How Dunnice became successful brand in event industry

Dunnice is one of the successful brands in Nigeria’s event industry. But its success did not come overnight. It took years of hard work, patience and courage to get to where it is today.

However, its founder Ibidunni Layade believes that the company is yet to get to where it should be.

According to her, Dunnice Catering’s journey started as far back 2005 when it began event decoration.

But how did Layade conceive the idea?

“My first job came from a desire to decorate my church for Christmas shortly after I got married. I observed there were no signs of any church decorations coming up. Being new to the church, I told my husband, who informed the pastor and secured his approval for me to do something about it - at no cost. I didn’t have the skill then, but my hubby connected me with the vendor who decorated our wedding reception venue for a time of tutorship and training. Thereafter, I got a few of the church youths and the decorations were up,” she explains.

She says that that the probono decoration work paved the way for other commercial jobs that she got paid for.

The chartered accountantturned-entrepreneur recalls that her educational background gave her a soft landing in business, having studied accounting and graduating with an upper credit, making her one of the best students in class. “Never think you can go far without education,” she says. “Whether formal, informal or on-the-job-training, endeavour to learn. I paid to attend seminars, courses, trainings, masterclasses from bridal accessories to bead making, to flower arrangements, to tablesettings and hanging balloons. I still do. Learning, for me, is continuous” she says.

The Dunnice boss notes that she believes in research and development, prompted by listening to clients’ feedback and following trends from the streets of social media. She says she spends a considerable amount on data just to keep informed and ensure that she’s always abreast of what is fashionable and current.

According to Layade, she spares nothing to make her next event experience memorably different from the last.

“I remember an event decoration job we did some time ago where we went the extra mile to provide live parrots and rabbits as part of our props, because the job was a jungle themed party,” she says.

The catering arm of Dunnice has also created various product categories ranging from Corporate Cafeteria Management Services, Soups’n’stews-in-bowls, Appreciation Trays, Take away Packs, Celebration Boxes, Intimate Catering Dining, Homemade Foods-in-bowls, and Owambe Dishes, the entrepreneur says.