The Launch Of Usher’s Orbit
The ushering industry has never come together like they did before at The Ushers Orbit which took place at Olusola Lanre Coaching Academy (OLCA), Lekki Phase 1, Lagos, Nigeria on October 22, 2017. It was an educative and impacting experience. Amongst the attendees were aspiring ushers, current ushers, event mangers, CEO’s of ushering agencies and concerned citizens of Nigeria
The one day seminar Themed ‘Raising the perception value of Ushers’ which launched The Ushers Orbit, was convened by Bukes Okukulabe, The Founder & CEO of Helen of Troy Ushers, Abiola Salami of IamaCHAMP group was the host of the day.
The first guest speaker was Tomisin Ariyo, an ex-model and usher. She shared her past experience as a model and usher, and how it made positive impact on the woman she has become. She emphasized on the importance of ushering agencies investing in their Ushers through training and finishing schools, while illustrating with true life examples the prospects of ushers.
Another guest speaker, Mrs Taiyese Ebunlomo, an event consultant and a lead team member at NPU events, spoke on the current perception of Ushers and ushering agencies in Nigeria. She discussed various topics: who an Usher is, an usher’s job description and work scope, standard working hours for ushers, scale of fees for ushers, and requisite contract for ushering services.
The Third guest speaker, Mrs Adefunke Kuroyo, the vice president of the Association of professional party organizers and Event managers of Nigeria (APPOEMN), spoke on the role of party planners and event managers in the ushering industry. She talked about the event planner/usher relationship – she explained that event planners have very important roles to play in bringing out the best in the ushers and the ushering industry. The duty of the event planners to ushers according to her includes ensuring that ushers are not over worked and under paid, ensuring that ushers outfit portray them as prim and proper youths, and ensuring that they pay keen attention to their physical, mental and social wellbeing.
She went further to give the attributes of good ushers as: personable, problem solver, intelligent, smart, courteous, energetic, and time conscious as she gave examples of some of her ushers who are trained medical doctors. She stressed the need for event companies to embrace professionalism while dealing with ushers and ushering agencies in order to change the poor perception of ushers and the ushering industry.
Mr. Kehinde Salami, a guru in the Experimental marketing industry, was the fourth guest speaker. He is the CEO of Ideas Marketing Communication and the President of Experiential Marketers Association of Nigeria (EXMAN). He emphasized on the importance of Ushers in the marketing industry, as he explained that Ushers and the entire ushering industry have been the long standing bridge between the marketing idea and the activation. He said that the idea comes alive, and the ushers make it stay alive. He talked about the symbiotic relationship between marketing agencies and ushering agencies and he highlighted the responsibilities of marketing agencies to ushers: to provide project specific training, creating job opportunities, and protect ushers during events.
He gave reasons for repeated auditions usually called by marketing agencies as he addressed some other salient issues that have been raised by the ushering industry. From his wealth of experience, he gave valuable tips on expectations of experiential marketing agencies from the ushering industry and ushers alike.
It was indeed an eye opener for everyone present.
Bukes concluded by emphasizing that if there is going to be a change on how ushers are poorly perceived in the industry, it can start with the way we uphold our values and integrity as ushering agencies. Ushering agencies can come together through the Ushers orbit to make the change they desire in the industry.
Here are the pictures from the event.
About Ushers Orbit
Usher’s Orbit is a platform set up to showcase event ushers, ushering agencies as well as all stakeholders operating within and around the world of ushers and the ushering industry.
The aim and purpose of The Ushers Orbit is to raise the profile of the ushering industry by providing an enabling and conducive platform where ushers/ushering agencies and all stakeholder in the field of ushering can come together regularly to socialize and focus on the skills, competences and knowledge required to do their jobs effectively.
Also, The Ushers Orbit shall be proffering solutions to the challenges usually encountered by ushers and other player in the ushering business as they render their services within their service environment.
