Event manager Florian Akinbiyi from Bad Tölz has lived in Dubai for ten years.
Due to the Corona crisis, his concept of life threatened to collapse like a house of cards.
Bad Tölz / Dubai
- Florian Akinbiyi (39) grew up in Bad Tölz.
A decade ago, however, he ended up in the United Arab Emirates.
His mother is from Weilheim, his father from Nigeria.
Even as a teenager he had great ambitions.
“I have always liked my homeland very much, but I was drawn into the big wide world at an early age,” he says in an interview with the Tölzer Kurier.
At the age of 15 he started washing dishes at the Alpamare adventure pool in Tölz.
After graduating from high school, he didn't really know what he wanted to do professionally.
“I've never been a fan of starting something just to do something,” he says.
So after doing his community service at the Isarwinkel rehabilitation center, he went to Canada for six months to pursue his passion, snowboarding.
Shortly thereafter, he set up a ski and snowboard fun park on Blomberg.
Here he gradually came into contact with tasks such as generating sponsorship money, and learned to market his own ideas and concepts.
"That paved my way into the event industry."
Florian Akinbiyi from Bad Tölz only wanted to spend three months in Dubai
Events followed that he organized for his former employer, Alpamare.
And an internship in an advertising agency.
“There I was able to get a taste of the big wide world.
That once again increased my desire to travel and my urge to discover other countries, ”he says.
From then on it was clear to Akinbiyi that "Blomberg is the beginning of my journey and I had to move on."
He started his own business, studying communication management on the side.
After graduating, he faced a big fork, as he says himself.
“I had to decide whether to set up my 'Concept Livestyle' agency on a larger scale or work for an international agency and go abroad.” He decided on the latter.
A few weeks later he was in Dubai.
Once it was only supposed to be for three months, but the young Tölzer fell in love with the metropolis.
“The modernity, the international, the recreational value and the development still to come fascinated me.
After a few days it was clear to me: I want to stay here. ”No sooner said than done.
In the Corona crisis, Florian Akinbiyi completely reorganized his company
It wasn't long before Akinbiyi yearned for a new challenge again.
“I have set myself the goal of being self-employed again by the age of 35.
I missed being my own boss. ”So four years ago he founded what is now Akinbiyi Group.
“I have also expanded my previous services.
I also moderated events and conferences and started communication coaching, ”he explains.
Everything was perfect.
His company was doing well.
Then came Corona - and with it the lockdown, exit restrictions, event cancellations.
“All of our orders were gone within a few weeks.
There was nothing left, everything was canceled and postponed.
In addition, the cost of living in Dubai is very high.
That was a big challenge.
After all, I didn't want to go back to my children's room in Tölz with my wife and child, ”he says humorously, despite the grave situation.
Within a few weeks Akinbiyi changed his job and completely set up his company.
“Of course, we were already prepared for digitization before that, but not yet in many areas,” he explains.
Today he managed to take advantage of this new way of working.
“You suddenly realized that you don't have to get on a plane for every meeting,” he says.
“The new technologies also bring an immense number of advantages,” he says.
Work and family can be better reconciled in the home office, for example.
And it is now the turn of companies to re-examine their processes and employee assessments.
“It's not necessarily just about someone doing their eight hours in the office, but what they can do on a working day,” he explains.
The Tölzer is now sharing these opportunities, this knowledge and his experience with others via various - mostly digital channels, of course - currently in BMW Welt.
Then, last but not least, he is on home leave for a short time.
“At these times, I prefer to be on the Isar or on the Sylvenstein, and a visit to the 'Jägerwirt' should never be missing,” he says and laughs.
The “Future Forum” from BMW Welt is a modern platform for dialogue and is dedicated to questions of the future.
In October there will be two live talks with Flo Akinbiyi and guests on the subject of “The Future of Work”.
On October 20th it will be about “Technology of Business” and on October 22nd it will be about “New Ways of Working”.
The virtual events start at 3 p.m. on the BMW Welt website and on Facebook under BMW Welt & Museum.
Further information is available at www.bmw-welt.com/en/experience/popups/exhibition_welt/FF-the-future-of-work.html
