wherein it honoured outstanding agencies and individuals with awards at the two-day event.

Veteran marketing professional and Managing Director of Connect Marketing Services, Tunji Adeyinka, emerged as the new President of EXMAN. He was elected unopposed alongside other four marketing professionals into the new executive at the AGM.

Other members of the executive elected are Tolulope Medebem, Vice President (MD, Aster Integrated Marketing); Owolabi Mustapha, General Secretary (MD, Maxx Connection); Shola Antwi, Financial Secretary (Chief Operating Officer, DivergentMS); and Orunkoyi Adeniyi, Publicity Secretary (Project General, Panache Communications).

The newly elected President takes over from Tade Adekunle, Chief Executive Officer of Keskese Limited, who has completed his two-year terms.

The two-day Brand Experience Summit featured two plenary and 40 sessions across five different parallel streams each day covering Brands/Campaigns/Ideas, Marketing Technology/Data, Agency/Insights/Measurement, Shopper/Trade Marketing, and Academy. According to the organizers, the topics under each stream were carefully curated to cover the wide gamut of business practice, consumer engagement, evidence-based marketing, creativity, and business growth.

The hybrid event at Providence By Mantis in Ikeja, Lagos, had seasoned speakers across industries. The summit had Cosmos Maduka, Chairman Coscharis Group, and Stella Fubara, Director International Operations – Dubai Dept of Tourism Commerce & Marketing, Tosin Runsewe, CEO at Afya Care/Non-Executive Chairman, Evercare Hospital Lekki; Biola Alabi, Founder, Biola Alabi Media as plenary speakers among other panelists.

According to the immediate past President of EXMAN, Mr. Tade Adekunle, the Brand Experience Summit provided a platform for robust discussions about business growth, innovation, and brand experience in Nigeria.

Speaking on how to grow businesses from small to big scale, Maduka leveraged strongly on his background and how he grew a two-hundred-naira business to a multibillion-naira enterprise within the last 50 years.

While emphasising that every problem is actually an opportunity for business. He enjoined participants at the conference to become solution providers as therein lies the opportunity to grow.

The association also honoured deserving and distinguishing agencies and individuals for their outstanding performance and contribution to the experiential marketing landscape in Nigeria. The award night was a night of fun, glamour, glitz, colour, and beautiful costumes showcased by its members.

The most prestigious award of the night, Grand Prix, was clinched by Brand Regimen for its activation for Nivea during the COVID-19 lockdown.

Other agencies that won big at the night are Keskese, GDM Group, Brand Life, Abelinis, Ideas House, Town Crier, Maxx Connection, and EXP Marketing including Brand Regimen winning gold in various categories of the award. The award categories they won range from Best Event (B2C) to Best Shopper Activation (Open Market), Best Trade Activation, Best Merchandising Solution (Modern Trade), Best Activation of Sporting Property Award, Best Activation of Entertainment Property Award, Best Use of Digital in an Event Award and Best Shopper Activation (Modern Trade) respectively.

They also clinched silver and bronze in other categories alongside other notable agencies in the country.

For the individual category award, Funmi Onabolu, GMD, Cosse Ltd was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Awards for his contribution to the growth of experimental marketing in the country.

Noteworthy, the event had guests and members of the association dressed in different cultural attires showcasing different cultures of the world. The event was also graced by prominent industry leaders in the integrated marketing communications industry and brand management across the country. They include Biodun Shobanjo, Chairman, Troyka Group; Dr. Olalekan Fadolapo, APCON Registrar; Femi Adelusi, president, MIPAN; and Emmanuel Ajufo, President, OAAN among others.

Speaking at the event, APCON Registrar congratulated the association for the height it has attained within a short period of its existence and officially welcomed EXMAN as a sectoral body within the industry, and vowed to continue to work and support the association in all ramifications.

•PHOTO: L-R; Biodun Oshinibosi, Immediate Past Vice President, EXMAN; Dr. Olalekan Fadolapo, APCON Registrar; Biodun Shobanjo, Chairman, Troyka Group; Funmi Onabolu, GMD, Cosse Ltd and Recipient of LifeTime Achievement Awards; and Tade Adekunle, Immediate Past President, EXMAN at EXMAN Awards 2021

Update news