A Recap Of The Bold & Beautiful Camer Ladies Meet Up Event

As Editor-in-Chief of The HotJem, I am proud to have been part of the team behind the Bold & Beautiful Camer Ladies (BBCL) Networking and Blogging Meet Up event, which took place on December 30, 2014 in Douala, Cameroon.

The event was the first of its kind, bringing together a group of women in the fashion and media space to organize a social media and networking event focused on bloggers, entrepreneurs and professionals. As women working in the digital and media space, we recognize the potential of content creation and social media, not only as tools for connecting with audiences but also as opportunities to build brands, expand businesses and generate income.

Since the event, I have received messages and emails from people who attended, those who missed it and others asking whether we would organize something similar again. It has been encouraging to see the response and to know that our efforts were noticed, despite some of the challenges we faced while planning the event.

I am pleased to share the official post-event BBCL press release below. If you attended the event, I would also love to hear your thoughts and experience.

Post BBCL Meet Up Press Release

The Bold & Beautiful Camer Ladies (BBCL) group hosted its first Blogging, Social Media and Networking Meet Up on December 30, 2014, at Le Méridien in Douala, Cameroon.

BBCL was established with the intention of bringing together young, dynamic, ambitious and professional Cameroonian women who were actively using social media to promote their businesses, brands and creative work. The group included professionals, entrepreneurs and bloggers from different industries and backgrounds.

The event attracted more than 120 attendees and was supported by several sponsors and media partners, including Gold Sponsor Baileys and Bronze Sponsor Madiba Consultants. Sponsors and partners provided services and technical support that contributed to the event.

The first BBCL event was designed to foster networking among young professionals, entrepreneurs, bloggers, media and entertainment personalities and corporate sponsors. In addition to creating networking opportunities, the event included an educational component focused on:

• The importance of social media for bloggers and entrepreneurs
• The impact social media can have on growing and promoting businesses
• The importance of collaboration among bloggers, entrepreneurs and businesses

The event also gave entrepreneurs, business owners, companies and sponsors an opportunity to showcase their products as vendors, meet members of the BBCL team, exchange business and blogging ideas and raise awareness about their work. It also created a space to discuss blogging, social media and the growing presence of Cameroonian women in the digital space.

Highlights of the event included a formal introduction of the BBCL organizers by Adeline Sede, one of the event organizers and Founder/CEO of FabAfriq Magazine, a fashion and lifestyle magazine.

Mbole Ekaney, a U.S.-based blogger and Creator of The HotJem, gave a presentation titled “Blogging & Effective Collaboration with Businesses and Entrepreneurs.” The presentation was followed by an interactive panel discussion featuring several bloggers, entrepreneurs and media personalities.

Panelists included Anrette Ngafor, BBCL event organizer and Founder/Designer of Liiber London; Mbole Ekaney, BBCL event organizer and Founder/Editor of The HotJem; Yefon Mainsah, BBCL event organizer and Founder/Editor of I Rep Camer; Tchepowe Siewe, Contributor/Editor at Ndengeh; Ifaanar Qualar, Contributor/Editor for Tiptopstars; and William Takor, a contributor to several entertainment blogs.

The discussion was moderated by Hilda Awambeng, BBCL event organizer and Founder/Editor of MammyPi, a fashion and lifestyle blog. The panel discussion lasted nearly 90 minutes and generated lively debate and constructive criticism about blogging and social media in Cameroon. Panelists and attendees discussed some of the challenges Cameroonians faced in the digital space, further highlighting the value of creating educational and networking opportunities around blogging and social media.

According to Nadine Tonguem of Urban TV and Creator/Editor of Empower Success in Africa (ESIA), the event helped educate attendees from different backgrounds about the development of blogs, lessons about blogging and the advantages blogging and social media could offer entrepreneurs and businesses.

During the panel discussion, Joan Ngomba, a Nigeria-based Cameroonian who was Head of the Celebrity category at Pulse.ng and Founder of D’Coded TV Show, also emphasized the importance of creating content worth reading. She explained that consistently publishing useful content could help build readership as people searched online for information related to keywords appearing in blog and website content.

Entertainment was also part of the evening. Cameroonian artists Daphne Njie, who performed her song Rastafari, Wax Dey and Daddy Black performed for attendees.

The event also featured a fashion show presenting collections from Liiber London and Mareta West. At the end of the evening, bloggers, artists, entrepreneurs, designers, tech professionals and other guests mingled with the BBCL organizers and took photographs, bringing the first BBCL Networking/Blogging Meet Up to a close.

The BBCL team would like to thank Gold Sponsor Baileys, Bronze Sponsor Madiba Consultants, as well as the other sponsors, media partners and vendors who contributed to the first BBCL event. We would also like to thank the bloggers and media platforms that helped spread the word before and after the event.

The official hashtag for the event was #BBCL2014Event.

The 1st BBCL Event was not only aimed to foster networking between young professionals, entrepreneurs, bloggers, media and entertainment personalities and cooperate sponsors, but it also initiated a unique strategy not typically seen in networking events in Cameroon, by providing not only networking opportunities but an educational and informative overview on the following:

• The importance of the utilization of Social Media to Bloggers and Entrepreneurs
• The successful impact of social media to Entrepreneurs on enhancing businesses
• The importance of collaboration between Bloggers and Entrepreneurs and businesses

In addition to providing information on social media and ways to better enhance one’s business, this well planned event also provided opportunities for entrepreneurs, business owners, companies and sponsors to showcase their products as vendors, meet with the BBCL team, exchange (business and blogging) ideas, educate and to create awareness about the different activities, perspectives and importance of blogging and Cameroonian women on social media.