Making glitzy parties happen

DUBAI— Best friends and business partners Katie Harvey and Elsa Roodt strongly believe that a party is not all about concocting colourful drinks or writing name tags.

“It’s adding the essential personal touch to what we do and an active online presence that essentially sets us apart from other party planners in Dubai,” said Harvey. Owners of Dubai Party Queen (DPQ), the one stop for all your party needs in Dubai, Harvey and Roodt say that they help create memories for people.

DPQ, a two-year old organisation, is not just about planning glitzy parties; it’s a business venture that taps on the idea that everyone loves to celebrate.

The ladies organise parties on a budget starting from Dh500 to an exorbitant Dh50,000. “We once organised a party for Dh150,000,” said Harvey. DPQ organises everything from bachelorettes, baby showers, kid’s parties, yacht parties, dinner parties, corporate events, product launches, “and general parties where people are really not sure about what they want to do,” said Harvey. DPQ does not necessarily plan the entire party, but they home deliver quirky party packages with game ideas.

DPQ’s strongest asset would be an interactive website that offers handy tips on how to organise a good party at a budget price.

Irish national Katie Harvey and Elsa Roodt, a South African national met at a party. Harvey has in been in the UAE for the last six years and Roodt for 11 years. “I used to be a communications and marketing professional and so was Elsa. We both happen to be very entrepreneurial by nature and we did want to start something that is ours,” said Harvey. “It was then that we realised that we were forever organising parties for our friends and it’s what we love to do,” she added.

The women think that organising parties is about creating an experience which obviously requires a lot of effort. “We love doing it and it comes naturally to us. The first step was to set up the online portal and create an online resource for free. We created a fantastic following on Facebook and things began picking up immediately,” said Harvey. “It is always scary when you leave a secure employment. Elsa is my best friend and I had almost everyone telling us that we are mad. Having each other made it easier,” she added.

The name Dubai Party Queen was coined by Roodt. “We were coming up with names and trying to be quirky and cute. Honestly, the name has helped and aided us so much. It’s gone on to become a brand that people talk about,” said Harvey.

The women believe that it doesn’t matter if the budget is of Dh500 or Dh50,000. The party should create memories. “It’s little things that make the party worthwhile,” said Harvey. “So far, we have been very lucky and we have a team of seven people now. More than challenges, there were a lot of learning curves. The how to manage a business was an eye opener. But Dubai has been very good to us. It is a party loving environment and as business women, we would never sit back and hope for things to come in. We networked our business very proactively,” said Harvey.

As for future plans, the business partners plan to foray into weddings in the year 2013. “Currently, we are focussing on small garden weddings and events that surround the wedding. But we understand weddings are the most important moments for people, so we are waiting for our skills to be well honed by then to organise truly remarkable wedding experiences,” said Harvey.

Check out http://www.dubaipartyqueen.com for details.

dhanusha@khaleejtimes.com

• UAE