The Finance World Magazine| Edition: March 2023

Middle East, comedy, Western culture
and Bollywood.
Shaaista: The all-female Firdaus
Orchestra, mentored by A.R. Rahman,
is a beautiful concept that was created
for Expo and has given phenomenal
opportunities to the global music industry.
Osman: There’s a whole line-up for
the Comedy Festival that we’re doing, a
lot of comedians that we’re bringing in.
Shaaista: Follow Blu Blood on social
media for updates on our upcoming
events in 2023, which promises to be
an exciting and jam-packed year as we
emerge from COVID restrictions. We
hope to see both our loyal patrons and
new attendees join us for our events.
Q. What audiences are you targeting
in your upcoming events, and what
should these audiences look forward
to in these events?
Shaaista: Dubai’s audiences are
diverse, including Indian, Pakistani,
African, Russian, Asian, etc., and come
together under one umbrella to enjoy
their love of music, the entertainment
industry, and the arts.
Q. How do you manage and motivate
your team to deliver high-quality
events?
Osman: Our team is like family,
and they’ve been our biggest support
system in growing our business. They
come from all over the world, and we
have a shared focus on growth and
success. Shaaista’s delicious food is
a great motivator for everyone.
Shaaista: Our Blu Blood team is like
a family, consisting of industry experts
in their respective fields. The team
is a beautiful harmony of Shaaista’s
craziness and Osman’s madness, with
woven intelligence providing stability.
Q. Can you discuss your approach
to developing and maintaining
strong relationships with clients
and stakeholders?
Shaaista: Our clients and stakeholders
are crucial to Blu Blood’s success,
and we are grateful for their amazing
support.
Osman: Be honest with stakeholders
and clients about the event’s situation
to address their anxiety, as Blu Blood
takes responsibility for any problems
and keeps them updated.
Q. What strategies do you use to
manage a tight budget while still
delivering a high-quality event?
Osman: Budgets in the entertainment
industry can vary greatly; you can do
an event with AED 100,000 or $24M.
Shaaista: As a privately-owned entity,
Blu Blood has a unique perspective.
Osman and I are solely responsible
for budget decisions, which allows us
to be flexible with our spending. We
once hosted an event on a tight budget,
but with quick thinking, we were able
to provide food for 32 people at an
after-dinner without sacrificing quality.
Q. Can you discuss the role that
innovation and technology play in
the event management industry and
how you leverage them to deliver
high-quality events?
Osman: We adapted to COVID by
moving from in-person to online events.
Technology has changed the entertainment
industry with developments like the
metaverse and NFTs, and we must adapt
to avoid falling behind as new tech
emerges, such as holograms and sound
systems. The metaverse has become an
interesting option for concerts.
Shaaista: The entertainment industry
is vast and encompasses more than just
shows. Conferences and symposiums
also fall under the events industry,
and there is potential for growth and
development due to its influence on
other industries. NFTs have also found
their place in this industry.
Q. Can you share a particularly
challenging event you’ve managed
and how you overcame difficulties?
Osman: Our industry has had its
challenges, including an artist being
unable to perform due to COVID and a
show being cancelled out of respect for
the late founding father of the UAE, H.
H. Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
We’ve also dealt with positive COVID
cases among support staff during the
pandemic.
Shaaista: We are thankful to the
Almighty for our success. It is also due
to the support of our team, stakeholders,
clients, and the UAE leadership, and
we are grateful for it.
Q. Do you have any words for our
readers?
Osman: To succeed in entertainment
and events, plan and pursue your ideas
without fear of failure. Even unsuccessful
pitches can expand your network and
bring you new opportunities.
Shaaista: Try, fail, and try again. Be
mindful of your aspirations and your
place in the world, and take ownership
of it. Claim your stake in this world, no
matter how unconventional it may be.
March 2023 www.thefinanceworld.com 73