FACT’s Anushay Taimur Khan caught up with Alessandro Gaffuri, Founder and CEO at CELS Group, the organisation responsible for Qatar Live and bringing some of the world’s biggest stars to Doha…

This is the biggest celebrity entertainment line-up that Qatar is seeing. How does it feel to be the pioneer of such an event?
It is an exciting opportunity for CELS Group to work with organisations such as Qatar Airways and Qatar National Tourism Council and to pioneer, QATAR LIVE together. Collectively we are able to ideate and bring these events to life and it is a very rewarding experience for myself and the team.

Who and what has shaped who you are today?
Since a young age, I have had an entrepreneurial spirit from selling home-made jewellery and items with my sister as a child, to founding CELS Group. I am always asking WHY and challenging the status quo in order to find better solutions for my clients and this drives me forward.

You’ve been in this industry for 22 years! How have you kept up with the trends and being innovative in the field?
I am curious by nature so I consume a lot of information from different sources. I also travel the world and network globally so I can keep my finger on the pulse of the industry.

You have offices in Europe and GCC – how do you penetrate the two markets considering how different they are?
The fundamentals of human emotions remain the same across regions and this is what CELS Group strives to engage with. Across all CELS Group’s business units, we engage with emotions as these are at the core of everything we do. So, although the regions are different, people’s emotions are not and this how we work.

CELS Group believes in being unique, what is the one trend that the company has started and you now see being adapted worldwide?
Creating favourite meeting places with a focus on community and a sense of belonging is something I have built my business around and I am now seeing industry focus on developing the same across various types of destinations.

What are the future goals for CELS Group?
CELS Group has recently acquired Retail Emotions, a festive decor company to expand its offering globally. Retail Emotions designs and produces bespoke decor element that can bring any destination to life. ✤

GO: VISIT WWW.CELSEVENTS.COM FOR MORE INFORMATION.