TAKE 5: Angela Muthoga

Angela Angela Muthoga is general manager of The Main Event Company (TMEC). PHOTO | COURTESY

What you need to know:

  • She has over eight years’ experience in event production and management, having found her passion and enthusiasm for the industry while completing her master’s degree in the UK.
  • Behind a great event is a great event organiser who has spent countless hours planning, re-planning and understanding the ins and outs of the event. This is paired with careful planning, strategic thinking and attention to detail.
  • Earning a degree is all about opening up opportunities. It prepares you intellectually and socially for your career and your adult life. It lays the groundwork and gives you a broad range of skills.

1.At what point in the middle of your law degree did you decide that you did not want to be a lawyer?

Law is an amazing profession, but it wasn’t for me. I needed to find something that would keep me on my toes and wouldn’t get monotonous. I wanted a career that was fast-paced, where I would be doing something different each day, not sit behind a desk 40 hours a week. Event planning allows you to work on a wide variety of projects and no two are the same. It wasn’t until I moved back home that I realised I needed to do two years at the Kenya School of Law regardless of having studied the UK equivalent. I moved back mid-year and missed that year’s intake so I decided to dabble in events planning. I have never looked back.  

2.What should those who want to get into events management know?

To be a successful event manager, you need to have superior organisational skills and great interpersonal skills. If you are the kind of person who communicates effectively, always thinks out-of-the-box, is flexible, creative and pays attention to detail, you are destined to be successful at this.

3. What is the most important aspect of pulling off a memorable, well-organised event?

Planning. Behind a great event is a great event organiser who has spent countless hours planning, re-planning and understanding the ins and outs of the event. This is paired with careful planning, strategic thinking and attention to detail.

4.When you are not working, what do you do for fun?

I love to travel; it exposes me to new places, people, cultures and cuisines. It has also helped me develop a wider world view and made me an all-rounded person.

5.How important do you think school is in your career - or should I say, did your master’s come in handy?

Earning a degree is all about opening up opportunities. It prepares you intellectually and socially for your career and your adult life. It lays the groundwork and gives you a broad range of skills.

Many graduates end up in fields that are unrelated to what they studied in school. I believe a degree is what opens up unexpected opportunities that aren’t always there for those who haven’t engaged in a higher level of education. I am a true testament to that.

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Blog of the week

SighKick Mag

https://sighkickmag.wordpress.com/

I admire anyone who has the guts to start a magazine in Kenya, especially if it is one of those niche ones; for example, this one that I was not aware of until the editor emailed me. It’s called Sigh Kick magazine – according to Saviour Kumwaka, the editor, the name comes from the ‘sigh of relief as you kick your board down the street – it’s as simple as that.’

They are telling the “Kenyan story through skateboarding.” If you visit the blog, you can check out the stories they have  on skate competitions, various premieres, and of course the launch of the magazine, which happened in December last year. Looking to get a copy? They are selling the soft copy for Sh50 – all you need to do is send them an e-mail. I checked it out, it has a couple of features, tips and tricks, and info on the best spots to skate. Give it a whirl. Get it?

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hotspot

Lili’s Bistro at Gramo Suites, Kileleshwa 

The sign that leads to Gramo Suites is gold writing on a black background, so you can’t miss it if you’re looking for a bit of glamour on Kileleshwa’s Durham Road (off Gichugu Road). The security is quite tight at the serviced apartments that play host to the bistro, so make sure you are clear about where you are going.

Lili’s Bistro is quite new, so at the moment, the menu is not particularly extensive, which did not contribute to my experience; but I suppose the bistro is not the main business for the serviced apartments, so that is understandable. What I would go to Lili’s for, is the quietness of the surroundings.

I quite like the seating area, and the fact that you can look out onto the pool as you enjoy whatever it is you are having. Perhaps I should go on another visit when the menu is up and running.