How Ihechi Opara Made MIP the Largest Outdoor Movie Experience in Nigeria

Nigeria’s largest outdoor movie experience, Movie in the Park Experience, is creating exciting entertainment experiences under the stars. Every month, thousands of movie lovers gather at an outdoor venue, and enjoy a cool night that blends film, food, and music. 

Behind the scenes of this thriving event is Ihechi Opara, a law graduate turned content creator, live event producer, and project manager.

From a lunchtime idea to a nationwide event

Ihechi’s journey began in his final year at university over a casual lunch with his friend, Usman Sanusi. 

“We see a lot of things in Hollywood movies, and I thought it would be nice to make it happen in our own country.”

With time, what started as an ambitious idea evolved into an event that attracts thousands of attendees each month.

Building a community of movie lovers

To grow Movie in the Park into a must-attend event, he needed to do some serious community-building. Ihechi tapped into his network and attracted movie lovers, foodies, and music enthusiasts who shared a love for these kinds of experiences.

“These three major elements have a large demographic of people interested in them, and so we could easily and successfully tap into it.”

While putting together a large-scale event comes with its challenges, Ihechi finds a lot of joy in the creative process. 

“The anxiety that comes with ticket sales, the weather, and rain? For real, picking the theme and putting out the very first flier for each edition is my favorite part.”

Overcoming challenges with Tix

One of Ihechi’s biggest problems was managing ticket sales at the venue. 

“I hate unaccountability so much, and Tix has helped me sort this out.”

The switch to Tix made that process so much easier, leading to more efficient and stress-free ticketing for Movie in the Park.

Ihechi’s introduction to Tix came through his favorite podcast, I Said What I Said (ISWIS). 

“The very first live show’s tickets were sold on Tix, and that was it for me. I love that I can easily send emails to my guests via the email announcements feature on Tix.”

Since then, he’s been an advocate for Tix, appreciating how easy it is to use and features like email marketing. 

Want to know how Ihechi keeps securing sponsorships for Movie in the Park? Check out our deep dive into his sponsorship strategy.