Xing and Maktoob Business networking event in UAE: The Dubai copywriter gets invited May 19, 2007
Posted by Farrukh Naeem at copywriterjournalist.com in : Advertising , trackbackThe networking site Xing and Maktoob Business organised ‘The Networking Hotspot’ on 16 May at Munchi Thai Restaurant at the Habtoor Grand Resort & Spa Hotel in Dubai. I was invited to experience some live networking by my friend Nelly Liebrecht, who is a prolific networker, marketing professional and Xing’s regional manager in Dubai.
Here are a few pictures from the event… and if you are a Xing member visiting for the first time to check these pictures out, welcome to the blog. I look forward to your continued interest. On to the photos now…
I crossed the poolside to get to the venue to be greeted by Xing and Maktoob Business banners. The pool in the summer evening was tempting. If only I had come in my shorts (sigh).
I was received warmly at the registration desk, and found my name card right there. The volunteers were cheerful, and efficient, as you can see.
The table lined up with cards of people who RSVP’ed ‘Yes’ – 276 people with 87 guests.
Ahmed Nassef, General Manager of Maktoob.com asked how many people in the room have heard of Maktoob. For others, he pointed to the banner behind him.
Dave Crane, the life designer, charged up the event with some interesting networking exercises. Nelly Liebrecht welcomed the Xing community and posts us in on how well Xing is doing in the region. Everyone had a great time and I see some of my friends in this picture – Tariq Al Asiri of Argaam.com, Esperanca D’souza of Content Syndicate, Mahran Abdulfatah of RAK Precast.
Ahmet Bulbul, CEO and creative director of the brand new Brand Clinic shared with me how he is going to be treating brands in need of attention. Wished him luck with his new venture.
Gerlinde Krupp, managing director of Match-Box Consultancy said she can help you set up a business in the UAE from start to finish. On the right is Gabriela Terrazas who looks after strategy and development at International Humanitarian City - we talked about some social causes we both feel strongly about. I also met Nick Lim, tradelane manager of DHL - a lively guy with a funky hairdo, and a good sense of humour.
Gautam (left) is an auto-reviewer as told to me by Pankaj Dev, CEO of AdCom Advertising & Publishing and managing editor of AutoMiddleEast. Gautam is talking to the Yvan Goudard (right), a creative advertising consultant who I am sure you are going to see more of, in the coming days.
Other people I met at the Xing event include Huzaifa A. Nakhoda of Navigate Consulting, Nebi Cetin of Brand Clinic, Rana Sajnani of AIESEC, Khalid of Excellent Cars, Maurizio Manzati of PneusAcqui, Zafar E. Inamdar of IMC Direct, K. Ramasubramanian of Technical Solutions to Industry (yeah, that’s the company name), Michael N. Francis of Dusit Dubai, Vasu Vemuganti of Data Capture Systems (his card had a bar code on it – I asked him if it would register at a cash counter) , and Dheeraj Rupani of Veesham Printing Press.
The most engaging conversation was with Ashraf Sheikh, founder of the Dubai Business Network and Dubai Entrepreneur Network, and a good friend who is always glad to share insights and ideas.
If you would like to visit my profile on Xing – it is here: journalist and copywriter in Dubai, UAE Xing profile.
Comments»
Thank you for covering this event Farrukh! They should have a section on the Xing website dedicated to their own events. Reading your article is like participating to a second event and meeting the people we didn’t get the chance to meet at the first one! Keep it rolling!
Welcome Yvan – glad you liked the coverage – thanks for the prompt feedback.
If many people blog an event, we could all benefit with each other’s efforts. Nelly did an excellent job of organising the event. I look forward to the next one.
farrukh
Hey!
This is so inspiring!!
How did all of you manage to get togehter omn same day and on same place, for Gods sake…:-)
Brgd,
Jelena Jovanovic, a Xinger indeed
…and Miss Cybernaut
Welcome Miss Cybernaut,
This is what happens in a Xing LIVE event here in Dubai – so many people, so little time
farrukh
Hey Farrukh, reading your post made me wish I ought to have arrived earlier! However, given the vehicular mishap I was embroiled in… well, what’s that cliche everyone resorts to – Better late than never?!
Thanks for the coverage! Am looking forward to the next event. Perhaps Nelly can crown you the Official Xing Blogger and Shutterbug?
Have a fabulous day!
Welcome Esperança,
I hope you didn’t get the hurt. Is everything all right now?
Blogger, yes. Official… nah
farrukh
Hey everyone,
You can find the photos of all XING events worldwide, including UAE under this link, but please allow my colleagues sometime as we have Friday, Saturday and Sunday in between
http://blog.openbc.com/photos.html
I am very delighted you have enjoyed the event, that´s inspires me for the next one!
XINGing regards,
Nelly
Welcome Nelly – and thanks for sharing the official Xing photos link. Only one problem for us here in the UAE. Flickr is blocked
We are inspired to attend the next event and look forward to meeting the gracious host and hostess.
farrukh
That´s why its great to have localised Flickr!
Have a great day
Nelly
Hi Farrukh, that a brillaint idea… to snapshot the event with a candid camera. It helped me put a few faces to names on cards I collected at the event.. Would be nice to know if any one benefitted from this evening in biz terms. My take on the evening is its a cool occasion to collect some important calling cards that just MIGHT end up reflecting some day on your bottomline.
All best.
Welcome Zafar – it was great meeting you at Xing Live.
Yes, the idea of this post was to share the experience and contacts with others – in true open networker style. I am glad it helped.
farrukh
Hi Zafar,
You are right, Networking is a longterm thinking activity, but it is really up to you to leverage these contacts into business relationships. The most effective way of doing so, is to keep thinking WIN-WIN. So we shall be asking ourselves: How many business opportunity have I created for others? Have I helped anyone imroving their bottomline?
I truely believe that this WIN-WIN approach could make miracles and benefit you in a way you would never imagine!
Cheers,
Nelly
Well said, Nelly. Thanks for sharing the golden rule of networking
farrukh
Hi Farrukh, good to see you again today. Nelly has been dong a fantastic job and the popularity was clearly visible in attendance. I think a new, bigger venue will soon be need of the day…
Welcome Pankaj – it’s always good meeting you.
Looking forward to some more conversation at the next Xing-Maktoob Live event on 20 June.
If the weather was any cooler, I would have preferred the poolside as the venue. Open sky, water, trees… heaven!
farrukh
Hi Farrukh,
Sorry was missing in action on Xing for sometime due to busy schedules. Nice pictures. Do you have many more of them?
Hope to catch up in next Xing event.
Until then, bye.
Shivaji
Hi Shivaji,
Welcome back. The pictures here are the good ones from the lot. Yeah, maybe we could meet at the next Xing event.
farrukh