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IRANI AND A DEGREE OF INTEREST

Irani, the self-confessed restless man that he is, was in Dubai the other day (could be there even today) adding his 'principal' touch to kick-start the Dubai branch of the till now India-based EMDI, which is short for Event Management Development Institute.

EMDI, operating out of Knowledge Village, hopes to mould careers in Dubai the same way Irani's character in Munnabhai MBBS sought to do with in the film.

But where Irani's character in the film tasted defeat, EMDI promises success. "Getting a degree does not necessarily account for an education. Today's competitive market demands specialisation even while presenting myriad opportunities," says Nowshir Engineer, founder member and director of Event Management Development Institute and a Certified Microsoft Solutions Developer.

Irani, who has been associated with EMDI ever since it was set in 2001, was in Dubai to lend his newfound celebrity status to the venture this side of the Indian Ocean. For the record, Irani is a photographer, a media person, model, theatre and film artiste.

To sum up him up in as few words as possible, there's in him "a touch of satire, the incumbent honest streak (and) a zany lifestyle of comedy". As photographer, he has shot the lot, from Miss India’s to Miss Worlds, from celebrities to top models, from advertising campaigns to portfolios that have launched many a face (and figure). But it is the landscapes to his personal black and whites that the photographer in Irani cherishes the most.

"It is the face that interests me the most, not the fine bone structure of the photogenic, but that face which has seen life and which reflects life," says Irani.

Irani is part of EMDI's chapter in Dubai, as is Richard Coram, managing director of Talent Brokers, and Alan Gordon, general manager - special projects and events, Dubai Festival City LLC.

Event Management Development Institute in Dubai will be a professional training centre, the first such institute in the Middle East, offering students a one-year diploma programme. The institute aims to develop event management and innovative marketing by closely working with industry practitioners, and establishing a strong link and network with the industry.

The first EMDI course in Dubai begins July 19, 2004 and will be on from Monday through Wednesday, each class of two hours' duration. Students can enrol from July 19 on. Annual fees would be at a competitive Dh14, 000.

"Event management involves studying the intricacies of the brand, identifying the target audience, devising the event concept, all this before getting down to actually executing the modalities of the proposed event," says Engineer, adding that "events have become a critical function of an overall brand building exercise and combined with advertising help in an integrated marketing effort."