[Interview] Yoadan Tilahun, Managing Director, Flawless Events, Ethiopia

Yoadan Tilahun is Ethiopian entrepreneur, former HR Analyist with World Bank, and Managing Director of Flawless Events, headquartered in Ethiopia.

Her interview with Africa Business Communities:

Would you please introduce Flawless Events?

Flawless Events was originally founded in Virginia in 2004, successfully providing event planning, coordinating and execution service to the greater Washington Metro area. In 2008, the company moved to Ethiopia and quickly established itself as one of the few professional conference and corporate events planning and management firms. The services provided by Flawless have since raised the bar for the country’s event planning industry.

In which industries does Flawless Events operate and who are your clients?

Flawless Events focuses on corporate events and conferences – from conceptualizing to planning and executing wide variety of corporate events and conferences.  We don’t work in social events such as parties and weddings – at least not yet!

Our client base includes household brands like Coca Cola, IBM, Google and Heineken, as well as front runners in global development such as Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, GIZ, USAID, UNDP and the World Bank, and many more respected institutions, private companies and governments.

Why is Flawless Events different from its competition? 

To date, Flawless Events is the only ICCA (International Congress & Convention Association) member private company in Ethiopia, hosting a variety of major international conferences at a consistent, world class standard.  Flawless Events has excelled in offering comprehensive event planning services from concept development to production and execution. Through its exceptional service, Flawless’ international clients are now seeking its services beyond Ethiopia’s borders to various African markets.

We pour over every detail of the client needs; we have built fantastic relationships with vendors, the government, and various industry players; we have proven ourselves to be trustworthy and honest business partners, and we don’t only provide requested services but serve as expert advisors to our clients by keeping their objectives at the forefront and providing creative and new trends to achieving their desired goals. 

Why was Flawless Events started?  

It was initially established as a way of earning additional income from the regular 9 to 5 and we chose event planning because we felt that the events we attended in our community were not well-planned or well executed. The first event sparked a passion I did not know I had – I remember being so high on adrenaline that I couldn’t sleep after getting home at the wee hours of the morning – I was drunk from happiness!  At the beginning, with every new event (which came far apart), I would be driving around with a silly grin on my face as I ticked off  my to-do lists.  Nowadays, when a client signs us on, I still pinch myself, smile internally and send a few words of gratitude to the universe as it is always humbling when we are chosen.  When people speak of turning one’s passion into business, I smile because I know how gratifying it is.

What did you do before starting Flawless Events?

With an MBA in international business, I began my career as a Business Analyst and International Logistics Coordinator for an international commodities marketing company, following which I joined the World Bank Group as a contractor for the Human Resources unit.

What is the reality of being a female entrepreneur in Ethiopia today? 

To be honest, I never think I am at an advantage or disadvantage because I am a woman.  I see opportunities and challenges for what they are and don’t think they would be different if I were a man. I am active in women-focused entrepreneurship groups and other informal groups as well – so I understand it is challenging to be a female entrepreneur in Ethiopia, but I can’t personally relate to the challenges. I do believe that it’s a great time to be an entrepreneur in Ethiopia as opportunities are abundant, however challenging it is to run a business in Ethiopia, for those who are willing to take risks.  There is so much need and demand in almost all spectrums of businesses.

What can you say about the targets, plans and ambitions of  Flawless Events? 

Increase Flawless Events’ services in various countries in Africa; grow into the supply chain of the industry by supplying event props, event technologies; provide training for the industry; create events rather than just plan others’ events; and grow through strategic partnerships.

www.flawlessevents.net