Young entrepreneurs get a head start

The two-day exhibition saw a diverse collection ranging from handmade clothes to customised car decorations.

LAHORE:

The Young Entrepreneurs Exhibition (YEE), organised by Glamstop PR and Client Management, showcased the works of almost a 100 entrepreneurs. The two-day event kicked off to a big crowd on Saturday and showcased a diverse collection ranging from handmade clutches, kolhapuris, kurtas, and jewellery to oil paintings, photography, face painting and customised car decorations.

Having received an overwhelming response from the participants as well as the people of Lahore, Hafsa Shorish, the creative director of Glamstop PR and Client Management, said that the aim was to “target struggling entrepreneurs who haven’t yet developed a stable commercial structure to take their venture to the next level”. Shorish added that all the young entrepreneurs used social networking websites to promote their business ventures.

The exhibition, which was the brainchild of Shorish, had approximately 70 stalls each day, with a few entrepreneurs enjoying a complete sell-out on the first day, paving way for other hopefuls to showcase their talent.

Grey Lemon, a joint venture of three National College of Arts (NCA) students — Sara, Aimen and Maha — was one of the favourites at the exhibition, with the third-year students showcasing their handmade kurtas and clutches. Talking to The Express Tribune, Sara said almost 80 per cent of their stock was sold out on the first day with people now placing more orders.

Meanwhile, Aishah Amjad, who designs jewellery in pure silver, received a lot of appreciation for her enchanting gem-studded ornaments. Aishah said her designs took inspiration from traditional Egyptian and Turkish jewellery with a dash of her own creativity.

Since diversity was the order of the day, the event also brought together talent and brains from the world of information technology (IT). Mohammad Farhan Riaz, a professional in the IT industry, offered an interesting solution to counter Computer Vision Syndrome, a condition resulting from staring at a computer screen continuously for many hours at a stretch. The anti-glare eyewear, under the brand name iSkreen, claims to decrease eye fatigue, enhancing the vision.

Students from Beaconhouse National University, Punjab University, Lahore School of Economics and FAST-NU also participated in the exhibition. Exhibitors as young as 18, also showcased their work, including Meher Omar, who displayed her western wear designs.

Suhaib Mirza, an entrepreneur who started his venture six months ago, said that they offer car decoration services and use paints and glitter to add a festive touch. One such car, an eye-catching marketing gimmick, was parked outside the exhibition.

People from different professions attended the event, with the younger lot forming the bulk of the crowd. However, the event also saw a high profile attendance with Chairman of Punjab Youth Council Saif Hameed and PML-N member Tehmina Daultana gracing the exhibition. Appreciating the efforts put together by the organisers, Hameed offered support for any such ventures in future.

Shorish closed the event with a short note, “Right now the youth needs to come out and prove their mettle; we have the talent and the will, but we need to go about it the right way.” Talking about the future, Shorish said Glamstop has a few other events lined up, with one planned for the end of the year.



Published in The Express Tribune, August 23^rd, 2011.