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It’s been almost 12 months since AEG Live’s local branch was swallowed up by the Arab Media Group to bolster its Done Events subsidiary.
During that time, Done has embarked on an ambitious research phase, testing the market to see what sells - and what doesn’t - in these post-recession times, says its COO Thomas Ovesen, who is confident this knowledge will ensure profitable times ahead.
It’s got to be tough being Dubai’s major concert promoter. Competing against the Abu Dhabi juggernaut that is Flash Entertainment and its seemingly endless supply of cash, you could be forgiven for branding Done Events as a lesser-equipped adversary.
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Not so, according to its chief operating officer Thomas Ovesen, who believes Dubai, with its concentrated base of concert-goers, and Done Events, with its experience and connections, can still contend with its wealthier neighbour city.
“It’s pretty obvious that a show in Abu Dhabi of a certain size needs a significant amount of tickets to be sold in Dubai. So with our business model, we wouldn’t put on a show in Abu Dhabi based on direct comparisons of potential sales in each of the cities,” he says.
“I don’t think there’s a ticket-base there that’s necessarily strong enough to suit purely commercial objectives and I need to make money on the bottom line.”
Ovesen is the first to acknowledge the challenges Done Events face when it comes to booking major acts though.
“There aren’t any artists that have played in Abu Dhabi rather than Dubai that have not done so because they are being paid more. So conversely, you could say that if an artist plays in Dubai, it is because Abu Dhabi didn’t want them, not because they couldn’t afford them.
Although that isn’t the most nuanced version of reality as some artists play with us in Dubai because of our relationship with them or the type of unique promotion we can offer them,” he admits.
A key player in the UAE’s entertainment industry, Ovesen predicts that the flurry of shows seen on Yas Island over the past year will actually help Dubai’s concert market.
“Perhaps as people get used to driving to Abu Dhabi to see a great show, when there is a great show on in Dubai they should be even happier to go to it,” he explains.
He admits though, that despite his years of experience both locally and internationally, concert attendance trends within the UAE are difficult to spot and that despite a significant investment into researching the current market, putting on a show that is a sure-fire winner can still be out of reach.
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FEATURED COMMENT
Yup, that'll do it. You have my apprectiaion.