THISDAY

Vanguard Personalit­y of the Year Awards 2021 would be Highbred – Organisers

- Stories by Mary Nnah

Although this year’s edition of the annual awards of Vanguard Media, “Vanguard Personalit­y of the YearAwards”, would be merged with last year’s which couldn’t hold due to COVID-19 pandemic, with a huge number of over 30 recipients on the list for the awards, Verdant Zeal MarketingC­ommunicati­ons Group, the firm organising the awards for the media house, has said that despite all odds, this year’s episode would be highbred.

Scheduled to hold on Saturday, July 17 at Eko Hotels & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos, the Vanguard Personalit­y of the Year Awards, has over the years evolved from just focusing on the banking sector and governors, to becoming a balanced assessment of people who have performed outstandin­gly in their various fields, singling out who are the real heroes of the society and having them celebrated. That is what the event is doing again this year.

Speaking on the forthcomin­g event, Chief Operating Officer, Verdant Zeal Marketing Communicat­ions Group, Mr. Dipo Adesida recalled that the journey started sometime in 2007 / 2008, then as Vanguard Bankers’ Awards, which ran for just one season. It took a break for about four years and then continued in 2012 when the event was rebranded as Vanguard Personalit­y of the Year Awards.

Adesida who described his company’s experience with Vanguard Media over the last 8 years as being very liberating, noted that one of the things that makes a successful event is when the client gives its consulting agency the role to create. He opined that “having a client who is willing to explore with you is one of the key determinan­ts orchestrat­ing a memorable event.”

“Especially because it is usually a very high profile event that attracts crème de la crème of the society we have to take certain things into considerat­ion such as security, ensuring that the hall that we use is the best in class and that all the performanc­es are such that reflect the brand, Vanguard - all of these have happened in the last eight years because Vanguard has given us the leeway every single time to design the idea and they ensure that the funds are provided.”

Speaking on the idea of merging last year’s edition with this year’s, he said, “The event did not hold last year. It was schedTakin­g uled for March 2020 and just as we were heading to the event, the federal government gave an ultimatum that all events should be canceled. Covid-19 was still very fresh in Nigeria at that time so, because of that we had to cancel everything.

“So, what we are holding this year is actually a combinatio­n of last year’s and this year’s events. We are having for the first time Vanguard Personalit­y of the Year Awards a combinatio­n of winners from the year before and this year. That means this year’s edition is going to be huge, however it is going to be highbred”, Adesida noted.

He stressed that, even though Verdant Zeal is planning a big celebratio­n; it has to be in compliance with all of the principles and protocols of NCDC.

“We are not going to contravene government regulation of how many should be in the hall and so on. So again, we are still looking at Saturday with fingers crossed. So, with a lot of trepidatio­n and hope, we are really looking forward to hosting the event and putting it behind us”, he asserted.

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