How Ayanleye built Atmospheric Events in 7 years

Nike Ayanleye is an entrepreneur with a difference. Her brand name, Atmospheric Event, depicts her love for nature, which has always been her unique selling point till date. She has had to brave the odds when times were tough while starting. In those periods, she drew encouragement from the words of Robert Schuller, that tough times never lasted but tough people did. Today, Ayanleye is basking in the euphoria of being the founder of her events outfit which was established in October 25th, 2013. “My love for planning events began when I was growing up. I have always been part of anything that has to do with planning special events for my family, church and friends. For me, event planning is a passion,” she says. “About eight years ago, I decided to turn this passion into business. Although my academic background is Purchasing and Supply Management, planning and designing event became my first love,” she says. As part of effort to hone her skill and better position herself in the industry, Ayanleye enrolled in an event management and design course and later went further to become a UK Certified Project Management professional. She explains that in her journey of becoming successful, she had to submit herself to a year-long internship as part of her hands-on learning goal. All of these efforts have culminated into what the brand is enjoying today, getting good reviews from satisfied clients. “At Atmospheric Events, we pride ourselves in planning and designing memorable experiences that keep clients craving for more. We also provide full event management and decoration services for both corporate and social events such as product launch, seminars, exhibitions, festivals, weddings, birthday, anniversary, funeral and much more,” she says. “Our work has earned us lasting friendships with our clients and we love that.” She notes that she has led her team to work successfully on clients’ briefs such as the Aspen Networks of Development Entrepreneurship (ANDE), Friesland, Mouka and Nigeria Computer Institute, among others. Shedding light on her brand’s contribution to the Nigerian economy, Ayanleye says, “It is reported that the event industry contributes well over N50 billion to the GDP of Nigeria on a yearly basis through engagement with vendors such as event venue operators, food vendors, entertainers, photography and much more. At Atmospheric Events, we have helped provide employment opportunities and training for undergraduates and graduates alike.” Her firm helps self-employed artisans to thrive. These include: welders, furniture makers, carvers, weavers, florists, traders, textile makers and others, she notes. The experienced event planner, who is in her eight year in the event space, says the secret of her success so far is trust. “Our work involves a lot of people. Either we work with clients or vendors. When you work with a lot of people trust is a core value which you have to possess,” she further says. “With trust we’ve been able to build solid reputation. With trust we’ve delivered on our brand promises, and people tell the stories to their friends and families who at some point call on us.” Describing how she navigated her way through season of challenges, the entrepreneur disclosed that due to the nature of the event business, there are off-peak and peak seasons, saying that most newbies may not have events to execute during off-peak periods, which she experienced at the early stage of the business. “There was a year when I did not have any major event for six months. At that point, I opted to work on a part-time basis for a leading event company in Nigeria,” she says. Although it was tough, that decision not only helped with cash flow but also increased my knowledge on every aspect of the event business, including how to source for the right clients and how to have a good relationship with vendors.” In her words of encouragement to aspiring and budding entrepreneurs in Nigeria, Ayanleye says: “When you are building a startup, it’s difficult especially when you don’t have funds and support from the government or people. You just have to give your 100 percent and be committed. You will fail a lot of the time, but you must learn to rise and do better, push and improve on yourself. “Endeavour to surround yourself with people who believe in your vision. Get close to supportive entrepreneurs within your industry. Don’t stand alone and don’t give up on yourself, there is always a room to do more,” she noted.