Akintola Ayinde is the Chief Executive Officer of Blingz Group, a branding and events company which has become one of the most sought after in Nigeria, especially in the South West. In a recent interview with ROTIMI IGE, he speaks on his experience and challenges in the industry, as well as his process of curating some of the most iconic award events in Nigeria.
You revolutionised awards events especially in Ibadan with unique ideas. With many dropping the idea of hosting events due to funding constraints, among other reasons, why have you continued with yours in Nigeria’s event and award scene?
The Blingz Events Award was originally created to improve and elevate the event industry in Oyo State. What started as a local initiative quickly grew into a prestigious event that now commands attention across Nigeria and even beyond.
It’s an award show that celebrates and recognises event practitioners—everyone involved in the ecosystem of event planning, production, and execution. What truly sets the Blingz Events Award apart is its credibility. From our very first edition till date, we’ve never been caught up in any controversy. That reputation for fairness and integrity is something we hold dear.
But more than that, it’s our creativity and execution that make us different. As an award that celebrates events, we also set the standard for what a well-executed event should look like. From concept to storytelling, from design to delivery, we lead by example and raise the bar every single year.
Consistency has also been a major factor. We’ve stayed true to our mission from the very beginning, and each edition outdoes the last. Even earning a nomination is competitive—you have to work hard for it. And that, in turn, helps people and businesses grow, directly and indirectly.
That’s why people respect the Blingz Events Award. It’s more than a show—it’s a movement that celebrates excellence and pushes the industry forward.
Last year’s theme, ‘The Beach Adventure’, was bold and unexpected, especially for a city like Ibadan that has no natural beach. What sparked the idea, and why did you choose that concept?
Like I said earlier, from day one, Blingz Events Award has always been rooted in creativity and intentionality. We’ve consistently been driven by the vision of putting Ibadan on the global map for event excellence.
From the very beginning, we approached things differently. Our journey started with ‘The Proposal’, our debut edition where we pitched the entire concept of Blingz Events Award to the public. After receiving overwhelming support and acceptance, we followed up with ‘Take a Flight With Us’, an airline-themed edition that spotlighted the often-overlooked Ibadan airport. We even shot a promo video at the airport, which was supported by FAAN Nigeria. That was a bold move and a proud moment.
From there, we moved on to ‘The Man with the Golden Ticket’, followed by ‘You Can Be the Change’, which focused on inspiring individuals to be agents of positive change in Nigeria. Then came ‘Eventful’ which was piloted by a whole movie we short for the edition, starring A-list actors like Femi Adebayo, Lateef Adedimeji, Woli Agba, Biola Adebayo, Aisha Lawal, Adeniyi Johnson, Dr Smile.
The movie linked the story from the first edition till date and the award event that was hosted by the eight Nollywood actors. After that, we decided on ‘The Space Experience’, where we took guests on a futuristic journey. Each edition kept people guessing what we would do next. The goal has always been to create something extraordinary and unforgettable.
For our seventh year, we drew inspiration from the Bible — the seventh day, a day of rest. After six years of hard work, we thought, why not take a break? Why not create a vacation experience? That’s how the idea of ‘The Beach Adventure’ was born. A beach theme, as a way to represent relaxation and rest.
The twist? There’s no natural beach in Ibadan. Initially, we considered taking the event to Lagos, bringing along all our Ibadan-based vendors, creatives, and talents to showcase the strength of Ibadan in another city. But things shifted when we got opportunities in Canada, the UK, and US. That made me realise that it was our moment to truly show the world what Ibadan can do.
So, we chose to bring the concept back home and do the unexpected by creating a beach in Ibadan. It was daring, but it aligned perfectly with our brand’s identity: setting trends, pushing boundaries, and redefining what’s possible in the event space. Creating that beach was not just fun, it was a statement. And it paid off.
Why is strong theming and immersive creativity so important to you and your brand?
Yes, beyond being an event expert, I’m also a brand strategist, and I understand the power of branding. From day one, I’ve been intentional about building Blingz Events Award with strong brand principles, aligning everything we do with our brand story and identity.
Creating unique ideas isn’t just something we do once a year for the awards, it’s what we sell. Apart from organising events, we also run a branding firm that specialises in branding and packaging for events. We’ve worked on a variety of projects for natable brands, developing the entire concept and brand identity for those events.
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This creative strength is one of our biggest assets. So, each time we create a concept for Blingz Events Award, it’s not just for show—it’s also a way to demonstrate what we can do for others. We use our platform to showcase our creativity and the power of intentional branding. That’s why branding and concept creation will always be a major part of our process. It’s our zone of genius and we lean into it fully.
You recently took your award event on a world tour. What inspired that move, especially since you’re known for showcasing Ibadan locally?
To be honest, I’m not someone who enjoys traveling. I’ve always been more passionate about showcasing my city, Ibadan, to the world, while staying rooted right here. That’s been the whole point from the beginning, to prove that you don’t have to leave your city to create global-level excellence.
But in 2024, I had to travel for family reasons, and that affected the time line for our usual Blingz Events Award. We had to postpone it for a few months. And as someone who loves events, who lives and breathes events, I started thinking; if I’m going to be away from Ibadan for several months, why not carry the vision with me?
When I looked at my travel schedule, I saw I’d be touching Canada, the UK, and possibly the US. So I thought, why not turn this situation into an opportunity? If the dream has always been to show Ibadan to the world, then this was the perfect chance to do exactly that, physically. Not just through media, but by bringing the award experience to different cities, and in the process, creating healthy competition and motivation among Nigerians in the diaspora to do better and bigger events wherever they are.
So I decided to take Blingz Events Award on a world tour, from Canada, to the US, then to the UK. And the response? Honestly, it blew my mind. The love and acceptance we got made me realise something powerful, the world is already watching.
The tour didn’t just showcase Ibadan, it elevated our awardees, our nominees, and the entire Blingz brand. And because of that overwhelming support, we’ve now decided to make the world tour a yearly tradition, taking the excellence from home and showing it live to the world.
Even with the international expansion, the Nigeria edition remains the biggest and most talked about. Why do you think the home edition continues to hold such power and impact?
Well, it’s clear that the Nigerian edition of the Blingz Events Award will always be the biggest. That has always been the vision, to use the platform to showcase Ibadan, Oyo State, and Nigeria to the world.
Think of it like a massive festival, with mini festivals happening in different parts of the world. The diaspora editions—in the US, Canada, and the UK—are like subsidiaries that help build the global excitement. But Nigeria remains the home of the grand finale. Now that we’ve moved the event to December, it gives people, especially Nigerians in the diaspora, a chance to travel home for the finale. So even if someone wins an award in the UK, US, or Canada, they can still come back to Nigeria and be celebrated alongside other global winners. It’s a way of bringing people together and reminding them of the roots we’re all connected to.
At the heart of it, we’re driving something bigger than an award. We’re encouraging people to reinvest in our culture, to see the beauty in what we have and take that to the world. That’s why this year’s theme is “Beautiful Heritage.” Because our heritage truly is beautiful, and more importantly,it’s exportable.
From Afrobeats to traditional weddings, Nigerian culture is already influencing the world. Our goal is to use the Blingz Events Award as a platform to show that our style of events, our creativity, and our cultural expressions can compete globally. And now, the world is watching.
A lot of people talk about the integrity of the Blingz Events Award — how the awards are actually earned, not bought or influenced. How have you maintained such credibility and accountability over the years?
I get this question a lot—and my answer is always the same: I’ve detached myself emotionally from the award process.
What I mean by that is, even though I’m the convener, I don’t influence who gets nominated or who wins. We have a structured system for nominations and voting. The winners are determined purely by votes—not favoritism or personal relationships.
It doesn’t matter if you’re my best friend; if you don’t get the votes, you won’t win. And even if you’re someone I don’t get along with, if you earn the votes, you will absolutely pick up the award.
That’s how we’ve maintained our credibility over the years.
In fact, there have been times I didn’t even know who won until few days to the event. I remember attending an event in Lagos, and someone came up to me smiling. I greeted her politely, and she said, “I won your award last year.” I was genuinely surprised and congratulated her right there. That’s how independent the process is.
We have systems in place—for collecting nominations, managing the voting process, and verifying the results. It’s not a one-man show. And because I don’t influence the outcome, it’s impossible for anyone to influence me.
Integrity is a core part of our brand story, and we’ve remained true to it from the very beginning. That’s one of the key reasons the Blingz Events Award continues to stand the test of time.
What kind of reactions did you receive after the Beach Adventure edition? Any specific moment or feedback that made you feel, “Yes, we did it”?
The reaction was huge—and that’s saying something, because we’re already used to getting “wow” reactions. Even before we went global, Blingz Events Award had grown to become the biggest event award platform in the Southwest, so expectations were already high.
But last year was different. After the event in November, the buzz didn’t stop. All through December, people kept calling and messaging us, asking if they could visit the beach in Ibadan for the Christmas holiday. Some people even thought it was a real beach that had opened permanently!
We had people saying, “I want to hang out there,” or “Can I bring my family there during the festive season?” The interest was overwhelming. We even got serious calls and proposals from people asking if we could recreate the beach setup as a permanent tourist attraction in Ibadan.
That’s how impactful it was—it went beyond just an event. It became a cultural moment.
Let’s talk logistics — from concept to execution, how long did it take to bring The Beach Adventure to life? And how do you manage to keep outdoing yourself year after year?
It took almost a whole year of research and planning. That’s because at Blingz Events Award, we always develop our concepts a year in advance. Before we even finish one edition, we already have the theme and direction for the next one.
For example, we had the idea for The Beautiful Heritage just a few weeks before we staged The Space Experience. So actual planning started about two months after Space Experience wrapped up, and from then on, it was a solid eight to twelve months of intense planning, development, and execution.
We take our time because we don’t just create events—we create experiences with purpose, storytelling, and intentional design.
and it was really, really expensive. But as a brand that’s known for event branding and setting new standards, we knew we had to deliver nothing but the best.
We started by shooting the promo video at an actual beach in Lagos—so that immediately set a certain expectation in people’s minds. Once we put that out, we couldn’t afford to fall short of that standard. We had to bring the vision to life, exactly as we presented it.
So we shipped in over 30 tons of real beach sand from Lagos. That alone cost a lot. Then came the props and design elements. We had to simulate the ocean waves using about 400 square feet of LED screens, along with custom sound effects to recreate the atmosphere of a real beach. Even the ambience at the red carpet and inside the hall was designed to feel just like a beach arena having decorations like water bowls with life fishes on all the tables etc.
It was a major investment—but it paid off. In fact, what we achieved was even more beautiful than what we had imagined. The visuals, the experience, the reaction—it all exceeded our expectations.
And that’s the kind of result that makes all the effort and expense worth it.
Finally, what’s next for Blingz Events Award? Can you give us a hint of what to expect in the coming years — or at least, tell us if we should pack our bags for another wild adventure?
This year’s theme is “The Beautiful Heritage.”
Last year, we had already locked in our concept before we even knew the award would go on a world tour. So we had to stick with the plan. But now that the global leg of the Blingz Event Awards is official and ongoing, this year we decided to go all in on something deeply rooted and meaningful: our African heritage.
With “The Beautiful Heritage”, we’re showcasing the richness of African culture—especially from Nigeria—through events, performances, storytelling, and overall event presentation. We want the world to experience our traditions, our artistry, our creativity, and the cultural pride that defines who we are.
This isn’t just about putting on a show—it’s about telling our story. We’re used to creating concepts and themes that wow audiences, but this time, it’s more intentional. We’re giving the world something they don’t often see or understand: the real Africa. Not the outdated stereotypes of lions and monkeys, but the depth, elegance, and beauty of our traditions, fashion, language, values, and expressions.
Everything we’ve done over the past seven years has been impactful—but this theme is special. Unlike the skyscrapers and nightlife we’ve also showcased, this is purely ours. Our own cultural export. The kind of experience that makes the world say, “Wow, we never knew this existed.”
Also, this year, we will be honouring individuals who have consistently showcased Nigeria to the world—through language, fashion, art, culture, and more. These people represent us globally and receive admiration abroad. Now it’s our turn to celebrate them at home and tell them: “We see you, and we are proud of you.”
We’re open to collaborations and sponsorships from anyone passionate about showing the world the richness of our identity. This is bigger than an award—it’s a cultural movement. Let’s do it together.
and then