DREAM ADVERTISING:
MAKING DREAMS COME TRUE, ONE PROJECT AT A TIME
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 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.
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.
