Olayide Babayemi is a conference producer at the Dubai World Trade Centre, where she helps bring some of the world’s biggest technology gatherings to life. She has worked directly on GITEX Africa and GITEX Nigeria, curating conversations that bring together innovators, investors, policymakers, and business leaders.
She first cut her teeth organising events for the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE), where she put together seminars and stakeholder engagement sessions that shaped the future of the world’s oil, gas, and energy industries across several countries.
- Explain your job to a five-year-old.
Being a conference producer is like being a person who plans a massive party, but without a birthday cake, music, toys, and a bouncy castle. Instead, my party has a lot of people who like to share and discuss ideas about their work. I invite all these people as the ‘special guests’ to my party, and I also decide the themes and manage the schedule. It’s my job to make sure everything runs smoothly and everyone who attends has fun!
- What excites you most about working on GITEX Africa and GITEX Nigeria?
Seeing how much Africa has to offer itself (first) and the rest of the world. I’m most excited that each edition allows me to contribute to shaping positive and authentic narratives about the continent; it’s a rewarding feeling.
- What has been your proudest moment so far as a conference producer?
LOL! Surviving! Conference production is complicated and sometimes complex work. Still, it’s most rewarding when speakers and delegates tell me how well organised, impactful, and enjoyable the event has been, proving that I actually know what I’m doing.
- What is the toughest challenge you have faced in producing large-scale events, and how did you overcome it?
Accepting that changes will occur between inception and execution was challenging for me early on in my career. Over time, I’d realise that as an events professional, my job is first and foremost people management, before it’s about my carefully thought-out words, detailed schedules, and pretty stages.
- How do you decide which themes or speakers deserve the spotlight at an event?
It starts with an overarching theme for the show from the management team, and then I conduct research for my specific sector stage(s). Reading, listening to industry experts, observing trends, and identifying value-add inform what I end up producing. My primary goal is to ensure that anything I come up with aligns with the overall theme/outcome for the event.
- What is one skill you rely on the most when deadlines are tight and pressure is high?
Figuring and refining a system that works, for example, I use Post-it notes to track my tasks. I also strive to set realistic expectations for deadlines.
- What does success look like for you at the end of an event?
Still having a smile on my face at the end of an event.
- What is one behind-the-scenes detail that people would be surprised to learn about conference production?
I don’t know if this is something that people would be surprised about. Still, it surprises me (all the time) — the amount of time it takes to organise a two, four, or five-day event is astonishing.
- Outside of work, what brings you joy or keeps you grounded?
Enjoying hearty gist, over good food with fantastic company. So refreshing.
- What’s something you love doing that you’re not great at? And what’s something you don’t love doing but are great at?
I love drawing, but I’m not the best, so I doodle patterns and shapes instead. A pen is a pen, and a win is a win. Right?
Cooking [for myself] is my least favourite thing at the moment, but I’m great at it. Interestingly, I’d much prefer to cook for friends and family.
