LAGOS, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA) – The Voiceover Conference, Africa’s pioneer and largest voiceover event, is set to hold its 5th edition on June 25-26, 2024, at the Lagos Oriental Hotel.
Organized by Voiceover Workshop founder Emmanuel Afemikhe, the conference aims to empower voiceover professionals, offering skill refinement, industry connections, and career growth opportunities.
This year’s theme, “Dare: The Audacity to Break New Grounds,” promises an inspiring and informative experience with a lineup of prominent speakers, including Joan Baker, Wale Ekundayo, Flora Gabtony, Ayomide Ibrahim, Marc Cashman, and more.
Afemikhe emphasized the conference’s mission to rewrite the history of voiceover in Nigeria and grow the industry.
During a press conference to announce the event, Afemikhe shared his personal story of how voiceover helped him overcome financial hurdles during university and ultimately led him to train other voiceover artists.
“Voiceover helped me through school when things were rough, and I haven’t left the profession since then,” he revealed.
“We have selected some very important topics and speakers from about 8 Africa countries and other parts of the world like the US, Canada and the likes to ensure that it is a robust conference,” he added.
Mr Afemikhe said, the conference will cover topics beyond studio recording, such as copywriting, animation, content creation, and marketing.
Afemikhe highlighted the importance of collaboration, stating, “If the industry must grow and change, everybody must come together like their counterparts all over the world are doing.”
When asked about AI’s impact on the industry, Afemikhe stated that AI has not yet replicated the human voice’s emotional range and nuance.\
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“AI has not gotten to that point where it can replicate the human voice in its entirety. What it has done so far is just to help the work better,” he said, citing his recent experience on an animation project where no AI characters were used.
One of the supporters of the conference, Seun Ajayi noted that the conference will expose people to possibilities, spark new relationships, and encourage collaborations within Nigeria, ultimately selling the country’s talent to the world.
Another supporter of the event, Oma Okoye added that the conference has helped create institutions for voiceover, setting standards in the profession and generating revenue for the country.
Mr Afemikhe hinted that the keynote speaker for the event will be the Special Adviser to the Lagos State government on media and publicity.
Registration for the Voiceover Conference is ongoing, and the event promises to be a significant gathering for voiceover professionals.