My Experience at LinkedIn Local Lagos
About two weeks ago, I came across a LinkedIn post by an Influencer I follow, which spoke about LinkedIn Local Lagos. There have been previous editions, this one being the third.
Out of curiosity, I clicked on the link and registered for a ticket to the event. I wanted to know what all the fuss was about and why so many people, particularly those on LinkedIn, get hyped up about it.
Last week, on Saturday, I attended the event. It took place at the Oriental Hotel, which is not too far from where I live. Upon getting dropped off on the premises, I followed a group of attendees into the hotel and was led to the hall.
There were a lot of people. Like loads of people. I was in awe and, at the same time, overwhelmed because that meant one thing; networking. My fellow introverts should be able to relate to this struggle.
I did not take that many photos, which is a big regret. Either way, I was directed to the hall after showing the usher my ticket. Before we started the panels, we had a one-hour networking session.
I went off to three different booths that were outside the hall just to get to know the companies, not necessarily to land a job. I know that one thing can lead to another, but I wanted to satisfy my curiosity. As they say, curiosity kills the cat.
These companies happened to be the sponsors of the event. I am talking about great startups like Shuttlers, Healthtracka, Gamp, and so on. Shuttlers even gave me a nice little goodie bag with a notepad, a pen, and a pamphlet about their business. The guys at Gamp even registered me as a new customer.
One of my LinkedIn connections and followers, Denu Bon, is one of Nigeria’s biggest LinkedIn influencers. He was so thrilled to see me and gave me a big hug. He even refers to me as “Aunty Dami.”
I made a few friends. One of them, Helen, who sent me a WhatsApp message today, checking on me.
I, unfortunately, could not spend that much time as mum and I had to attend to some private matters, so I left the building after the first panel. Overall, it was a nice experience. I just wish they had given us lunch earlier.
The one key takeaway was when one of the panelists said that it is okay for women to be anything they want to be so long as they put their mind to it and are happy. So you can be a successful wife, mother, and career woman with little to no apologies whatsoever. Society be damned.
