By Zehra Ali
It was a night all boys only dream to experience in perfect splendor. It was a night worth reliving; one worth cherishing. That’s right, you guessed it: It was the night of the Fifa World Cup Final 2010. It is with the purest passion for sports that all Lahoris, men, women and children alike, scattered across the city in search of the perfect destinations from which to gain the best World Cup Final experience possible. Here at Ink, we were invited to perhaps the most exclusive of the exclusive events hosted by none other than Jbnjaws at Uptown L.A.
It can be rightfully stated that the event was definitely not what everyone present had expected. At an event which very boldly stated “no stags allowed!”, there were most certainly stags in all shapes and sizes (as well as ages) present. From boys clad in either Spain or Netherland jerseys and flags, to girls and families, (usually consisting of five or more members) we saw it all. Some couples sitting in the farthest corner from all these “non-hip” attendees were mortified to have followed instructions at all. We here at Ink however, are never quick to judge, therefore, we gave one of the organizers a chance to clear out this slight miscalculation.
Q-The event was supposed to be a couples’ only event. Why was this rule not paid much attention to at the said event?
Ans- Football as a sport is now growing in viewership and following in Pakistan. Since it is neither our national game nor do we have any representation, there is a limited fan following. Hence, our objective of writing couples only was to discourage single male entry, as chances of riots become more and they then cause problems for couples and families. Also remember that the right side of the hall was mostly occupied by couples and families, while the lounges were for couples only. So our purpose of attracting a good crowd and balancing the ratio was fulfilled.
Q-The posters stated that a strict guest list would be kept to ensure the perfect crowd. Why was the checking not as strict as it usually is as compared to all the other events hosted by Jbnjaws?
Ans-I would beg to disagree here. Since the guest list was followed very strictly. Bear in mind that we did not encounter a single incident of an unpleasant nature. There were around 550 people out of which around a 100 people were sent back as we did not have their names on the guest list. I think security was given a lot of preference and that is the reason that we invited guests mostly based on references. No mass mode of marketing was used to publicize the event, except facebook.
It is important to note here that in all our events we do deploy security and have a proper management team but we cannot stop people from coming to the event. We can only stop them from entering if they do not have a pass or if there name is not on the guest list. There is a certain discipline that we as people should have and by pushing at the gate, or coming without any pass that discipline is most definitely violated.
Before the management team at Jbnjaws begins to point fingers and name names as to who might have been the culprit to providing this cleverly articulated statement; let us make it easier for you and unravel the mystery ourselves. The answers to these questions have been provided by Sarfraz Niazi, one of the mastermind directors behind Jbnjaws. Hence, follows our third and final question:
Q-Are you actively working with Jbnjaws at the moment or have you currently moved on to managing celebrities such as Ali Zafar?
Ans-Both myself and Jb are the only two directors for jbnjaws productions and are actively involved in managing it. We recently started our creative ad and design agency called “gray matter” and the only events that this agency will handle will be managed under jbnjaws productions. Our commercial activities have surely been reduced due the security issues and the unstable conditions in the country however we have been doing some great corporate work. The World Cup final together with a concert was a limited commercial activity and InshAllah we are coming up with more events soon!
Yes I am managing Ali Zafar and the experience has been great so far. Besides that, I am working as a brand manager for Radio1FM91, News1 and TV One. I have been a part of one of the largest and most popular ad agencies and I have learnt that art of multi tasking from there. At times it is difficult to do justice to all four, but that is quite seldom. I feel that it is always fun to keep yourself busy with the work that is your passion!
There you have it folks. Be sure to keep an eye out for more of the upcoming events and if there is one you just so happen to miss, Ink will be your eyes and ears.
The DJ could not have been more DJ-like and the atmosphere created was more than enough to imply the anticipation that everyone present was experiencing. A few free drinks here, and a tweaked up air-conditioning there – a few more of those projection screens strategically placed and Voila! Jbnjaws could have earned themselves a prize-winning event. It’s all in the details really. Though, can’t we say the same about the number of yellow cards given out to the Netherland players? The match was nothing short of a nail-biter and I think we all agree when I say that it will be pain-stakingly hard to have to wait for another four years to experience the wonders of the Word Cup again.
