There’s a new kid on the block in Lagos! The George, a 62-room boutique hotel, opened in June, and is managed by the Mantis Collection.
MICE Events in West Africa: A Delegate’s Guide
Observe any airport lounge in Lagos, Accra, Abidjan or Dakar, and you’ll notice thesheer number of travelers in the sub-region travelling for business, be it for meetings, incentives, conferences or exhibitions or any other type of event. This observation is certainly not unique to West Africa, but isevidence of the sustained interest in the continent, its potential and the opportunities it presents. MICE events are gaining ground in West Africa as businesses and governments seek to connect interests and present opportunities for collaboration.
While the sub-region does not have the established MICE industry and stories as can be found in East Africa in cities such as Kigali, Nairobi, Addis Ababa, Arusha and Dar es Salaam, or in South Africa with the Cape Town International Convention Centre; destinations in West Africa such as Accra, Dakar,Abidjan, Lagos and Abuja are established MICE hubs in West Africawith regular events scheduled throughout the year.
You may have been a delegate at any of these events,or are likely to be invited in the future, but any event is only as good as the value you are able to draw from it. Optimizing your attendance at a MICE event starts, of course, fromknowing about it in the first place!
One good way to do this is to connect and become a member of the professional associations that operate in your industry. This will ensure that you are on the mailing list for announcements on relevant events.LinkedIn is another good way to identify and connect with the key people in your field, and receive notifications on upcoming relevant events – join relevant LinkedIn groups. Another strategy is toensure that your company is on the mailing list for newsletters from and announcementsby reputable eventorganizers such as Bench Events, API Summits andLnoppen (there are several more) who organize regular events in West Africa, and sign up with exhibitors and for trade and business magazines – this way you get to know of relevantMICE events which will help you plan for these in your company’s annual budget and event calendar.
Event Registration
Registration for MICEevents should bedone as well in advance as possible to take advantage of early bird rates. Early registration also enables you to get a room in the hotel accommodation of your choice – good MICE organizers provide a list of preferred hotels close to the event venue(s) with specially negotiated rates for delegates.It’s good practice to stay at one of these preferred hotels because they provideavenues for networking in a relaxed atmosphere. Staying at the hotel also makes it easy for airport transfers, and to be easily informed of any changes to the schedule or any new information that may arise over the course of the event.
Closer to the time, double check online to ensure the event programme has remained the same- some popular networking events might require pre-booking to get in, and it is good practice to review the programme to highlight any changes or connect with any speakers you would like to speak with.
Travel and Getting to the City
If at all possible, try to get into the host city a day or two before the event, depending on where it is that you are travelling from – this ensures you are able to attend the event, even if there are last minute airline cancellations or flight delays, and so you won’t miss any of the opening activities. Cutting it too fine is asking for trouble in West Africa!
Make sure you have your valid passports and visas for the country you are going into and any required vaccinations. A Yellow Fever vaccination card is one of the most important requirements for travel to West Africa.
Plan for the Event Programmes
The organizers should have designed an event programme that has something of interest to every delegate. Spend some time going through the programme and earmark the sessions you need to attend that will be of interest and relevance to your work. Draw up your own personal event timetable, and you will see if you have any free time during the day, which you can use to schedule meetings. I always suggest that delegates attend a few sessions that are outside of their direct field of interest, try to attend one or two of these – you will be surprised at what information you can learn and who you may meet and the business connections that can come out of going slightly out of your comfort zone.
MICE events provide speakers who are experts in their field, and you can gain valuable insights in 10-15 minutes of a meeting or speaking to an exhibitor. Who knows, the new subject area can spark ideas and reveal business opportunities!
Networking
Take an ample supply of your business cards – that means take far more business cards than you think will be necessary – it is always better to have more than enough than not. It looksooounprofessional to keep saying“I’ve run out of business cards”.
A few weeks to the event, or now, go through your business cards and ensure that these have the most up-to-date contact information for you – it is also not very professional to give out your business card, only to have to be correcting your telephone numbers or email address on the card.
The aim of these events is to provide the space for individuals working in similar or related industries to meet and connect and, hopefully, collaborate in the future. The aim is not to speak with every attendee, rather after every session, or during the breaks built into the
programme, you can identify a few people that you would like to speak with, and try to get to know them, and what it is that they do, and how your business may be of value to them.
There is a fine art to networking. It is important to be able to communicate as clearly and as simply as possible, what it is that you do, and why you are at the event.
When you meet someone, introduce yourself and have a thoughtful comment about the meeting, conference or exhibition, and then ask what they are working on, and perhaps why they are at the event. It is rude (and immature) to go to these events and aim to get business cards from every attendee – more polite and more effective is to connect well with four to five individuals and build a relationship with them. They in turn might be able to recommend/refer you to other individuals over the next couple of days.
Explore
West Africa really is a beautiful region, and if possible try to stay one or two days after the event to explore the host city. The event organiserswould have chosen the city for a reason, and may have organized some experiential learning tours to bring the city to life for delegates. Take part in these as best as you can. Not only do they give you a chance to explore the city, they also provide additional networking opportunities. West Africa is generally safe, and its people are very friendly and hospitable.
As with any event meeting or gathering, attend these with as open a mind as possible, but with a clear idea of what you would like to gain from the event, and do try to touch base with good connections once you get back to your office, you may have come across an article or report that will be of use to them and it is helpful to share these in the emails you send – it makes you more memorable!
Trevor Ward
W Hospitality Group, Lagos
The future of service standards in the tourism, hospitality and leisure in Nigeria
If you’ve travelled to Nigeria, there’s always a recollection of some intense experience that one tends never to forget. Going over these memories sometimes brings with it a sigh of nostalgia perhaps? Maybe of the wonder with which you experienced how things run differently over there. But what is for certain is that one never remains indifferent about Nigeria.
Thinking about it, if you visit one ofthe more urban chic restaurants in Lagos and Abuja, the bill is usually brutal but worth the food experience, especially if it’s a fusion of the local and the more familiar. What creates the more lasting impression, however,is more normallythe lack of connectivity between you and the server. That almost tangible fear expressed by the server of not engaging with you in a lively conversation. The ‘deer in the headlights’ look you get when you ask anything outside of the script such as “may I have a side dish instead of an entrée?”is not uncommon. The thought that, in Nigeria, servers are trained to be sullen and unwelcoming.An exaggeration maybe, but the truth is, there’s a longway to go in the hospitality space when it comes to bringing people up to scratch in service delivery.
Hospitality is fun, engaging, confident. Sadly, this does not cut across the board, as many of thepeople employed in the industry are “in transit” to other “more respectable” jobs. What elsewhereis considered normal and respectable for a student who needs to fund his lifestyle and pay his way through university simply is not the norm in Nigeria. We talk of adults in their twenties (and some try their luck all through their thirties!) still depending on mum and dad for pocket money. Serve in a bar or a restaurant? Unthinkable! This is a pity because we deprive the industry of a vibrant and energetic resource – people who can think on their feet, who have the basic exposure to be able to carry out a meaningful conversation, who are confident, and who love what they do.
I’m dreaming, but I think it’s possible. While changing the culture and attitude to service jobs might be a tall order in the short term, one of the agents of change is found in people management. Fine, this is what we have, but what can we do to transform our human resources into real human capital?The transformation from liability to value creator.It takes a lot of work and creativity but it’s not a whim. The quality of people management strategies has to be the one most singular transformative solutions to the quality of human capital across the sector. How this is done will depend on many factors, internal as well as external to the organisation, but it can be done.
Three things come to mind when it comes down to it. The first is the need to beef up service training. It’s really important that people – both employers and employees – appreciate the distinction between servitude and service. This is probably where the general aversion to hospitality jobs stems from. Good news is that the culinary arts sector has broken away and is cruising towards becoming one of the trending careers for young people in Nigeria. Thanks to the growing number of celebrity chefs and cooking shows, a lot more people are forming a real appreciation for pots and pans…and yes, it’s in! The onus is now on the rest of the pack to catch up.
My second suggestion is to rework the content of service training to build a pool of skills, knowledge and confidence. Let’s face it, people are bound by the limits of what they have been exposed to, a classic case of one only being able to give what one already has. And I’m convinced that the service attitude we look out for is already there, but needs to be teased out – some hoteliers have succeeded in that. African hospitality isn’t a put-on, it’s a given. When you visit friends at home, it is considered an honour that you came. That’s why perfect timing is when you happen on the folks as they sit down to a meal; you get a space at the table by default. That’s the way things are. It is how to translate this natural gift of hospitality into the commercial space, that beckons on trainers and educators to get right. To reach the relaxed, professional level of service requires a confidence born of people comfortable with what they know and what they can do.
Finally, owners and managers need to understand the connection between people management practices and business performance. If our service staff are to deliver excellent service, then there needs to be an enabling environment to foster excellent performance. And it isn’t always about money. An open door policy to hear how they got to work that morning. For many, this daily adventure is material worthy of a reality show. Did you get onto the ferry on time or it just didn’t turn up? Sometimes the human resource manager should realise that talking about an issue helps to diminish the perception of a hopeless situation. This is not to suggest that our workplaces become counselling centres, but it does help to consider the welfare and work-life balance of the people who serve our guests.
Back to the server we talked about earlier. Imagine the future for a second – a confident, well-spoken young lady approaches your table and suggests you try the Jollof rice instead of the fries. A much better choice sir, it’s the best Jollof rice on the continent!
Trevor Ward
W Hospitality Group, Lagos
Whilst the Nigerian economy, which dominates the region (and the continent) continues to experience no or negative growth, and a consequent serious downturn in the hotel industry, new kid on the block Mangalis is making waves, with no fewer than three hotels opened in the last six months.
What goes up, must come down, and in West Africa that applies not only to planes, but also to entire airlines!
Have you ever felt slightly guilty about leaving that half-used bar of soap for the housekeeper to throw away when you check out? Especially those nice big ones?!I sometimes take mine with me, to use up at home!
Living in West Africa is, as I’ve written before, a bit of a rollercoaster ride! Up, down, upside down and turnabout – except that this rollercoaster never comes to a gentle stop!
A Proliferation of Hotel Brands!
Once upon a time there was Hilton and Sheraton and Marriott. We knew where we stood with them, a Hilton was a Hilton, a Sheraton and Sheraton, and so on. Then they started widening their horizons, becoming global players, and expanding the number of brands in their portfolios.
There has been yet another attack on a hotel in Africa, this time in Mogadishu – again.
Everybody has an opinion about Nigeria, don’t they? An opinion based on one of three things – personal experience, someone else’s personal experience (friend, relation, business colleague etc.) or on what they see, hear and read in the media. Or a combination of two or more of these sources. Many opinions are negative (corruption, noise, chaos, that kind of thing), many are positive (kind people, Nollywood, music, food, that kind of thing). Hardly ever neutral.
As a long-term expatriate resident in Lagos, prior to which I was a regular visitor from my London base, I’ve experienced Nigeria since about 1990, under the military regimes of Babangida and Abacha, and then elected presidents from Obasanjo to our current head of state, Muhammadu Buhari,one year in office as of 29 May 2016.
Nigeria is a bit of a one-man band in some respects, with the president’s policies and philosophy having a fundamental impact on the country, and representing the country to the outside world. Each has his legacy, both in what he achieved (or in some cases failed to achieve) and his reputation as a person. Any discussion about Nigeria which touches on the economy will almost always touch on the doings of the president.
The hospitality industry in Nigeria is very small in terms of contribution to GDP, estimated at less than 1% of the total, and about double that when you add in the travel industry. So we don’t get that much attention from government at any level, except, that is, for soundbites about what a “gold mine” tourism could be. They’re absolutely right, tourism could be a major economic sector, creating much-needed jobs. But when politicians talk about tourism, what they are thinking of is foreigners coming to Nigeria on vacation, not tourism as a whole, which includes both international and domestic travel, and comprises not only vacationers but also, and most importantly for many countries in Africa, business travellers and conference delegates. As the largest economy in Africa, with the largest population, a huge diversity of cultures and landscapes, and a long coastline, Nigeria can excel in all these markets.
So what is the perception of Nigeria’s hospitality business today, and what’s the reality?
Back in early 2014, the first shock to the industry was the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. That wasn’t anything to do with government, and Nigeria actually tackled the crisis very well, and prevented what could have been a disaster of epic proportions. But the outbreak, and the very visible preventative measures that had to be put in place, meant that travellers,both domestic and those from abroad. lost confidence,. And the events that have followed, including the delayed elections in early 2015, and the oil price crash, have continued to negatively affect confidence, to the extent that hotels’ room occupancies are at levels not seen since the mid-1990s, the dark days when Nigeria was shunned by the outside world.
President Buhari took office at the end of May 2015, and since then has pursued a seemingly single agenda, which is to root out corruption. Laudable, indeed, and this is part of the drive to change the perception of Nigeria, from being a country which encourages wrongdoing by those in power to be one which abhors it and is doing something about it. That will help the hospitality industry, engendering greater confidence.
But at the same time, the economy, reeling from the oil price crash since mid-2014, and the resultant devaluation of the Naira, is hitting that confidence, hard. With such dependence on the oil & gas sector for government and private sector income, the trickle-down effect has become a torrent. Government has no money to spend, contractors don’t get paid, they lay off workers, and the hospitality industry has fewer customers. The shortage of foreign exchange, due to the oil price crash, means that manufacturing cannot import materials to make things, they lay off workers. Hotels and restaurants cannot import some of the essentials for their operations, and their offer to their customers is reduced. Foreign investors are waiting to see what is going to happen with the exchange rate before taking decisions on new projects – whilst the common consensus is that the Naira is over-valued, the government (read President) has ruled out any devaluation in the near term.
If there were more confidence, international visitors to Nigeria would find hotel prices a real bargain, for the first time in ages. The average price charged in Naira is not much changed in the past two years, but in dollar terms they have almost halved. Likewise in bars and restaurants, where prices have not increased by as much as the dollar has devalued. So the cost of living has gone down – if you have dollars. Nigeria has always been perceived as being an expensive place to visit and in which to live, but for those with foreign currency, that’s no longer the case.
Is now a good time to visit Nigeria? Indeed, and once we know where we are going with the exchange rate, and with government policy generally, the market is still one which holds immense promise. I’m only aware of one airline which has pulled out of the market, citing economic reasons, whilst domestic airlines such as Air Peace and Med-View are expanding their international routes.
There is no doubt in my mind that the economic crisis we are currently going through is a cyclical correction, indeed a wake-up call to those in power that things need to change, drastically and fast. Nigeria will “never” be an easy place to do business – but it’s the same in many other countries. There will always be challenges, but if we can get through the current economic crisis, which is partly out of government’s control and partly self-inflicted, a return to growth is almost inevitable. Manufacturers, retailers and the rest eye a market of almost 200 million as having enormous possibilities. But we really do need to get that confidence back, one way or another.
Trevor Ward
W Hospitality Group, Lagos
