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INTERVIEW
JOHN LICKRISH, CEO, FLASH ENTERTAINMENT THE FLASH ENTERTAINMENT CEO CATCHES UP WITH TPMEA AHEAD OF A SERIES OF HIGH-PROFILE EVENTS.
With an extensive role at Expo 2020 as well as several major events around the corner, including Abu Dhabi Showdown Week and the Abu Dhabi Formula One Grand Prix, the remainder of 2021 is set to be extremely busy for Flash Entertainment. While the constant threat of COVID-19 adds a note of caution to any positive projections, the sudden upturn in business, coupled with an aggressive regional expansion plan, seems to have the Abu Dhabi-based organisation on the path to success. Here, CEO, John Lickrish explains how the company is planning to deliver some of the year’s biggest events.
ME
What can you tell us about Flash Entertainment’s involvement at Expo 2020? We are super excited to be part of this project; it’s a testament to the business and the team’s capabilities. We are delighted that the Expo 2020 organisers are trusting us to deliver such a robust entertainment programme in front of the world. While we have historically been linked to Abu Dhabi rather than Dubai, we’ve always said that we are here for the whole of the UAE and wider region, and our goal is to showcase the tremendous capabilities of the country and the assets that it has. As far as the specifics of our supply, we are delivering all the entertainment
throughout the site – aside from the headline artists, which is being handled separately. It’s a huge project that involves hundreds of entertainers spread across the two stages and all over the Expo 2020 site for the duration of the event. We describe it as ‘tactical entertainment’, as while it might not necessarily be the main draw that people put on their calendars, it will add an incredible amount of atmosphere throughout the event site. One of our most important goals with the entertainment programme is to promote Arabic and specifically Emirati culture. Many people associate the UAE with its big international
