EVENT PLANNING

Event Planning is basically using your creativity and interpersonal skills to organise occassion for a
specific purpose or celebration and at the same time provide service for a fee .

It is both exciting and yet it can be hectic business as everything will be based on a date line.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE NEEDED TO START EVENT PLANNING BUSINESS IN

NIGERIA
In the event planning industry, knowledge about starting a successful event planning business in Nigeria
is needed. You need to know the cost of hiring/renting an event venue, caterer, Videographer,
photographer, decorator, musical band, DJ, bridal Shower/bachelor's Party and honeymoon ( for
wedding occassions only ), transportation, lodging arrangements etc.

You also need to be skilled in people's management, communication, problem solving and negotiation,
managing not only the staff but also your clients' crisis as they unfold. If you don't, your event can turn
out a whole lot messier than you can imagine.

You can learn or obtain all these skills by attending an event Planning Schools, take online event planning
course and obtain certifications, or get a mentor in the field.

RAW MATERIALS NEEDED TO START EVENT PLANNING BUSINESS IN MICIERIA AND WHERE TO FIND
THEM.

Four Key raw materials are –

1. YOUR TEAM:- These are the people you hire to make that event a success. You can find them
through recommendations or on social media where some of their works would be displayed.

2. YOUR PORTFOLIO:- This will contain previous Photos, documentation, certifications and
recommendations from your previous works. The birthday party you once helped organize for
your friend would come handy at this stage.

MARKETING AND PROMOTION TIPS

You can grow your event planning business through :-

1. Social media management and Campaigns

2. Online advertising e.g Google Ads
 3. Word of mouth marketing .

SERVICE OFFERING TIPS

Networking is of paramount importance when it comes to starting an event planning business in Nigeria.
Through friends, families, friends of friends you get exposure to the kind of people who are in need of
your services.

Running a Successful event Planning business in Nigeria can be a bit daunting at first , but it pays off
lucratively in the long run.

With the right team, location, strategies and your growing experience after each job, be rest assured that
you will establish a formidable presence as an event planning business outfit in Nigeria.

CATEGORIES OF EVENTS
Here are some Possible categories of events:-

1. BRIDAL EVENT- To organise wedding and bridel shower, it required skills in Venue set-ups,
arranging dinners, as well as floral gift and dealing with guest list. You have to be creative in
venue design, floral arrangement, colour cordinating, music selection and having a knack for
knowing what will make the occasion truly a memorable one for the couple and guests because
this is a once in a life time occasion for them.

2. EDUCATIONAL CONFERENCES:- It has to do with organising Seminars, Online Seminars, debate

and forum. This is highly specialized field as it can involve international guest speakers and
attendant depending on the size of the event. You will have to know how to arrange
presentation materials, handle international or high ranking officials and their Protocols,
knowledge about how conferencing events are orgainsed is required as some of the large event
may require more complicate set-ups or their obligation.

3. COMMEMORATIVE EVENT:- This is a public event for promotion of a civil servant or non
governmental person or memorials. If it is celebrative event, one will need skills in theme
planning, entertainment and catering on the other hand.

If it is memorial, you well have to be familiar with ethnic customs and must have Sympathetic
skill to lesson the lost for bereaved.
 4. PRODUCT LAUNCH EVENT:- Normally a big event organised for the launching of big product and
services, you will need expert task management skills, good team and colour sense. good eyes
for details into cordination, People skills as well as good marketing knowledge. This is one of the
lucrative event to hold and also the most complicated and stressful. You will require a really cool
headed to manage the number of people under you and not to mention the client and the
attendees.

TOOLS AND ACCESSORIES OF EVENT DECORATION

TOOLS. ACCESSORIES

Ladder. Chair cover

Hammer. Table Cover

Scissors. Sashe

Tonardo nail. Centerpiece

Electric wire Bridal chair/tab

Office Pin. Flex

Thumb tack. Grass rug

Tye-rod/wood frame Moodlights

Stapler. Ledlights

Rope lights

Petals

Balloon

Flowers

Car net

Car Plate

TRADITONAL SET-UPS

ACCESSORIES

Cane Chair/Table

Cane walkway stands

Mat
Beads

Calabash

Gourd ( Keregbe )

Anthers ( Irukere )

Certain ( Sekere )

Animal skin

Bamboo tree

Broom

Talking drum

Local fabrics ( Kampala, Ankara etc. )

WHO IS A DECORATOR
A decorator is someone who will design beautify and execute overall outlook of an event.

Decorators are known for their creative flair and often work alongside event planners, event cordinatoos
and event managers.

As a decorator you need to be very creative with a good eyes for colours. The ability to think outside the
box and look at a venue as a blank marquee is a must so that you can effectively create something out of
nothing .

ROLES OF AN EVENT DECORATOR

a. As an went decontor, you must be creative in your thinking in order to assist your client/customers in
making right decisions.

b. A decorator must be able to advise his/her clients/customers in the Process of chosing colours for
their events.

C. Must also be able to advise on sitting arrangement suitable for their event based on the size of the
venue,

d. A decorator must be able to help in choosing the venue for an event based on the number of guests
expected by his/her client/customer.
 e. A decorator must be in -line with what the client/customer wants and be able to blend it with
what is trendy.

f. As an event decorator you must be able to explain to your clients/customer's why things can't be
the way he/she wants it convincingly.

EVENT DECORATION
Event decoration is adding beauty and value to the ordinary, putting creativity to life with elegance and
style and with a touch of seasoned professionals which runs through private functions such as birthday
parties funeral services, weddings, house wormngs etc.and also Corporate events such as Annual
General meeting ( A.G.M ), Festive functions, commission of places, Inter-house events etc giving it that
extraordinary, perfect unforgettable, mind blowing Life time talk about glorious day.

CENTREPIECE
Centerpiece is an important item of display usually on a table setting. Centerpiece help set the theme
and brings extra decorations to the venue.

A centrepiece is also refers to any important object in a collection of items on the table.

Centrepiece is a central object which serves a decorative purpose .

However, centerpieces are often not too large to avoid difficulty with visitbility around the table and to
allow for easier serving of dishes. Other Centerpiece are often made from flowers, Glass vase, Candles,
fruits, book or Candy. Weddings, baby showers, bridal Shower, engagement Parties, anniversary parties
and birthdays ofren have some form of centerpiece.

Centerpiece varies as event varies.

DRAPERY
Drapery is often used to dress up or hide other areas of an event, for example it may be swagged over
entrance doors to give a classy appearance when guest arrive, it may be mounted to hide technical areas
and also dirty walls.
These drapes are often mounted with different fabric materials. A better fabric is voile which is a better
highly visible, lightweight synthetic fabric that is full of texture and bright with luster and feel luxurious.
It is ideal when draperies must show and reflect lights.

Whole the overall effect is a heavy fabric, it is actually quite light in weight and it comes in variety of
colours.

To complete a theme if budget permits, effective ceiling treatment can be spectacular and swagged
strapping is often the means to accomplish this. Because of the height and weight, the materials used for
ceiling treatment is usually lightweight sheer voile or Soft Satin made from 100% percent Polyester that
can be treated for flame resistance. The materials is typically suspended from trussing or tied up at a
point at the centre of the room or hall as hanging point.

As a cautionary note, ceiling draping can be very time consuming and labour intensive and also must be
accomplished while there are no interfering obstacles such as chairs, tables or any equipment
underneath. This means must or can be done before any other equipment of decors has been set-up for
the event. Often draping and fabric decor is used for multiple other purposes and reasons.

BALLOON
A balloon is a flexible bag that can be inflated with a gas, such as helium and air. For special tasks,
balloons can be filled with smoke, water, light sources. Modern day balloons are made from materials
such as rubber, latex or a nylon fabric, and can come in many different colours. Balloons are used for
decorative purposes or entertaining purposes.

Balloon decoration consists of creating balloon-based arrangements and thematic shapes, covering
backgrounds, ceilings, walls, columns, centerpieces, entrances and others.

TYPES OF BALLOON:-
1 .Latex balloons:-

In the world of balloons, latex balloons are the most common. You will see them at every party. They can
come decorated in different shapes and will definitely incorporate different colours. An interesting fact
about latex is that it’s biodegradable, which makes latex balloons environmentally friendly.

Pros and Cons

+ versatility: they are suitable for decorating rooms, creating arches, garlands, decorating gifts, just
launching helium balloons into the sky.

+ air and helium compatibility.

+ wide size range (from 5 to 36 inches);

+ ease of use: you can inflate latex balloons either manually or using the balloon pump;

+ environmentally-friendly: latex is a 100% biodegradable material;

+ a very wide range of colors.

- They’re non-reusable as natural latex rubber deforms when you inflate the balloon;

They deflate and lose shape faster – professional decorators suggest using them only for one or two-day
events

2 . Foil balloons

Foil balloons, on the other hand, have grown in popularity to match their counterparts latex balloons. At
first, the balloons needed to be sealed using heat but a self-sealing valve was installed later on to make
them easy to blow up and set up.

Pros and Cons

+ High strength and durability properties due to metal processing;

+ reusability;

+ suitable for creating balloon figures;

+ versatile design and many different shapes of balloons;

+ a mirror-like surface, which makes them popular with professional artists and photographers.

- They keep the given shape and size when inflated;

- Quite a costly solution (much more expensive than latex counterpart.

3. Letter balloons

These balloons will either be latex or foil. In most cases, they will be foil balloons.

Pros and Cons

+ Last for up to 5 days;

+ suitable for assembling a congratulation;

+ a very festive look;

+ a simple solution for creating an easy and quick decoration.

- Quite a costly solution;

- Environmentally unfriendly.

4. Cloud-buster balloons
Are you thinking of making a huge statement during your event? Then this is the balloon to go for. Cloud-
buster balloons are made of chloroprene, which is a unique material designed to withstand the effects of
UV rays. This special material helps the balloons avert the damage caused by the sun rays, which makes
them perfect for open houses, car dealerships, and other businesses that plan to keep the balloons up
for a while. Like other balloon types, cloud-busters come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and colors.

Pros and Cons

+ Cloud-buster balloons look very impressive — these are the largest balloons of a kind;

+ a perfect choice for dynamic, outdoor celebrations and attention-commanding aerial promotions,
grand openings, open house, car lots, yard sales, location markers, etc. (they can be used with the
display pennants);

+ long float time (from 5 to 21 days, depending on the size);

+ when filled with helium, they can lift about 7 kg;

+ a blend of natural and synthetic latex gives the longest wear for outdoor use.

- Non-customizable.

5. Toy balloons

These are small-sized latex party balloons. They are fun and fill a room with their burst of colors. Latex
balloons are generally 10 to around 30 centimteters in diameter and are filled with air or helium. You
don’t need to have an event to have these balloons around.

The pros and cons are the same as with typical latex balloons.

6. LED balloons

These are ordinary latex balloons with a LED inside (or the illumination system outside the balloon), and
this fact makes them quite extraordinary! At the right moment, you can turn the LED on and the balloon
starts to glow illuminating everything around, your arch, garland, or column. There are many different
LED balloons, both single color and multi-color, with different lighting modes.

Prid and Cons

+ Long-lasting decoration solution;

+ suitable for use in various types of decorations;

+ air and helium compatibility;

+ no need for special inflation tools.

- Quite a costly solution;

- Duration of the operation depends on the quality of the batteries.
 -
7. Twisting (or modelling) balloons

Typically, these latex balloons have long and thin form and are designed for creating (twisting) figures.
This art is called “balloon twisting”. There are two types of such balloons — for beginners and
professionals.

You can use twisting balloons to create single flowers, whole bouquets and baskets of flowers, figurines
of animals, cartoon characters, and many other things. Also, these balloons can be used alone or in
combination with other types of balloons.

Twisting balloons have the same pros and cons as regular latex balloons, except that they are stronger
and suitable for creating various figures.