271 tech events in 2 years – Esohe Igbinoba shares valuable insights from her journey
She attended 271 tech events in two years and turned it into a personal brand. Esohe Igbinoba breaks down how strategic event selection, follow-ups, and visibility can open doors to investors, founders, and decision-makers.
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Esohe Igbinoba describes herself as a “super connector”—someone who finds genuine fulfilment in linking people together and fostering growth within communities. As the Director of Programs at Businessfront, she is deeply committed to building communities.<br />
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In February 2024, Igbinoba realised that to reach her goal of working in venture capital and securing a senior leadership role, she needed to bridge a significant gap: her network. Recognising that she didn’t yet know enough key players in the tech ecosystem, she turned to conferences and industry events as her primary laboratory for growth.<br />
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Over the past two years, she has attended hundreds of tech events across Africa. In this conversation with Techpoint Africa, she shares why it was important for her to do this and what others can learn from her experience.<br />
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How do you select which events to attend?<br />
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Once you have a “why,” you can filter events that align with it. My goal was to meet venture capitalists, investors, founders, and innovators within the Lagos tech ecosystem. I researched various event apps and looked for gatherings where these specific profiles would likely be present.<br />
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I was intentional and deliberate. If my research suggested that my target audience wouldn’t be there, I didn’t go. I managed my energy and money by selecting only events that fit the profile of the people I wanted to connect with or the specific knowledge I wanted to gain.<br />
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Sometimes, I also chose events simply because a specific speaker was someone I wanted to learn from or network with directly.<br />
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You have attended a staggering number of events in a short time. Can you share those numbers and how it evolved into a personal brand? <br />
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It escalated quickly. I went from attending five events a month to between ten and twenty. In 2024, I attended 111 events, and in 2025, that number rose to 160; a total of 271 events in two years. I didn’t just attend; I documented the journey. I took photos and created social media videos, which ev...
