Meet A-List Events Planner: Funke Bucknor – Obruthe

. Shares Her Secrets Of the FBO Factor

Twenty years as a foremost occasion planner (this is actually their20th year in the fire events) has earned Funke Bucknor-Obruthe a place amongst Nigeria’s industry leaders. She is the founder and modern-day C.E.O. Of the Zapphaire events organization (comprising Zapphaire activities restrained, The Zapphaire training Academy and Decor via Furtullah) a pioneer occasions making plans employer in Africa that has for decades endured to set the trend for event architecture and layout in Nigeria.Funke’s passion for innovation and excellence has constructed a leading wedding ceremony and activities emblem that has introduced well over 1,500 a hit occasions across the globe and has still remained applicable.Her ardour for on foot brides via the marriage procedure led her to publish The important Bridal manual – a first-of-its-kind wedding ceremony resource for the African marketplace. This avid entrepreneur is also obsessed on sharing enterprise information and giving others room to bloom. This resulted to the advent of the Zapphaire schooling Academy in 2009 which has birthed over 500 activities experts.

Also if you know FBO ( as she is fondly called ) , you can not help but notice this petite bubbly lady at events she manages  . Her energy , fashion and of course high level professionalism can not go unnoticed . Funke is also an energetic dancer and she can be spotted easily at these events and this has become somewhat her signature style .

In this edition , Funke gives us insights on her years of remaining relevant and some of her inner lifestyle secrets that stand her FBO brand out .

THE TWO DECADES SUSTAINING FACTOR

…….” I would say that of course ,  apart from the God factor which is the first one,  the second one is -I think that first of all, it’s about being consistent. So being consistent in delivering the values that we see,  in delivering on our brand promise, which you know of course is based on excellence, exceptional customer service delivery, on creating experiences,you know and just being consistent with that.

Another one I would say that has helped the business to be sustained for this long is building a strong team. So building a team that replicated the brand, that understand the brand and are committed to the brand and of course, in building a team, it’s by empowering the team. It’s by training them as you know, casting the visual over and over again and showing that one cares about them. Another way that I would say about sustainability is reinvention. So not just being doing something the same way. It’s doing it in a different way. How are we reinventing ourselves? How are we building up? Are we doing something different every time? So I would say those are some of the things I would say, has helped with our  consistency.

HER CONSTANT & UP TO DATE STYLE

….. ” So I think that over the last 10 years or so I deliberately decided that I would try and look nice at events. I can’t wear high shoes. I don’t get to go to a lot of events as a guest. The only thing people see is my outfit,my hair and my makeup. So I deliberately decided and even with my team to say – look…. So we’re gonna look good even when we are working. Our work already is already very hard. It’s already very- I would say tedious .I want people to know that look, the planners for this event, or the event producers are also people like them. So that’s why I deliberately sort of dressing up properly.

I actually don’t have a stylist that I pay. But I do have a group of people –  some of my staff who are my friends and just generally people that just say …oh Funke you look good in this…. I might also just see what I like and  looks good on me. So looking good is very intentional for me, because I want to look good at events and when I’m at an event.I want you to know that I am the event planner and I command some form of authority. I know sometimes the talk about dressing the way you want to be addressed. I want you to to recognize who you are talking to and the person you’re talking to is not just a random person.

My love for Nigerian Fashion Brands

…..”I would say  over the past few years I’ve seen how they’ve evolved how they’ve struggled to create a good product ,they work hard. So I feel like -why should I support people that don’t even know me? they don’t even know who we are. Why not let me support those that are here- The homegrown guys,  the Nigerians, the ones that are putting in all the work,  the ones that are being committed, the ones that are being creative, the ones that I’m dealing with the   circumstances we’re all dealing with. So you know people patronise Zapphaire , I want to patronise the people here as well. So even if it’s global,  I want to wear the Nigerian brand globally so when I do travel and go for conferences and  speak or when I plan events internationally,  I rep the Nigerian brand because I want people to ask me -Who are you wearing? I want to tell them I’m wearing Moofa ,  I’m wearing , Lady Maker , Lisa Folawiyo and so many other brands(which i cant remember from the top of my head,lol)  but these are all the people I’m wearing and I want you to legally make. You know, I have so many of them, so I’m wearing them and I want you to patronise them. So that’s why I do wear Nigerian brand and the make beautiful things