It is about the combination of the right show and concept, at the right venue at the right time — Bilal Taha

By Joey Aguilar


The development in the entertainment industry in Qatar over the last six years is just a sign of things to come. If Bilal Taha, an event organiser and consultant, has his way, the events will get bigger and better in years to come.
Taha wants to bring more popular artistes and host bigger shows. “I’m confident there is more to be done and we can bring more entertainment to Qatar,” he said, hoping that the government and private companies will continue supporting these events.
The German national arrived to Doha in 2008. A month later, he organised his first event by bringing hip-hop artiste Hot Rod of G-Unit, opening the door to many shows that followed.
He also brought popular Filipino artistes and comedians for the first time in Qatar in 2011, attracting thousands of spectators. These included Vice Ganda, K Brosas, Rufa Mae Quinto, Jon Avila and singing sensation Charice Pempengco.
This year, he is bringing artiste-singer Aiza Seguerra and popular rapper Gloc 9 to Doha in a much-awaited concert at the West End Park. It will start today at 6pm.
“I realised there was a lot of opportunity in the Qatar entertainment market and that the country needed more events,” said Taha. He also organised shows and events during his stay in Germany and Spain but only as a part time hobby.
But in Qatar, he was able to bring World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) 2011 for the first time to the Middle East in more than 10 years. About 10,000 people watched the show which he believes had inspired many organisers to bring similar or bigger events to Qatar.
He described it as a “big milestone” to prove that people want to attend such shows.
However, he stressed, the success of an event cannot be measured by just gathering a huge number of spectators.
“It is rather about the combination of the right show and concept, at the right venue at the right time,” said Taha, who has organised a variety of shows from stand-up comedies to Filipino-targeted concerts.
“I can say that each single [event] has its own definition of success and fulfilment. Personally, I feel fulfilled with my events when spectators leave the event with a feeling of contentment and spread the word to their friends to join next time,” he added.
The decision to bring a show to Qatar involves comprehensive background work. Taha said he conducts market research, makes a lot of preparations, chooses the right artiste and pushes it with the right marketing plan. All these elements, together, lead to a successful event.
He said success means meeting the spectators’ expectations, getting the right combination of show, venue, and ticket prices. As an organiser, he also considers the financial aspect to cover initial investments and being able to reinvest into the next event.
“The spectators in Qatar are varied. We have the locals, who enjoy and love family-friendly entertainment a lot. [And then] we have the expatriates who have the highest demand for various kinds of events,” he said.
“Finally, there are targeted communities that are huge in number like the Filipino, Indian or Nepali communities. They need entertainment, [to blow off steam after] their hard work and get a feeling of being home,” he added.
But what are the challenges that Taha faces while organising a show?
Budget, looking for sponsors, identifying the perfect venue on the date the artistes are available, he said. Then there’s the matter of marketing and advertising, ticket sales strategies, government permits, adapting the show to the culture of Doha. And then the actual show itself.
One has to be very creative while navigating all these elements. There is no single solution that will work every time, Taha said. Every event has helped him learn from mistakes and avoid them going forward.  
“I am lucky to have organised more than 30 events in different entertainment fields. They have helped me learn how to solve a variety of issues,” he said.
But there is one more element that an organiser must have in order to conduct successful shows. An organiser, Taha said, foremost needs to understand the feelings, requests, concerns, worries and feedback of the audience.
A good organiser, he said, has to build a very good network in order to make things easier, such as venue bookings and securing government permits. “Business is all about who you know and not what you know.”