PROFILE university . Dream started in 1999 with small and medium sized clients and with the right solution to problems , our creative tactics and correct guidance to the clients about their products , we were able to grow well and now we have many big brands working with us . I guess it is also about the trust they put in us and how we provide them with our services to the best of our abilities . We came across many challenges but took them all at front foot without any fear and were successful in surpassing them . Today we are one of the leading events agency in UAE .
Event management is an exhausting field of work . How do you balance between your personal and professional life ? True . Event management is very exhausting with no defined time to go back home . It has always been hard to properly balance , but I guess that is where you need support from the people involved in your life .
The UAE is a country full of potential and soul where Syed Imad Ahmed has been in the thick of it for 35 years . Wishing to engage with the artistry and dynamism of the multicultural society , he got into the advertising industry . After four years of working for hire , he founded Dream Advertising . He is now chasing his passion for advertising , marketing and events , navigating all the challenges and basking in all the triumphs that this industry has to offer .
GLOSS got a chance to catch up with him to hear his story and get an insight into the glamorous world of event management .
Could you please tell us a bit about yourself and how you stepped into this industry ? I am in the UAE for more than 35 years now , in fact UAE is my second home . I did my schooling and graduation from here which was followed by 4 years work experience in an advertising agency . Soon , I founded my own company Dream Advertising . The industry seemed artistic , dynamic with lot of potential and involved meeting people at higher levels of hierarchy which I always wanted to do , and make maximum relations at top levels thereby with the inclination of this , I jumped into advertising and events .
How did Dream Advertising start and how did you manage to grow it ? It was all out of passion . Setting up your own business is hard in any sector , and when it comes to the events industry , it can get even more difficult as there are so many different aspects to think about , and so many different types of people to please .
Since my university days , I would be the first one to participate in all extracurricular activities and public speaking for the
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DREAM ADVERTISING : MAKING DREAMS COME TRUE , ONE PROJECT AT A TIME Text By Sadaf Hassan
What is working in dream advertising like ? Exciting , challenging , thrilling and emotional .
What kind of events do you enjoy working on the most ? I enjoy all sorts of events . No event is underrated or overrated , so equal efforts need to be put in to make all of them a success . However , the most enjoyable ones I would say are the movie promotional tours .
What is your most memorable experience ? I can think of a couple . I have grown up watching Amitabh Bachchan ' s movies and working on the promotion of " Bhootnath " was an emotional moment for me , as I am a fan of his work . It was a dream come true when I was sitting with him in the car on the way to the airport to drop him and got the opportunity to have a good chat with him . I must say he is a great personality . Another memorable event I can think of is working on the promotional event of Kareena Kapoor ' s film " Ek Mein Aur Ek Tu ." She is my favourite actor and it was a day full of memorable experiences .
What would be a dream project for you ? Making my own Bollywood film with the leading stars at that point in time .
What advice would you give to people who may want to be part of this business ? Don ’ t even think about it as I don ’ t want more competition ! ( laughs ) On a serious note , if you are ready to give your full potential , have the passion for organising events and the drive to not stop at any point , then you should join the industry . Do not ever let the competition put you off . There are a lot of opportunities out there , and in a service-based industry there are low barriers to entry . It is all about relationships and the necessity to manage and develop these relationships . So if you can do that well then you won ’ t have to regularly invest in chasing new businesses , but instead you will have a business that will sustain itself through regular clients .
Also , if you are a fast runner , then get in this business . Potential employers are looking for new recruits who are really interested in the industry and have lots of experience of either attending events , organising or volunteering at them . It is also essential that you have a level of knowledge of how to logistically put an event together .