With the social scene slowly crawling back to some semblance of normalcy, entrepreneur Bukky George-Taylor is cashing in with an app for customers keen on curated events and experiences in Nigeria.



If there is one person who knows what is hot and trendy in Africa’s biggest economy and most populous country, it is Bukky George-Taylor.



As the CEO and Founder of Robert Taylor Media Ltd., a boutique communications and events company based in Lagos, Nigeria, she is the force behind some of the biggest brand activations and campaigns in the country as well as providing representation for global brands looking to penetrate the African market. 



And her latest creation, a mobile app named CRAWL Africa, launched in Lagos in March, seems to address the need to adapt to a new social life in ‘a new normal’. She calls it Africa’s first social calendar app on a mission to revolutionize social experiences in Africa by presenting a collection of curated experiences for the discerning and upwardly-mobile African consumer.



“Finding information on where to go or contacting establishments in Nigeria and across Africa can be a chore. With no access to 411 or yellow pages in Africa, CRAWL provides you with all the accurate contact information to contact businesses and to tour your city,” says George-Taylor about the new app, which currently has over 100 businesses listed.



With a degree in African-American history from the University of Massachusetts in the United States, George-Taylor has built a firm that services the corporate, entertainment, lifestyle, fashion, beauty and health sectors. This has always ensured her access to the hottest events and happenings in Nigeria.



But why choose to launch an app when the retail and hospitality sector is still recovering from the effects of a raging pandemic?



“The app launched because our city [Lagos] started to open back up with restaurants and smaller events. One of the major reasons was because of travel restrictions; the app was birthed to promote tourism and encourage people to start exploring their own cities.



“The app also enables CRAWLers to save their favorite locations or experiences for future references with a single tap while making suggestions to users based on the preferences they select,&nbsp;such as budget, location, and more.”&nbsp;



As Nigeria’s social scene gradually reopens, the events listings will be reflected on the app. George-Taylor is now also looking at other cities in sub-Saharan Africa such as Accra, Kigali, Dar es Salaam, Johannesburg and Cape Town in which to launch CRAWL Africa.

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In August, 10,500 athletes from 206 countries will be at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. The Brazilian city will play host to 42 sporting events, including the recently added golf and rugby sevens. Over the past four years I have been preparing for my swimming events. This equates to about 4,500 hours for a one to two-minute race. The Olympics is the biggest sporting event on the planet and hopeful Olympians around the world are in their final leg of preparations.
At this stage, athletes should have their foundations built and be fine tuning their training. There would have been large inconsistencies in previous years because of the many adaptations being made to find the big improvements. These last months should see more consistency as smaller, more refined, changes are made as coaches try and squeeze out every possible improvement in their athletes. As the consistency develops, so too does a strong and stable mind – a strength every Olympian is going to need. Persistent repetition in training will help create this consistency as well as build trust in themselves, which the athlete will need to prevent ‘choking’ – the word used to describe an increase in nerves, self-doubt and negative thinking. To get to this Olympic level there should be zero negativity in the mind of the athlete, coach or any other people surrounding the athlete. This is the responsibility of the athlete and the biblical story of Nehemiah highlights how important this is.
Nehemiah was a cup-bearer to King Artaxerxes. At a time when there were constant fears of plotting and intrigue, serving drinks at the royal table was an esteemed position because of the trust the king places on that person. When Nehemiah learned that the walls of Jerusalem needed rebuilding he asked the king for permission to repair the wall. Nehemiah made it his responsibility. He knew he couldn’t do it alone so he recruited reliable people who shared in the same vision as him. When others found out that they were going to rebuild the walls, Nehemiah and his team were mocked and ridiculed. When their enemies saw that these walls were being built, they set out to attack and destroy their work. However, the people Nehemiah had surrounded himself with prevented these attacks, which meant the walls continued to be built with little interruption.
Nehemiah trusted the people he surrounded himself with and refused to spend time on any issues that deviated from his goal. As important as it was to finish the wall, and as successful as Nehemiah became in doing so, he never undermined his values or integrity. Athletes are constantly faced with pressure from media, coaches, parents, friends as well as their own expectations. I have always surrounded myself by reliable and honest people, but with the Olympics drawing closer many athletes may feel they need to do ‘whatever it takes’ to win, even if that means doping or cheating. As important as winning is, a true athlete’s fundamental principle is to see how far their body can be pushed without cheating – this is the essence of being an Olympian.
Qualifying for the Olympics is a major milestone and the athlete gets to perform at the highest level in their sport. Too many athletes think that when the closing ceremony is performed and the final curtain is drawn their work is complete. But, just as Nehemiah used his success and experience from rebuilding the wall to continue benefiting the people of Jerusalem, it is also our responsibility to share our success and experience with others so they will become stronger and continue the cycle of promoting a better future for others.

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For the average Nigerian socialite, Lagos’ social calendar is abuzz with lavish launches, swish soirees and smash-hit parties.
From mid-week corporate dos to weekend weddings, the city is a hive of activity. As venues enjoy advanced bookings, inboxes brim with invites and guests anticipate their next fashionable outing, there is no greater utopia for Africa’s event planners than Lagos.
Event manager Funke Bucknor Obruthe knows this only too well but says that behind the glitz, is grit. As CEO of Zapphaire Events, a holistic event consultancy and management company, Obruthe has more than paid her dues.
As one of the pioneers of Nigeria’s events industry, it’s easy to see the passion and excitement she has for her craft, one that can be traced back to her college days.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-medium wp-image-30122 alignleft" src="http://www.forbesafrica.com/app/uploads/2017/05/Funke-282-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Funke-282-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Funke-282-600x400.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Funke-282-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Funke-282.jpg 1024w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
While studying law at the University of Lagos, Obruthe had a flair for helping peers organize events; a talent she shared with her mother.
“I thought I would enjoy law, but I didn’t. Every year of my course, I thought I would eventually get excited about it but I didn’t. I found it too monotonous,” she says now.
By the time she got to law school, she had offered to help a friend plan her wedding. It was the start of what would be a lucrative, long-standing career.
“Before I knew it, I was doing celebrity events and had met influential clientele that allowed me an opportunity to show my range. As time went on, we evolved and began to do corporate and social events as well,” says Obruthe.
The firm had humble beginnings. Before she moved into her first office, Obruthe worked out of home, even out of her car.
Twelve years on, Zapphaire is a big player in Nigeria’s events scene – and also receives orders from beyond.
“We are doing events in Dubai, UK, South Africa etc. When I look back, I sometimes ask myself, how did we get here? But I realize passion is what drives me. My team has also been immensely instrumental to our growth.”
But Obruthe says the industry is rife with challenges, highlighting logistics and infrastructure as few of the operational hiccups.
Pulling off a successful event means attention to every tiny detail.
“You don’t have another chance to create an impression on your client. From the clients’ brief, to the proposal, right through to execution,” she says. Crisis management is an inexcusable part of the job for Obruthe.
“In Nigeria, we do large events. However, there is a lax RSVP culture. This makes planning quite difficult. We once had over 3,000 people show up for an event we had planned for 1,500. This posed a logistical nightmare. In these situations, one has to manage the situation accordingly and always prepare for the unforeseen.”
With Nigeria’s ever-busy social calendar, event management companies are a dime a dozen today.  Differentiation is crucial for brand relevance and new business opportunities. Obruthe believes the winning formula is in creating unique experiences.
“When people leave, they want to take an experience with them and this is what I aim to do with each event.”
And themed events are popular. “The idea of a developed concept living through every facet of the event is really exciting. I constantly ask: ‘how can we make this event different? How do we make it special?’ I get a rush out of this.”
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-medium wp-image-30123 alignleft" src="http://www.forbesafrica.com/app/uploads/2017/05/Funke-859-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Funke-859-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Funke-859-600x400.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Funke-859-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Funke-859.jpg 1024w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Her company recently established a décor arm with plans for a TV show and a new clothing line also in the offing. Obruthe is optimistic.
She is a member of Women in Management, Business &amp; Public Service (WIMBIZ), a Nigerian non-profit, and she also mentors aspiring event managers. She says passion, hard work and commitment are keys to an eventful career in the industry. All of those qualities she amply has.

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Thrilling entertainment and spectacular crowds; expect nothing less from Tiwa Aganga Williams’ social events. From college students to A-list celebrities, thousands are drawn to his grand parties. Williams, better known as Tiwaworks, is an enterprising socialite who has put his money where his mouth is.
For years, his company, also called Tiwaworks, has created memorable experiences but nothing could have prepared him for his worst day in business.
It was all set. Another spectacular evening of entertainment was set for Atlanta, United States (US), not far from where his career was launched in college. A call from American rapper Jay Z’s Roc-A-Fella Records to have Tiwaworks host a party with one of their artists was supposed to launch his budding brand into the stratosphere. At the age of 22, Tiwaworks, who is of Nigerian descent, set the wheels in motion. It was going to be a huge party, drawing a mammoth crowd from all over Atlanta, and no expense was spared.
But things didn’t turn out as planned.
“Unfortunately, we took a big financial hit that night as everything that could go wrong did. The event was a complete flop. I was sick to my stomach and remember sitting across the street from the venue with my head down. I had raised $10,000 with a promise to repay with interest, and I had to face the music with my investors. My mother came over and advised that the financial loss is a class I paid for as I would never repeat the errors again,” says Tiwaworks.
However unwelcome, the setback reinforced Tiwaworks’ drive. It would be a mere stumbling block in his journey – a journey he had only just begun.
The genesis of his business occurred while he was the Special Events Coordinator at his college fraternity.
“When I took this role upon myself, we pretty much changed the face of marketing and entertainment for the city of Atlanta. We were doing very innovative productions, our flyers looked more creative and appealing than others, we had approached local media companies to enquire about advertising rates. We were able to distribute our product to a population of about 1.2 million people in the area instantly – something no one else was doing. We positioned ourselves strategically. This is how I opened myself to the world of entertainment and events marketing.”
Although successful now, there were lessons that Tiwaworks had to learn.
“I learned to study my market thoroughly and not take chances. Audiences will only gravitate towards what interests them. I also learned to be aware of what competitors were doing and be well prepared,” he says.
Born in England, to Nigerian parents, Tiwaworks’ roots haven’t left him. His interest in programming, while in the US, was influenced by a desire to follow in his father’s footsteps, who owned a computer networking company in Nigeria.
“About a year and a half into graduation, I realized I wasn’t really interested in programming. I didn’t want to pursue it anymore but I was also not prepared to quit on my major and start something else all over again. I decided to go ahead and finish my course.”
With great hurdles to overcome, Tiwaworks revised his strategies for doing events. Atlanta was laden with new attractions. He hosted parties with some big names in American show business: Bobby Valentino; Brandy and Jagged Edge. Sponsorship and alignment was putty in his hands as brands clamored to be a part of his parties. Tiwaworks was expanded to more cities and soon his parties were the hottest ticket.
With the impressive growth of the brand, it soon appealed to different clients.
“Our events were very casual. A lot of Nigerians soon started coming up to me enquiring if I am a countryman. In no time, we started to receive a lot of support from the Nigerian community. Soon, a friend of mine suggested that we take a chance at going back home as the entertainment scene there is really opening up.”z
In 2004, for the first time since he was 13, he returned home. With some feasibility studies and more groundwork, Tiwaworks hosted its first Nigerian event in 2008 and recently celebrated the fifth anniversary of its most upscale event – All Black Everything – an elite annual event for young professionals and celebrities to network in Nigeria.
For Tiwaworks, the secret to success is simple.
“We made our parties very personable. I establish a one-on-one relationship with everyone that comes. I built my events handshake by handshake, brick by brick. That is more powerful than any radio or television advertising spot we could ever buy. We are looking to tour about 11 cities in the US this year.”
Tiwaworks now hosts the largest weekend which draws about 25,000 people annually to the city of Atlanta boasting average revenues of about $ 600,000 on its large weekend events.
“We have used it as a marketing tool establishing relationships with many companies. With our events, you are able to place your product directly in front of the market. Companies that look for non- traditional ways to enter the market approach us. We understand consumerism.”
He also sees creativity and foresight as a crucial element of entrepreneurship.
“You have to be a visionary. You have to visualize each and every aspect of the event and how it all comes together to provide a unique experience. Putting an event together equates to looking at a blank canvas and beginning to piece it together. I am a very visual person and always looking to heighten the experience. Then comes paperwork – budgeting, costs and estimates. Sponsors always seek visibility and return on investment.”
The Atlanta Greek Picnic Weekend is another attraction built under the Tiwaworks stable. This event draws a wide variety of all the black fraternities and sororities that make up the prestigious Divine Nine.
Tiwaworks’ entrepreneurial flair is not limited to hosting social events. He has a passion for real estate and technology.
“Ultimately, I am a businessman at heart. I love doing business. One thing I have learned in business is to diversify and have multiple streams of income. We now have real estate educational seminars and speaking engagements.”
With expansion plans for Dubai, South Africa, Britain and Nigeria, Tiwaworks’ toughest period in business was a precious lesson.

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‘I Was Sick To My Stomach’