EVENT SHOWCASE
Behind the beach party Greg Dufton and Tim Derry have secured a star-studded line-up for Sandance Text: SARAH WALKER Photo: VIKRAM GAWDE
Event: Sandance by Nasimi Beach, October 15 Around 6,000 people are expected to descend on an unspoiled stretch of Nasimi Beach at Atlantis, The Palm, on October 15, all set to experience Sandance – a 12-hour festival which will see the likes of superstar DJ Armand Van Helden, Ibiza dance legends Chicane and Beirut newbies Ronin & Nesta unite on stage. Behind that stage – most probably in the semi-frantic frenzy that comes with event management territory – will be Tim Derry and Greg Dufton. The entrepreneurial pair are the founding partners of Think, a company they set up at the start of the year to combine their strengths in marketing, advertising and booking the artists nobody else can get. Think has brought international acts including Groove Armada and Basement Jaxx to Dubai in its ninemonth lifespan, and the company’s increasingly impressive line-ups have carved Tim and Greg out as the ‘go to’ guys for any venue looking to throw a party with the power to cause a stir. Sandance is perhaps their most adventurous offering to date. But, in a city where beach parties are as much a part of winter weekends as alfresco dining, how do the Think-ers intend to set theirs apart, and make sure it’s the event that anyone who owns a pair of flip flops would be mad to miss? Middle East MICE & Events sat down with Tim and Greg as they dig deep into their two decades spent in the thick of the Dubai social scene, and uncover the extenuating commercial circumstances associated with a mere 180m stretch of sand. 18 OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2010
How did you select the artists for Sandance? Tim: “The acts have been chosen because they complement the venue. We’re hoping when people hear Chicane’s Offshore and Saltwater, and they’re standing on a beach... it will be a moment to make the hairs stand up on the back of their neck.” How has Dubai reacted so far? Greg: “We’ve had great feedback. I admit we were a bit uncertain how people would respond to the likes of Chicane and Zero 7, but there are so many people who are extremely excited about seeing them perform.” Is the event comparable to any other? Greg: “I have never known a line-up this diverse. What we have tried to do is create a progression, in music and for people to experience personally. Sandance is so mixed musically; we really feel we are going to see a massive cross-section of people, all having a fantastic time.” Tim: “We have cast our net far wider than just clubbers in their 20s. I think there are a lot of people in our age range (Tim is 41 and Greg is 33) who think they are no longer a ‘nightclub person’, but they will come to an event like this because they appreciate good music and love the beach setting.”
meant the procedure has been smooth. It took four days from submitting applications to having the stamped licenses in our hands. This is a large-scale event for a team of two. Are you out of your depth? Tim: “Definitely not. We are quite lucky that we both have skills in different areas, and the division of tasks seems to happen naturally. We are definitely going to need to get a team together for Sandance, mainly to make sure our artists are having a good time, which is very important to us. And if Think carries on the way it has been, we will need to get more people in full time.”
How much does it cost to put on event of this scale? Tim: “Atlantis will not get much change from US$250,000.” How difficult is licensing and gaining the required permits? Greg: “I have spent seven years dealing with artist licenses in Dubai, so I know exactly what the DTCM need to see. That, coupled with the clean slate relationship Atlantis has with the board already, has
Greg Dufton (left) and Tim Derry turned two decades of burning the Dubai candle at both ends into their successful events company, Think