•How Many Event Vendors Lost Money
This is not the best of times for all Event vendors in Nigeria today. Many of these big players are at home complaining. They have lost big money, since the outbreak of the Coronavirus in the country a few weeks back. This development is not only affecting event vendors, but also party people who have set dates for their owambe parties. Some of these people have spent millions paying deposits to their vendors as holding fee to hold the dates down for their events.
The first outbreak was reported in Ewekoro area Ogun State weeks back when people were preparing for their owambe parties the next day. Events around the state especially Abeokuta were affected a bit, although not many people were aware of the news. But few who knew were taking precautions at parties and some have not even attended functions till date.
Top musicians like K1, Ebenezer Obey, King Sunny Ade are seriously affected, as when the going was good they used to have more than 3 shows every weekend and are most likely to have events all through the week. All these top musicians now have all the free time in the world, although some of them have engaged in giving back to society, like K1 who gave out food last week. But some of them have gone quiet because of the pandemic. Ebenezer Obey’s home in Abeokuta was quiet and lonely even on his birthday a few days ago. Usually, few friends and family would have gathered from morning for prayers and others will bring gifts later. This was not done this year as he was also being careful and sticking to the government rules not to have more than twenty people in a gathering, as he also runs evangelism that might attract a crowd.
Eko hotels that is usually a beehive of activity has been lockdown. Nothing is happening at the Convention Center. It has closed down. It had become a shadow of itself as lodgers are not up to 5 per cent and they have to keep few domestic and front desk office staffs to attend to few guests in the house. Initially, before the lockdown, they stopped foreigners who are their major guests from checking in and cancelled most bookings till June. Right now, they are running at a loss, as their restaurants which is also a side attraction for guests is empty with no patronage except from few guests inside.
If you have been to top events centres in Lagos like, Balmoral at Federal Palace, Landmark, Lekki Coliseum to mention but a few, then you will understand how the owners are not having the best of times this period. These are events centres that on a weekly basis have more than 5 events which are hosted by top people in the society. They have been under lock and keys. Some of their security guards who don’t have where to sleep have also gone home to participate in the Stay home, stay safe because of the pandemic. Before lockdown, each of these event centres was grossing about N3 million per event. Event Security companies are losing money. They are no longer invited to supply Bouncers.
Apart from Small chops makers like Laredo, 12 baskets and top names who are the rave of the moment in and outside Lagos parties, serving mouth-watering ginger food to guests, their office and cook area in Obalende have been closed down, as they can no longer take lunch and mid-day others for small parties and delivery. They are also affected big time.
Have you noticed that there are few pictures posted by celebrants since the beginning of the lockdown? Photographers and Videographers are complaining. Cake people are complaining. People hardly order cakes to show off and also there are no more birthday surprises to homes and offices. This is because the likes of Cakes and more, Cakes and Cream and other cake producing outlets have been closed down, and for the Suprise company they can’t move around and also so the vendor is open to make throw pillows, customized cups and other things they pack with the Suprise packages.
Engagement Mcs, popularly known as Alaga Iduro and Alaga Ijoko are also having as all events have been postponed and they are also running the campaign of Postpone don’t Cancel on their Social Media.
The question is how will clients deal with events centres and their vendors after the pandemic, in other for their events not to clash with the ones that has been paid for before they pick new dates.
A Dj few days ago got a call from a client to cancel an event that has been deposited for. They were on a conversation for more than 30 minutes with the client and the argument was that there won’t be any refund, but he will be available to play when they set a new date.
If anyone is close to entertainers, or follow them on
Social media, especially Event MC and musicians, one can tell how bored they are and how quickly they respond to messages and Dm’s because they spare time they have. Most of them keep their fans busy by going Live and updating Throwback pictures of videos. Some now have their songs on audiomack and ask their fans to download their favourites tunes. Most of their clients have also cancelled events until further notice. What they are unsure of is when they start setting new dates for their events, of dates won’t clash and generate confusion and crises in the industry.
Event decorators and those who are also affected the most, especially those who decorate A-Class events and charges millions for events, most of them who have full staffs they pay monthly have not been able to pay since they started cancelling events. If you check the social media of decorators they have been posting throwbacks of their previous events to keep their page busy.
When the Lagos and Ogun State governments announced that gathering of more 50 people should be cancelled, it affected a lot of party caterers. Most people thoughtless action will be taken to validate the action, not until task force official, started raiding events centres in Lagos and Ogun to lock them up because they didn’t comply to the rules, some caterers whose food were still on their way to the venue were unable to deliver food to clients and events centres were lock up, some caterers who were planning for the next day and have gotten perishable foods stuff and ingredients ran at a loss as clients were calling to postpone their events until further notice 24 hours to their events.
Before the total lockdown, events photographers knowing that their events have been cancelled till gutter notice, they started promo in a different kind of photoshoot online to keep them busy and also to put something in their account, that was before the total
lockdown commenced, right now they are also posting throwback pictures of the job they have done in the past. Makeup artists are not also left out in the postponement of events, as no one is doing a makeover, and clients who have booked have also cancelled their events.
Event Centers will be settling so many scores after the pandemic, considering the fact that most of them have been booked throughout the year and events been postponed will cause chaos when everything is back to normal in the country, clients from the events that were postponed will be doing for a Saturday to have their event which has been taken.
–Bunmi Mustapha
