By Anand Holla
As Instagramers across the world drew out their smart phones and joined their breed on a shooting spree – pictures, of course – the dedicated lot of fellow Instant Telegramers of Qatar turned up for a morning packed with creative adventures in mobile photography.
The 11th Worldwide InstaMeet – #WWIM11 – took place on the weekend of March 21-22. Every such global InstaMeet sees hundreds of gatherings all over the world on a single weekend, united by a goal to “bring people who share a love and curiosity for Instagram” together.
For the uninitiated, the Instagram blog explains, “Since the earliest days of Instagram, people have been meeting up to connect, take photos together and inspire one another. These real-world meetups, which come in all sizes, are known as InstaMeets. In the past year, there have been more than 1,000 in over 70 countries.”
Here, in Doha, Saturday morning saw around two dozen Instagramers gather for some delicious coffee and cakes at Café Brouq, Al Mirqab Boutique Hotel in Souq Waqif, before hitting the charming, labyrinthine bylanes of the Souq in pursuit of new visuals in newer light.
Following a two-hour-long excursion, the gang returned to the café to tuck into some scrumptious Arabic delicacies whilst engaging in long-winded conversations and occasionally returning to their Instagram pictures, contemplating over which wash of the app’s many cool filters would suit the frame.
It’s well-known how big Qatar is on Instagram, and the enthusiasm of the participants was illustrative of this snap-happy, multi-cultural community of Instagramers. Andrea Buenafe, who goes by the handle @buenafotos, said, “I started taking pictures because of Instagram. I used to get lost in the Souq and admire the alleys. It was fun to finally meet people who share the same interest.”
Nashira Abdul Hameed, who goes by the handle @nashplateful said, “I had a brilliant time at the Instameet, the very first WWIM that I have attended. It was great fun and inspiring to meet new Instagramers from Doha, and catch up with some familiar faces.”
Likewise for Iman, whose handle is @imanheaphy. “Going on any InstaMeet is fun because you get to put faces to names and images of people you have been following,” she said.
“It’s also a challenge because you all are taking photos of the same things or places. So it’s interesting to see all the different interpretations and it forces you to come up with something different yourself,” Iman continued, “We found that we were able to create opportunities for photos as a group, that maybe as individuals, we wouldn’t have been brave enough to. So, it opened up different experiences and results.”
Haytham Bennani, Country Manager - Qatar - of Zomato, the online restaurant search and discovery service, which supported the InstaMeet, said, “We found that Instagram, in Qatar, is one of the most active social media channels, as people living here love to share their pictures. It gives people in Qatar room to express themselves through images rather than words, cutting through language barriers and reaching the widest audience.”
Some of the other Instagramers who joined the event – and whose accounts you must check out – are: @cherimacleod, @wickedredpot, @iamsrilankan, @moawesomesauce, @ctmoretta, @habyjj, @strategygirl, @hananekorchi, @desertmum, and myself @inciteinsightinside.
Bennani, too, found the event to be a lot of fun. “It was a great chance to meet people excited about social discovery and sharing. A lot of really passionate and interesting Instagramers showed up. We got a chance to explore the wonderful Souq Waqif, and wrap up a long day of picture-taking with a delicious meal at Café Brouq, sponsored by Zomato.”
It’s interesting that Zomato – a social network for food enthusiasts – backed the InstaMeet, further underlining the importance of Instagram in this market. “Zomato users can follow other users and friends on Zomato, so as to discover newer and better places to eat,” Bennani explained, “Instagram is an extension of that social interaction, and a lot of Zomato users post pictures of their food experiences to Instagram directly from our Zomato app.”
With Zomato having just launched in Doha, its free information service “to a network of foodies searching for dining options” is sure to catch on in Doha.
“Occasionally, we co-ordinate Foodie Meetups to introduce foodies to restaurants and help build our community. Our first Foodie Meetup will happen in Doha on April 1. These are invitation-only events, where our invitees sit down, get to know what Zomato is about, and get to share their insights about what’s great about the city and its food.”
By @iamsrilankan, By @inciteinsightinside, By @desertmum
