Did you attend the #cnbizfair2018? High five to you! To those who did not attend, no exaggerations, you missed but you have this article to make up for your absence. Yes, I’m nice like that, haha.
It was my first time at the Connect Nigeria Business Fair and I was amazed. Usually, when I go to a place, I like to sit and observe the environment. However, at this business fair, my butts wouldn’t cooperate with me. Once I stepped in through the glass doors of Eko Hotels and Suites where the event held, I started moving around from one stand to the next.
My first stop was at Ijay Accessories Nigeria’s exhibition stand. I was literally blown away! It was so obvious that one of the ladies at the stand expressed how she marveled at the way I stood staring at the items with much admiration. Don’t blame me; put the blame on the love I have for arts and crafts. Ijay had traditional hand fans made with Ankara fabrics. She also designed an Ankara clutch purse, the fabric crisscrossed. It isn’t the fact that I haven’t seen Ankara pieces before but that this one was just different. You should check out her IG page on ljaccessoriesng. I eventually left Ijay’s stand after spending what seemed like the whole day there admiring the beautiful Ankara waist belts, shirt collars, purses, neckpieces (both Ankara and not – all handmade), and notepads.
I checked in at Lumos. This is the solar power system coordinated by MTN. It powers a fan, up to a 32-inch TV and charges your phone. They had a good price offering and what more for the fair? A whopping sum of #9,000 discount for those who purchased the solar unit right away or by the end of March.
Technology has really advanced. By mere looking into a mirror and a few clicks, you could get picture shots, customized to fit your occasion and a personalized signature if you want. Photogenic Photobooth and allevents.ng, courtesy of Connect Nigeria, were on standby taking tons of shots. Cinematicsng, on the other hand, is a cinematography company. They are specialists in creating ‘360 videos’ and ‘slow motion videos’. The booth (built like a mobile studio), is fluorescent. There is a transparent wall that lets the camera do its work. This wall multitasks as a mirror so you see yourself at the same time while in the booth. Isn’t that amazing?
Nigerians are so creative. That is not a cliché. The business fair proved it so. Chrisabella Creations had some very nice throw pillows. These handmade pillows had a different touch of creativity. And of course, she makes both ready-to-wear and bespoke dresses too. The almighty Tiannah’s Empire was at the fair too. I got to see her creations live and direct and they were really beautiful.
Did I mention that buying aso-ebi does not have to be a dreadful task anymore? I met the Manager of Wendys LTD. She takes the stress of going to the market off you and her prices are cheap too. I mean, as cheap as cheap itself.
Mmabon Custom Clothier is just that; she makes clothes to suit your preference. She had really nice adire hi-lo dresses, two-fabrics-in-one pieces (dresses and tops). What I loved especially when I visited her stand was her initiative. She does instant printing on t-shirts – and for a very low price. With flex, flock or glitters, cut according to your preferred design, placed in a hot press for 15 seconds, you could get your t-shirt printed for just #750. Isn’t that mind-blowing?
Other businesses that were at the fair were logos.ng, House of Precious (a jewelry and accessories store), jiji.ng, Imperial Havens Events (small chops, catering and cooling services), Platform, Manifest Africa, NIRSAL, etc.
Connect Nigeria did a good job with the fair. It is an avenue for SMEs to market their product and get new customers. I guess I’m already looking forward to the next edition.
