Key Points:
- Driven by the Saudi entertainment industry’s vast market size, the substantial potential for improvement, and the exciting opportunity to create more ‘happy jobs,’ founder and CCO Lina Alabdan started NeonHeads Saudi.
- NeonHeads Saudi, an event entertainment production house, is committed to empowering local talent and promoting cultural exchange.
- Lina says, “I am delighted and honestly proud to be a contributor – an active part of Vision 2030 implementation, which is evolving my lovely kingdom into a long-term prosperous future.”
Saudi Arabia is witnessing a cultural revolution as the Vision 2030 plan opens up new avenues for the entertainment industry to flourish. From music festivals to art exhibitions, the country is embracing a more diverse and vibrant scene that reflects its rich heritage and modern aspirations. Among the pioneers of this emerging sector is NeonHeads Saudi, in-house developing event shows, acts, and IPs, for private, corporate, and governmental clients and audiences.
NeonHeads Saudi was founded by Lina Alabdan, a passionate and visionary leader who saw the potential of the entertainment industry in her country and decided to pursue her dream of creating more ‘happy jobs’ for herself and others. Thanks to its in-house production capabilities NeonHeads Saudi excels in speed to deliver their 300+ ready-to-go or fully custom-made shows. NeonHeads Saudi is tirelessly raising and using local resources, backed by 21 years of international experience in the industry.
Business APAC had the privilege to speak to Lina Alabdan, the CCO and founder of NeonHeads Saudi, who shares her story, her vision, and her challenges in leading this unique and dynamic company.
Business APAC: What is the concept behind NeonHeads Saudi, and how does it stand out in the event entertainment industry?
Lina: NeonHeads Saudi is an event entertainment production house, that specializes in creating shows for private, corporate, and governmental events or marketing campaigns.
Our unique selling point is a fusion of rich Saudi culture and a modern touch in our IPs. We aim to find the sweet spot where tradition meets vision, showcasing the beauty and diversity of Saudi culture while also incorporating contemporary elements and technologies.
We are developing as well a fascinating tech startup, REE.global, where our mission is to revolutionize the event entertainment buying journey on a global scale by leveraging modern-age tools to make it seamless. We are also committed to raising and using local talents, backed by 21 years of international experience in the industry.
Business APAC: How did you discover your passion for the entertainment industry? What are some of the factors that make it an attractive and rewarding sector in your country?
Lina: I entered the entertainment industry by chance when I met my business partner, Petra Marko Navarro. It was love at first sight with a new industry in my country that I didn’t know existed!
Captivated by its unfamiliar yet delightful nature, I am truly enjoying the journey of exploring the entertainment industry in my country. I am driven by its huge market size, great potential for improvement, and the exciting opportunity to create more “happy jobs.”
Business APAC: How do you balance being an entrepreneur and leading a team? What are some of the skills and values that you have learned and applied in your work?
Lina: I enjoy our approach of mastering a vast amount of roles. We are in a precious phase, growing a new Saudi baby with strong parents with global experience, where my business partner forces me to taste almost all the roles our production house has. I believe it will help me to be empathetic with our growing team in later stages when I need to be more specialized.
My responsibility as an entrepreneur and a company owner is to take good care of our team and help them grow in all aspects – on a personal as well as professional level. Our team fluctuates from being a large group one day to just a few of us the next day. Working with individuals with different backgrounds and expectations makes it clear to me that the key pillars of any team’s success are respect, understanding, and a crystal-clear communication. I also make sure that our artists are never hungry.
I firmly believe that when you give wholeheartedly, people naturally follow, boosting both motivation and productivity.
Business APAC: What do you enjoy the most, and what frustrates you the most about your work as an event planner?
Lina: I love to see our fantastic Acts in action – how people enjoy it, how does it fit to the particular event. To see the fruit of a not-easy production process and challenging sales/creation process, where we are cracking the vibe of the event and bending the existing Act or tailoring absolutely new Act to serve a particular need of the event.
Another source of pride for me is the Saudisation initiative we have launched between NeonHeads Saudi and NeonHeads International. It is a one-on-one mentorship program where Saudi talents shadow international professionals until they are ready to take over the position fully. This fosters skill transfer and knowledge exchange, with a long-term goal to achieve sustainable growth of the local entertainment industry. We are committed to growing this industry for multiple decades, so strategic thinking is in our company’s DNA.
And what makes me furious? When agreements are not honored. Late payments and changes literally on the day of the event are unfortunately still present. But if we persist, the market will mature.
Business APAC: How do you align your vision with the Vision 2030 of Saudi Arabia, and what are some of the innovative projects you are working on?
Lina: I am delighted and proud to be an active contributor to the Vision 2030 implementation, which is evolving my lovely kingdom into a long-term prosperous future.
Looking at our work I can speak weeks about our plans and ideas, but one achievement I would like to highlight is our tech startup I mentioned earlier, REE.global. We have received a remarkable response to its MVP (minimum viable product) and after closing a second investment round we are ready to complete our next milestone – to profit from the synergies between the entertainment and travel industries.
The core of our innovation is a global aggregator offering a one-stop solution to purchase event entertainment with fully automated door-to-door pricing and delivery. Imagine making a single visit to our platform and having the show delivered right to your event doorstep, instantly. This is not just a project; it’s a paradigm shift in the way the world explores and procures event entertainment – B2B as well as B2C.
Quotes
“Successful people are losers who never gave up.”
“Persistence, persistence, persistence, and you can do magic in our land full of opportunities—Saudi Arabia.”
