Event to find most promising young entrepreneur in Oman

Muscat: Entrepreneur’s Conclave, a unique initiative held annually to promote trade and cooperation between startups and corporations in the Sultanate, will strive to find the most promising young entrepreneur in Oman this year through a strict selection process and insightful workshops.
Leading event organiser Experiment Events announced the third edition of ‘Entrepreneur’s Conclave’ themed ‘Dive into your Destiny’ in partnership with Sharaka and the opening of registrations for small and medium enterprise (SMEs) at the Grand Hyatt, Muscat on Sunday.
“This year will see 30 young entrepreneurs alongside10 established local and international senior entrepreneurs as they participate in activities that will fulfill the event’s three main objectives ‘Learn, Survive, and Grow. Last year’s activity involved mountain hiking which was well received by the participants and I am excited to see the response for the diving activity this year,” said Zameel Ameen, founder of Experiment Events.
One of the brand ambassadors of Entrepreneur’s Conclave 2016, Eyab Al Hajj, director of Hema Energy said, “Believe in your dreams and never give up!”
“Although there might be certain challenges like initial registrations, high cost factor and chances of survival of a startup. Whatever it is, an entrepreneur has to enjoy what he or she is doing and never give up on his dreams. My success is related to learning from mistakes, and the beauty of entrepreneurship lies beneath the daily changes that occur towards the journey to success,” he said.
“Marketing is another obstacle, lack of creative ideas to reach out to your customers, reaching the target etc are not an easy task, it is indeed very challenging. You have to believe and have true passion in what you are doing and keep going at it,” he added.
Abdulla Al Jufaili, general manager, Sharakah said, “Entrepreneur’s Conclave in the last two years has gained a huge momentum. It is a great platform that brings both young ambitious entrepreneurs and senior successful entrepreneurs together in a unique program and helps them develop their skills and knowledge in the industry.
Initiative additions
The addition of the international entrepreneurs is one of the factors that make this year’s edition different from previous years. Further to the international entrepreneurs, this edition will also see the inclusion of handpicked group of University students to participate in the activities along with the young entrepreneurs.
These changes, alongside the activities that the participants will take part in; will culminate in a grand finale where the young entrepreneurs will receive an opportunity to present their companies and experiences to an audience consisting of angel investors, funding organisations, and other existing entrepreneurs
The first phase, ‘Learn’, will include a case study that will be held in Jebel Sifa on May 6, that will include entrepreneurs face real time situations on managing an organisation while facing critical issues in high pressure situations.
The second phase, ‘Survive’, will see entrepreneurs take part in a diving exercise as per personal consent on May 7, which represents the frequent challenges entrepreneurs regularly face.
The third phase, ‘Grow’, will include a workshop on May 14 that will prepare the entrepreneurs on how to effectively represent themselves at the final event taking place in PACA Hall on May 30.
Last year’s event held at Alila Jebal Akhdar saw young entrepreneurs work together with senior entrepreneurs who coached them as they took on a case study on increasing tourism in the resort. The shortlisted candidates then received an opportunity to present their businesses to a critic panel for an opportunity to get funded.
Registration
Participants have to register online at www.entrepreneursconclave.com and submit their application before or on April 23, explaining their existing business agenda. The selection criterion is based on a compelling and high potential explanation of their agendas that will be of benefit to the economy in the long run.
It is widely understood that SMEs are a fundamental part of the economic fabric and that they play a crucial role in furthering growth, innovation and prosperity of nations. Hence to further help the young entrepreneurs of this nation, the ‘Entrepreneur’s Conclave’ is a platform which will provide an opportunity to the youth to connect with, learn, experience from leading entrepreneurs of the country so they can bring their business plans closer to reality.
Lastly ‘Entrepreneur’s Conclave’ in partnership with Sabco Media will provide an opportunity for attendees to hear from industry experts on a variety of issues that are pertinent to business owners, while providing an outlook for all SMEs.