Ansar has been with us for over 10 years, and is one of our most experienced onsite managers. He’s helped us provide registration around the globe, managing event registration areas from Mexico to Singapore!

When did you join JET?

March 2011

Where are you based?

I’m based in glorious Birmingham

What’s your career history?

I am an IT guy originally, hardware/software/programming. I’ve been in the event’s industry for around 20+ years on various sides of the industry.

What have been your impressions of the events industry?

As I’ve stated I’ve been in the industry in many guises and to be fair not much changes that quickly, the software we interact with is slowly becoming mobile apps, but you still need a screen to view/input and export. There’s more demand on the event organiser to make the event more engaging. Seminar programmes are tweaked and retweaked. There’s usually an Exhibitor that hasn’t had their stand items delivered, and the cost of hiring furniture and power sockets keeps going up. Wifi in venues is getting better though, so that’s where I think I’ll leave it. 😊

The virtual events due to the Pandemic (yes, I said it) has been quite surprising for me to be honest. The number of online viewers I see is shocking, and not only do they register the day before or on the day of the event going live, they seem to click around and get bored with the content. So I feel it’s safe to say face to face event’s will never go away.

If you were going to run an event, what would it be?

Funny, you should ask…It would be a Star Trek convention but done my way 😊

The song you’d sing at karaoke?

There is only one: I will survive by Gloria Gaynor

Worst job you’ve had (hopefully not this one 😉)?

I’ve never had a bad job to be fair, I take pride and enjoyment out of everything I do.

Favourite Film?

Now this is going to sound strange, I have two films that I cannot choose from so they are my joint favourites: Ghostbusters (1984) and Die Hard (1988)

Favourite Food?

Doner Meat and Chips (Not fries, unless I’m in a healthy mood)

Favourite Drink?

Coca Cola (Zero Obvs)

Favourite Holiday/Place to go on holiday?

The USA, anywhere there…I’m a secret American

If you could travel anywhere in the world tomorrow, where would you go?

Australia, Mate! Show me the dunny!

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

Everything. Literally I do a lot, not even sure where to start so I will say going to the cinema and getting lost in the magic of the silver screen

What one thing could you never give up?

You. (Never gonna give you up, Never gonna let you down, Never gonna run around and desert you)

Your biggest achievement?

Getting a film into UK Cinema’s that nobody wanted… Cineworld drives a hard bargain!

Tell us something we don’t know about you.

I’m writing a horror movie which I will film one day… (Yes, I need actors, DM me 😊)