- How did you initiate this field? Please tell us a little bit about yourself too.
It was completely unplanned, but there were signs. I was studying for an engineering degree and later became president of the student council, holding a record number of events at the university and having the opportunity to participate in an award-winning student council. I was good at planning and managing events. Two months after graduating, I decided to quit my technical job and attend events full-time, and my journey began. I have a bachelor’s degree in communications engineering and did my PGD in Production, specialization in entrepreneurship and economics at the University of Oklahoma as a Pro Fellow funded by US State Dept.
- What skills should you have before approaching this field?
Passion would be on top with a sense of responsibility, a work ethic at eye level, and last but not least, a thirst for progress. Event management and PR management always have room for improvement, even if you have a lot of experience. If you have a plus professional degree or course, if you are passionate and willing to fight hard, with the right guidance and environment, you can master it well in a year. I had no degree, no experience, and didn’t manage anything, but with the help of the experienced people around me who helped me in the early days, I was able to grow and harvest my talent. I was.
- As a start-up, describe how you got your start in the PR business.
I’ve always wondered why some people confuse PR with advertising. I didn’t believe in buying a space and calling it PR, so I started a PR company with the aim of developing and changing the mindset and international tools for PR and influencer marketing. We are one of the few agencies in Pakistan that deals with local, international and lobbying. When our clients don’t know much about media, platforms like TikTok and Instagram have overtaken Facebook, and our clients focus more on content., we started when traditional media lost the commercial spotlight. All in all, it was a fun trip. The PR business knows no borders and is one of the most important tools no one ignores. Assist in brand crisis management and play a key role in building the brand’s image.
- How vast is the field of event management? What is its scope?
I have been fortunate to work in different countries with an event management company. I am also the only Pakistani who is an IMEX Country Member and the only Pakistani Certified Meeting Professional approved by the International Events Council. I started my career in Karachi, travelled all over Pakistan, and worked in Thailand, Malaysia and the United Arab Emirates before moving to the US to study a bit, where I worked for two agencies. With all this experience, I would like to share with you the interesting fact that the events industry is bigger than the oil industry and is constantly evolving. There are very few agencies in the world that can claim to be able to do any type of event. Also, in Pakistan, we don’t do wedding events at all (very rarely done by personal request), we don’t do birthday parties, etc, so the range is wide. these areas. With the adoption of technology, startup culture and social media at the forefront, the number of events is increasing and will continue to grow. When I started, our motto was to revolutionize the event industry in Pakistan. We are happy that we played a good role in that.
- How is KYPROS promoting sustainability through the performance of its events?
I founded KYPROS when I was in Oklahoma. I was working with TYPROS (Tulsa Young Professionals) which is the largest Youth Organization in the States. I realized this is an amazing model and this is badly needed in Karachi. I personally always believed in the betterment of Pakistan, I feel like just moving out of the Country does not solve all the problems, so I decided to be back in Pakistan and do something. KYPROS (Karachi Young Professionals) is all about creating hope for Youth, Minimizing the brain drain, creating local opportunities, connecting people, uplifting communities and last but not least, impacting positively on the economy and country’s image. We decided to include social impacts on our commercial Projects as well. Be it Trash for Treat, where we collect Trash and convert it into Art Installations, be it Fuckup Nights, Be it Period campaigns, Be it Science Festivals or be it Cancer Awareness. We do it all in impactful ways. KYPROS is a clear message to all that we can easily do impact work during commercial Projects as well.
- Which events does your company tend to cover the most?
We are experts in product launches, awards ceremonies and high-end bespoke quirky corporate events. But we do so much more. I’ve done it all: set design for Coke Studio, Solis Music Festival, Moen Jo Daro event, Hunza event, New York event, and Phuket event. We enjoy working with different clients and different projects. With Covid, we were one of the few agencies in Pakistan to disrupt the virtual event market. We have our broadcast platform and ended up running nearly 50 virtual and hybrid event projects. By the grace of God, we had to hire more people because of Covid instead of lying. We do everything, big or small.
- Does Pakistan have a suitable structure for the discipline of event management, as it does for other disciplines?
It’s a growing field. We are working hard to introduce more standards in Pakistan. As such, many companies follow their standards. We have worked hard on safety controls, event industry insurance policies, vendor rights, and labour laws. In free lost many projects in Pakistan simply because we followed a complete set of ethics without overloading our personnel and workers, and our customers accordingly. No proper unions, organizations or ministries to report yet. At the moment, I think we are far from that, but the situation is improving day by day. We see timely improvements as governments and institutions show more interest.
- When do you anticipate it becoming a significant industry? What conditions still need to be met for it to become a large industry?
It has to be taken seriously. to make a body Equal opportunity for small businesses. We do our best to provide a platform for aspiring people. While the giants have taken over the entire business, the smaller players have suffered initially. There are few easy businesses in Pakistan, so many startups he can’t even reach his goal of a year or two. This is sad. The new generation has many ideas that must be taken seriously. Customers, no matter who brought them, need to get away from their faces and focus on their ideas. Many large agencies even try to steal jobs from smaller agencies instead of giving them jobs. We all need to understand that we can only grow together, and that big agencies, including us, need to be more mindful of the big picture. There is no talent issue here. All they need is moral support from all, promoting agency and government business, and treating customers and suppliers better.
- How are the client’s expectations met? Any strategy for that?
Honestly, keeping clients happy is the hardest job in the world, especially if you’re running your own business. I’m in a constant battle between my work ethic and the norms of the marketplace increase. We always strive to go to our customers with a zero-surprise policy, so we focus on planning. Every client has different requirements. The key is to listen to your customers, appreciate them, and give them exactly what they want. At KEYS, we always walk the ethical path and never lie.
What effects has this field had on both your personal and professional life?
A lot of accomplishments, a lot of travelling, walking around the world, friends everywhere, no time to spend with family, working 24/7, sometimes very stressful and sometimes adventurous. I’ve struggled enough in my life and I’ve had many ups and downs in life, there was always the option to take the easy road, but the road route has always been my personality. It was helpful because it fit. At first, I was frustrated by my family and didn’t get any support, but later everyone helped me. My mother has always supported me and without her, I wouldn’t have come this far. Yes, it will be tough, it will hit your sanity, and it will affect my relationships, but I love adrenaline. I’ve travelled to four countries in one week, won the World Business Dialogue, went to Harvard University, been a State Fellow, and much more. Graduated from the White House at the National Protocol Dinner, said goodbye at the MGM Grand in Vegas, struck friendships with World Bank ministers, worked in the slums for impact projects, and brought great concepts.
