For their enterprise and contributions to the development of entertainment, hospitality and social space in metropolitan Lagos, practitioners in the events industry will now be honoured at the Massimo Industry Hangout, which holds its debut edition this Sunday, June 25, 2023, at Alexia’s Place, Opebi, Ikeja, Lagos.
The Massimo Industry Hangout is the brainchild of Olayinka Oyedeji, a renowned entertainment entrepreneur with over two decades of experience in the showbiz and events industries.
The monthly gig is in partnership with Alexia’s Place, a premium hospitality outfit in the heart of Ikeja.
Oyedeji says that painstaking conceptualisation, execution, and coordination are critical in making an event a success and that there are experts and experienced personnel whose remit is to handle different aspects of an event efficiently while saving the clients a lot of trouble.
According to him, “It is one thing to have an idea of how beautiful you want your event to look, it is another to have practitioners who can help you birth that dream. But these practitioners, like decorators, drinks suppliers, caterers, bouncers, ushers and the like, are seen as an appendages at events and are hardly given their due recognition; yet, they are the bedrock of every successful event.”
Oyedeji continued, “I found out that this set of professionals go to parties all the time but do not party for the enjoyment of others. Guests enjoy while they work hard to make sure things go well.”
The Massimo Industry Hangout idea, Oyedeji said, is to create a fun-filled and convivial atmosphere to honour and celebrate the practitioners behind successful events; those who you don’t see but whose ingenuity and professionalism help to ensure the successful outcome of both corporate and social events.
Billed to be a monthly evening of music and merriment, cocktails and canapés, and other assortments that enliven a party, Oyedeji disclosed that at every edition they “will be celebrating two standouts in the industry. Their citations will be read while they will share their wide range of experience in the industry with guests and the media. The standouts – a male and female – will also be given Recognition Awards.”
For the debut edition this Sunday, Olugbuyi Ogunnaike, the brain behind Icebox, who is a household name in the business of drink supplies, and Foluke Adedokun, multiple awards-winning proprietress of Fruitie World, a fruit artistry and smoothie company, will be honoured.
Justifying the choice of the honourees, Oyedeji said, “Icebox has redefined the art of serving drinks at events with his innovativeness and passion for the job, which is why he is the No 1 name in the events industry when it is about premium drinks supplies. On the other hand, Foluke makes magic with fruits at parties, making fruit trees, fruit desserts, smoothies, and salad bars, among others. Parties, these days, are incomplete without these people who stand out in their field.”
