The Load In with Lili & Dan: Recent Episodes
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An inspirational podcast where talented voices share how they are creatively innovating in their fields.
Creativity is a state of mind and our platform is the incubator of ideas where we drive the conversation to explore all that is new.
Nadim Jamal is Managing Director and co-founder of Event Lab. Prior to founding Event Lab, Nadim spent over a decade quickly rising through the ranks of mega-events production. With a keen insight for complex planning, he’s been a project director and advisor behind numerous large-scale national and international events. Since Event Lab’s formation, Nadim has been a transformative figure in the events industry of the region. His ability to rapidly find and deploy locally based talent, combined with a conscious effort to identify and train homegrown event management and production talent has shifted the dynamics of the sector. The industry now operates more locally, more efficiently and with greater use of multi-cultural and local talent.
With an extensive and acclaimed career in events and entertainment industry, Managing Director Mark Benaicha has brought people together for 25 years. Having begun his professional journey in the 1990s, Mark has since enjoyed successful tenures as Managing Director of a multi-award-winning events agency and Associate Director at a prominent recruitment company. Mark's name has become synonymous with excellence in events recruitment, and he is widely regarded as the 'Go to' recruiter for the industry, working closely with some of the world's largest global events organizers. ESMOS' reputation for client service excellence continues to break new barriers as Mark leads the consultancy with a wealth of local and regional market understanding and extensive insights in a rapidly evolving sector.
Experienced Co-Founder with a demonstrated history of working in the events services industry. Skilled in Business Planning, and Analytical Skills. Strong entrepreneurship professional with a Bachelor's degree focused in Industrial Engineering from Kuwait University. Completed an executive program in Decision Making, Negotiation and Leadership Strategies in Harvard Business School.
A true expert in the events industry, Dr. Zohair is the Chairman of the Saudi Exhibitions & Conferences Association (SECA) and CEO of the Specialist – ExiCon International Group. He is also a board-member in the IAEE MENA Chapter, was a member of the previous Supervisory Committee of the Saudi Exhibition & Convention Bureau (SECB – now Saudi Conventions and Exhibitions General Authority (SCEGA) and CEO of the Saudi Events Management Academy. He holds a PhD in Maintenance Engineering from the University of Manchester. Dr. Al Sarraj is also member of several local and regional bodies and organizations in the field of maintenance such as being the Chairman of the International Maintenance Association (IMA) and Vice Chairman of the Arab Council for Operations & Maintenance (OMAINTEC) and many other MICE international associations.
Shadab Anwar co-founded Techrobotix FZCO in 2012 with a vision to provide innovative, interactive, and impactful solutions. Shadab with his team of enthusiasts, Techrobotix FZCO has been providing unforgettable experiences and technology in events and exhibitions around the world for the biggest brands for more than a decade. His background in Mechanical Engineering and MBA in Marketing gives him room to play with Mechanics and Technology and love for hardware make him a master at 3D and industrial animation and give him a creative edge in designing experiential solutions.
Benoit Honnart joined Electra in 2019 as Chief Operating Officer and was appointed Chief Executive Officer on January 1st 2021. He started his career in Shanghai where he worked for almost 10 years before moving to Dubai holding various Directors position in the field of Logistic & Events. Coming from the supply chain world, his mindset is very in line with our fast-paced industry and Electra’s mission to offer agility to its clients. Electra is a fully integrated solutions provider and production house for events, exhibitions, and environments in the Middle East.
Mohammed Tayem is the Founder & CEO of entourage marketing & events. He started his entrepreneurial journey in 2009 and has diversified his business portfolio into various sectors over the last decade. He actively consults for international brands such as Google, Discovery Networks, and regional governmental entities across different sectors in the UAE, KSA, Egypt, and Jordan. In 2020, Mohammed launched Eve Virtual, a 3D virtual platform enabling the events industry to host virtual events in a complete 3D virtual environment.
With a passion for people, projects and technology, Pramit Sethi and Xenial Events are on a mission to create genuine human connections! Xenial was founded with the intention to empower freelancers with state-of-the-art tools. With a focus on a human centric approach Pramit has been part of the staffing industry for the better half of the past decade, crafting new methods, raising standards and constantly eyeing technology and improvement.
Welcome to a limited special edition series of The Load In with Lili & Dan. These episodes were recorded at the hugely successful Middle East Event Show. Tune in to hear Lili & Dan listen to some titans of the Middle East's event industry. Shenin Hamid is the Founder and CEO of Inspire - a Dubai based Events and Experience agency. Shenin used passion and talent to build her business from scratch at 19 years old making her one of the few successful youngest entrepreneurs in the UAE. Under her leadership, Inspire has grown from an idea in her living room into a regional success, executing between 200 and 250 events and experiential campaigns a year across KSA, Dubai, Qatar and Kuwait. In 2020 Inspire was awarded “Most Innovative Production Agency of the Year '' highlighting their ability to successfully pivot under the natural circumstances leading to Covid19 and still servicing their clients ensuring even better results. Under Shenin’s leadership Inspire has grown significantly through the years by offering tailor made technology driven Event and Activation Experiences to clients across the globe.
Welcome to a limited special edition series of The Load In with Lili & Dan. These episodes were recorded at the hugely successful Middle East Event Show. Tune in to hear Lili & Dan listen to some titans of the Middle East's event industry. Praveen is the Assistant General Manager for Events division in KSA. He has been with Byrne for 12 years, initially joining as Branch Manager for Riyadh operations and has worked his way up in the company over the years. Praveen develops and manages our operations within the events department and is a trusted, experienced member of the Byrne team.
Welcome to a limited special edition series of The Load In with Lili & Dan. These episodes were recorded at the hugely successful Middle East Event Show. Tune in to hear Lili & Dan listen to some titans of the Middle East's event industry. After having set up his own event agency in 2006 in Budapest, Hungary and managing it for 8 years he has decided to launch an event design brand in Dubai in 2014. Stage shows, large scale public and corporate events have always been a part of his professional life since his start in the event industry in 1997. Adapting to the increased market demand for creative technologies, he gained knowledge and experience in using well- functioning digital tools and participated in the development of Kraftwerk’s digital solutions.
Welcome to a limited special edition series of The Load In with Lili & Dan. These episodes were recorded at the hugely successful Middle East Event Show. Tune in to hear Lili & Dan listen to some titans of the Middle East's event industry. Sujoy Cherian has always been immensely passionate about innovation & the future. His ardent desire to incorporate cutting-edge technology into each of his projects and his everyday life; has indeed paved the way for him to be known as one of the leading event technologists and serial entrepreneurs in the markets he serves. As a young entrepreneur, his first business venture in 1997 was an audio-visual and special effects rental company called Soundwaves rapidly creating a niche in the Asian entertainment and events industry. Truly inspired & backed by his visionary father who was a pioneer in the field of manufacturing audio components since 1985. Over the past two decades Sujoy has grown the companies he leads into globally renowned event technology, production, software & content development verticals with headquarters now based in Dubai and offices worldwide; Including Saudi, India & Philippines, rebranded as Option 1 Events. Technology. Content. He has spearheaded several business verticals to compliments the content & technology integration services; catering to the corporate, retail, television & government sector across the Middle East, Asian & European markets. His vision is to create a network of business verticals that would complement each other in solutions that will raise the bar in linking future technology in the event space with sustainable platforms that will make a huge impact to the global entertainment & content industry.
Welcome to a limited special edition series of The Load In with Lili & Dan. These episodes were recorded at the hugely successful Middle East Event Show. Tune in to hear Lili & Dan listen to some titans of the Middle East's event industry. Shehwar has been working in the Event's industry for twelve years with major MCs, media, government organizations, Non-Profits and Associations. She specializes in sponsorship management, digital marketing and logistics. Dure's list of achievements include managing events and exhibitions having 2000+ attendees such as MENA Fitness congress and MEN Transport Congress & Exhibition.
Welcome to a limited special edition series of The Load In with Lili & Dan. These episodes were recorded at the hugely successful Middle East Event Show. Tune in to hear Lili & Dan listen to some titans of the Middle East's event industry. With more than a decade of experience in global nightlife, immersive theatre dining, music festival organisation and general food and beverage entertainment, James has produced, managed and collaborated with some of the leading luxury hospitality brands, conceiving concepts in emerging markets. After graduating in Business Management with Finance, he worked with the biggest super-clubs and brands of Europe, particularly in Ibiza, as a Performance Artist. In 2010 he was headhunted to join Cipriani's first nightclub from launch and became part of the senior management team in less than two years. During this time, he developed and managed three world class and hugely successful F1 festivals, featuring international DJ line ups, shows, performances. He also helped land the company consecutive Best Nightclub awards. In December 2012 James joined Demind Investment Group as an Events Manager for Blue Marlin Ibiza UAE, where he helped deliver unique productions and ideas that influenced attendance as well as revenue and won multiple ‘Best Beach Club’ awards.
Welcome to a limited special edition series of The Load In with Lili & Dan. These episodes were recorded at the hugely successful Middle East Event Show. Tune in to hear Lili & Dan listen to some titans of the Middle East's event industry. Jimi is the Co-Founder and Managing Director @ Jimirazz. He is also the Head of Department for Entertainment & Culture @ Event Lab Singer aswell as being a songwriter & entrepreneur. With over 16 years of experience in planning, managing, operating and producing various projects/programs, conferences and events of all scales; he is always seeking to expand his experience in the region and worldwide through world class organizations.
Welcome to a limited special edition series of The Load In with Lili & Dan. These episodes were recorded at the hugely successful Middle East Event Show. Tune in to hear Lili & Dan listen to some titans of the Middle East's event industry. Dubai raised Abhay Singh is the Director of Sales & Marketing for Rayqube FutureTech, who brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in Interactive Event Technology and Event Production. Having worked with some of the Top tier Event Agencies previously, he is well versed in the use of Technology and its implementation during the Event Planning process and the value creation for clients and brands alike. From Production of Exhibition stands, Events to Implementing Experiential technology he has been on both sides of the coin!'
Lili & Dan had the pleasure sitting down with the guy who tried to save the Fyre Festival, Andy King! You may remember Andy on the #1 Netflix documentary 'FYRE: The Greatest Party That Never Happened' in 2019 as the guy who was willing to take one for the team to get Evian Water into the Festival. Andy paid the festival workers himself by doing guest appearances and talks around the United States, aswell as consulting event planners around the world. Follow Andy on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/realandyking/ (https://www.instagram.com/realandyking/)
Lili & Dan say down with one of the best hairdressers in the world, Mark Gaye. The guys dived into every details of his life where they spoke about; How Mark got into hairdressing Opening a barber shop at 19 His successes and failures Starting again Cracking the US Market Distributing hair products globally Why he loves Dubai
If you want to be successful in business, in hairdressing or not, the same principles in this podcast applies. Follow Mark on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/markgayex/ (https://www.instagram.com/markgayex/)
Fiona Wishart is the VP of Bacchus International GCC, a globally recognised PR Agency who acquired her company FWD Comms only a year after she started her business. Fiona talks about; Personality types in PR How to get a job in PR Why she started her company FWD Comms How her business was acquired by Bacchus Why she started her podcast 'Love Bites with Laura & Fi'.
Check out Love Bites here: https://podcasts.apple.com/ae/podcast/love-bites-with-laura-fi/id1557029589 (https://podcasts.apple.com/ae/podcast/love-bites-with-laura-fi/id1557029589)
Dan and Lili came out of this recording energized and inspised after sitting down with the multi-faceted entrepreneuer Tom Otton. Tom founded the regions leading digital communications agency, Create Media Group (https://creategroup.me/ (https://creategroup.me/)), and on top of that has become the regions most renowned extreme conditions athlete. Tom talks about; How he started Create Media Group Business Culture How to run a conscious company What he loves about Dubai and the MENA region Extreme running in the Sahara Desert Racing in the Arctic
This conversation with Tom has so many take-aways and one you will find yourself coming back to again and again for inspiration and injections of energy into your own life. Show Notes Tom Otton's TEDx Talk 'The Power of Adventure': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfkZLVctysE (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfkZLVctysE)
Taylor has worked and choreographed in some of the worlds biggest ceremonies, and this episode will inspire you to volunteer at the next big ceremony in your city. Taylor talks about; How she got into the performing arts The importance of culture Having a famous family Being a child actor Her biggest challenges and successes of Expo 2020
Adam Bradford's main goal is to provide fuel to entrepreneurs and the wider supporting ecosystem. Adam a social entrepreneur, owner and lead consultant at Adam Bradford Agency, is the guest of this episode of The Load In. Lili and Dan sat with him to discover how he started his own agency before he was even 18 years old! Young and thriving, his mind was full of ideas and he was unstoppable. We talked all about: - Starting the Adam Bradford Agency - Meeting Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom and being awarded one of the Queen’s Young Leaders award - How Adam provides impact-focused consultancy giving strategic and branding expertise to young entrepreneurs. - His impact in the gaming industry in the UK - Inspiring Futures campaign providing mentorship, visibility and acceleration to youth-led businesses. If you’re an entrepreneur or have the next game changing idea you can apply at https://adambradford.agency/futures/ (https://adambradford.agency/futures/)
A hilarious episode this week of The Load In! Dan and Lili sat down with charismatic John Hague, Director of People & Transformation at Together, where he shared: His career journey and how he plunged into career coaching Imposter syndrome, What is it? The hard work that goes into Retail The thriving comedy scene in Dubai Passion and how he combines his two careers
Check out John’s consultancy services https://together.inc/ (HERE!) Theyre also on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/togetheratwork/ (HERE!)
A special episode with Lili's untold story where we find out how she looked Middle Eastern, acted Korean and spoke English! Going down memory lane to moving mountains, we explored so much about our one-half of The Load in. Listen to know all about: - Lili growing up - Her strong will and vulnerable side - Her love of the mind and how it works - What's next for Lili
In another great episode on the Load In, Lili and Dan have a remarkable chat with Phill Tarling, a Celebrity stylist, where they discuss; Being a Stylist on Eastenders Working for the BBC How to choose the right Bra for you How to dress for your shape, not your size
Follow Phill on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/philltarling/?hl=en (https://www.instagram.com/philltarling/?hl=en)
Lili and Dan are back again in the Load In Studio to sit down with Alexandra Venison (Vogue, Harper's Bazaar) where they discuss; How to make it in the beauty industry How to become a beauty editor at Vogue The best perfumes in the world The reality of being a freelance editor
Follow Alexandra on Instagram : https://instagram.com/alexandravenison (https://instagram.com/alexandravenison) Follow Dan Bolton on Instagram: https://instagram.com/dan_b_dxb (https://instagram.com/dan_b_dxb) Follow Lili on Instagram: https://instagram.com/storytime_with_lili (https://instagram.com/storytime_with_lili)
Using the arts as a platform to cultivate change - One of the many wise lessons Andy Vale shared with us in this episode. We got to open doors and learn the how and why the events industry is magical and has much to give. Andy discusses how dynamic she has to be in her career; constantly regenerating her role anywhere she goes, all the while being part of the bigger picture.
Nimi's simple steps to making your dreams come true: Dream, manifest, work hard and then dream some more. Listen to the story behind how Nimi, the host of the Number 1 Breakfast show 'Channel 4 Breakfast with JJ & Nimi', turned from a semi-professional tennis player into a full-time radio presenter—shifting her career and following her passion and ambitions across countries. Follow Nimi on https://www.instagram.com/thenimimehta/ (Instagram).
Some people leave footprints that change and push us forward in our lives. In this episode, we connect with Georgie Woollams-Edwards, Managing Director and Founder of Katch International, where she talks family and business. She opens up about what gave her the drive to chase her dreams and more than achieve them; with some interesting adventures along the way!
Capturing more than moments, Hyku found herself beyond the vision set for her. With the drive to move forward and the resilience to achieve the unachievable, Hyku pushed to make her dreams come true. She shared the what, the why and the how behind her photography career progression, her family love and her food addiction. Follow Hyku on https://www.instagram.com/teamhykud/?hl=en (Instagram). Follow The Load in on https://instagram.com/theloadin?utm_medium=copy_link (Instagram).
Events and experiences within our past really shape us to who we are today. We got up-close and personal with https://www.instagram.com/danboltondxb/?hl=en (Dan Bolton) himself, in a very heartfelt conversation where he shared deep memories and moments within his life that made him the person he is today. Follow The Load In on https://instagram.com/theloadin?utm_medium=copy_link (Instagram). Follow Dan Bolton on https://www.instagram.com/danboltondxb/?hl=en (Instagram).
Tune in for our first ever live water tasting! Allison Poerner shared insightful info about water on this episode while tasting all sorts of different varieties of water, giving our taste buds a distinctive, unique experience. We went deep into water, literally! Follow https://instagram.com/theloadin?utm_medium=copy_link (The Load In) on https://instagram.com/theloadin?utm_medium=copy_link (Instagram). Connect with https://www.linkedin.com/in/allisonpoerner/ (Allison Poerner) on https://www.linkedin.com/in/allisonpoerner/ (LinkedIn).
Chef turned Water Sommelier, Allison Poerner shared some unbelievable stories from her culinary days and how she got to be the 1st water Sommelier in the GCC. She talked about her intriguing culinary journey and the incredible people she got to cook for. Spoiler alert: Nelson Mandela! Follow https://instagram.com/theloadin?utm_medium=copy_link (The Load in) on https://instagram.com/theloadin?utm_medium=copy_link (Instagram). Connect with https://www.linkedin.com/in/allisonpoerner/ (Allison Poerner) on https://www.linkedin.com/in/allisonpoerner/ (LinkedIn).
Lili and Dan are back again for an exciting new season of The Load In. This season we delve into ‘Untold Stories’ with some very interesting and intriguing people. Listen in as Lili and Dan get excited about our line up of guests and tease you with some snippets of what to expect! Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theloadin/ (https://www.instagram.com/theloadin/)
If you are like us and still trying to figure out all things NFTs, then this one's for you. Waleed Shah gives us an insight into "NFTs for Dummies". We also find out how he combines NFTs and photography, staying ahead of the curve.
We sat down with Waleed Shah to talk about his journey of finding his unique voice and calling. He shares with us how he fell into photography, turning a passion not just into a business but into a community.
Stories that matter and how people use creativity is what’s at the heart of innovation. This episode was filled with heartfelt moments, reminiscing about all the great talent who shared their time and stories with us throughout the season. We also take a little glimpse into what’s in store next season, so don’t miss out and tune in for our final episode this season!
Jump on Javier’s event bus as he drives us through his adventures and experiences navigating the world of freelance and operations! We find out what innovation means in Javier’s world as he creates stories that matter. “You have to take all the noise out and focus on something to remember”
From dreams of being an actuarial scientist to the creative world! Sometimes creativity is just in your blood. You just feel it. You just know it. I was born in Malamulele, South Africa. I am a son of the soil; I am a storyteller.
This week, we sat down with Thembi Helkane, who shared with us how he’s been disrupting the creative process. From life to work, determination to resilience…and throw in a little bit of luck, this episode takes us on one hell of a journey!
The show must go on! Being part of the events industry means we always have to find ways to make it work and pull off the impossible. We sat down and chatted about Dan's latest adventures going to Papua and being part of the Pon xx Papua 2021 games as creative producer. He shared how it was a wonderful experience working with an international team finding creative and innovative solutions to deliver a world-class event in a developing country while keeping business as usual back in Dubai.
If you have worked with Dan Bolton Creative Management, then you would have most likely met Ryan. Ryan personifies everything that is needed to be a success in an ever changing fast paced environment, and that is calmness. Nothing gets too overwhelming for this guy and it was great to hear the voice of the man who often works behind the scenes ensuring events run smoothly. We find out about Ryan's personal experiences, aswell as his perspective on the digital world...mainly gaming.
We see costumes everywhere. From movies to stage shows, from sporting events to opening ceremonies. The aesthetic of each person has a story tell and we speak to one of the main creators behind that story. Paula is one of the most sought after costumer designers in the world. She has worked on some of your favourite Hollywood films, aswell as costume designing Olympic ceremonies, and to top it off she is hilariously funny. We dive deep into specific projects and cultures Paula has worked where she also shares her insights and experiences into what it takes to become one of the worlds leading costume producers.
Creativity is a state of mind, and the desire to innovate is a way of life. Inventions, disruptions and evolution have all been inspired by those who dare to be different. Expo is just one example of how people have been coming together for years to create the future through innovation.
What are NFT's? Lili & Dan catch up with Berto Brown, founder of Audio Swim. Berto lifts the lid on digital currency within the music scene. Prepare to have your mind blown as he gives us an insight into the future of music.
On episode 1 we sit down with our podcast producer JJ Thompson. He is the host of 104.8 'Channel 4 Breakfast with JJ & Nimi' in Dubai. Podcasts have been dominating the Digital Audio space and as the founder of 'Podcast Now' he gives us an insight into that world. We find out how podcasts are changing the way we digest content. If you are looking to create a podcast then check out www.podcastnow.ae
Lili & Dan let you know all the plans for Season 2 of 'The Load In'. With Expo 2020 kicking off in just a couple of days time where pioneers from all over the world will be showcasing their innovative products and services, Lili & Dan thought it would be perfect to highlight all the 'Innovation in Creation' happening right here in the UAE.