What started as a hobby in 2020 has evolved into a full-time venture for Malik Shishtawi, founder of Mangusteen, a boutique event management company. He shares how he plans to provide a platform for event entrepreneurs to thrive in an industry dominated by larger players
You use the term eventrepreneurs. Can you explain what it means?
I realised that entrepreneurship was becoming a trendy topic, but what made me a bit depressed was the fact that most people only relate entrepreneurship to the tech industry, which is not a fact because there is innovation in all other industries.
I felt events is one of the key industries in which we need to highlight entrepreneurship. I did not want to call it entrepreneurship in events, I wanted to have a catchy title so that when people hear it they feel curious and want to know more.
When I activated Mangusteen’s membership with global associations, including ICCA, UFI and IAEE, I started attending events and realised that we are sometimes the only one in the room who is an SME or startup organiser trying to hijack this big world.
I discussed multiple times with different stakeholders from these entities that maybe part of the reason is them not considering these entrepreneurs in their membership fees and programmes. We invest what is considered big amounts for a startup when it comes to membership fees, travel, accommodation and registration fees to attend events. I am trying to be the voice of this category.
How has Mangusteen evolved?
My experience started before Mangusteen as a personal interest in running events. My first event was the Arab Social Media Forum 15 years ago, which has since been organised eight times in six different countries. With Mangusteen, we started our head office in Qatar in 2020, expanded into Saudi Arabia last year, and Oman this year.
We are also in discussions with the Malaysia Convention Bureau. We analysed the market well and proposed very specific profiles that enable them to compete in the very competitive environment they have around them, like Singapore and Thailand.
What factors do you consider when entering a new market?
We are relatively new, so we have to invest more in innovation. We need to analyse these markets well to create a new profile that is tailor-made for each. When we decide to open an office, it means we see potential in that market, even if it is distant potential; we want to be an early adopter.
We picked Saudi because we know it will move very fast as a market, though it is behind when it comes to infrastructure and expertise. As such, we believe that we can add value. For a market like Oman, the potential is there. It is much slower than Saudi, but it is good to establish ourselves there as early as possible.
What trends do you see emerging in the events industry?
The definition of trend is very broad. From my point of view, it is not the technology or experience because that is an ongoing process that will always pivot based on what is happening around us. The way I see it, it is more the format. I have a big concern about the exhibition business, which is acting more like a real estate business, and I am not a big fan of that; I’m more of an advocate of content.
Conferences that do not have an exhibition element struggle because they depend on sponsorships and registration fees. More and more, I see the format going towards ecosystem events that have everything. They embed a proper conference with content and a nice exhibition with a matchmaking platform.
The investment element should also be a part of events. If you put all of this together with multiple side initiatives, including women empowerment and workshops for more extensive knowledge-sharing, events become less commercial and more impactful.
How has technology shaped the events industry?
I am a big fan of technology, but we should not overuse it as a trend, it is an ongoing enhancement of event experiences. I try to figure out the best practices to embed into our events.
One element I would like to enhance at my events is gamification. I download event apps and only check the agenda. I believe gamification is a way to keep people engaged on the app. A way to do this is by having a QR code at every session and adding a scoring system. The more you engage, the higher your score, which makes you eligible for perks and rewards. This is a good use of technology and a critical part in enhancing events.
