The Experiential Marketers Association of Nigeria (EXMAN) hosted a dynamic media parley in Lagos recently, setting the stage for its 2025 Brand Experience (BEX) Summit, Annual General Meeting, and the much-anticipated EXMAN Awards. The gathering, which brought together top media executives, agency leaders, and industry stakeholders, underscored EXMAN’s unwavering commitment to innovation, personalization, and collaborative growth across the marketing ecosystem.
This year’s summit will explore the theme, “Personalization at Scale: From Insights to Impact in a Data-Driven, Immersive World.” The focus is to delve into the complex balance between embracing cutting-edge technology and maintaining authentic, human-centered marketing strategies.
In her keynote address, Mrs. Tolulope Apinke Medebem, President of EXMAN, emphasized the urgency and relevance of the summit’s theme. She noted that as marketing becomes increasingly shaped by AI, automation, and data analytics, the real challenge is not just in adopting these tools but in preserving intimacy and authenticity at scale. According to her, “As we move deeper into an era shaped by AI, automation, and analytics, the core challenge remains: How do we scale intimacy without losing authenticity? How do we embrace data without erasing the human? These are some of the critical conversations we are curating at this year’s BEX Summit.”
Mrs. Medebem also announced that the summit would open with the presentation of the Lagos Business School’s 2024/2025 Industry Report on Experiential Marketing Trends. Delivered by Dr. Uchenna Uzo, the report reflects a deep academic-industry partnership and is expected to influence how marketers measure and interpret brand experience in the near future.
Speaking further at the event, Mr. Mustapha Owolabi, a member of the BEX Planning Committee, emphasized that this year’s theme was purposefully chosen to reflect both the opportunities and tensions that define modern marketing. He described the summit as a platform not just for dialogue but for action, noting that it would feature student innovations, thought leadership, and strategic collaboration across the sector.
The summit’s keynote sessions will include a presentation by Mrs. Victoria Ajayi, Group Managing Director of TVC Communications, who will speak on how AI is transforming consumer experiences and enabling scalable personalization. Another major highlight will be a keynote by Mr. Feyi Olubodun, Founder of Open Squares Africa, who will explore the intersection of data and storytelling, and how brands can turn insights into powerful narratives.
Complementing these keynote sessions will be several breakout discussions, strategic panels, and the Student Innovation Challenge, all designed to spotlight emerging talents and forward-thinking approaches in experiential marketing.
Following the summit, EXMAN will host its Annual General Meeting and Awards ceremony. Themed “Building Bridges and Strengthening Bonds”, this segment will highlight outstanding achievements across the industry, while emphasizing values such as ethical innovation and measurable impact.
Agnes Ailuelohia, a member of the EXMAN AGM & Awards Planning Committee, explained that the Awards are not merely about recognizing standout campaigns. They are designed to celebrate strategy, creativity, and the ethical application of marketing insights. She noted a record-breaking number of entries this year, many from new participants, which reflects EXMAN’s growing reputation and relevance. The judging process, she assured, will be handled by a panel of independent experts and global advisors, ensuring fairness and transparency.
Closing the media parley, Mrs. Medebem extended an invitation to experiential marketing agencies that are not yet members of EXMAN to join the association. She described EXMAN as more than a professional body, it is a collective of futurists, creatives, strategists, and technologists committed to redefining brand experiences across Africa.
“If you’re not yet a part of EXMAN,” she said, “the time to join is now.”
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