Brand strategist and Chief Executive Officer of Laerryblue Media, Olanrewaju Alaka, has said deliberate brand positioning and reputation management are the driving forces behind the successful delivery of the inaugural TWN Circle gathering, Beyond Talent, held in Lagos.
The event, organised by Talented Women Network (TWN) Africa, founded by Dr. Amarachi Chinweoke Okuwobi, took place at the Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, on July 3, bringing together accomplished women for leadership conversations and networking.
Speaking on his role as Brand Director of TWN Circle, Alaka said his assignment extended beyond coordinating an event to creating a brand experience that reflected the vision and values of the organisation.
According to him, every aspect of the gathering-including the venue, guest list, speaker selection, programme flow, media strategy and post-event engagement-was intentionally designed to reinforce the TWN Circle brand.
‘The objective was never to organise another conference,’ Alaka said. ‘The vision was to create a room for meaningful conversations among high-achieving women, where every detail contributed to the credibility of the experience.’
Alaka said the Federal Palace Hotel was selected because of its reputation and technical facilities, which aligned with the quality of experience the organisers intended to deliver.
He explained that attendance was deliberately limited to 30 invited guests rather than opened to public registration.
‘Capping the room at thirty was not about the venue. It was a decision about credibility. A room that lets everyone in has no signal value. A room people cannot easily get into is the one people talk about,’ he said.
According to Alaka, invitations were distributed through a curated WhatsApp broadcast list to preserve the exclusivity of the event.
He added that the programme was structured around three thematic pillars-At Home, At Work, and In Your Community-with every speaker selected based on experience and relevance to those themes.
‘I did not select speakers for their titles. I selected women whose lived experience already answered the themes we built the day around-at home, at work and in community. Credibility on stage has to be earned, not appointed,’ Alaka said.
The event featured Dr. Amarachi Chinweoke Okuwobi as convener and keynote speaker, while Biola Flow (Abiola Adediran), Dr. Bolaji Mogaji, Princess Oghene and Toyin Bakare delivered presentations. Mojisola Oladapo, Chief Marketing Officer of Filmhouse Group, and Minister Anny participated in the panel session.
Alaka said he supervised the production from start to finish, overseeing red carpet activities, programme coordination, media engagement and overall event execution.
According to him, Peace Eze served as host, Olivia coordinated the red carpet alongside co-hosting duties, while Obinna managed production, audiovisual operations and photography.
Alaka said the planning model mirrored the approach he uses for Apex Network, a leadership community he convenes for founders and executives.
‘This was not my first time producing a room like this. I convene Apex Network on the same principle-curated gatherings for founders and executives rather than open-registration events. Beyond Talent applied that same discipline to a new audience,’ he said.
Following the event, Alaka said his team coordinated media distribution, released edited photographs and highlight videos across TWN Circle’s digital platforms, and commenced membership engagement with participants.
He noted that demand for the event exceeded its planned capacity.
‘We built for thirty and the room outgrew the plan. That is not an accident. That is what happens when positioning is done properly before the first invite goes out,’ he said.
Alaka said the event reinforced his belief that reputation should be treated as a strategic asset rather than an afterthought.
‘Reputation is infrastructure. Built with intention, it holds. Left to chance, it does not,’ he said.
Alaka is the Founder and CEO of Laerryblue Media, a public relations, reputation management and authority positioning agency serving founders, executives and premium brands across Africa and the United Kingdom. He also serves as Brand Director of Talented Women Network Africa.