Warzeng Oluwakemi Adebisi is the Chief Executive Officer of Revelnspices Cakes and Events. In this interview with APATA OYENIRAN, she speaks on quackery and the dangers of events hosted on open grounds, among other issues bordering on value for money in guests’ entertainment. Excerpts:
How long have you been in this business?
My business name was registered 13 years ago after the completion of a formal training programme in catering management. Furthermore, I have attended so many allied training and other professional seminars that have been of immense benefit.
After training in cakes and culinary, what step did you take next?
Before the formal training, I was under the tutelage of my Mother as an innocent dutiful young girl supporting her culinary business at the International Airport in Lagos. That gave me so much exposure to culinary and baking.
As a secondary school girl, I cooked well and had quality knowledge of large gatherings.
My passion for cuisine has been deep-rooted in me from childhood, the aspect of defined event management was not popular, but with my Mother taking the lead, no matter the magnitude of the occasion we lived up to expectations.
However, I was shocked when my mother objected to my aspiration to enroll in catering and cake baking.
She wondered why I would waste time going to trainers who are not better caterers.
That discouraged me and I opted for Computer Science Education and later enrolled at the Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education, Ijanikin where I studied Economics and Computer Science.
Talking about culinary, aside from helping your mother, was your mastery ever put to the test?
From time to time, I experienced such a test and passed with ease because it was what I loved doing.
My prowess in many instances has been put to test by friends and family who invite me to cook for their guests.
A concerned friend who relishes good cooking encouraged me to go professional and acquire formal training in culinary. That marked the beginning of my sojourn into professional cake baking, culinary and events management.
Having obtained a certificate in Economics and Computer Science Education, why did you abandon the gown for the culinary?
I embraced teacher training education initially because I wanted a profession that would give me ample time for my family.
By and large, culinary took a better part of me. I have always wanted a job that would keep me close to my children and not take most of my time.
Having acquired teacher training education and training in cake baking and culinary with support from your background, what have been your experiences on the job?
It has been quite interesting and a rollercoaster situation like every other business sector in Nigeria. However, God has been faithful.
Talking about events management that has seemingly become an all-comer affair where people with quality contacts seize such opportunities to organise events with lots of shortfalls, what is your take?
Events management is not about the ability to rent chairs and tables; it is not about the ability to cook or venue booking. It goes far beyond such peripherals.
The industry is experiencing a rush because many who are jobless and are merely interested in making quick quid have infiltrated. Most times, the event host having spent so much ended up getting embarrassed due to poor planning and logistics.
This has become the trend in Nigeria and it is not peculiar to social and events planning alone.
The medical, legal, journalism and built sectors, among others, suffered the menace of quackery. This is because people want to make ends meet dubiously.
Event planning as it obtains in the early 90s has shifted to professionalism.
A planner is a professional who ensures everything to the least of all preparations works out fine to ensure the client gets value for money and guests are well catered for.
It stems from the seating arrangements, the table setting, the cosy ambience of the venue, the servers’ meticulous attention to detail; the aroma and taste of the available menu and the table dress up after the meal.
Event management is planning for meetings, conventions, and a variety of social and professional events, including weddings, educational conferences, and business conventions and coordinating finances.
It is about a touch of class beyond the ordinary.
Has there been a time you feel like quitting this business?
There has never been a time but during the social turmoil like the COVID-19 lockdown, economic meltdown and the endSARS protest that affected social events, I pray the industry will not witness such tough periods again.
The periods were tough but thank God we survived it despite the lull in businesses that is picking up gradually.
COVID-19 and the global meltdown that followed crippled outdoor engagement due to the ban on large gatherings of people, restrictions of movements and associated challenges.
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As it were, the period was not completely bad as it opened up novel ideas in food packaging and home delivery.
The industry is picking up. However, the fear of being arrested by the EFCC is taking away the glamour and flaunting of wealth associated with social events as it affects the abuse of the naira.
However, it has not affected event planning. The overall well-being of our clients and their guests is paramount to our organisation.
However, I am happy that a little sanity is being introduced as guests are keying into the new order as cash gifts are now dropped in boxes and bags without throwing or stepping on the nation’s currency.
Why is professional event management important?
An event manager or planner is a professional who brings the vision of a host or organisation to reality within a budget.
If you don’t engage professionals to stage an event you will end up spending more without value for money.
Engaging event planners is not a wasteful venture but a conscious and deliberate effort to engage a resourceful professional to actualise the client’s objectives.
An event planner gets the right suppliers and vendors to do the job and do the coordination to make an occasion memorable.
At what level of social event should a professional planner be engaged?
It depends on what class and what level you want, in most cases a small gathering of family members and friends might come in handy. Every occasion irrespective of size calls for careful planning and management.
What do you do apart from event planning?
I bake cakes, do pastries, cook sumptuous and healthy meals make small chops and do a lot of branding and souvenirs. We also do training, palm wine settings
How have you been coping with the cost of food items in Nigeria?
We have been managing the situation and working within budget.
However, the profit margin is minimal but we are staying afloat.
Before this time, quotations for events are valid even for upwards of six months. However, the reverse is the case due to price instability. Quotation for an occasion is valid for 24 hours only due to the current economic challenges and rising inflation.
Recently, it has been observed that food wastage at social events has reduced drastically. How do you feel about this development?
It is not encouraging, especially when you know you have done the best job concerning the food preparation for healthy and tasty meals of different varieties.
But, situations where guests specifically request but make a mess of the meals do not augur well during this period of economic hardships.
We are conscious of our client’s investment, thus we are meticulous in attending to the needs of guests to avoid wastage.
In what ways have government policies affected the events management business?
The government is not doing much to assist the sector. The major challenges are multiple taxation and economic policies.
The government should come up with solutions to reduce the cost of food and cost of decorations. The cost of running a business is high.
The menace of uninvited guests at conferences and social events especially, is a disturbing phenomenon. What has been your experience?
As a professional, our clients are advised to stage or host their guests in organised settings like designated event centres, hotel event areas and halls.
Otherwise one stands the risk of an influx of uninvited guests. The entertainment of guests in open spaces without solid arrangements is not good enough.
Food serving in such an arena is always problematic due to infiltration by uninvited guests.
Have you attended an event and felt the planner didn’t do well?
Yes. I attended an event and I couldn’t eat the food. I was a guest at a poorly coordinated conference and another with lots of food wastage.
I also recall another instance where the service was abysmally poor from decoration to sitting arrangement.
What do you have to say to quacks?
They should acquire formal training to boost their status. What you don’t possess you can’t give.
