Aysha Qamar (Interview) - President Boomm Entertainment

Name: Aysha Qamar
Nickname: Aysh / Ayshu
D.O.B: Dec 12, 1990
Favorite quote: When things go wrong, don’t go with them!
Inspirations: My mom and dad
Study/professional background: UofT Life Science Graduate. I will be starting graduate school next year.
Tell us a bit about yourself?
I was born in Dubai, but have lived in Canada since I was a toddler. I love travelling, and going to new places but most of all I love meeting new people. I feel that there is so much you can learn from each other. Everyone has their own thoughts, life experiences and lessons, and if we all sat down one day and listened to each other, we would be astonished to see how much people go through on a daily basis.
You are the serving president of Boomm Entertainment tell us a bit about Boomm Entertainment and jobs you have to take care of?
Boomm Entertainment is an entertainment company that focuses on promotion and event organization specifically for the South Asian / Desi student community across the Greater Toronto Area. It was started by our very intelligent and talented founder and CEO Bilal Bajwa, who has a passion for providing the student community with events that they will remember for a life time. Every university has some sort of South Asia affiliated student group on campus , but Boomm Entertainment strives to go beyond the boundaries of schools and universities. Our main aim is to allow South Asian students from different schools and universities to get a chance to meet each other, which will ultimately result in greater unity amongst the South Asian student population in the GTA. Also, Boomm Entertainment focuses on all ages and alcohol free events.
This makes it easier for many students who don’t want to be in an environment involving alcohol and provides a comfortable environment for all. Jobs that I am responsible for are the overall planning, management and implementation of the various events we plan, as well as coordinating the Boomm executive team. We have a tremendous executive and volunteer team on board with Boomm Entertainment it’s my job to ensure each and every member of my team is focused on their assigned task, but at the same time they are enjoying what they do. After all, we are an entertainment company!
How much of skills, dedication, hard work is needed to be where you currently are?
No doubt, there are skills and experiences that you need to have in order to be successful in this position. This includes being an effective communicator, open-mindedness, critical thinking and analytical skills, the ability to handle great amounts of stress, time-management, etc. However, what I feel most important is passion. I have a strong passion for what I do. I like seeing people happy, it’s that simple! Happiness = Positivity! I love being in a positive environment and the way I think of it is that if I organize a successful event where people are happy and satisfied, it will benefit everyone.
You are a student as well how do you manage your time and end up giving time to boomm, studies and work?
Although I have just graduated, I remember how difficult it was to manage this role during full time school and another part- time job. The main key to success is balance and organization. For me, writing everything down has saved me since day one. It lets me visually see what I have to do and where I have to be and it makes things a lot easier. Time is key and if you’re not organized, you’re going to end up in a huge mess. It takes me less than 5 minutes every day to write down what my day will look like, and helps me to avoid a headache later on! I advise everyone to just plan out what’s ahead of them. Makes like ten times easier.
Not only the president of Boomm Entertainment you were also part of PSA UTM, tell us your experience there?
Yes, I was Internal Director at PSA UTM and my experience was amazing. It’s great to see how much enthusiasm the student body holds when it comes to PSA. I mean the events, the parties, etc. are great but I thought PSA was amazing because it is a constant reminder to the students of their Pakistani identity which I feel is so important living in a country that isn’t native to us. PSA has created a strong and well-renowned identity for Pakistani Students across the province which is great! Executives such as the Consular General of Pakistan, the Vice President of the University of Toronto Mississauga, etc. have become aware of PSA and it’s really great to have such strong relationships with community leaders. Overall, the PSA UTM team was great and I made some friends that I will have for a lifetime.
Running a Pakistani event organizing organization in Canada is a tough job, how hard is it to get sponsors or financial aid if needed for an event?
When dealing with sponsors and financial aid, the key is to be clear and open with what you are looking for. It’s all about targeting the right sponsor. They must have a similar interest or motive as your organization does. For example, our motive is to promote South Asian Talent, so we would look for sponsors that cater to the South Asian Community. I’ts most difficult to get sponsors when you have a short timeline so I find it best to start planning ahead.
What makes boom unique/different from other Pakistani event organizing companies?
Boomm Entertainment is the first of its kind. What makes Boomm stand out is that it caters specifically to the student community in the GTA, which includes both high school and colleges/universities. Not only do we organize events large scale events with internationally recognized superstars, but as well as small scale events that may include seasonal activities and festivities. Overall, our aim is to allow social interaction between South Asian students, which will ultimately create an entire network! Can you imagine the kind of strength and unity we could have if all the South Asian students in the GTA became united? Something to think about!
Boomm is hosting the biggest house party with a desi touch “desiyon ki haus party” tell us a bit about it, who came up with the idea?
The “Desiyon ki Haus Party” is definitely the first of its kind and is also Boomm Entertainments first official launch party. I don’t think any South Asian affiliated organization has thrown a “house party” or in this case “Haus party”! We changed up the name to give it a little kick and add some humour! This idea is a brainchild of our founder Bilal Bajwa. The idea overall is to have something different! Students are now becoming tired of the same old “semi-formal” where there is a dinner and dance. Many students have asked for having more time to interact with their friends, and just dance and have a good time! So, at the “Desiyon ki Haus Party”, in celebration of our first launch party, we will be giving away FREE tickets to an upcoming Boomm event which an internationally recognized superstar. Other than that, the night is filled with other free giveaways, unlimited snacks and refreshments, dance performances, 3 different DJs and of course an open dance floor all night long!
Looking at the reviews, comments from people what can you imagine, that how would the party be?
I’ve been seeing a lot of enthusiasm and excitement regarding this event! A “Haus Party” or house party has never been organized before, so something new and refreshing is always of interest to people. I think the party will be a fun-filled night with a huge crowd just looking to have a good time. With our tickets being almost sold out, this event is surely going to be a tremendous hit!
Else than “desiyon ki haus party” what other events are on their way? Any surprises from #boommians.
Boomm Entertainment is working in collaboration with Zeenat Promotions to bring to you the annual “Markham Mela” in August. This event will include international sensations such as Imran Khan, Nouman Khalid, Shaam Idrees, Karter Zaher and more! This will be a day long event and over 10,000 people are expected to come. Other than that, Boomm has an upcoming concern with a SURPRISE artist yet to be announced to the community. Stay tuned for that one folks! We have events going on in July, August and September!
Any embarrassing and funny thing that ever happened at an event?
One of the funniest things that happened was recently during one of our executive meetings with regards to planning the “Desiyon ki Haus Party”. We had decided to have a meeting at a local coffee shop, but with over 15 members on our team, there wasn’t enough room for us to sit together. As a result, we decided to take refuge outside the coffee shop underneath a tree and actually ended up having a very successful and “booming” meeting on the grass! Imagine 15 people sitting underneath the tree talking business. It was really a sight to see. Like they say, some of the best ideas come from the weirdest places!
As you guys tend to organize Pakistani events so for entertainment purposes how hard/difficult is to book/approach Pakistani artists?
There is a lot involved in the process of booking Pakistani artists. The biggest issue is dealing with the visa settlements for the artists in order for them to come perform in Canada. It involves a lot of governmental issues so that is probably the most difficult thing we have to tackle. Otherwise, approaching Pakistani artists also involves a lot of negotiation in terms of contract deals, etc.
How many people are there in Boomm team, what are their ranks and who do you think is the best team member?
The Boomm Team has been expanding since day 1. We’ve received so much interest and enthusiasm from so many people it’s absolutely amazing. My inbox has been flooded with volunteer applications and it’s truly a blessing to have received so much support in such a short while. There are a number of different designations for the various team members we have. As our team is still expanding, there is still room for more. Some of the positions we have right now are VP Operations held by Hassan Bhatti, Director of Visual Media held by Haroon Chaudhary, Director of Publicity held by Mahnoor Warraich. We have many other equally important executive members but if I starting naming them all, you would be reading all day! Of course, I forget to mention our volunteers who have committed such sincere effort and devotion to Boomm and I am forever grateful to them. Being president, it would be really unfair for me to choose the best team member because everyone puts it’s such an amazing effort! However for the sake of answering the question, the best team member I would say without a doubt has to be our Founder and CEO, and my very dear friend Bilal Bajwa because without him, Boomm would have never came to be! He’s the man that started it all so hats off to him!
Boom without you?
Well without a doubt, we have an amazing and dedicated team! Without me, I’m sure they would be able to continue their success , but Boomm has become such an important part of my life, I don’t think they’ll see me leaving very soon :P.
You without boom?
Without Boomm, I’d feel empty. My teammates aren’t just my co-workers. They’ve become like family to me! From sharing the laughter and joy to the ups and downs, we’ve been through a lot and I know there is much more to come so it’s really difficult for me to think about myself being separated from Boomm.
Where do you see boomm in next few years?
In the next few years, I see Boomm setting a superior platform for South Asian entertainment events in the GTA. I feel that our brand will be known more prominently to people since we will have conducted many more events by that time. Good times ahead!
If someone wants to join or contact Boomm how can they reach you guys?
Anyone interested in joining Boomm can feel free to send an inbox message to me via facebook or our Boomm Entertainment inbox on facebook and we will go from there. Also, interested applicants are encouraged to visit us on facebook at www.facebook.com/Boommentertainment, and follow us on twitter @ www.twitter.com/BoommCanada and on instagram @ Boommentertainment!
Thoughts on Lespectra.
One thing I really admire about Lespectra is the way they strive to inform the community about Pakistani and Canadian music, events, etc. Lespectra provides a gateway for individuals to know what’s going in the Pakistani community and how they can be a part of it which is so important in today’s day and age when many of us are far away from our cultural and historical backgrounds. Hats off to a talented team of youngsters who are so determined to support talent and creativity!