A lot of brilliant marketing initiatives were brought to play in the build up to the Tech Plus Conference and exhibition. Everywhere you turned, you were greeted with some form of Tech Plus advertisement and every press article you read had the promise that it will be the biggest technology event on this side of the pond. As participants trooped in to Eko Hotel and Suites on the 24th and 25th of July, the question which must have been heavy on everyone’s minds must have been, ‘Would it live up to its hype?’. Now not only did it live up to the hype, it also exceeded every expectation.

The Tech Plus Conference and Exhibition was packed to the rafters with tech stakeholders who came to gain knowledge from the highly educative speeches by leaders in the technological scene, live demonstrations of the latest digital products and services, practical workshops, exhilarating gaming sessions and the chance to witness a display of cutting edge technology. It would have been safe to say that the side attractions alone were enough to give the attendees the full worth’s of their money’s but that is the amazing thing; the conference was absolutely free!

The wealth of knowledge which engulfed the room over the course of the two days was massive with highly informative speeches by Nicolas Martin, CEO of Jumia Africa, Wael Fakharany, Regional Business Lead, GoogleX, Middle East and Africa, Jim McKelvey, Co-Founder and Director at Square and Abiola Olaniran, Founder and CEO of Gamsole. Of the many notable quotations dished out during the conference, one which really stood out was by Nicolas Martin who stated, “Africa, and Nigeria in particular, are going to be the laboratory for mobile revolution, because this the reality of Africa internet today – Internet is much more mobile than anywhere else in the world”. This further highlighted the fact that mobile is the future.

To many attendees, the daunting task of organizing an event that would be as educative as it was entertainment was well accomplished by the organizers of the Tech Plus Conference. Leaving the conference, everyone was presented with questionnaires which quizzed people about their experience, reasons for attending and if they will be looking to attend the next one. There’s very little doubt about the general answer which will be given for the latter.