The Architect’s Assistant: Lessons from Social Media Week

It’s not every day I want to leave the safety of my computer keyboard and sit in a hall listening to speeches, but I recently endured such a day. The reason? Social Media Week landed in Lagos and I wished I were there.

Now just between ourselves, in early February I was secretly wishing I would be anywhere but at Four Point Sheraton Hotel in Lagos for Social Media Week. A sense of foreboding about the event came when the Boss asked me to write an email to the organisers pitching the idea for Chronos Studeos to make a presentation. Nothing new about that as it’s a routine part of the job of the architects – I have a sudden urge to make bold and underline those two words ‘the architects’  – to speak at events at home and overseas.

But, oh no. This was different.

I reached the end of my written proposal only to discover that there, at the end of the list of names he was putting forward to speak on behalf of Chronos Studeos was one I never wished to see listed in conjunction with any kind of social speaking bar the moment I say ‘I do’ at my wedding.

Yes, he (an architect) had put down my name (not an architect) to address the audience as his colleague, albeit from the relative ‘safety’ of Skype. Sadly, our entry was a little bit late from their specified deadline only because we got the notification late.

Now… I appreciate this is only my second post under the banner of The Architect’s Assistant but, even now, from what you know of the Boss, I really do think I’ll have to hint you about another secret I found out.

Secret No. 3 from The Architect’s Assistant

Architects never give up.

Yes, that pang of relief I felt didn’t last long. The 2015 Social Media Week website probably hasn’t even been conceived yet, but I’ve already been told we’re trying again next year.

Social Media Week Lagos 2014 was, of course, a huge success and those colleagues of mine who were able to attend in person were proud to see a familiar face on the panel.

As well as being a good friend of several members of our team, Folarin Kolawole is a prolific blogger and founder of the website Naijatreks. It was in this capacity that Folarin spoke about the challenges faced by those who work to promote to the outside world another side of Nigeria – the history, the tourism industry, the natural and architectural beauty – from that too often portrayed in the international media.

Don’t say I told you, but we’re hopeful that we’ll be working in the near future with some other architects and travel bloggers on some posts celebrating amazing architecture. So, don’t be surprised if you see us focusing on buildings with detailed vernacular features, as shown on Titi Wanderlust’s tour of Lagos Island.

Just don’t expect me to climb to the apex of any buildings to take photos for the resulting blog post. In fact, at the next team meeting I think I’ll put forward the name of a certain Boss for that job…