Changing the Narrative: lagos leather fair 2017 (My take😉)

Image courtesy @lagosleatherfair

I’ve been to quite a few trade exhibition fairs up and down the country; agonising over details like space, display settings, price tags, publicity and a whole lot of things not seen by the visitors to your stand. Staff, friends and family pitching in, answering questions, talking up and not to mention wearing you down. You also get to engage your co-exhibitors in the inevitable conversation about how ‘they’ (the organisers) should have done this or that better. So, on the last day of the Lagos Leather Fair Gidan Nodza was present as a spectator rather than a participant and it’s fair to say we were quite impressed with the organisers and the exhibitors. The leather ware industry in Nigeria has taken off folks! 👏🏾💃🏾💃🏾👍🏾
The proof? The sheer diversity of product offerings, the conscientious attention to detail (visitors got free parking as opposed to paying ₦400 every hour 😱), sustained flow of customers and their positive engagement with the exhibitors and just so many other things too numerous to bore you with. Below are a few pictures and also views/opinions we got from some vendors we spoke with concerning the success or not of the fair because to be honest, at this moment "we" that couldn't make it as vendors are more interested in what other vendors have to say about the whole shindig 😉🙃😝

List of Exhibitors: Image courtesy @lagosleatherfair

Brachah Leather/Gbenga Arthsmith Dada Booth: Image courtesy Imagini Photography 

 Cross Section of Booths at the Fair: Image courtesy Imagini Photography 

Image courtesy @lagosleatherfair

Going round to enjoy the sights we decided to ask the exhibitors how things went and boy oh boy! Nearly all of them would jump on the opportunity to attend the next edition. They spoke about a few other things …

On Sales: Momentous. On a scale of 1 -10? A resounding 9 😳 Awesome!!!🙌🏾😃👏🏾👏🏾

On Organisation: Many wished the space was bigger😁. I’m thinking it was really quite large but one person said too many people were clustered along the aisles and in from of their wares. Really? Too many people? Pssst, a little secret... ‘too many people’ equals very good sales and advertisement and contacts and … never mind. Trust me; too many people is good, Osheeeey!!! 🙌🏾
Publicity: The traffic witnessed on the routes to the venue bore quiet testimony to months of great publicity and all we spoke to didn’t think they could have done much better with that. Figures.

Femi Handbags Booth: Image courtesy @lagosleatherfair

Siod leather: Image courtesy Imagini Photography 

Improvements for Next Edition: You’re not going to believe this but the only improvement all wanted was to do this all over again! Sure there’s always room for improvement but I asked and not one could say what they wanted improved 💃🏾💃🏾💃🏾.

Look, I left the venue feeling giddy and somewhat downcast at the same time. I missed out on all the action but then again did I? The organisers thought things through this time around and those kind of people usually think it through even better the next time around. Next edition is going to be awesome because among other things Gidan Nodza will be there, getting in on all the action 😝👍🏾🙌🏾

For now, a deep bow and doff of the hat to Femi Hand Bags and the rest of the crew behind the scenes for truly ‘Changing the Narrative’ 👏🏾👏🏾👊🏾.

So, thats all she wrote folks 🏃🏾🏃🏾😄😄😝. Thank you so much for stopping by, may the universe be kind to you always 🙏🏾💐😘

Xoxo