PlanIt Ghana is one of a few companies bringing a new and refreshing professionalism to events management in Ghana and one that is fast developing an enviable reputation for creative solutions and attention to detail. Business World spoke to Gloria Buckman Yankson, the enthusiastic young woman behind the fast-growing firm.
Business World (BW): How long has your company been in existence?
Gloria Buckman Yankson (GBY) : PlanIt unofficially began in Scotland in 2006 taking its name from the services we provide. We’re a full service Event Production & Brand Communications company committed to primarily providing professional event management and integrated communications services. Our logo is derived from a Ghanaian cultural symbol known as “Nyansapo” – Wisdom Knot. The symbol expresses wisdom, ingenuity and patience. PlanIt was officially registered as a local business in Ghana in 2009.
BW: What informed your decision to set it up?
GBY: A lot of factors came together to inform the decision to set up PlanIt Ghana with my team. Personally, my entire career over the past decade has been focused on Communications & Event Planning / Production. It’s what I live for. It’s what I love to do. Over time, working in the corporate world no longer felt challenging enough. I felt restrained. And as the passion grew into an obsession, I felt more and more like my ideas were being locked up in a box. Not being able to build new and exciting ideas isn’t really my thing. So inadvertently, I suppose it was really about breaking free from the limitations. When I felt mature enough to leave the nest, we launched PlanIt Ghana. It feels good to be finally living the dream. It feels really good. We have God to thank for the amazing success trail over such a short time.
BW: What training did you have that prepared you for a business of this nature?
GBY: I have never stopped training myself. Every day, I devote at least an hour of my time to reading about new trends from established industry experts. In this business, constant self training is a must or you’ll begin to slack and it’ll show. It’s a bit like being an athlete. You can’t afford to not train yourself. My classroom based training leaned heavily towards Public Relations. I studied Public Relations at GIJ, The London School of Public Relations and went on to pursue a Masters’ Degree in Public Relations at The University Of Stirling in Scotland. Of course it included subjects like Branding, Communications, Advertising, Sales etc. My Events background comes from learning on the job at Hilton Plc. I learnt a lot from there. I also read a lot around Event Planning & Design as it’s one of those industries where trends change so quickly. People know us for our ability to ‘wow’ through simplicity and so we try to be as original as we can. It’s a lot of fun trying to come up with new creative things every few weeks in the hope that someone else hasn’t already executed the exact same idea.
BW: What is the one character trait you have that you think has brought you the success you’ve had?
GBY: It’s simple. Hard work infused with resilience.
BW: What are the best and worst things about your job?
GBY: A lot of the things I do wouldn’t be done by the non enthusiast. It is the mindset of being filled with love and passion for a career that makes you love it or hate it. I was reading an article by a gentleman called Paddy Spence who makes the point that building a business requires an ongoing level of sustained passion that managing and maintaining a business from a corporate position requires less of. He states that, to be an entrepreneur you need to have a tolerance for immense risk and the ability to wear a lot of hats. Personally, I love the fact that I can be called upon at anytime to do the unexpected. I love the variety. I love the adrenaline that the stress of Event Planning brings. I love that I get to meet new people on a daily business. The only thing I’m not a huge fan of is the accounting side of things. I just wish I could skip the budgeting part and just create new beautiful things.
BW: Is your job more or less difficult for being a young woman?
GBY: Apart from the men being a bit condescending at times, Event Planning & PR is a 24 hour job. Therefore as a young woman, it can be quite challenging to keep up with a daily routine. The earliest I go to bed on average is 1am. This is not by choice. Therefore, keeping a home in addition to a schedule like that can get quite hectic at times. But I’m not complaining. I can only do that now whiles I’m still young. I have dreams of retiring early.
BW: How does your business influence your social life and vice versa?
GBY: My business is my social life. Sometimes my brain goes into overdrive when I’m asleep. That’s when I wake up in the middle of the night and grab my laptop. A lot of people see the very glamorous side of Event Planning as a party goer’s dream. I suppose to a certain extent they’re right. When your job is to party, you really don’t need what they call “a social life”.
BW: What spurs you on?
GBY: I love my job!! Have I said that already? Lol. Plus I have a very supporting husband. But apart from that, I want to leave some kind of a legacy for my young son that he’ll be very proud of. These are the things that spur me on.
BW: Given that you are operating in something of a new industry, what tools have enabled you to convince people to use you?
GBY: 20% of my time is spent helping emerging brands understand how to communicate better. Clients, so far, haven’t had a problem understanding the need for effective brand communications. The remaining 80% is spent Planning & Producing corporate and social events. That is where the challenge comes in. I was reading an article by one of my favourite Event Designers, Preston Bailey, the other day. He was making the point that, many people don’t realize just how much work Event Managers actually take care of. Hiring vendors, for example, is only one very small part of what we do. We also manage those vendors, juggle the logistics of your event, keep everyone and everything on schedule, help you make good choices by giving you lots of well-researched options on everything from table linens to lighting to catering and more – mostly within a very limited time frame. People underestimate the amount of work involved in this cycle. Therefore 50% of the time, the potential clients we meet find it difficult to appreciate the real value of a Planner. The only tool I use is communication. Once you help clients understand your role, they appreciate your value better.
BW: Do you think the Ghanaian business environment is conducive to entrepreneurship, especially in innovative new industries such as yours?
GBY: Is the Ghanaian business environment conducive to entrepreneurship? We’re not quite there yet. Things like business advice, financial assistance, transparent and easy to understand government policies mark next to zero. But it’s getting better.
BW: What is the big vision for your firm?
At the moment, apart from Ghana, we have clients from South Africa, Europe and the USA. It is our hope, as a team, that one day our clientele will be dotted across the world. We’re working towards building PlanIt into a global brand. In a few years we want to look back at how far we’ve come as a Brand Communications & Event Planning Firm; pat ourselves on the back and take a worldwide cruise. That day will soon come.
BW: What are the major achievements you have targeted for yourself and your company?
Last year we were nominated for three different award categories at the 10th Annual Global Professional Achievers’ Awards. We picked up The Young Creative Star of The Year Award. That is a huge achievement for us. An achievement we’re still celebrating. Awards like this are an indication that we’re doing the right thing. Our bottom-line has also improved this year in comparison to last year. I hope that it’s just the beginning for myself and my team.
BW: What are your other interests?
GBY: I love music. I wish I could play the piano. One day soon I’ll learn to do just that.