BELLAFRICANA AFRICAN CREATIVE EXHIBITION (ACE) AND AWARDS

The management of Bellafricana is officially announcing their first edition of Bellafricana African Creative Exhibition and Awards coming up on the 17th of April, 2017. This Annual Creative Exhibition and Award (termed Bellafricana ACE Awards) is fully endorsed by Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), the Nigerian-British Chamber of Commerce (NBCC) and the Nigeria Britain Association.

The theme is “Celebrating Creativity and Innovation”, as it is time to encourage and reward the hardworking creative business owners for impacting lives and the economy.

Bellafricana is an initiative with a focus on Made-in-Nigeria (Non-oil) products where customers and suppliers engage and transact to bridge the buyer-seller gap and create a wider outreach for Nigerian products locally and globally.

Bellafricana has enabled African creative businesses a platform to receive the recognition they have long deserved. They aim to laud the creative works of Nigerians (Africans), which makes open competition affordable and accessible.

The organisers believe the time has come where we should all come together to recognise and encourage hardworking and greatly skilled men and women who are making a significant impact through their various Industries/sectors.

This event is proudly sponsored by Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) and supported by other organisations such as Sovereign Guards Limited, Vibe Web Solutions, Noah’s Ark, Labule Restaurant, ASSETS, Lara Rose, Mensam Prints, Bakers Options, Inside Watch Africa, Timeless, and much more

What To Expect At Bellafricana ACE Awards 2017

This will be a three phase event in which two of the phases will run simultaneously while the third phase will be held as the peak of the event.

The phases are; Exhibition, Conference and Awards dinner.

Both the Exhibition and the Conference will be held simultaneously and the Awards will be held in a dinner fashion to close the event.

Exhibition

The watch-word at Bellafricana is Quality, to this effect; the organisers of the Bellafricana ACE Awards have assured the availability of top quality creative Afrocentric businesses to exhibit.

You will be able to access a wide variety of discounted quality made in Nigeria products all under one roof in these 5 focus categories are; Arts & Crafts, Fashion, Health & Beauty, Home & Living and Food Produce & Snacks.

HERE IS WHY YOU SHOULD ATTEND AND NOT MISS THIS EVENT?

· Mouth-watering BBQ Chicken, Fish and Steak at the Sea Front

· Free Massage

· Free Spa Treatment

· Free Health Check

· Get up to 25% discount to shop.

· Get giveaways worth over ₦1,000,000.

· Fun Area for Kids – Games, Dancing Competition, Arts and Craft Making, T-shirt Painting and many more

· Painting Competition for Adults

· Make New Friends and Connection

· Free WiFi to browse all day

· ₦1,000 off Taxi Ride

· Highly Secured


To register and find out more, go to event.bellafricana.com/shopping

Conference

Themed: Practical Steps to taking your business Global

Key Note Speaker: Mr Olusegun Awolowo (CEO, Nigerian Export Promotion Council)

Bellafricana is always finding ways to help both budding and established creatives to harness the resources available to build their businesses stronger.

To this end, the conference will feature enlightening and engaging talks from renowned business men and women who have quality experience in these fields;


· Marketing Your Creative Business Globally

· How to Monetize your Creative Idea

· Branding that speaks for you

· Taking Your Non-Oil Product Global (Export)

· Sustainability and Succession Planning for Creative Businesses

· Perfect the Quality of your Craft and Evolve

To register and find out more, go to event.bellafricana.com/conference

Awards

Theme: Celebrating Creativity and Innovation

This African Creative Exhibition & Awards opens for nominations in various categories and Award competition.

Participants are offered a unique opportunity to showcase their talents and to have their work judged by the consumers and experts.

1) Best Indigenous Textile Designer

2) Best Emerging Beauty Brand

3) Best Emerging Fashion Brand

4) Best Creative Solution (ICT)

5) Best Supportive Made-in-Nigeria Celebrity of the Year

6) Best Eco-friendly Product Innovation

7) Best Innovative Product of the Year

8) Best Pioneer Craftsman/woman of the Year (Over 10 years)

9) Best Food Produce Innovation

10) Best Creative Kid Entepreneur

11) Best Creative Social Enterprise of the Year

12) Best Creative Kids Brand

13) Best Emerging Artist

14) Best Emerging Home & Lifestyle Brand

15) Best emerging African Brand


VOTING IS CURRENTLY ONGOING FOR THE AWARDS AND ENDS 05/04/2017. NOMINATE YOUR BRAND TODAY.


Go to the event website: event.bellafricana.com for more information.

Why You Should Participate

· The event is an important annual occurrence aimed at attracting an audience that include Captains of Industry, Investors, Upwardly Mobile Youths, Marketers, Trade Delegations & Missions, Procurement Officers, Brand And Business Managers, Art Lovers, Governmental Representatives And Key Decision Makers.


· The event is for enterprising Nigerian MSMEs seeking wider access to both internal markets and International markets and investors seeking joint-venture partners.

EVENT FACTS

Theme: “Celebrating Creativity and Innovation”

Conference Theme: "Practical Steps to Taking Your Business Global"

Date: April 17, 2017 (Easter Monday, Public Holiday)

Venue: D-Venue, Water Corporation Drive, Off Ligali Ayorinde, Oniru, Lagos, Nigeria.

Time for Exhibition: 10 - 4pm

Time for Awards Dinner: 5 – 9pm

For partnership and sponsorship details, please contact the organisers;

Call: +2348086363970 or +2348184457403

Email: info@bellafricana.com, community@bellafricana.com

Register: event.bellafricana.com

Special Effects makeup artist - Dorothy Emem Kwofie

Dorothea Kwofie Born Dorothy Emem Kwofie, is an actress cum special effects makeup artist. She's quite creative and daring, delving into the whirl pool of creativity to bring out the most intriguing for that Wow effect in special effects makeup. 

She's moved to change the way special effects make up is done in the Movie industry here in Nigeria and has worked on the movie sets of Secret Room, Last 3 digits, B for Boy, Not Right, I Think he loves me, same difference, days without Rain, to mention a few.

Below is a video of her, transforming a woman to a man with makeup. Please visit the link and like the video. Thanks in advance :-) 

Click this link for the video - video

Below are some pictures of her work;

AnQ-àrá - Kennedy Ifedolapo Adetayo #inthespiritofenterprise

So, this is the first time I am showcasing two entrepreneurs on the same day. Couldn't resist. They have both inspired me, I hope they inspire you too.

We've met Chinenye (Er..., so I went and published this one first!! Sorry), next up is Kennedy.

When you speak to Kennedy, you would immediately know that "boys are not smiling" lol!! He means business. More importantly, he enjoys what he does. Plus, just like Chinenye, he too has a sense of humor. I am beginning to think, for you to survive the business terrain in Nigeria, you do need a sense of humor.

I had to ask about his brand name, because it's really different  with a bit of vava-voom (whatever that means, lol) and he had a whole epistle to roll out about it! Lol.

Let's meet Kennedy.

Enjoy.....

Tell us about yourself

Been asked this question too many times in interviews, anyways my names are Kennedy Ifedolapo Adetayo, a graduate of the federal university of agriculture, abeokuta. I'm a native of Ogun state, first of three children and I love fashion like I love food(I do love good food a lot) - Men! *rolling eyes*

How did you get into this?

I'm used to hearing people say "I started from the bottom,now I'm here",well for me it started as a hobby back then in school, ruined all the good clothes my uncle and aunt abroad sent to me all in the name of 'customizing' it, then I got better and others could trust me with their clothes and by the time I was in final year, I was getting jobs from various departments to make their polos.

After school and during NYSC(which I served in ibadan, Oyo State), I lived close to the famous gbagi market and I was wondering how I could incorporate ankara and other african attires into my clothing line, I spoke with few friends and they immediately ruled out the possibility...just what I needed to hear to try it out! And that was how AnQ-àrá was born.

What does the name mean?

Despite its synonimity with the fabric ankara, AnQ-àrá's name did not come from it,well imbibed in the name is the word 'ara' which means different things in different languages, here are some;

Ara-Body (yoruba)
AnQ-àrá's objective is to find,make and/or manufacture fashion ideas and clothing for all body sizes.

Ara-Thunder(yoruba)
AnQ-àrá is a force,one that must be reckoned with in the fashion business,not to be feared but respected across the world

Ara-People(yoruba)
AnQ-àrá is a community of vibrant youths who wants to make a difference,we imbibe former students of our training academy as well as artisans(e.g cobblers,tailors etc) all good at what they do.

Ara-Wonder(yoruba)
AnQ-àrá's designs wold never cease to amaze you with unique designs and blend of colour never before imagined.

This man can ankaralize anytin!

The Journey

To me, the journey has just started but so far I'd call it bitter-sweet (like that taste you get from half ripe agbalumo you have rubbed on the wall for about five minutes), besides a caring mum yelling that I get a real job to friends that want to invest in my business and control 70% stake to sitting down with cobblers and tailors so they won't ditch your work to delivering one sandal to agbara to female friends asking for freebies (hahahaha!!!) to people calling you gay for making female clothings but in all, I see noting but a new challenge to be conquered. Its been wonder-fun this far and I pray it will be better!

Where do you see AnQ-àrá in the future

Lining up models in fashion weeks in new york,tokyo,london and berlin, having a 6-acre factory set up somewhere in ogun state,being a household name in africa and beyond and partnering with multinationals to push boundaries.

Given another chance, what would you trade this for?

Oh yes, the only thing I'd trade AnQ-àrá for in another life is being at the pearly gates sorting out Nigerians whether they go to heaven or hell(but we both know that won't happen, hehe).

You know how we do! Go and follow, like, call and above all BUY!!

AnQ-àrá | African ethics.....World class designs
Email: anqara1@mtnnigeria.blackberry.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/anqarabytharev
Instagram: @4Qhen #anqara
Twitter: @4Qhen @AnQ_ara

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Africanah Cool!

Remember, if you would like to be featured in this segment, just mail me at mofolusadesonaike@gmail.com. Cheers guys!