Kojo Poku ia an Executive Director of Big Ideaz Consult
Executive Director of Big Ideaz Consult and Vice President of Event and Meeting Professionals, Kojo Poku has stated that all event organisers in Ghana are in debt after hosting events.
Speaking on Joy FM, Kojo said event organisers often run at a loss after shows and struggle to pay those who supported the event.
According to him, people usually praise organisers for successful events without knowing the financial pressure that goes on behind the scenes.
“We are all (every event organiser) in debt, people are chasing me and calling my phone every day because we do events hoping we get it back,” Kojo Poku said.
He added that organisers sometimes have to transport people to the venue just to fill the space and make the show look packed.
This is done to create a good impression, especially when a brand is watching to decide whether to sponsor the event in the future.
“You put it all together and think this show lots of people showed up and people will be heaping praises on you that you are the best, you shut it down, but the truth is that they don’t know how you had to go and bus people from Legon to come fill the place up,” he revealed.
Kojo explained that the look and feel of an event are very important when it comes to attracting sponsors.
He said that some brands prefer to observe the success of an event before committing to sponsor it.
Because of this, organisers work hard to avoid empty seats, even if it means spending extra money they may not recover.
“You are building a brand, and the aesthetic is important; the look and feel are important. A sponsor has promised you that this year we won’t be on board, but we will send our brand’s people to come and look at things. You don’t want the brand’s manager to come and see the empty seats there, no, you want to fill up the place,” he explained.
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