Undoubtedly due to financial liquidity as much as a conscious effort to be at the cutting edge, the UAE has become a go-to destination for acts of all genres and has played host to classical crooners, contemporary musical stars and extreme sport heroes and crowned international champions.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, given Dubai’s penchant for all things lavish, almost as soon as the Emirate boomed did international celebrities flock to its assortment of multi-million dollar venues for sports championships, one-off concerts and an array of star-studded music festivals. But while Dubai may have set the stage, Abu Dhabi has almost certainly stolen it.
Over the past two years the capital city has cast away its image of the conservative counterpart to its overtly flamboyant neighbour and orchestrated a series of exceptionally executed events, featuring the crème de la crème of the international sports and entertainment scene.
Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer competed for glory at the Capitala World Tennis Championship held at the Abu Dhabi International Tennis Complex in January 2009, and then returned once again this year. Beyonce, Jamiroqui, Timbaland, Kings of Leon and Aerosmith took to the stage as a part of the Yasalam concert series set up to complement what was a formidable event in its own right; the Formula One world championship season-ending race held at the Yas Marina Circuit on Abu Dhabi’s Yas Island in November of last year. Even revered star of the opera world Andrea Boccelli graced the city, headlining the Abu Dhabi Music and Arts Festival that kicked off at the end of last March.
Cynics may argue that Abu Dhabi’s recent rise is inextricably correlated with the monetary blows that the global financial crisis has dealt Dubai, but insiders will equally point to another variable; the debut of Flash Event Management in August of 2008. A wholly-owned subsidiary of the government of Abu Dhabi, Flash was created on the back of two of the city’s most successful concerts; Justin Timberlake in December 2007 and Bon Jovi at the end of May 2008, both held at the Emirates Palace Hotel and organised by local business development and investment company Mubadala.
“I was hired to help support Mubadala and, on the back of the Bon Jovi concert, asked to form a company. It was proposition that was commercially based; we would bring in international starlets at international standards. We would also help grow the profile of the city of Abu Dhabi and finally, it was a profitable business,” said John Lickrish, the 41-year-old managing director of Flash.
With this in mind the initial team set out to become “number one, bring in the best events from around the world, create some of the best events in the city and make sure that we’re generating profit and expanding the reputation of Abu Dhabi as a regional hub for premium live events,” Lickrish explained. Given the size, standard and success of the events Flash has already executed, the line up for 2010 is expected to mirror if not surpass the company’s prior feats. However, the upcoming calendar of events is as of yet still under wraps, with Lickrish only offering broad hints.
Yas Island, where the Yasalam concerts were held during Abu Dhabi’s Formula One season, is slated as a prominent venue but as for the acts, both the possibility and speculation are endless. According to Lickrish, the company is looking at more family-oriented and indoor events; smaller shows are planned, as well as much bigger ones.
While the company’s plans for the future may be cloaked in secrecy, its proven track record is instead quite public. Flash was behind the Christina Aguilera concert held in October 2008, bringing George Michael and Alicia Keys to the capital city as well, only two months later. Shakira was then brought in for a New Years gig ushering in 2009, followed by Coldplay later that year.
“It can go one of a few ways, obviously it can come from the artist and we’re approached by agents and questioned about availabilities, or we can then go look for particular artists,” explained Lee Charteris, Flash’s operations manager. “It’s all about bringing in international culture and cherry picking particular artists we’d like to bring.”
But far from focusing solely on musical acts, the company has diversified and organised the city’s Eid Festival in December 2008 (for Eid Al Adha) and the world premiere of documentary ‘Journey to Mecca’ a month later. Lest the world of sports feel shunned, after organising this year’s Capitala World Tennis Championship Flash brought together the world’s top wakeboarders in March for Wakestock Abu Dhabi, the first stop on the 2010 WWA World Wakeboarder Series. Just a month earlier, the team also brought the Ultimate Fighting Championship to Abu Dhabi’s Yas Island in a showdown titled “UFC 112: Invincible” and now owns a 10 per cent share in the mixed-martial arts promotional company.
“What Flash has done is seriously raise the bar in the region. There’s a mass of in experience within the company and I think we’ve taken it to another level,” said Charteris, who worked in entertainment management for 30 years prior to joining Flash. “We’re a business and there are strict guidelines, but I’d like to think it’s a great place, it’s creative and colourful,” he continued.
In just under two years, Flash has not only become a force to be reckoned with in terms of regional events but also perhaps one of the most desirable companies among job seekers in the respective field. But while the sheer size of the events undertaken might indicate otherwise, Flash consists of a team of just 53 and it is the combination of these handpicked individuals to which Lickrish credits the company’s success. “We are fairly large, very creative, very cautious of detail at every level of the event, from the consumer to the artist to sponsor and the profile of the city,” he explained. “That is where we are most different; with everything we do we look at how it reflects on city and the government to the highest standard.”
